Articles by Neil Dowling

I AM so delighted that Holden released the Spark on the Australian market. For quite a while, I didn't have much to complain about. Now, thanks to the Spark, I do.This is a car that is perfect for the city. It's compact, cheap to buy and run, has excellent safety gear - it even has stability control - seats four people and is as nimble as a small motorbike.The trouble is that all this comes at the cost of any performance. The 1.2 litre engine is made for the job but the cost is a car that has to be revved hard to keep up with traffic.  It's just made for the commuter, not the driver, which is par of the course for this sub-light car that costs from only $12,490.It's cheap but there's no doubting that it has lots of features to lure the motorists who's more interested in getting frugally from A to B.For example, while the chassis dynamics and engine's power delivery are rubbery, they are overlooked in favour of the cabin's bright ambience, the four-adult seating, iPod-compatible sound, an efficient airconditioner, electric windows and heated mirrors and a flexible interior.The CD costs $12,490 and gets cloth seats, 14-inch alloys and electric front windows. The $13,990 CDX tested here adds vinyl seats (yuk) and 15-inch alloys but not a tremendous much more.  Both have standard electronic stability control and six airbags.  Given the Spark is more for the commuter of the family, rather than the enthusiast, go for the CD.It's a metal box with a pronounced, chunky nose - hardly a stylist's headache - which evolved from the 2007 Chevrolet Beat concept hatch.  Its bold nose and slanted headlights create a lot of on-road presence. Coming down the road looks like someone shrank a Volkswagen Crafter van.Other than the Spark's face, it's just a box. But it uses its angular lines to push out cabin space to the slab sides and to the rear wheels, allowing it to fit four doors and accommodate four adults.The rear doors have Alfa Romeo-style hidden handles built above the waistline to give it a three-door look - a feat carried off well and which creates a clean body shape.Inside it's generally simple and functional. However, the dashboard is "try hard" with a funky combination of bolt-on speedo and digital side panel that tries to compete with the very ordinary styling of the rest of the dash.So you have a small digital panel for things like start-up warning lights and an LED fuel gauge, while extraneous alerts - seatbelts and airbag, for example - are mounted in a wide plastic-fronted slit atop the centre console.Okay, so it works but it's a bit like a dog's breakfast.  The rest of the CDX's cabin is simple, with small seats in Korean-grey and black vinyl - just the thing for the trip back from the beach on a 36C day - and yet it's on par for the car's market and price.Again, think simple. The 1.2-litre engine is a revision of the GM-Daewoo small-bore powerplants and will disappoint those seeking a car that lives up to its Spark name.However, commuters who trawl through traffic will delight in the miserly fuel economy and in theory, can get up to 600km from the tiny fuel tank.  It comes only with a five-speed manual and you can hear prospective buyers backing out of the showroom right now.If you're interested, the chassis is a simple MacPherson strut/torsion beam arrangement with front disc brakes and the world's smallest rear drum brakes - you can laugh at them behind the spokes of the alloy wheels - and all spun on hydraulic (not electric) assisted steering.The Spark gets a four-star crash rating but will win friends with its primary safety benefits of nimble manners.  The standard ESC and six airbags are an excellent sales inducement and sufficient to lift this car to a more desirable level than something in the second-hand market.  However, the Spark is a sub-light car and that translates to its light road feel that doesn't build much driver confidence on freeways.Basically, you can gauge how the Spark will drive simply by looking at it. And the picture isn't all pretty. The torque figure of only 107Nm - think Malvern Star - comes in at 4500rpm.That's a lot of revs. Because it's not supported by much under that engine speed, you have to get up there - noisily - before the car confidently moves forward.If you take it easy, you'll be fine. But the problem isn't you. There's hundreds of other impatient motorists out there who are quite prepared to run you down because you're slow and small.I had a woman in a Prado trying to push me through a 50km/h zone. She was so close to the rear of the car that I could only see the grille in the rear vision mirror as I edged up towards 60km/h.On the freeway at speeds of about 100km/h it is at the mercy of brisk side winds and the vortex caused by passing trucks. It's also an environment where the little engine buzzes at 3000rpm and starts to compete with the radio.Put your foot down and there's no change. The speedo stays at 100km/h for a long time because there's not much torque available and you're still 1500rpm shy of the maximum 107Nm.Take it back to the city, however, and the Spark's pin-sharp steering and weeny 9.9m turning circle makes you a star driver.  It has great visibility that complements the near vertical shape of the rear hatch.What continually frustrated me was the rubbery gear shift - remember, no automatic option here - which played guessing games with me as I went for the next cog. Finding reverse really tested my patience.The engine has nothing - I repeat, nothing - below 2000rpm except noise. You have to sweat hard to predict the engine delivery to the point where a graph of the power-torque curve should stuck on the dash.But get it right and the little engine loves to sing its heart out. That contrast of a high-revving city car may be new to Australia but it's stock issue in Europe.

Steadily climbing Australian sales is the first indication of the progression of China's automotive march into our car market.  The first major Chinese make in Australia, Great Wall Motors, has sold a solid 5561 commercial and SUV vehicles in this year to October 30. In perspective, that's each more than Jeep, Lexus, Peugeot and Volvo. Great Wall next year adds more bricks to its market share with a diesel engine for its V-series utes and X-series (third quarter 2011); a face-lift for each series around mid-year; and a small car - in manual and auto - in the fourth quarter. The biggest private car-maker in China, Chery, starts selling passenger cars and a small SUV in Australia from March 2011. These will be imported by Sydney-based Ateco Automotive. Chery will first launch the J11 small SUV and then the J1 small car, before the J3 compact car - in manual and automatic - in the second quarter of 2011.  The emergence of the Baojun brand - which appears to come from nowhere - is the second indication of the momentum of a vehicle industry building behind China's borders. China makes about 1.3 million vehicles a month from 74 car makers. Most are joint ventures with global partners - GM, Volkswagen, Toyota and Nissan are amongst the biggest - and are prohibited from exporting. To ensure profits from car sales flow back into Chinese hands, only private and government-owned factories are permitted to export.  The Hong Kong-listed and semi-government owned public company Great Wall Motors is to expand its foundation of commercial vehicles with passenger cars in 2011. WA-based John Hughes - who started the Hyundai ball rolling in Australia - has pledged Geely small cars from January.  The Isuzu Rodeo-derived JMC Landwind, which famously failed some crash tests, was the first Chinese vehicle to be exported to Europe in 2005.

A budget-priced fireball has been added to the Carsguide Car of the Year winner.  The Polo GTI, launched in Australia on the day its smaller sister won the prestigious COTY as the nation’s best car, has been launched at an unexpectedly affordable $27,790 - including a dual-clutch DSG transmission as standard.Even more amazing, the Polo GTI uses a downsized 1.4-litre engine yet runs the same 6.9 second 100km/h sprint as the 2-litre Golf GTI - a car that costs from $11,000 more.VALUEVolkswagen Australia marketing manager Jutta Friese says its “a great price for a great car‘’ and represents excellent value for money.  She says part of the price - which comes in about $5000 under expectations - is about the favourable exchange rate.“It’s very much in our favour,” she says.  “It will have further impact on new models for 2011, including Jetta, Passat and Touareg.”The Polo is available with one engine - the turbo-supercharged 1.4 TSI - and one transmission, a seven-speed DSG.  But buyers have a choice of body styles - a three-door ($27,790) or a five-door ($28,990) - for the car.This compares with the big sister Golf GTI at $38,990 for the three door and $40,490 for the five door - and that’s the manual transmission price.  DSG adds about $3000 indicating the price gap between the two siblings is about $14,000.Given the latest Polo is the same size as the first generation Golf, the choice could be a no brainer given performance is identical.The GTI is built in Spain, compared with the other Polo variants which come from South Africa.TECHNOLOGYThe 1.4-litre TSI engine uses a supercharger and a turbocharger to cleverly get power up to 132kW and torque to 250Nm. This compares to the previous model which had a 1.8-litre  turbocharged engine for 110kW and 220Nm.Volkswagen claims the new Polo GTI also gets 6.1 litres/100km (compared with last year’s model at 8.0 l/100km).  It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.9 seconds, compared with the previous model’s 8.2 seconds.All this is due to the brilliant torque, power and versatility of the super-turbo design, though is aided by the rapid changes of the DSG.  Suspension and steering remain as per GTI standards, which is an excellent compromise between handling and comfort.DESIGNThe Golf-like Polo looks the part. Volkswagen has trimmed the baby hottie up to look like the Golf GTI - they may be mistaken on the road - so gets the three main colours of red, white and black together with silver and blue.The sports seats feature high bolsters and are finished - like the original 1976 Golf GTI in tartan fabric. Owners can select optional leather and Alcantara.Compared with the standard Polo, the GTI gets new front and rear bumpers, 17-inch alloy wheels in the Denver design, a small rear spoiler and dual chrome tailpipes exiting stage left.SAFETYLots of features are included in the price - six-speaker iPod compatible audio, cruise control, alloy pedals, electric and heated mirrors, paddleshifters on the steering column, daylight running lights, airconditioning and so on - but safety is the GTI’s hallmark.It gets six airbags, ESC and brake assist with other electronic chassis aids.DRIVINGJeez this thing is quick! Up Collingrove’s hillclimb just out of Adelaide, it literally flies over the jumps and yet has a tenacious grip on the narrow bitumen road.There’s power from idle through to 6000rpm but you really feel the bang around 3500rpm when the supercharger is automatically turned off and the turbocharger is left to its own devices, pumping air into the tiny 1.4-litre engine.The handling is exquisite - one of the reasons the Polo won COTY - and tied down even more in the GTI that sits 15mm lower and rides on wider, lower profile rubber.The steering is pin sharp, the brakes dynamic and the seats hold you so firmly that you feel part of the car. On top of that, it takes to commuting with ease and is very comfortable and quiet even over rutted roads.  Love it!

The Insight VTi-L hybrid, launched this week, will include as standard equipment the SUNA digital traffic information system. SUNA is Australia's first traffic channel that broadcasts detailed information on traffic congestion and other road conditions to the VTi-L's satellite navigation system. It allows owners of Insights in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth to access immediate traffic information such as accidents, road closures, traffic congestion, major road works and special events. Honda Australia's sales and marketing manager, Stephen Collins, says it helps drivers have an easier, more efficient and stress-free drive. "This is the first time our in-car satellite navigation systems have included live traffic information, and we see great value in being able to offer this service to our customers," he says. "With Honda's focus on reducing fuel consumption and maximising efficiency, this technology is a fantastic match to our new Honda Insight VTi-L." The SUNA service monitors traffic conditions using tens of thousands of traffic sensors supplemented with other sources including thousands of probe vehicles, freeway sensors, tow truck allocations, traffic cameras as well as roadwork and special events information. All of this information is validated by a team of traffic operators and then sent to the in-car navigation device. SUNA is a standard feature on Honda's satellite navigation system in the Insight VTi-L with other models to follow.

FITTING a small engine into a compact car is a bit like putting a potato down your Speedos - everyone's impressed by the appearance.  The audience may forever be blissfully unaware of the deception. It's only when there's a demand for performance that it all goes pear-shaped. Park the Mercedes C250 CGI in your

Porsche's president and CEO Matthias Muller this week confirmed that it will make a small, mid-engined roadster.  The car will be heavily based on the Volkswagen Bluesport roadster and is expected to be publicly unveiled in 2012 and go on sale in 2013. It is the latest announcement of product cross-sharing between Porsche and its new owner, Volkswagen.  The Porsche baby Boxster - as yet unnamed - is in "an advanced stage of development" at Porsche's research and development centre in Weissach, says a report by Auto Express. "We have a model based on the Bluesport, but we are not yet ready to show it," says Muller.  "When we are convinced about the project, we will be ready to show it. The first time you see it, it will be as a production ready car." Muller says the baby Boxster will get a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine - likely to be turbocharged.  The engine, in a higher level of tuning, will also be available in the next generation Boxster and Cayman. Both naturally aspirated and turbocharged versions of the 2.4-litre engine are being considered.  But it won't stop there. The engine could become the internal-combustion power source for a new range of Porsche hybrids, including the 911, and has potential in the next small Cayenne SUV that is based on the Audi Q5. At the same time, Porsche is rumoured to look at stretching its Panamera range with a coupe and convertible.

Chrysler's Jeep division used Volkswagen's 2-litre turbo-diesel for duty in its Patriot in Europe. It was also in the now obsolete Australian-sold Compass.

This is Audi's hot RS3 Sportback - its first small-car RS and designed to hit the track alongside Ford's Focus ST and RS.As Ford's ST flicks its five-cylinder Volvo engine in favour of a 2-litre four, Audi reverses the trend by slipping in the TTRS's 2.5-litre direct-injection turbo for 250kW and 450Nm of torque. It meets the five-cylinder RS in power stakes - 225kW/440Nm - but the Ford has only three doors and an Australian delivery ration of only 315 cars. The Audi gets five doors, so there's no excusing the family.The RS3 this week was launched in Britain - yes, that means a right-hand drive - for pound 39,900 that compares with the Focus RS at pound 28,000. In Australia, the RS sells for $59,990 indicating the Audi RS3 would logically land at about $86,000.But don't be fooled by logic. The less-feral S3 Sportback is $70,000 but the RS3 hottie would in fact climb to around $100,000 and closer to the TTRS coupe's $137,000 price tag by the time it gets here. Audi Australia isn't giving anything away. In fact, it says it has no information ...Britain gets the right-hand drive RS3 in April and it could be mid year by the time the hot hatch gets here. Audi Australia's philosophy of filling every market niche with a product indicates the RS3 Sportback is a very likely showroom addition. It will be worth the wait - especially for those who missed out on the limited edition Focus RS.The RS3 gets the TTRS engine, seven-speed DSG box and quattro all-wheel drive system. Audi claims a 100km/h sprint of 4.6 seconds and a top speed limited at 250km/h, while drinking an average of 9.0 litres/100km and a CO2 emission of 212g/km. By comparison, the front-wheel drive Focus RS accelerates to 100km/h in 5.9 seconds, tops at 250km/h and averages 10.4 l/100km and 246g/km CO2.Features include 19-inch alloy wheels, flared lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced plastic wings, widened track and a sport button that controls throttle response and exhaust note. Press this button and a flap in the exhaust system opens to intensify the sound.Maximum torque is from around 1600rpm and remains constant up to 5300rpm. The turbocharger generates up to 1.2 bar of boost pressure, and downstream of it is an intercooler which achieves an efficiency rate of more than 80 per cent, Audi says."The combination of the latest forced induction technology with FSI direct injection facilitates a high compression ratio (10.0:1) along with a correspondingly high efficiency ratio."Audi says the RS3 Sportback's fuel efficiency is attributed to an on-demand oil pump and a regenerative system that recovers energy as the car decelerates. It also uses strong but light vermicular graphite for the engine block and carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) for the front wings. These help to keep the kerb weight to 1575kg (the Focus RS is 1492kg).The A3 Sportback chassis gets revised suspension and a widened 1564mm track (up from 1534mm) with wider front tyres at the front. It has 235/35R19 tyres at the front and 225/35R19 at the rear to aid road grip.Steering is electro-mechanical rack and pinion with a fast rack. The brakes are four-wheel ventilated discs with four-piston calipers and electronic aids include stability control with a "sport" function that activates later intervention of the braking and acceleration retardation functions "to enable greater adjustability without compromising safety." Audi says it can be switched off entirely for circuit use.Standard equipment in UK-spec includes the Sport button, acoustic rear parking sensors, electronic climate control, DVD-based satellite navigation with MMI (Multi Media Interface) functionality and xenon-plus headlights with LED daytime running lights.

When you get to borrow the prize.  That's the deal from Ford with its competition in the US to name its V6-engined Mustang.Ford's Facebook site is hosting the competition that seeks the name for the V6 Mustang equipped with go-faster gear such as a low-ratio 3.31 rear axle, GT suspension and brakes including a Shelby GT500 rear lower control arm, 19-inch wheels and Pirelli tyres.Come up with the name and Ford will lend you the car and pay the lease costs for two years.  Ford says its Mustang Facebook community is more than 940,000."It makes sense for us to continue the accessibility of the package by having our fans help name it, and it's a fun and unique way to engage enthusiasts," says Ford's group marketing manager Amy Marentic."Facebook fans can suggest a name on the Mustang Facebook page, and reach out to their friends in the social media world to help propel their pick to the top five names."A gallery on the Facebook page will list the choices and viewers can vote on their favourites.  From the most popular five names, Ford will choose the final name."It's a nontraditional approach to naming a piece of brand that millions of people identify with," Ford says.

It wasn't the temperature - it was the rumour mill grinding out reports that Chevrolet will take the Holden Commodore into the US and rebadge it as Chevelle. It may represent a revival of a stars and stripes Commodore after the car last year ended a 20-month stint as the Pontiac G8. The G8 - which sold 38,159 in its three-model guise - was pulled from showrooms in July 2009 as General Motors imploded and Pontiac dissolved. Now that GM is almost back on its financial feet, it has called on Holden to supply stripped versions of its long wheelbase Caprice to become police cars. The Chevrolet Caprice police cruisers - under consideration by the police - will revive Holden's export program to the US. It has led to speculation that Commodores for public duty will follow. Word of an export deal for V8 Commodores was triggered by upbeat GM chiefs at the recent Los Angeles motor show. In Australia, Holden spokesman Jonathon Rose says: "We have made no secrets of the fact that we're pursuing new export opportunities for our local product." "At this point in time our focus is on exporting the Caprice to North America as a law enforcement vehicle and that program has a lot of potential. Beyond that we don't have anything to add right now." The man pushing the police deal and who is fostering the restart of Commodore shipments to the US is former Holden boss Mark Reuss, now the president of GM North America. Reuss was Holden's chief in 2008 and 2009 when the G8 program was running. He is completely aware of the program's potential and recognises that all the hard work has been done on Commodore to meet US vehicle design regulations. If successful, it could lead to export programs for the ute and wagon - both of which were poised in 2009 to make the ocean voyage as left-drive Pontiacs but made stillborn by GM's bankruptcy.