Articles by Neil Dowling

But it’s also war on the showroom.

Volkswagen unveiled its Golf Bluemotion that boasts a 3.8 litres/100km average without using electric motors. Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Anke Koeckler says some owners will be able to drive 1400km without refuelling.But evolutionary it is, visually exciting it is not. It just looks like any other Golf.  To spark AIMS visitor interest, however, Volkswagen has unveiled the hot-hatch Polo GTI. The five-door on display will be sold from next month.One of the most important models in Volkswagen’s future, says Ms Koeckler, isn’t a car. The Amarok ute is touted as Europe’s first ute entrant into the global market.To be launched mid-2011, the Amarok will come to Australia as a two-wheel or all-wheel drive, and with an optional off-road pack with lowrange gearing and underbody protection.

The three-door luxury SUV not only gives Land Rover a solid entry into the burgeoning compact SUV category, but goes a long way to offset the big thirst - and volumous CO2 output - of its bigger models.Land Rover Australia managing director Chris Popham says Evoque aims at a low 130g/km CO2 and an average of 4.9 litres/100km, thanks to a lightweight body and efficient engine.It will come in all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive.But the Evoque won’t be built until mid-2011 (in England) and demand already is so strong that Australia will be drip fed for the first few months.A five-door version will be announced later this year.Land Rover sales are up 33 per cent over 2009 and the marque has recorded its best-ever September - all highlights of its 40th anniversary.

The car maker, celebrating 30 years in Australia, unveiled the i-MiEV concept coupe - which isn’t destined for production but like the PX-MiEV SUV, showcases the potential breadth of electric powerplants.Mitsubishi has become the first carmaker to retail a volume-production electric vehicle in this country and tis move is timely given the Federal Government’s plans to mandate a 190 grams per kilometre CO2 emission level for a carmaker’s fleet from 2015.Mitsubishi Motors Australia president and CEO, Mr Masahiko Takahashi, says the iMEV coupe concept showed the possibilities of extending vehicle range and performance thanks to a lighter body, cleaner aerodynamics and an electric motor with increased torque.“Mitsubishi expects to sell 110 i-MiEVs by Christmas which shows the future o sustainable motoring,” he says.The company has reported sales up 4 per cent year-to-date compared with the same period in 2009, for an unchanged 6 per cent market share.And he birthday cake? In the shape and colours of an i-MiEV, of course. And small, too!

The future of Ford Australia was spelled out this week when the world took its first glimpse at the Ranger ute - the $1 billion-plus recipient of a capital injection dubbed the biggest global car development program in this country’s history. Ford’s regional president, Joe Hinrichs, says the new Ranger was critical to the company.  “It is the embodiment of Ford’s global, one-platform concept,” he says. “It is made for 180 countries in a segment that is becoming increasingly in demand.”  But Mr Hinrichs says the Ranger played an equally significant role on home soil. “For (Ford) Australia, it’s very important because it shows the excellent capabilities of the Australian design and engineering team.  We could have done this in other places - but Australia was the best.” Ford Australia president and CEO Marin Burela unveiled the Ranger in Sydney this week, teasing the car into prospective buyers‘ shopping lists despite the ute not entering production until June next year. It will be on sale in the last half of 2011. Mr Burela says: “This is the largest single development program ever undertaken in Australia for global markets’’. “With it, we will see a new Ford in showrooms - great products such as the Fiesta - that is a taste of the future. The new Focus is just around the corner.’’ “Ranger is the first global truck created by Ford,” he says. However, the Ranger won’t be sold in the US because it would compete with the cheaper F150 V6-engined ute that is becoming a staple Ford domestic earner. It will initially be made in Thailand - in a plant shared with Mazda and its BT-50 sister ute - but soon in Argentina and South Africa. “It meets customers wanting a compact truck - a segment that has become a global phenonamon,’’ Mr Burela says.  “These are buyers who want a tough truck that can be used or work and family. So it must have car-like comfort qualities.  “But it must also be capable when needed.” Ford Australia says it is too early to release final specifications, though pricing is expected to be similar to the current Ranger series.  But Ford indicated there would be three engines, two transmissions, two and four-wheel drive and a selection of body styles. It would not respond to the rumored wagon version, designed to compete with the Mitsubishi Triton-based Challenger.  

Ford Australia, at the international launch this week of its global ute, says the Duratorq engine is rated at a strong 147kW and 470Nm. The engine is a development of the PSA Peugeot Citroen-Ford “Puma” drivetrain alliance and is effectively a four-cylinder 2.5-litre turbo-diesel PSA-Ford engine with an extra cylinder. Ford Asia Pacific president Joe Hinrichs says the engine is made in Britain but would soon be produced at Ford’s new Port Elizabeth factory in South Africa. The in-line five will be joined by a four-cylinder 2.2-litre Duratorq turbo-diesel with 375Nm of torque, and a single petrol engine, a four-cylinder 2.5-litre Duratec engine. Ford’s global truck product manager, Gary Boes, says final power and torque for the smaller engines, together with fuel economy data, wasn’t being released until closer to the mid-2011 launch.   But he says the Ranger will be capable of “up to 1500kg’‘ of payload, depending on specification. The ute rides on Ford’s conventional wishbone front suspension and a live axle with over-axle mounted leaf springs.  It will come with the full suite of safety equipment, including stability control, side and curtain airbags and electronics to control trailer sway.  

1. Always-Open Timer (Mini Cabrio): The "absolutely unique Always-Open Timer," says Mini, is an "unprecedented instrument (that) shows the driver and passengers the time they have spent driving with the roof down - motivating the driver to really enjoy the thrill of open-air motoring as frequently as possible." Are you mad? Why would you want one, how do you think this will impress your friends and why are you paying for it? Answer those and you deserve it. Perversely, data accumulated by the timer may be needed on future medical charts when being checked in for skin cancer surgery. 2. Auto Parking (Lexus/VW/Toyota/BMW and others): Just select your parking spot and the car's sensors do the rest. All you do is squeeze the brake at the appropriate time. Gimme me a break! If you need help at 4km/h, heaven help your fellow road users when you hit 60km./h. Seriously, give it away and catch a cab. Or a bus. Or walk. 3. Eight-speed automatic (Audi/BMW/Lexus et al): One question: Why not 104 speeds? Eight cogs is expensive, so the gearbox is only fitted to expensive cars that have powerful engines that don't need eight speeds. This is just oneupmanship - and the jokes on you because you're paying for it. Really, count them when you drive away. Bet you count six. That's because the first two gears are so low and the engine so powerful that you don't need them. Unless you're towing a caravan. In an Audi A8? You will be told it saves fuel. Not paying for two gears will save you enough money to drive the car for free for two years. That's saving fuel! 4. Sequential-manual automatic (everyone): While we're in the oily bits, what's with sequential manual gearboxes in a car for people who can't spell seck-wench-ee-al? If you buy an automatic, you want an automatic. You don't want gears to change. Otherwise you would have saved $2000 or more and bought a manual. Sure, sequential boxes have their place in sporty cars. But a Commodore Omega or Mitsubishi Lancer? This is money down the gurgler in the purchase price and one that'll regurgitate the financial pain every time the gearbox needs repair. 5. Map pockets (everyone): These are the ones in the back of the driver's seat. Go out to your car right now and sit in the driver's seat. Put the seatbelt on. Now reach around and take the mapbook out of the map pocket. If you were flexible enough to complete that task, you're obviously aged less than 19. That means you have an iPhone. With sat-nav mapping. So you don't need a map book. If you're 19 and older, put the mapbook in the glovebox or door pocket. Car makers: Get rid of the map pocket and reduce the cost of the car. By 13 cents. 6. Heated/cooled cupholder (Chrysler Group): Hello Dodge and Chrysler. Stop trying to convert the cabin of a car into a kitchen. Why is this in the car? If you think a heated cupholder means people will ditch plans to buy the Honda Accord and settle on the Dodge Avenger, you're wrong. I hope you're wrong. People don't - or shouldn't - drive around with a drink in the car waiting for the moment they can spot a nice parking bay on the side of the highway to enjoy their supersized take-away cola or latte. And they shouldn't attempt to drive with the prospect of spilling near-boiling temperature coffee. 7. Push button start (almost everyone): So you're going to replace the single action of twisting a key in an ignition barrel to start the car, into inserting a key into the ignition barrel with one hand (right) and then pressing a button with the other hand (left). And then you're going to charge buyers for a transponder in the key fob that costs $2500 to replace. This not only wastes time, can cause driver confusion and demands you enter the car with both hands empty, but points to financial outlay further down the track. If this is an option, skip it and save money. And time. 8. Air compressor/aerosol puncture repair kits (Audi/Porsche and others): These are termed "mobility kits" and replace a spare wheel. Apparently. The idea is for you to have a puncture, jack up the car, take the compressor out of the boot and connect it to battery power while squirting in the aerosol goop that seals the hole in the tyre. Then attach the compressor's hose and reinflate the tyre. So easy? No. Not for most owners. Note that the compressor and the aerosol canister come out of a hole in the boot where the previous model of the car had a proper spare wheel. The wheel costs more than the Chinese-made compressor and the aerosol (which you have to replace with a new one after the first puncture) so this mobility kit is a real saving. For the carmaker. Tick the optional spare wheel box in the accessory list or buy another car with a real spare. Your wife still won't appreciate it but it'll be better than her arriving home after dark covered in dirt and goop. 9. Adaptive cruise control (various manufacturers): Usually on luxury cars and is activated when cruise control is set. It uses lasers and sensors to calibrate the distance to the car in front. If the distance is too short for effective braking, the adaptive cruise control will slow the car. It will resume the set cruise control speed when it senses the road ahead is clear. I have no problem with the concept of maintaining a sufficient distance between moving vehicles. But the system reacts sharply with emergency braking if a third car moves into your lane. That causes the adaptive cruise control to slam on the brakes. That leads to the guy behind you also slamming on his brakes, and in a chain reaction, the following traffic to make similar drastic action - all avoidable if the adaptive cruise-equipped car made subtle speed changes. Or was disconnected. Yes, it may stop you ploughing into the car ahead. No, it will not stop you being rear-ended. And it's expensive. 10.  Rear spoilers (less and less): Because they make the car sportier. Than what? These exist on the accessory list to make car companies and dealers some extra money. They do not do anything else, though anecdotal reports say at 80km/h and above there is some degree of downforce that may aid stability. Unfortunately, you didn't opt for the optional front spoiler so while the back of the car is secure on the road, the front is dancing from lane to lane. Spoilers so named because that's what they do to your credit card account. Put the money in the bank and use it for fuel costs. That's 10. I'm sure you have more you can add.

An Australia-patented gas-injection system has surfaced as the reason for choking the plans of Hyundai and Kia to import their innovative LPi-Hybrid models.  This is contrary to the official line - quoted at the Kia Koup launch in Seoul early last year - that Kia was "having difficulty" adjusting to Australia's propane-rich LPG mix. Korea, and many other gas-producing nations, have LPG that is richer in butane. Technically, adjusting between the two LPG blends is a matter of engine management tuning. But Kia - and later Hyundai, which shares the LPG injection technology - indicated it was all too hard and killed plans to bring its gas-electric Cerato to Australia. But there was a more compelling argument. The LPi (liquid petroleum injection) hybrid - sold in Korea and now readying for export to countries except Australia - has components within its gas-injection system that are patented by a Melbourne engineering company. Kia last year planned to import its Cerato LPi-Hybrid sedan but mysteriously - and suddenly - developed cold feet. Its associate company, Hyundai, had a similar-engined car ready to export but froze the plan. The Australian patent holder, engineering company LPG-Liquid-Inject Ltd, says the technology being used by companies including Hyundai-Kia dates back to the mid-1990s. LPG-Liquid-Inject director John Martin says his company contacted Hyundai-Kia when news of an LPG-Hybrid car was announced.  His patents also cover the common Vialle LPG injection system used by Ford - and provided by Perth-based Orbital Corporation - which is currently in dispute over patent breaches. "We have been challenged by Vialle on our patent four times and they have failed," Mr Martin says.  "They know that our patents have 12 months to run before they expire, so they're developing a market now." But Mr Martin says carmakers aiming to capitalise when the patents expire are investing in redundant technology.  "We're within a whisker of finalising this new technology," he says. "It's cheaper, more efficient, has instant starting and automatically adjusts for different butane/propane proportions in LPG."  LPG-Liquid-Inject Ltd is also completing is own LPG-engine and electric motors hybrid, using a 650cc internal-combustion engine powering a generator to charge a composite of lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries and then driving hub motors within the wheels of a 5.5-tonne Transit van. "We can produce the system in Australia and we have an engine-maker (in Victoria) ready to build it,' Mr Martin says.  "But we can't get any government assistance. The Federal Government is only interested in big car companies and big car component suppliers who have lots of employees. "So we plan to have it built in Britain. It is bad for Australia because we want to live here. And it makes doing business in Australia look bad." In 2008, Mr Martin's company was relying on a Commercial Ready development grant of $400,000 from the Federal Government to commercialise his technology.  But the grant scheme was cancelled. In 2009 the Federal Government granted $35 million to Toyota to build its Camry Hybrid in Melbourne.  The policy manager of LPG Australia, Steve Reynolds, says Mr Martin's work represented "very good home-grown technology that we see as being important in increasing the range of LPG automotive products on the market".

Audi should sponsor the Freo Dockers. Both have done the hard yards and both have really pulled their socks up in the past year without any free kicks. For those that don't know about the Dockers - it's a football team in WA. For those who don't know about WA, stop reading now.Audi is already well known but that wasn't the case a decade ago when it was always a sidekick to BMW. Now Audi has 1.3 per cent of the Australian passenger car market while BMW has 1.7 per cent. The game is warming up.One of the reasons is that Audi has so many models. How many? It has 57 models at last count and 14 different engines.Compare that with Ford's range (not FPV, ute or van) with 40 distinct models and 11 engines for 9.3 per cent of the Australian car market and you can see how niche marketing can work.It may drive Audi's spare parts men crazy but it appears to appease car buyers. One of the latest reflects this technique of identifying a sometimes tiny niche market and then slotting into it with a specific model. In this case, Audi's A5 Sportback.Echoing the gentle hatchback styling of the Mercedes CLS, VW Passat CC and BMW 5-Series GT, the Audi A5 is aimed at the youthfully affluent that want cabin luxury with styling that hints at a sporty demeanour.Perhaps the only detraction is the nose. All Audi's share the in-ya-face full-depth grille and while it was sensational when launched, is becoming tired and fails to respect Audi's upmarket models.This five-door car comes as a petrol or diesel and costs a lot of money. Put it up against an Audi A4 with similar engine and drivetrain specs and there's $7000 difference - enough for some punters to baulk.The Sportback gets a fifth door accessing a huge luggage area and so becomes a very flexible machine that perhaps is an alternative to the A4's wagon. Boot space is actually less than the wagon - and only a bit up on the A4 sedan – but it's the hatchback's ability to accept various load shapes that makes it a winner.There is an implication that the A5 is more luxurious than the A4 and that's carried through to the cabin. Seating is for four. Don't think about five. If you have three children, one stays at home.Audi's 3-litre turbo-diesel has been around in various versions for ages and the Quattro all-wheel drive system practically draws the pension. But it's definitely not outdated and can run with the best of the pack.This is a maximum five-star crash-rated, German-built machine with all-paw drive that is so safe it could save a small planet. Your family, presupposing there's no fool behind the wheel, should be fine.Six airbags, electronic stability control, ABS brakes and so on - it's all there. It doesn't get a reverse camera - it's a recommended $1165 option but the trick is you have to also specify the $4550 MMI with sat-nav - but comes standard with front and rear park sensors.DRIVINGEverything about this car works beautifully. It impresses within the first kilometre by feeling confident, solid and comfortable on the road. And hear you say that at near-on $90,000, so it should.It feels safe and that makes me more relaxed about taking the family for a drive. Volkswagens, Skodas, Audis, BMWs and Porsches are some of the very few car brands that feel secure as soon as you turn the first corner. A lot do not.This is a big car with a long wheelbase that irons out a lot of road irregularities and, as such, loves the country. You can easily see that Audi's favourite test track is a local autobahn. The drivetrain is, however, conservative - almost pedestrian - and while it delivers an efficient and occasionally warming driving experience, there's never a lot of fizz. That's partly because the diesel spins relatively slowly and appears lazy against any high-revving petrol engine. It's also because the A5 is so well insulated from the outside world.That extends to steering that offers very little road feel and the DSG auto - with seven speeds - that can be awkwardly hesitate at low speeds. One can deduce that Audi has placed greater emphasis on cocooning the occupants from the world rather than involve them.Perhaps that's the idea. But in this cocoon you don't really notice the important things about driving. Like the A5's 0-100km/h time of 6.1 seconds - which isn't too shabby - and the way the 500Nm of torque slashes in-gear acceleration to create rapid overtaking times.And like the way the all-wheel drive bites hard on the bitumen to ensure it's secure through the corners and has the ability to shrug away traction concerns over wet roads.VERDICTIt has the looks and cargo versatility to make it more alluring than the A4 but it comes at the cost of an expensive price tag and four-only seating.AUDI A5 SPORTBACKOrigin: GermanyPrice: $89,888Engine: 3-litre, V6 turbo-dieselPower: 176kW @ 4000-4400rpmTorque: 500Nm @ 1500-3000rpm0-100km/h: 6.1 secondsTop speed: 250km/hFuel: DieselFuel tank: 64 litresEconomy: 6.6 litres/100km (official), 7.8 litres/100km (tested)Greenhouse: 174g/km (Corolla: 175g/km)Transmission: 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic, sequential; constant 4WDBrakes: 4-wheel vented discs, ESC, ABS, EBD, brake assistTurning circle: 11.5mSuspension: Front _ double wishbones, coils; Rear _ multi-link, coilsWheels: 18-inch alloy, 245/40R18 tyres; space-saver spareLength: 4711mmWidth: 1854mmHeight: 1391mmWheelbase: 2810mmWeight: 1720kgTow (max): 1900kgWarranty: 3yr/unlimited km, roadside assistService: 15,000km.FEATURESThree-zone climate air-conditioning10-speaker 1-CD iPod audio6 airbagsPark sensorsLeather.

The strength of the sales for the month points to a one million-plus annual result, the third on record, says the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI).  Its Vfacts data, released yesterday (Tuesday), show almost 7000 more vehicles were sold last month compared with September 2009 - an 8.9 per cent increase.More importantly, says FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar, sales to private buyers recorded the largest increase this month - up 14.2 per cent.  He says this is "further evidence of renewed confidence in the marketplace".Mazda - traditionally a brand biased to private owners - bounced Ford to become the nation's third most popular marque. "This is a great result and posts a new monthly high for September," he says.  "Today's result eclipses the previous September monthly record set in 2005 by 584 units.""Given the continued strength of the market in recent months, the industry has revised its annual sales forecast to more than one million sales up from the previous projection of more than 980,000," Mr McKellar says.  "The Australian market has only twice recorded a market with more than one million sales so this will be quite an achievement."Toyota as the nation's most popular marque and nation's motorists went on a spending spree for SUVs, passenger cars and commercials.The Vfacts data showed the SUV segment was the strongest performer during September, up 36.3 per cent. It was followed by passenger cars (up 3.1 per cent) and then light commercials (up 1.7 per cent).On a year-to-date basis, SUVs are up 31.3 per cent. The sector is strong in each division, notably the Compact area where increased buyer interest and a wag of new models pushed sales up year-to-date by 37.3 per cent.Passenger cars were up 11.5 per cent year-to-date and all sections improved except for the upper large car (Commodore, Falcon, Aurion, etc) which slipped 9.6 per cent.Toyota sold 16,185 vehicles, followed by Holden with 10,718 then Mazda with 8850 units.  Year-to-date, 780,720 vehicles have been sold, an increase of 14.5 per cent compared to the same period in 2009.