Articles by Neil Dowling

Frendzy is an adaptation of the Kangoo EV and an important part of Renault's building avalanche of electric vehicles. Renault Australia's managing director Justin Hocevar says the first Renault electric car here will be the Fluence ZE (for zero emissions) initially for selected customers by June, 2012. It will then go on general sale before December. "We'll be looking also at the Zoe ZE - a small hatchback - and because of our strength in commercial vehicles, the Kangoo ZE small van. We want to see these here as soon as possible." Renault is now expanding its electric vehicle range, adding to the existing Fluence ZE, Kangoo ZE (small commercial van) and recent Twizy with the Zoe, due in Europe early next year. Mr Hocevar says that though Frendzy is only a concept - penned by its new design chief, ex-Mazda stylist Laurens van der Ackers - it has a lot of potential as an urban cross-over that bridges work and play functions. "This is the fourth step by Renault in the electric vehicle design process," he says. "We have seen a focus on sports-oriented electric vehicles, then SUVs and then more family-oriented cars and now it's the Frendzy, a vehicle that can be for work during the week and as a family car for weekends." Frendzy has the same 44kW/227Nm electric drivetrain as the Kangoo ZE, although the charging point - located under the Renault logo at the front of the vehicle - is identical to that on Zoe. It has a 175km range. Renault says it is the perfect work and play vehicle. For work, it has a large rear compartment with a back seat that can fold into the floor leaving a flat load area. The front passenger seat also moves forward and can fold against the dashboard to accommodate longer objects. It suits plumbers, electricians and many other tradesmen. Rather than signwriting on the van to advertise the owner's business, the Frendzy has an LCD screen within the rear door to display whatever message the owner programs it to show. But Frendzy may be a while from production. Mr Hocevar confirms that Renault's first step in Australia is the Fluence ZE, its first all-electric car, that arrives in the second quarter of next year for Better Place customers in Canberra. Renault and electric vehicle infrastructure provider Better Start announced last month that they were collaborating in a sweep of electric cars for Australia. The Fluence ZE is the world's first electric car with unlimited range due to innovative battery switching technology developed by Better Place. "The car will then be offered for sale in the fourth quarter of next year," Mr Hocevar says. But while Renault is starting to produce its electric vehicle range, Mr Hocevar tempers this by saying "there's still a lot of work to be done in Australia". "We need to see more demand from the public for electric cars and we need to see support from governments. There doesn't seem to be a lot of support from the current Federal Government."

These 2CVs will resurface this month at an international 2CV event. Organisers expect a record-breaking global gathering of Citroen 2CVs at the 19th International "Amis de la 2CV" (Friends of the 2CV) event on July 26-31. The gathering is expected to attract more than 6000 examples of the legendary and iconic Citroen model. Held every two years, the meeting attracts participants from all over the world who come together to celebrate one of Citroen's longest-running success stories. The 2011 event will be held on a 60-hectare site near Salbris in Central France. Four pre-war prototype 2CVs will be on show alongside the contemporary Citroen REVOLTe concept - a small, electric city car that has been inspired by the 2CV's distinctive silhouette. Originally developed in the 1930s, most of the 250 prototype 2CVs were destroyed before war. Only three were hidden to stop them falling into enemy hands. The fourth was stored by Michelin. The 2CV was finally unveiled at the 1948 Paris Motor Show, before going on to enjoy a fantastic career with 5,114,940 units sold between 1948 and 1990. Activities at the event will include a 2CV "disassemble-reassemble" competition; a bring-and-buy sale; various children's events; and the use of driving simulators.

One Australian car cut through the 1970s cultural cringe of Farrah Fawcett hairstyles, tan-coloured flared trousers and looking cool with a cigarette. Chrysler's Valiant Charger was hip, possibly even hop, and the colourful dancing graphics of magazine advertising and the monochrome TV ads of smiling kids and a hairy Graeme Blundell flashing the "V" sign with their fingers, shouting "Hey Charger", was addictive. In retrospect, the corny - and blatantly sexist - TV ads were extremely successful in relaying the fun aspect of the car that singularly lifted Chrysler's Australian image onto a higher plane. Despite the intervening decades, that addiction lingers. Charger owners' clubs are firmly entrenched in our capital cities, the cars are loved and paraded and the market prices are as strong as a Hemi six. John Urquhart caught the Charger bug at age 33, buying a new R/T in early 1972 - the build date was September 1971 - for about $3600. After 39 years, he still has it. "I bought it because I intended it for motor racing," says the retired lawyer now living the quiet life in country south-west WA. "But it became the family car right up to the 1980s and I never entered it in an event until 1991. It really lives up to its name - R/T for road and track - because it was comfortable and roomy for my two children as they grew up." The beige coupe with its blacked-out bonnet panels, pressed steel wheels finished in graphite to look like alloys, the golf-club head gear knob and serious "265 R/T" badges is as aesthetic today as it was when Chrysler Australia penned the body shape atop a chopped sedan platform. Urquhart pressed it into service in 1991, entering hill climbs, sprints and regularity trials and campaigning it around the country venues and even using it to trailer his other car - an open wheeler - to eastern states events. These include a Mopars on the Murray show and Shannons' 2001 National Motoring Tour. "I remember I drove it to Adelaide for a supporting race for open wheelers that preceded the main event at the 1985 Adelaide Grand Prix, the first one," he says. "On the way home (to Perth), the Charger turned over 100,000 miles. It's now done 145,500 miles since new." The Charger is original down to its number plate, but hasn't been free of incidents. A bushfire in 2006 that devastated forests around Urquhart's home destroyed the sheds - but left the house intact - in which the Charger was stored, damaging the car. Later, a following motorist in the city failed to stop in time and wrote off her small car on the back of the Charger. You can still see the scratch in the Charger's rear chrome bumper but the minor sheetmetal damage has been repaired and the tail light replaced. The 265 (for cubic inches which is 4.3 litres) "Hemi" six has a new block - though Urquhart still has the original - and there are extractors with 2-inch pipes, a meatier cam profile and the Carter carburettor has been replaced with a Holley 500. The original three-speed manual gearbox has given way to a four-speed box. Dyno testing shows it has 163kW at the flywheel and 123kW at the wheels at 4950rpm, just shy of the engine's 5000rpm redline. "I had power brakes fitted. It doesn't stop any better, but the pedal pressure is a lot less," Urquhart says. "It has also had the steel members replaced around the steering box. It is a common problem that this area is weak and prone to rust, so it's now reinforced." Like most Chrysler enthusiasts, Urquhart remains a member - he was one of its originals - of the Charger Club of WA. So he knows its value and now indicates the car could be for sale. "I retired from events in June," he says. "So the car won't be used much now. I estimate it's worth $47,500 and I was analytical in arriving at that because when new it was about half the price of a Bathurst-specced Charger that are now going for $80,000-$90,000. "I'm not desperate to sell it - it's been a part of my and my family's life for 40 years - but I may let it go." HISTORY Chrysler Australia built the emotive Valiant Charger from 1971 to 1978, creating a coupe body from the A-pillar back on top of a VH sedan platform and chopping 152mm out of the wheelbase. It was also 333mm shorter than the sedan and 54kg lighter at 1352kg. The first VH series of the Charger was the most popular. It was a sell-out in Australia and also in New Zealand where it was assembled from imported kit components. The VH Valiant Charger won the 1971 Australian "Wheels Car of the Year" Award. The Charger R/T and Charger 770 shared the 265 "HP" (high performance) two-barrel carburettor six-cylinder Hemi engine. The optional E37 had a tuned "Six Pack" version of the engine with triple sidedraught Weber carburettors. There was a further tuned version, option E38, which was the basis of Chrysler's touring car racer for 1971. The E38 had 209kW and added $580 to the 1971 purchase price.

Holden today says the cost to the three Australian-based car makers and the scores of component suppliers would be about $30 million a year. Its boss, Mike Devereux, says the tax comes on top of the Federal Government earlier this year pulling the rug on the $800 million "green car" incentive fund that was a cornerstone to Holden building its Cruze small car in Adelaide. A further blow is that financial assistance to industry affected by the carbon tax - as announced by the Prime Minister on Sunday - will not include the three domestic car manufacturers. The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) says its members - representing all Australian manufacturers, distributors, suppliers and agents - are very concerned about the future of a domestic automobile industry. The FCAI asked the Federal Government to consider three points before implementing a carbon tax. Only one was adopted. FCAI chief executive says in advising the government, it was "ringing the warning bells". "If they are unheeded, we have to live with the consequences," says FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar. "The last thing we want is to follow New Zealand." New Zealand's government changed its car assembly policy in 1998 and Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Honda closed their plants, sending thousands of workers to unemployment lines. That's what could happen here." A report by accountancy firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers expects Australian car makers to share an annual impost of up to $84 million, resulting in at least a $400 jump in the prices of locally-made cars. The accountancy firm says the carbon tax comes on top of a difficult period where the Australian car industry "struggled" to compete. In its industry report prior to this week's carbon tax announcement by the Federal Government, the accountancy firm warns that vehicle imports were on the rise and local jobs are under threat. It says that vehicle imports jumped to almost 85 per cent in 2010 compared with 60 per cent in 2002 and that new vehicles from Thailand doubled in two years. Local manufacturers have also turned to importing components rather than sourcing from Australian suppliers. Component imports rose to 43.6 per cent in 2010-11 from 34.8 per cent in 2005-06, says PricewaterhouseCoopers. "These challenges have resulted in a reduction in the sales volume of locally-manufactured vehicles and a reduction in local content of domestic-manufactured vehicles as the vehicle assemblers have increasingly sourced components from overseas suppliers," the firm says. "This has resulted in associated job losses within the Australian industry." Holden boss Mike Devereux in June says he expected the carbon tax would cost his company $40 million to $50 million a year at a rate of $20-$30 a tonne. "It will increase the cost of doing business here and there probably ought to be some type of a (public-private) co-investment scheme to offset some of that cost," he told ABC Radio on June 27. However, Holden today admits that "while Holden designs, engineers and manufactures vehicles in Australia for the domestic and overseas market, it does not fit the Government's criteria as an emissions-intensive, trade-exposed industry (EITE)." That is, no subsidy. "Consequently, Holden and many other major manufacturers will only be potentially eligible to apply for compensation to partly off-set the impact on Australian manufacturing under the Clean Technology Program," Holden says in a statement. "Over the coming days we will be reviewing the details of the scheme to better understand how the package will be implemented. In particular Holden will be discussing with the Government the issues affecting Australia's ability to compete globally for foreign investment."

The Nissan Leaf has been awarded the maximum crash rating by independent vehicle safety advocate, the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP). It is the first five-star safety rating for an electric vehicle after the Mitsubishi i-MiEV scored four stars. ANCAP also announced five-star ratings for the Hyundai Elantra and Ford Focus. ANCAP Chair, Lauchlan McIntosh, said the five-star rating for the Leaf, based on EuroNCAP tests, once again confirmed that green can also be safe. "Electric vehicles are a genuine option for todays new car buyers - it is good news for consumers to see the Nissan Leaf record this top safety rating, " he says. "The 2011 Leaf comprises a full suite of air bags, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake distribution and electronic stability control and intelligent seat belt reminders among other standard features." "It performed very well in crash testing, with the passenger compartment holding its shape and thus offering superior protection for the occupants." McIntosh says the top result for the Hyundai Elantra reflects the continued emphasis on safety in Hyundai design and production processes. "Hyundai has made a clear decision to make safety a priority in the production and marketing of their vehicles, and the Elantra joins a range of other five-star models in their fleet," McIntosh says. Ford has also continued the five-star performance with all variants of the soon to be launched Ford Focus awarded the top ANCAP rating. "Consumers are now regarding five stars as an entry point for their vehicle choice, so these manufacturers should be congratulated for bringing these cars onto the Australian market," McIntosh says.

….any financial assistance from the carbon tax. Holden today says the cost to the three Australian-based car makers and the scores of component suppliers would be about $30 million a year. But a report by accountancy firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers expects Australian car makers to share an annual impost of up to $84 million, resulting in a $400 jump in the prices of locally-made cars. The accountancy firm says the carbon tax comes on top of a difficult period where the Australian car industry "struggled'' to compete. In its industry report prior to this week's carbon tax announcement by the Federal Govrnment, the accountantcy firm warns that vehicle imports were on the rise and local jobs are under threat. It says that vehicle imports jumped to almost 85 per cent in 2010 compared with 60 per cent in 2002 and that new vehicles from Thailand doubled in two years. Local manufacturers have also turned to importing components rather than sourcing from Australian suppliers. Component imports rose to 43.6 per cent in 2010-11 from 34.8 per cent in 2005-06, says PricewaterhouseCoopers. “These challenges have resulted in a reduction in the sales volume of locally-manufactured vehicles and a reduction in local content of domestic-manufacturered vehicles as the vehicle asemblers have increasingly sourced components from overseas suppiers,'' the firm says. “This has resulted in associated job losses within the Australian industry.'' Holden boss Mike Devereux in June says he expected the carbon tax would cost his company $40 million to $50 million a year at a rate of $20-$30 a tonne. “It will increase the cost of doing business here and there probably ought to be some type of a (public-private) co-investment scheme to offset some of that cost,'' he told ABC Radio on June 27. However, Holden today admits that ``while Holden designs, engineers and manufactures vehicles in Australia for the domestic and overseas market, it does not fit the Governments criteria as an emissions-intensive, trade-exposed industry (EITE).'' That is, no subsidy. ”Consequently, Holden and many other major manufacturers will only be potentially eligible to apply for compensation to partly off-set the impact on Australian manufacturing under the Clean Technology Program,'' Holden says in a statement. “Over the coming days we will be reviewing the details of the scheme to better understand how the package will be implemented. “In particular Holden will be discussing with the Government the issues affecting Australia's ability to compete globally for foreign investment.''

ROCKETING SUV sales seem to have left sales of the genre's originator, the 4WD, stuck in the mud. Australians - and I suppose Americans - want to be seen as having a sense of motoring adventure without the inconvenience of flies, dust and a lack of fast-food outlets.But that's not to say the proper 4WDs are dead, just that in comparison with SUVs they are specialised to be competent in the dirty world away from bitumen.They are also comparatively expensive. The new Nissan Pathfinder Ti550 costs $75,990. I don't have to tell you that's a serious amount of money and probably a lot more than you expected to pay.Is it worth it?The big price is relative. The Spanish-made Pathfinder is sister to the Navara dual-cab ute and now - as the Ti550 model - gets the option of the Renault 3-litre V6 turbo-diesel engine mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission and dual-range, part-time 4WD system.Clearly, that all costs money. Add leather, the latest music storage unit within the extensive infortainment and navigation system, plus treats like the sunroof, and the dollars add up.The Pathfinder is about $11,000 more than a similarly-equipped Navara ute but is price comparative with what true offroaders buy - Prado, Discovery and Pajero.This is an evolutionary shape and has been around for about six years. It's purposeful and functional but because of this, looks dated compared with more edgier designs from most rivals.The "hidden" rear door handles, for example, follow Alfa Romeo's concept and while cleverly decluttering the lines of the body, can be awkward to use for adults and impossible for some children. Cabin treatment is simple but, look closely, and it's packed with features.The seven seats, which fold flush into the cargo floor, are irreplaceable for hauling friends of the family. The full-size spare is tucked under the chassis so no unloading the car when you get a flat. It's all very well designed.Big news is the Renault engine that - we hope - should now be fitted to the Patrol. This V6 diesel with a single-turbo has been floating around in the Nissan-Renault alliance models and proven to be a durable unit. The 550Nm of torque is huge and impressively kicks in at a mere 1750rpm.Better is the seven-speed sequential automatic that has enough cogs for brisk acceleration and long legs for touring. The drive system is part-time - it's a rear-drive layout - with an electric dash switch to allocate 4WD High and 4WD Low.On top of the mechanical features, this Ti550 model has an impressive audio and sat-nav package with telephone link, Bluetooth and lots more.The Navara version of the Pathfinder Ti550 has a three-star rating but this wagon gets four stars. It adds six airbags, electronic stability control with all the other aids. It also has the presumed safety advantage of seating occupants higher than most other traffic.The sparkling engine and the ability of the gearbox to quickly get power to the ground is pretty impressive. What could be judged a big, bulky and slow 4WD wagon is actually remarkably quick. The slow steering ratio - lots of turns lock to lock for the benefit of dirt driving - is about the only thing that dulls the Pathfinder's on-road verve.It's also quiet and relatively comfortable, though seat comfort - particular a lack of lateral support in the front and a low seat-to-floor height in the back that cramps the occupant's body - isn't its strong point. But there's enough room to stretch out so passenger's shouldn't be too uncomfortable on long trips. Off the road it's like the bitumen never ended.The big boots, gobs of low-end torque and the effective drive system make beaches and gravel pits too easy. Fuel consumption on test was 10.6L/100km which gives a pleasing 760km range.Get over the sticker shock and the Ti550's space, 3500kg towing ability, offroad competence and reasonable economy can make a strong argument against its rivals, particularly the Prado.The V6 is arguably less-stressed than the $16,000-cheaper four-cylinder Pathfinder diesel and is therefore recommended for heavy duty work.

It's because he read the good book, the Catholic Church's "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road". Delivered from the Vatican, the good book was published first in 2007 and despite the intervening years, still has a message for everyone on the road. Here is the Vatican's Ten Commandments for Drivers. I. You shall not kill: "The moral responsibility of road users, both drivers and pedestrians, derives from the obligation to respect the Fifth and Seventh Commandments: `Thou shalt not kill' and `Thou shalt not steal'. The gravest sins against human life, deriving from the Fifth Commandment, are suicide and murder, but this commandment also requires respect for one's own and other people's physical and mental wellbeing." II. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm. "Therefore, through strict observance of the Highway Code, everyone should be committed to creating a 'road culture' based on widespread understanding of everyone's rights and duties and behaviour consistent with its implications." III. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events. "When driving without the requisite conditions (for example, carelessly, or lacking the necessary capacities), one endangers life and goods, which presupposes infringement of moral law, due to the voluntary nature of the act. For a bad effect to be imputable it must be foreseeable and the agent must have the possibility of avoiding it, as in the case of manslaughter caused by a drunken driver." IV. Be charitable and help your neighbour in need, especially victims of accidents. "Moral law prohibits exposing anyone to grave danger, without serious grounds, as well as refusing assistance to a person in danger. In addition, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that `the virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco or medicine. Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and other's safety on the road, at sea, or in the air'." V. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin. "The fact that a driver's personality is different from a pedestrian's personality should be taken into account. When driving a vehicle, special circumstances may lead us to behave in an unsatisfactory and even barely human manner." VI. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so. "A person's behaviour is characterised by the capacity to control and master oneself, and not be carried away by impulses. The responsibility for cultivating this capacity for self-control and mastery is important, both in terms of a driver's psychology and the serious damage that may be caused to the life and wellbeing of persons and goods in case of accident." VII. Support the families of accident victims. "In respecting justice, road users should provide reparations for any damage caused to others. If, according to their conscience, they are responsible for such damage, they should do their best until the victim, or close relatives, have been adequately compensated. If the harm is produced completely unintentionally, they should still feel obliged, in accordance with their conscience, to compensate the victim in compliance with the law, and in case of dispute and tria l, they should respect the sentence." VIII. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness. "We should also encourage the families of victims to forgive their aggressors, as a sign, albeit difficult, of human and Christian maturity. In this process of forgiveness, it is useful, even necessary, to have spiritual support from a chaplain or pastoral agent and to celebrate an appropriate Day of Pardon." IX. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party. "Travellers lives should not be endangered by incorrect and careless manoeuvres that may cause harm to both passengers and pedestrians. The word `love' is used here to mean the many forms taken by genuine charity, namely respect, courtesy, consideration, etc. Good drivers courteously give way to pedestrians, are not offended when overtaken, allow someone who wishes to drive faster to pass and do not seek revenge." X. Feel responsible towards others. "Individuals have an ethical obligation to respect traffic regulations and, therefore, they should have knowledge, gained from training aimed at deepening their sense of responsibility. The role of the family in road safety education is clear and vital, and is part of the experience that must be conveyed to children for a good general education." So there. You've been warned.

Volkswagen Amarok and Nissan Navara go head-to-head in this comparative review.

Its Minagi concept is one vehicle that wasn’t on the cards and yet is now centre stage at the Melbourne show as the future CX-5 SUV.Its appearance marks only the second time the precursor to the production CX-5 has ever been shown – affirmation of the importance of the Australian market to Mazda – and precedes its official debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September. The CX-5 will be the first production vehicle to incorporate Mazda’s new design theme, "Kodo: Soul of Motion" first seen on the Mazda Shinari concept sedan.It is pertinent the Shinari will be the second surprise at the show. This design study of a four-door, four-seater sedan could be the inspiration for the next Mazda6, but Mazda believes it is more likely to be the benchmark of styling cues. New Mazdas will, for example, inherit the Shinari’s open grille design. But Minagi and Shinari don’t represent all Mazda’s surprises at this show.Mazda Australia says it will be one of the biggest and most forward-looking reveals in Mazda’s history. The Melbourne show will also be the international debut of Mazda’s next BT-50 ute and though many people have seen its styling as a dual-cab version, the show will be the first time in the world that the Freestyle variant will be shown.The Freestyle has two conventional doors plus two smaller rear-hinged doors to access two back seats. The door function is similar to the Mazda RX-8. Mazda claims rear-seat comfort "has been taken to levels never seen before in the Freestyle Cab". The seat cushions are 50mm longer for better thigh support, and more stable fitting of child seats.The seatback height has been increased by 128mm. The rear-seat cushions can be removed to offer more cargo room. Cargo space has also been boosted by the longer, wider and higher rear tub that now has a volume of 1453 litres, up 226 litres on the current model.The coming BT-50 will have a new range of diesel engines. There is a 2.2-litre four-cylinder and a 3.2-litre five-cylinder that boasts a class-leading 470Nm. The BT-50, which will be launched later this year, will also have a best-in-class tow capacity of 3.35 tonnes.