Articles by Neil Dowling

The carmaker has closed its doors on publicly commenting on the allegations but it has outraged the French Industry minister Eric Besson who says it has led France to "economic war".The minister, angry because Renault receives public money for some projects such as the electric vehicle, is calling for improvements in industrial security.Renault and its alliance partner Nissan spend an estimated $400 million a year on EV research and development that has a total budget of $5.5 billion.  The company this week suspended without pay three of its executives after an investigation started four months ago.Bloomberg News reports that the highest ranking of the three suspended executives is Michel Balthazard, vice president for advance engineering and a member of the management committee.  Balthazard, a 30-year veteran of Renault, began his career at Renault in 1980 in the body engineering department.The employees are now being given the chance to respond to the accusations, before any further action is taken.  Renault and its partner Nissan have invested heavily in electric vehicles, which will be one of the key issues in Detroit next week at the launch of the North American International Auto Show.The espionage allegation comes as Renault plans to launch three electric vehicles this year.  Renault has aspirations this year to become the first full-line manufacturer to market zero-emission vehicles accessible to the greatest number of buyers."The Renault-Nissan Alliance is developing a complete range of 100 per cent electric powertrains with power ratings of between 15kW and 100kW,' it says.Electric vehicles planned for this year include the Kangoo Express ZE van; the Fluence mid-size sedan; and the Twizy small car.  In 2012, Renault plans to expand that electric lineup with a new city car before offering electric in all its segments.Renault plans to build more than 200,000 EVs a year by 2015-2016.  In Australia, a Renault spokesman says he had no information from the company other than what was published.

But the word missing in the sentence is Australia. Holden spokesperson Emily Perry this week confirmed that though the company played a pivotal role in developing the Orlando - which is based on the Cruze platform - it doesn't make a strong business case in Australia. The five-door, front drive crossover wagon was shown this week in Italy - prior to its March launch - as the Chevrolet Orlando. It is promoted as having "the driving dynamics of a passenger car, the look of an SUV and the versatility and cargo space of a minivan". Chevrolet is targeting European buyers who may want to downsize from a seven-seat large minivan to a medium minivan that offers five seats for adults and two additional seats for children in a third row. The Korean-built van will not be available in the US. The Orlando is to be "aggressively priced" against rivals such as the Ford Grand C-Max or Opel/Vauxhall Zafira. Chevrolet says the Orlando will cost 15 per cent less than competitors fitted with the same standard equipment. Chevrolet plans to sell about 60,000 Orlandos in its first full year of sales in Europe. Chevrolet Europe managing director Wayne Brannon says the Orlando will play a key role in the brand's plans to boost its European presence by 2016 to cover two thirds of the market segments, up from a quarter now. Chevrolet's upcoming European launches dovetail with Australia. It gets the revamped Captiva SUV in March, a new Aveo (Barina here) subcompact in the second quarter followed by a five-door Cruze hatchback in the third quarter.

The Fiat Strada Sporting is the mini-ute for all reasons and most seasons and the only downside is that you have to go to Brazil to drive it.  The ute, based on the platform of the Strada and built in Brazil at one of Fiat's South American factories, is made only in left-hand drive. Fiat importers for Australia, Ateco Automotive, says there's "no chance" of it getting here.  "It is a left hand drive only vehicle and has never been engineered for right hand drive," says cold water specialist Edward Rowe of Ateco. The ute is based on the Strada Extended Cab and is powered by a 97kW/249Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder driving the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. It is on sale at $BRL46,270, equivalent to about $27,000. Though that sounds expensive, it is hit with Brazil's high taxation regime.  By comparison, a Toyota Corolla in Brazil is equivalent to about $52,000 - a car that in Australia sells for $21,000.

The car that hides its Prius-beating 3.8 litres/100km fuel average - and which gets here early this year - has also had a big win in the UK by becoming exempt from both road tax and the London Congestion Charge. Recent changes to the congestion charge now exempt vehicles emitting less than 100g/km of CO2 from the daily 10 pound sterling ($15) fee to enter London's "Congestion Charge Zone". The Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion emits 99g/km (and its Polo BlueMotion sister is rated at 91g/km) which Volkswagen says can save owners up to $3850 a year based on a daily commute into London. The Golf BlueMotion can theoretically travel over 1500km on a single tank of diesel yet is driven, maintained and serviced like any conventional Golf. It features a series of subtle yet effective modifications aimed at maximising efficiency. These include cleaner aerodynamics, low rolling resistance tyres, Start/Stop, battery regeneration and tall gearing. Australia will get the Golf BlueMotion first, followed later by BlueMotion versions of the Touareg and Passat. Pricing and final specifications will be announced closer to launch, though expect the Golf to come in at about $30,000 - about $10,000 cheaper than a Prius.

The turnaround was the first sales gain since 2005 and followed the 2009 result which was the worst in 27 years.  Once - briefly - the world's biggest carmaker, Toyota saw buyers walk from its record of recalls. With its negative 6 per cent result, it was the only US manufacturer to reverse 2009 sales and has been pushed to third place as Ford regains Number 2 spot. Yet the bankruptcy - and subsequent public listing - of General Motors rejuvenated its sales. It finished 2010 with three of its four brands taking the top three spots for the biggest volume growth compared with 2009. The year in the US auto world also showed the rapid acceptance of the Koreans.  Hyundai recorded a 23.7 per cent sales hike compared with 2009 and Kia finished up 18.7 per cent. The US industry's rebound is attributed to end-of-year discounting and a swarm of new models.  Not only was 2010 up, the month of December was the best of the year. US passenger car sales climbed 11 per cent in December to 1.1 million units.  Annual passenger car sales were 11.59 million units, up from 10.43 million in 2009. Sales this year are expected to continue to increase. Ford says it expects sales of 12.5 million this year while GM is forecasting a 10 per cent increase on 2010. New models and continued buyer interest in crossover models lifted GM sales in December by 8 per cent.  GM sales rose 7 per cent for all of 2010 - its first annual increase since 1999 - on demand across its four brands. The remaining four brands sold 118,435 more vehicles in 2010 than the company generated with eight brands in 2009.  In 2010 it sold off or shut down Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Hummer. Ford rose 4 per cent and Chrysler Group - which saw demand triple for its Jeep Grand Cherokee - reports a 16 per cent jump.  Ford reclaimed from Toyota the No. 2 spot for US sales that it held for 76 years until 2007. Ford outsold Toyota by 200,464 units in 2010, helped by its F-Series range which was the best-selling nameplate in 2010 for the 34th straight year. Chrysler, now potentially in a takeover from Fiat, launched 16 new models or major model upgrades in 2010.  The combined  Hyundai-Kia Group had sales up 37 per cent in December.

The Geely MK 1.5-litre sedan will be the nation's equal cheapest car, matched by the 1.3-litre Proton S16.  A shipload of 100 sedans arrived in Perth this week and go on sale within a fortnight.Australian distributor, Perth-based John Hughes, says the MK will only be sold in WA. The high profile dealer, the state's biggest, has built a new showroom close to the city centre for Geely.He says the MK will only be sold in WA primarily because it currently is the sole Geely product.  "I can't get dealers to commit finances to a new showroom to support one model," he says.  "When other models arrive, then the brand will be available across the country."The second reason for the containment of sales in WA is because the MK doesn't have electronic stability control and won't meet the 2011 vehicle standard of Victoria."But the next Geely model, the Panda LC, will go on sale around the middle of this year as an automatic and with stability control," he says."This will be followed by the bigger 1.8-litre EC7 sedan in the third quarter."The MK is a four-door sedan with only a five-speed manual. Its standard features include a five-year warranty, airconditioning, two airbags, remote central locking, alloy wheels and electric windows.  A second shipment of 100 cars is expected next month.Mr Hughes, who has huge success with his multi-franchise dealerships, was the original distributor and retailer of Hyundai in the mid-1980s. He has frequently been Australia's biggest selling Hyundai dealer by volume, not capita.

Being acknowledged as the country that invented the ute is like being lauded for being the first person to market pet rocks.It's a novelty that is starting to wane.Yes, utes have their place - and will continue to have a place - in any industry that involves itself in moving things that can't be carried by humans.But in a world that is heaving towards space and fuel-efficient transportation, a two-seat semi-commercial vehicle with a thirst for dwindling fossil fuels is starting to lose gloss.Holden's SV6 ute is not a bad piece of work - once you figure out what to do with it.At $38,490 plus on-road costs, it's an expensive vehicle compared with some overseas-made utes that are more purpose designed to haul stuff.The SV6 has Holden's rather hoarse-sounding 3.6-litre V6 that, later this year, gets the ability to run on E85. In some states, that indicates a small fuel saving.Standard kit in the SV6 is noice - sports seats, Bluetooth integration with iPod/USB connectivity, 18-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, a neat touchscreen for the audio and trip computer, auto headlights and a poly tub liner.The front bit from the B-pillar forward is Commodore, the back bit is a ute.But though the design parameter is fixed, Holden makes a very stylish machine. Something that looks macho and makes all the guys turn an notice. Girls? Nah!Its style is THE reason why logic goes out the window and sales continue to be stable - against all odds.Love the big wheels, pumped wheel arches, tight fascia with its hard-edged grille, and the profile that tilts the cabin forward like its about to ski a Vail slope.The direct-injection 3.6-litre V6 is all technology. It gets quad cams and 24 valves and all the promise of 210kW and 350Nm of torque. It's all good on paper but the deliver is harsh and noisy when pushed.It gets a six-speed automatic that, again, has loads of promise. But perhaps it's the engine interfering because the changes aren't smooth and there seemed to be a lot of lag in the torque converter.No big surprises underneath with a strut front and independent coils and multi-links at the rear.This is Australia's first five-star crash rated ute. The SV6 gets electronic stability control, brakeforce distribution and six airbags to take its safety spec up to premium level - very unusual for a commercial vehicle.Any rear-drive workhorse vehicle that will spend most of its life without any load in the tray - or within the van - is screaming out for ESC. Well done, Holden.I know that some guys think this is a sports car because it has two seats.It's not. This is a Commodore with an empty hole in the back where your mates were supposed to sit.It doesn't even get a weight reduction over the Commodore sedan, either, with its 1750kg an 18kg penalty over the equivalent SV6 sedan.This doesn't help performance, though the ute can be muscled along to deliver some smiles.The 3.6-litre V6 has plenty of poke but its delivery is harsh. The six-speed auto also dulls the delivery unless the manual-shift option is employed to sharpen up shift points.Handling is actually very good and even though the steering doesn't feedback much feel, it's positive and well weighted. The brakes are spongy and that took the edge off the package.Despite the big open box behind the driver's ears, the ute is quiet at cruising speed and has a compliant ride whether empty or loaded.

That strange person in bikinis on the beach is not an alien from the Planet Jaffa. It's just finished an application of cheap spray-on suntan.That watch isn't an Omega, it's an Omegga and its impressive face hides a dodgy circuitboard glued to a piece of recycled cardboard. With a battery that will expire after a three-hour international flight.And is that a real iPhone 4? The Chinese have a $175 look-alike that will even make a call, take a photo and store a contact list.Up until about 18 months ago, if you wanted an SUV you would get a wagon with all-wheel drive.  Now there's the fake SUV - a two-wheel drive look-alike that is less expensive to buy and own compared with an AWD model, yet still makes you out to be an adventure loving, leisure-seeking family man.Australia's Compact SUV market is 80 per cent AWD and 20 per cent two-wheel drive. Yet only 18 months ago, 2WDs accounted for only 10 per cent.  The 2WD market continues to accelerate. Almost every player is in the game.The reason is that the fake looks, goes and has almost all the features of an AWD but is $2000-$5000 cheaper.  The Mitsubishi Outlander for 2011 gets a 2WD model that costs from $28,990 as a manual which compares to its AWD sister at $33,240.It is also slightly more economical on fuel and has the potential to be cheaper to insure, repair and service given it has 65kg less hardware.The automatic version of the five-seater LS model tested is $31,490 plus on-road costs and is an attractive buy given its excellent safety, welcome versatility, spacious cabin, pleasant road manners and solid equipment list.  It costs about the same as the Toyota RAV4, for example, but has more standard safety and convenience features.Outlanders are basically rebodied Lancers. Both share the platform and some drivetrain components but side-by-side, you'd never pick it.  First generation Outlanders were a bit soft in styling but the latest is distinctive and even striking, mainly because of the flat expanse of the angled nose.Compared with a conventional small car, the tall stance and high seating position aid entry/egress, improve driver visibility and carry the perception of greater safety in a crash.  Cabin room is generous partly because of the vehicle's height but also because of the Outlander's boxy shape. The blunt tail also makes for a big and very useable cargo area.But hard plastic and under-enthusiastic design across the dashboard cheapen an otherwise clever layout.  The nine cupholders, big personal storage areas, twin gloveboxes, three 12V power outlets, comfortable rear armrest and steering wheel controls are impressive standard features.The Outlander has a couple of welcome surprises in its tail. The five-seater has remote buttons in the boot that automatically retract the second seat row.  These 60/40 split seats tumble forward. That instantly turns the family wagon into a vehicle with van-like cargo space.The two-piece tailgate has a lift-up hatch and a fold-down section. The latter increases the cargo floor area, makes for an easier loading and unloading platform, and can become a seating position at picnics and when watching sports events.  All seats have fold-flat backs so the cabin can become one big sleeping area.Mitsubishi's 2.4-litre petrol engine - the only offering in the 2WD - isn't highly sophisticated but is a reliable and durable powerplant.  Matched to the continuously-variable transmission (CVT) option as tested, it's unlikely to get intelligent drivers into too much trouble with the law.The underpinnings are simple MacPherson struts up front with a multi-link system at the back that - in the transition to 2WD from AWD - has been relieved of the drive shafts and differential.That makes more underfloor space and Mitsubishi has wisely used that to boost the fuel tank size to 63 litres from the AWD's 60 litres.  All five-seater Outlanders have a full-size spare wheel. This is good news. Proper spare wheels mean a relatively rapid change-over if there's a puncture and immediately restores the vehicle to its full dynamics.Space-saver - or emergency - spare wheels are rated at an 80km/h limit, are short-term solutions and then require a full replacement.That full-size spare wheel means you can confidently take this vehicle out of the city limits.  But that's not all. This has a five-star crash rating and comes standard with electronic stability control.  It has two airbags - which is rubbish - but Mitsubishi offers a full six airbag package for an extra $850. You are obliged to pay the extra.Basically, driving Junior to school and picking up dinner at McDonalds won't show up any difference between the Outlander AWD and the 2WD.Heat the action up a bit and you'll find the AWD a bit grippier on corners and showing less understeer.  Go bush and you'll find a new vocabulary as you explore the physical benefits of digging out a vehicle embedded in hot beach sand. So, NOW there's a difference!The CVT is preferable to the $2500 cheaper five-speed manual version only because it's easier to drive in city conditions.  It's actually a decent auto because in comparison to a lot of CVT units (which are fundamentally a steel band spinning up and down two cones to create variable gearing) this one doesn't have much lag off the mark.Yes, there is some annoying over-revving of the engine at times but overall the Mitsubishi transmission is as good as any conventional automatic. You can also lock in its six preset gears and drive it like a manual if you're bored.  Ride comfort (save for the over-hard rear seats) and quietness on the highway is surprisingly good. This counters an initial impression that the tinny sound of the doors opening and closing presumes that the wagon is lightly constructed.I liked the steering wheel controls - including standard cruise - and simple ventilation dials and the ease with which it all worked.  But I really liked the cabin configuration, its versatility and the fact the rear seats are higher than the front so children have a better outlook.And that family-friendly appeal - and not the all-wheel drive system - is the Outlander's strength, making the 2WD version a logical choice.

Its 2011 Yaris hatchback, revealed overnight in Japan, grows a tad to increase cabin space and loses some of its gawky, adolescent lines. It's now sharper looking and gets a more serious facial expression thanks to the elongated headlights. The Yaris - launched in Japan as the Vitz - has sold 3.5 million around the world since 1999 and its third generation promises to boost appeal. Toyota Australia says the new Yaris is in showrooms "in the second half" of 2011 - nothing more specific - and will use tweaked versions of the existing 1.3 and 1.5 litre powerplants. New for 2011 are features including Toyota's new window glass that filters out 99 per cent of UV radiation - ideal for Australia. Japan will get the Yaris/Vitz with the choice of engines from 1-litre to 1.5 litres, manual or CVT automatic gearboxes, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and a stop-start system. But Australia gets a front-drive platform with the choice of two engines and two transmissions. Toyota claims the stop-start system on the 1-litre Yaris can get fuel consumption down to 3.8 litres/100km.

For the first time, Holden's chairman and managing director, Mike Devereux, reveals the pain of the Global Financial Crisis and how it ripped away Holden's vital 50,000-car Pontiac G8 export contract "literally overnight"."The last 18 months were the toughest in history," he says.But he says his company has done an amazing turnaround.It will early next year announce a multi-million dollar profit for 2010 - its first annual positive-figure posting for five years.It has put its employees back to full-time work after a job-sharing program. It has recently added 165 staff to its Adelaide plant and more may come if Holden can wrest a substantial US police vehicle contract.It has five of its staff on international assignment in other parts of the GM world for every one from other countries working in Australia.Holden has financially embarked on a venture to produce ethanol fuel from household waste as it expands its alternative fuel models, and within 18 months will launch 10 new or refreshed models.Pivotal to the turnaround has been Holden's role in the design and creation of new vehicles."Look at the car they chose to rev-in the day's trading when GM went public last month - Chevrolet Camaro," Devereux says."The quintessential, all-American muscle car and hero of movies like Transformers. A car designed and engineered by the (Holden) team, tested at Lang Lang and made in Oshawa, Ontario in Canada."Welcome to the new GM, where one of the most loved American cars of all time can be designed and built by two members of the Commonwealth - and they can do it better than anyone else in the world. The all-American, Australian-designed, Canadian-built car."Devereux says this ability by Holden to adapt to niche, international market needs led to its bid for manufacture of the Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicles (PPVs). It eases some of the pain caused by the loss of the Pontiac G8 program."Chevrolet is in the middle of a 20-city ride and drive test program," he says of the trial long wheelbase models built in Australia and sent to the US. "Five of the 20 cities have been completed. We know we have the superior product ... and expect results in the first quarter."Concurrently, Holden is building pilot vehicles for police authorities in nine US states that have accepted its tender for a "detective" version of the Caprice. Production starts next month."We're not in a position to disclose the number of orders in the system at this time but we're confident the orders will continue to ramp up in the new year," Devereux says.He says the company is as much a net exporter of talent and software as it is of vehicle hardware.But aside from being known as a leader in rear-wheel drive cars, Devereux says Holden is working on the future."EN-V (Electric Networked-Vehicle) is Holden's space-age vision for the future of city motoring and was showcased at this year's International Expo in Shanghai," he says."It's an all-electric, zero-emissions, self-driving, two-wheel concept vehicle designed to help overcome big city issues like traffic congestion, parking availability and air quality. EN-V highlighted the advanced design capabilities of Australian car designers - but it also showed Holden is developing the showroom of the future - and that showroom will have something for everyone."