Articles by Neil Dowling

Toyota, which makes the Camry, Camry Hybrid and Aurion sedans in Victoria, foreshaodwed price rises of about $250 a car under the tax.  Toyota Australia president Max Yasuda said a carbon tax of $25 a tonne would cost Toyota around $25 million annually. "If it is not planned and managed effectively, the yet-to-be-defined carbon tax has the potential to heavily impact local automotive manufacturing, which employs 47,000 people," Mr Yasuda said.Australian car industry sources says wtheir company's would be forced to source components from overseas  especially alloy parts such as engines, wheels and suspension parts  to avoid big tax charges. The carbon tax would impact all manufacturing in all industry segments, but hit aluminium products hardest because of the high energy production cost.  An industry spokesman, who did not wish to be named. said if car makers had a choice of using Australian alloy component makers paying a carbon tax, or buying the same product from a country that didn't pay the tax, it would choose the latter. "It (carbon tax) has no advantage to Australian manufacturing," he said. "Businesses would simply go offshore. The Camry made in Australia is also made in Thailand and so are its parts. "Thailand has no carbon tax. It even has a free trade agreement with Australia. You don't have to think about it too much to see the potential damage to Australian manufacturing and employment." ACTU president Ged Kearney has said there was a "strong argument" for carbon tax to protect emissions-intensive trade-exposed industries, such as foundries.  Mr Yasuda agreed that Australian operations would be at a disadvantage when competing against countries which had no carbon tax. "The business is already under competitive pressure from overseas vehicle importers and Toyota Australia's capacity to invest in low-emission technology relies on the profit the company makes," he said. "If under a carbon price, the business is trade-exposed and it cuts into our profit, we could struggle to find the capital to invest.  Toyota Australia needs to know what the price of carbon will be, when emissions trading will commence and what transitional assistance will be provided to industry to protect important export markets and Australian manufacturing jobs." Ford and Holden would not comment on the effect of the carbon tax on their businesses.

Like a deceptive partner, what you see may not be the truth and it's likely that your new car has a shady past of dalliances, affairs, one-night stands, engagements, marriages and divorces. But do you really want to know what's buried beneath that automotive sheen of gloss paint? If you couldn't stomach the truth - which will hurt - then don't read on. If you are intrigued by what's beyond the badge on the bonnet and want the truth, keep with me. If you remember early Australian television soaps, the US-made Peyton Place was a spaghetti bowl of human emotions served up on a black and white screen. It predated Days of Our Lives and Neighbours and Home and Away but still managed in the 1960s to fog up grannies spectacles with the steamy side of relationships. If you want the same hot flushes without the naked flesh, try a company called DaimlerChrysler. The murky past of this amalgam holds intrigue for scholars of corporate economics as much as for trainspotters of cars. It was a good idea at the time. It was, as you'd guess, the gluing of Chrysler in the US with Daimler-Benz in Germany and designed so each would benefit by cross marketing and component sharing and using the economies of a single administration structure. They were married in 1996 but clearly had domestic issues because by 2007 it ended in tears and a settlement that cost the now-solo Daimler "I'll never marry again" Benz a whopping $33 billion. Of the divorce, shareholders of Daimler and Chrysler spitefully said "I knew it wouldn't work". It can be expensive sharing the love. Marriages may be difficult, but alliances are what keep many car companies afloat. All these inter-relationships are spurred by one goal - profit. So competitive is the car industry that every dollar counts. Making cars cheaper improves profits, even if that means relocating factories to countries with low labour costs, non-existent unions and tax-free government incentives. Few would know that Australians in 2010 bought 165,000 vehicles that were made in Thailand - the second biggest market supplying Australia after Japan. The Slovak Republic made 1500 vehicles (Porsche and Audi) for us while 2184 came from Mexico (Volkswagen), 311 from Indonesia (Suzuki) and 8227 from Spain (Volkswagen and Nissan). Some vehicles are rebadged or share major components. The platform of the Mazda3, for example, is similar to the Volvo S40 and Ford Focus. Let's go a bit deeper ... ASTON MARTIN: Headed by David Richards - who also is the key figure in FPV majority shareholder Prodrive - with big money from Kuwait and English businessman John Sinders. Aston is a stand-alone company. It recently contracted with Toyota to buy - and modify - its iQ city car to be known as the Aston Martin Cygnet. AUDI: Owned by Volkswagen since 1966. BMW: Owned 46.7 per cent by the Quandt family. Owns Rolls-Royce, Mini and motorcycle maker BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna. BMW has alliances with PSA Peugeot for engines for the Mini. CHRYSLER: Owned by Fiat. Is the parent company of Dodge, Jeep, Ram and electric carmaker Gem. The Chrysler 300C will be built in Canada and sold in Europe as the Lancia Thema. Has shareholdings in engine maker VM Motori which sells licences to GM's Daewoo for diesel engines used in the Holden Cruze and Captiva. CITROEN: Owned by the PSA Peugeot Citroen group since 1976. This group also owns Michelin. DODGE: Part of Chrysler. FERRARI: Owned by Fiat. The Formula 1 and motorsport division is a separate. Has a technical partnership with Ducati and Shell. FIAT: Owns Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Lancia, Maserati and the Chrysler Group. Has shareholdings in Iveco and CNH (Case New Holland) after demerging this commercial vehicle business. FORD: Public company. Previously owned brands Aston Martin, Mazda, Volvo and Jaguar Land Rover. FPV: Majority (51 per cent) owned by Prodrive and Ford Australia. GREAT WALL: Government-owned state enterprise of China. HOLDEN: Owned by General Motors. Sources Australian-sold vehicles from Korea (Captiva, Cruze sedan, Barina, Spark) and Thailand (Colorado). HSV: Joint venture of  Holden and Tom Walkinshaw Racing. HONDA: Stand alone company. HYUNDAI: Stand-alone company. Owns Kia. JAGUAR: With sister company Land Rover is owned by Indian conglomerate Tata. KIA: Owned by Hyundai. LAND ROVER: See Jaguar. LEXUS: Owned by Toyota. LOTUS: Owned by Proton of Malaysia. MASERATI: Owned by Fiat. MAYBACH: Owned by Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler. MAZDA: Stand alone company. Previously majority owned by Ford. Ford now has 3 per cent and joint ventures on some products - Ranger/BT-50. Mazda has a joint venture with Toyota for hybrid technology. It makes the Premacy (Mazda5) wagon for Nissan. MERCEDES-BENZ: Public company. Owns carmakers Smart, Maybach, Mercedes and AMG, and truck-bus makers Daimler, Freightliner, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Fuso, Thomas Built Buses, Orion, Setra, Western Star and Sterling Trucks. Has alliances with Renault to each build engines for cross models. Also has an agreement with Chinese carmaker BYD to collaborate on an electric car for China. MINI: Owned by BMW. Previously used Toyota diesel engines and now uses PSA Peugeot units. MITSUBISHI: Stand alone company. Owns Fuso trucks. Has alliances with PSA Peugeot Citroen for production of the Outlander/4007 and share a factory in Russia. Also has an alliance with Nissan to make the next Colt/Nissan small car from 2012. Also has a technology agreement with Proton and Great Wall for drivetrains. NISSAN: Partner of Renault. Is 3.9 per cent owned by Daimler. Will receive V6 and V8 engines from Mercedes for Nissan and Infiniti models. Has alliances with Mitsubishi which will built the Navara at its Thai plant. Takes Mazdas Premacy van as a rebadged model. Part owns one of China's biggest carmakers, Dongfeng. Produces cars in India with Mahindra. PORSCHE: Owned by Volkswagen. Porsche's Cayenne SUV is built in Volkswagen's factory in the Slovak Republic alongside the Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7. Porsche's Cayman is built in Finland. PROTON: Majority owned by Malaysian government. Owns Lotus. Uses drivetrain licences from Mitsubishi. RENAULT: Partner of Nissan. Is 3.9 per cent owned by Daimler and 15 per cent by French government. Owns Dacia (Romania) and Samsung Motors (Korea). Renault Trucks is owned by Volvo Trucks. Will this year supply Mercedes with 1.6-litre engines (A and B-Class) and receives 2-litre plus engines in return. Has an alliance with Smart (owned by Daimler) for a new car based on the Renault Twingo. Joint ventures with GM to make the Trafic/Vivaro van. ROLLS-ROYCE: Owned by BMW. SAAB: Stand-alone company. Previously owned by Dutch firm Spyker and General Motors. Sources engines from GM and  BMW. SKODA: Owned by Volkswagen. SMART: Owned by Mercedes parent, Daimler. SSANGYONG: Owned by China-based SAIC but vehicles built in Korea. SUBARU: Majority owned by Toyota. SUZUKI: Majority owned by Volkswagen. Its next engines will be sourced from Volkswagen. TOYOTA: Owns Daihatsu, Lexus, Scion and is major shareholder in Subaru and Hino. Owns airconditioning supplier Denso and gearbox maker Aisin. Collaborates with Tesla in electric drivetrains. Has a major share in Yamaha and shares engineering expertise. Yamaha created the V8 engine for Volvo. VOLKSWAGEN: Owns Audi, Skoda, Seat, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and is fianlising takeover of Porsche. Has the majority shareholding in Suzuki. Is attempting to buy Alfa Romeo from Fiat. VOLVO: Owned by Geely of China. Retains some alliances with former owner Ford.

It is one of the best days of your life. Or should be because through the euphoria comes Mr Logic. He's been napping in your head for the past year or so and is now very much awake and wants to know where you're going to put the new arrival.  That's another bedroom and a bigger car. You won't be able to cart junior in the car with the other three, he says.Society is comfortable with designing one-size-fits-all boxes.  The sedan car holds five people and homes have four bedrooms so the maximum accommodation that society builds for us is five - two adults, three children.Children, lots of them, produce uncomfortable squirms in house and car designers.  In my case, Child No.4 led to a Nissan Nomad, a commercial van that replaced the bare-metal expanse in the rear with two extra rows of seats to accommodate up to six children. A frightening thought.But the Nomad struggled through its tenure at our house, safely carted our kids and their friends to various sport and social functions and doubled as a furniture pick-up truck. It broke down a few times - radiator hoses, mainly - but generally was a content family bus.It was loved, hated, crunched, thrown up in, became an occasional bed and nappy changeroom, and finally sent to another home to repeat the experiment that is child rearing. This is not an excuse to go forth and breed. But it is a list of quality new - and used - vehicles with six seats or more that will fit more than the predetermined maximum of three kids.NEWCitroen C4 Picasso (from $39,990): Very clever car with lots of great ideas, flexibility and driving enjoyment. Expensive and a bit off the wall but worth a look.Honda Odyssey (from $41,990): Safest bet - excellent all-round vehicle let down only by its asthmatic performance when fully laden or - gasp when asked to tow a trailer. Safe, economical, flexible and with excellent resale value.Dodge Journey (from $36,990): Newer entrant with pleasant ambience and good pricing and doesnt look like a tradies van.Hyundai iMax (from $36,990): Basically a commercial van made for people, but one of the better attempts. Has a four-star crash rating and is economical, affordable and roomy. Diesel engine is a no-brainer. Kia Grand Carnival (from $39,990): Market leader in terms of volume and more recently has overcome earlier mechanical woes. Good compromise for space and economy, especially the diesel.Kia Rondo 7 (from $25,990): Better for a small brood as third row rom is precious and luggage area is tight. The price is a winner but youll be upgrading when the kids start growing - apparently they all do that.Mercedes Viano (from $78,826): Expensive but maximum five-star safety van.Ssangyong Stavic (from $32,990): Best seen while blindfolded, theres no doubting the keen price, high feature list, economy of the diesel and paltry resale value.Toyota Tarago (from $52,490): Expensive but top notch quality. The Honda Odyssey can match it in all but performance. VW Caddy Maxi Life (from $39,990): Makes sense but a bit too van-like to make a statement in the pre-school carpark.VW Caravelle (from $49,990) - Seats nine so go for your life. Diesel only and may require special driving licence in some states.VW Multivan (from $49,990): More restrained seven-seat version of Caravelle. Also diesel only.Peugeot 4007 (from $45,190): This is a seven-seat version of the 4007 and its clone, the Mitsubishi Outlander.Ford Territory (from $44,890): Seats seven from TS model up. Comes as cheaper 2WD version. New model with frugal diesel engine here soon so best to wait.Holden Captiva 7 (from $35,490): Just upgraded and worth a look. Diesel is good and car has plenty of flexibility and family-friendly features.Hyundai Santa Fe (from $37,990): Hot seller for ages and seats seven with god room. But do you need an SUV?Kia Sorento (from $36,490): Same issue as Santa Fe, just looks a bit better.Mazda CX-9 (from $50,015): Not cheap but follows Mazdas line of great quality. A bit thirsty on petrol, though, and no diesel option. Other SUVs include:Mitsubishi Challenger (from $49,390):Mitsubishi Pajero (from $50,490):Nissan Pathfinder (from $48,490):Ssangyong Rexton (from $36,990):Subaru Tribeca (from $56,990):Toyota Kluger (from $39,990):Toyota Prado (from $60,904):Nissan Patrol (from $53,190):Toyota Landcruiser (from $77,414):Audi Q7 (from $88,614):Mercedes R-Class (from $92,200):Volvo XC90 (from $69,950):  USEDFord Territory 2005 - $23,000Subaru Tribeca 2007 (old face) - $35,000Volvo XC90 2006 - $39,000Chrysler Grand Voyager 2002 - $10,000Ssangyong Stavic 2005 - $23,000Ford Fairlane 8-str limousine 1989 - $18,000Toyota Tarago 2006 - $27,000Toyota Tarago 1998 - $7000Toyota Prado 2005 - $40,000Mitsubishi Delica 2005 - $11,000Hyundai Santa Fe V6 2006 - $17,000Land Rover Discovery 2007 - $48,000Jeep Commander 2009 - $39,000

AFTER a century or so of copping jibes about its churches, Adelaide has had the last laugh by being voted our most car friendly city. It has leapfrogged Hobart, Darwin and Perth to become Australia's car friendliest city in a survey by Virgin Car Insurance.The result is based on South Australians paying the least amount for petrol and for being toll free. Virgin says it's all headaches in Sydney with its drivers copping the nation's worst road experience for the second year running. Or crawling.Melbourne is getting - marginally - better while Canberra has slipped. South Australia also took podiums in the regional awards, with Gawler, Mount Gambier and Port Augusta placed first, second and third respectively.Virgin says its survey looks at variables including the cost of car insurance, petrol prices, parking fines, theft and tolls. Virgin spokesman Nick Larkworthy says South Australian motorists should count themselves lucky."Compared with the rest of the country, they're getting a good deal when it comes to petrol, insurance, fines and tolls," he says. "The next time you cop a parking fine in Adelaide, spare a thought for Sydney drivers who will pay around 50 per cent more."Sydney may be well regarded as one of the world's most liveable cities, but that's certainly not the case when it comes to owning a car. Skyrocketing costs when it comes to tolls, insurance and parking fines means more pain for Sydney drivers. The cost of running a car in Sydney is undoubtedly starting to stretch the budget and force people off the road."Virgin's research also uncovered:Adelaide is the cheapest place to fill your car up in the country, while the pump price in Canberra will hit you the hardest.The average cost of commercial car parking in Adelaide will set you back $9.80 for two hours, compared to Sydney where it will cost over four times more at $43.30 for the same amount of time.Melbourne is the most car friendly city on the east coast, beating Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney.Sydney tolls and parking fines are by far the most expensive in the country and most regional towns in NSW perform poorly with a state-wide fine of $86 for parking infringements. A parking fine in Gawler will set you back $22, while in Albury, NSW, the same infringement will set you back $86 - almost four times the amount.OVERALL RESULTS Car Friendliest Capital Cities: 1. Adelaide2. Hobart3. Perth4. Darwin5. Melbourne6. Brisbane7. Canberra8. SydneyCar Friendliest Regional Cities 1. Gawler, SA2. Mount Gambier, SA3. Port Augusta, SA4. Geelong, VIC5. Ballarat, VIC6. Bendigo, VIC7. Mildura, VIC8. Cairns, QLD9. Port Lincoln, SA10. Devonport, TAS11. Launceston, TAS12. Mackay, QLD13. Burnie, TAS14. Wodonga, VIC15. Albury, NSW16. Rockingham, WA17. Coffs Harbour, NSW18. Toowoomba, QLD19. Rockhampton, QLD20. Townsville, QLD21. Gosford, NSW22. Newcastle, NSW23. Bunbury, WA24. Alice Springs, NT25. Albany, WA26. Wagga Wagga, NSW27. Fremantle, WA28. Wollongong, NSW29. Geraldton, WA30. Mandurah, WA

If you're Toyota, about $26 billion says global brand management group Interbrand. In its 2010 annual survey of the most recognised global names

THE map of the human heart contains a topography of passion, pain, pride and prejudice. In fact, it outlines all the emotions of owning an Alfa Romeo. The latest map from the Italian, however, marks a different route than those previously followed.Its new car, the five-door family-sized Giulietta, details an Alfa that has less of the pain and prejudice, more of the pride and invokes almost as much passion as its predecessors. The third incarnation of the Giulietta nameplate is undoubtedly beautiful, surprisingly functional, has elements that indicate durability but in becoming a better car, had to give up some of its larrikin ways.It's more for the family - but it still goes like stink.VALUENot cheap. The Giulietta (pronounced Julietta, as if you have to be told) is tested here as the top-spec QV - Quadrifoglio Verde - is $41,990 plus on-road costs. Comparing that to its rivals (see below) shows it up as being a bit expensive. But take the feature list into account and its reasonable value for money.Standard gear includes the turbo engine, six-speed manual - sorry, no auto yet - and a really sophisticated, tight and beautifully tied down chassis.Safety is paramount, there's a Bose audio to rip your ears off, 18-inch spidery black alloys to make your eyes water and a top-notch infotainment unit. Did I mention that it also goes like stink?TECHNOLOGYThe QV gets a turbo-petrol engine but there's a cheaper Giulietta with a clever 1.4-litre with solenoids controlling the intake valves. Smart! But I digress.The QV is less technically endowed in the engine department but makes up for it with a chassis plugged into every electronic aid known to NASA, including a three-mode management nanny that acts like varying cup sizes of espresso.Called DNA, it's a console switch that acts on the engine, brakes, steering, suspension and gearbox. Flick it to Dynamic and it's a three-espresso hit with instant engine response and a firmer steering feel (done by easing off the electric assistance - while Normal is a single espresso and is still pretty enthusiastic while "all-weather" is a frontal lobotomy designed to sluggishly get through snow.There's also an electronic diff that uses the electronic stability control to mimic the actions of a conventional limited-slip differential.STYLEThis thing is beautiful. It's logical to compare this car with the Volkswagen Golf but, seriously, the Golf is crisp and functional like Kiera Knightly while the Giulietta is sensual and rounded like Monica Belluci. No contest.But that's the outside. The cabin is a tad convoluted with insufficient thought to the size and placement of switchgear. Yes, you get used to it but - back to the Golf - there's a clumsiness that could have been avoided. Note the big glovebox with a lid that will shave your partner shins; the too-small centre console holes; and the hard-to-read numbers on the gauges.Cabin room is reasonable with the claustrophobic sensation due to the high waist and narrow glass. Room in the back is good and only marred by small and awkwardly designed door openings, while the boot matches its rivals for space.SAFETYThis gets a five-star, six airbags (Alfa says you don't need a seventh for your knees because of the seat design) and every conceivable device to stop you safely and get you around corners quickly. For those who don't like clutches, it even has a hill-holder.DRIVINGForget the other switches, go straight to the Alfa DNA's Dynamic mode. It makes the QV sharp and so much fun. There's a lot of the Golf in this chassis. Punch it into a corner and the rear follows the line - there's no pushing at the nose (understeer) like you're pulling a caravan and the steering is unusually positive for an electric unit.The gearchange is pretty good, tending to work better when the car was being hurried and the ratios are a good balance between tight stuff and cruisey highways. The ride is close to superb. No noise from the suspension, even when it's working hard, and the QV will hold its line so well - better than the superseded 147 which was actually damn good.But the gem is the engine. It has so much torque that it feels ready to pounce in any gear. It makes driving tis thing so easy and makes it so much fun, specially when accelerating out of a corner.But there's no theatre. The engine noise is there - muffled but there - while the exhaust is practically inaudible. As I said, like a Camry. Shame on you Alfa - you harp on about Giulietta's history and forget the soundtrack.VERDICTCome to the front of the class, Alfa! The Giulietta - finally - strikes a superb balance of day-to-day practicality with a chassis and engine that invites enthusiastic driving. It's dulled by a bland exhaust note and a lack of an automatic option will lose punters but it's still a great car.OWNERSHIPPrice $41,990Warranty 3 years, 100,000km, roadside assistResale 65%Service Interval 20,000km or 12 monthsEconomy 7.6 l/100km; 177g/km CO2Safety six airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC.Crash rating 5 starEngine 173kW/340Nm 1.75-litre turbo-petrolTransmission Six-speed manualBody 5-door, 5 seatsDimensions 4351 (L); 1798mm (W); 1465mm (H); 2634mm (WB)Weight 1320kg

The program, in conjunction with German car hire company Sixt, is a precursor to the 2013 launch of BMW's i-badged electric cars that are designed to be leased, not purchased. BMW kicks off its DriveNow program next month (APRIL) with 300 1-Series and Mini cars in Munich and 500 in Berlin.  DriveNow - a joint venture between Sixt and BMW - aims for one million customers by 2020. Short-term car hire from manufacturers is already available in Europe from Mercedes-Benz's "Car2Go" - which uses Smart cars - and Peugeot-Citroen's "Mu" program which includes cars, vans, scooters and bicycles. BMW sales and marketing chief Ian Robertson says it follows the growing trend for inner-city residents to move away from car ownership.  "We are aiming to launch a profitable new line of business while at the same time introducing potential new customers to our brands," he says at DriveNow's launch this week in Munich. Robertson said DriveNow customers will be able to rent a car "on the spur of the moment" if they need the vehicle for a trip into the city or a day out.  DriveNow cars will be parked at different locations around the cities. Motorists book them on the internet or with a smartphone app, then access the vehicle with a chip embedded in their driver's license. Robertson said car sharing helps the environment by reducing traffic volumes and is an alternative to using old and inefficient vehicles.  He says BMW plans to rent its new all-electric vehicles - the i-cars previously known as MegaCity - as part of the scheme in the future. Global consulting and research group Frost & Sullivan says the number of people using car-sharing services is expected to grow to 5.5 million in Europe and 4.4 million in North America by 2016.

HUMANS remain on the earth because they're cunning little critters who can out think other creatures. They're also adept at camouflage and, like a chameleon changes its appearance to suit the environment, humans change their presence to suit their social surroundings. It is popular, for example, to be seen in the

Since Ford Australia stamped the word Australia on the next Ranger and sent it out into the unforgiving commercial world.Now it's Holden's turn. The wraps have just come off on the new Chevrolet - read Holden - Colorado that boldly announces the end of GM's handshake with Isuzu.The Colorado ute goes on sale in its domestic market of Thailand later this year and early in 2012 for Australia.GM unveiled the new ute yesterday at a function that preceded the Bangkok International Motor Show.The show ute has a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine, 20-inch wheels and a hardtop tonneau - most of which are unlikely for the ute's prime market.The new Colorado will be built for Australia in Thailand but has been designed and engineered from GM's offices in Brazil.Meanwhile, Isuzu is rumoured to be preparing its all-new ute for an early 2012 launch to replace the current D-Max.Ford is preparing its rival, the stylish Ranger, for sale in Australia in the second half of this year.

The viral message swept globally last week but today splattered the brick wall outside the Mitsubishi head office in Japan. The bad news is that it wasn't a rumour - Mitsubishi made a statement that it was to shelve the Evo and concentrate on other projects, particularly electric vehicles. Mitsubishi president and Global Chief Executive, Osamu Masuko, says his company is "considering not advancing the Lancer Evolution concept in the same way as before, but to find a different direction for the Lancer Evolution model to evolve. The new direction, the technologies involved, and corresponding products will be disclosed in due course." Enthusiasts took the news hard - so hard in fact that it caused Mitsubishi to back pedal and saying the Evo X will live out its life cycle. To appease the raucous crowd, Mitsubishi in the UK lowered the price by about $2000. Problem solved. For now. But the heart-stopping moment when fans learnt Mitsubishi was to scrap the Evo may return. Mitsubishi sees sockets and power points through the windscreen and is pushing even harder for electrical white goods like plug-in hybrids. It is likely - not confirmed - that the next Evo is still some way off and that when its new generation arrives, it'll have some electrical element. Mitsubishi is on record as being committed to cutting CO2 emissions in its factories and offices. It already has its i-MiEV micro-car on sale in most countries and next year follows that up with an all-wheel drive SUV version, the PX.  Masuko-san says carmakers have a responsibility to develop environmental initiatives. "Our goal is to become a world leader in the reduction of CO2 emissions on a global scale," he says.  Production of the current Lancer Evolution X continues as planned. "As for its successor, regulations and market feedback will dictate its engineering package and architecture.  Mitsubishi has kept the Lancer Evolution sedan evolving as the brand's highest performing model in the global market. However, as the markets needs and demands change, Mitsubishi is considering not advancing the Lancer Evolution concept in the same way as before."