Articles by Neil Dowling

That's the lure of hybrids and the reason why cars such as Toyota's Prius is so attractive to green-tinged and fuel-conscious buyers. But are they the be-all and end-all of personal transport?

Anyone who believes that China's economic boom is nearing its end is totally wrong. And Australia's deputy consol general in Shanghai, Christopher Wright, says Australians who ignore the immense trade opportunities will miss out on access to the world's biggest market. "Few people understand how quickly progress is happening here," he says. "Even this hotel," he looks around the 87th floor of the 101-storey Park Hyatt "bottle opener" Hotel, "and all the east side of the Shanghai River, barely existed a decade ago." Wright says though the economic acceleration in the past decade had been stunning, it is getting even faster. "Progress up the learning curve is getting quicker," he says. "The car industry alone is simply fantasy. Chery built its first car in 1999. It is now the biggest car maker in China with annual production of 480,000." "China will make nearly 11 million cars this year. It is working on two-year cycles with car development and model changes while the rest of the world, at best, is working on four-year cycles." Wright says now is a great time for new businesses coming into China. "OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have been formed with joint ventures which show how desperate global manufacturers — of all products — are to get into the Chinese market," he says. "But they also want to export and must understand that the Chinese Government will only allow home-brand companies to export." Wright says car companies will be some of the first to export under their own name, rather than the name of an offshore venture partner or one selected from an English dictionary. "There will be changes to suit the offshore markets and the first thing to change will be the company names," he says. "It will be similar to the change from Lucky Gold Star to LG for the Korean electronics giant. "There have been some selective successes — white goods maker Haier and computer firm Lenovo (which bought IBM) being two — but in general the Chinese are yet to package themselves for western markets." Wright believes that China's current expansion places Australia in a prime position. "I see Australia as being a prominent target for Chinese goods," he says. "It is a small yet sophisticated and accepting market that the Chinese would target and use for experience to bounce into other Western markets." How does Australian business get a slice of the action? Wright says China's advantage isn't its low labour cost — it's the nation's economies of scale. "China can recover the cost of car — or any product — development because of volume sales," he says. "So China should always form part of an Australian company's manufacturing aims. "There really is an opportunity opening up for Australian suppliers and car makers to use the ability of China to make huge volumes to keep the unit price very low." Wright says Australia is one of only 15 countries that can make a car from pen to showroom. "That's extremely relevant to China and what's more, China wants that. "Geely (Chinese car maker) just bought Albury, NSW, transmission maker DSI and will bring it to China. Geely will use the existing technology but will also redesign it to build it for the future, so there's this constant development. That's typical of Chinese companies today." Other automotive joint ventures with Australian companies include Futuris which makes car interiors — dashboards, roof linings, seats and so on — and is heavily involved with Chery. "In addition to Geely's deal with DSI, Chery has an R&D centre in Australia and Great Wall Motors has an R&D and testing facility in Melbourne," Wright says. "China is big on research and development and a lot of major corporations — Ericsson is one — base their R&D here (Shanghai) because this is the most inventive R&D centre in the world. "Shanghai can get more PhDs than anywhere else in the world. This goes across other industries so there's a huge pool of development here." China has one of the lowest car numbers per capital in the world. It has 176 million cars for 1.3 billion population and 188 million people have a driver's licence — 80 per cent of those being first-time drivers. "There are basically three phases in China's development and I'll use the car industry as an example," Wright says. "Before 1949, for a period of about 100 years, China was always preoccupied with war and internal struggles. Phase One is from 1949 to the early 1980s when China made basic trucks, tractors and commercial vehicles that were built and designed in the Soviet style." "Phase Two started in the early 1980s and is highlighted by the start of joint ventures. These included GM, Citroen, Volkswagen and Peugeot. That ran until the late 1990s and meant the Chinese car industry was effectively tied to the global giants of the automotive industry and therefore carried the same technical cycles and suppliers and habits — good and bad. "The Third Phase came in the late 1990s and is the start of the national identity of the car industry. The next phase, according to a leading professor at the Chinese university, is the integration of global technology to strengthen the Chinese brands so they are ready for the world markets. That means a steady increase of vehicles with prices that will make you weep." Wright says there are some similarities with the development of the Australian car industry which also started — in effect — from 1949 by basing future models on the US principles of design, manufacture, operation and sales. Today the state and provincial governments have shares in most of China's 90-odd vehicle makers. Two major exceptions are Great Wall Motors and Geely and some — Great Wall is one which is listed on the Hong Kong market — are also public. Though this appears at odds with China's communist principles — though in effect is more a totalitarian regime — Wright says the system works and believes the evolution of government involvement in business will continue for some time. "They (government) don't really want to get out," he says. "After all, they make a lot of money in dividends in these companies. China is a country that since the open-door policy (1978) has had an annual growth rate average of 9 per cent." "Last month it was annualised at 7.9 per cent despite China taking a dip because of the global financial crisis. That's 9 per cent for 30 years — no matter what dips it endured such as Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, the 1988 Asian financial crisis and the 2008 crisis. All down and immediately ricocheted up." "This is a developing country. It can accept money, employment, buildings and so on, before it becomes over capitalised. There's lots of growth to go."

Now, that smile will get even bigger as it spreads across the grille of the updated CX-7 SUV. Expected in Australia late this year after showing its face at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show, the CX-7 also gets the family diesel engine as an option.Mazda Australia spokesman Steve Maciver says it's too early to confirm the diesel though an announcement on the oil burner — with an auto box — is likely over the next few weeks. The 2.2-litre turbo-diesel — shared with the Mazda6 and Mazda3 models — has been tweaked to boost low-speed torque and make maximum power arrive lower in the rev range.Mazda claims the new CX-7 will be the first diesel-engined Japanese passenger car fitted with a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system. The good news is that SCR cuts nitrous oxide emissions by 40 per cent. The bad news is that, at the moment, it will only be specified on European models in acknowledgement of tougher emission laws being imposed by the European Union.The SCR system — like Mercedes-Benz's BluTec and Volkswagen's BlueMotion — introduces ammonia into the exhaust system to chemically remove nitrous oxides. Mazda says refills of its AdBlue liquid to the SCR system are required only during scheduled maintenance.Read more stories from the Frankfurt Motor Show 

The closer China becomes, this progress — specifically its advances in manufacturing — comes sharply into focus. Maliciously still ridiculed as the global origin of sub-standard goods, China is showing that it has been grossly misunderstood. And to their peril, its detractors may continue to ignore the alarming ability for China to achieve rapid financial and manufacturing strength.Ric Hull, the managing director of Australian car distributor, Ateco Automotive, is on his 25th business visit to China. This time he is cementing relationships with two Chinese car makers following the introduction of one brand, Great Wall Motors, onto the Australian market last month. Even after nearly 20 years of visits, he admits to being constantly staggered by the nation's progress. "Money appears to be unlimited," he says. "This is not a third-world country."Fifteen years ago private car ownership was unheard of. There are now 176 million private vehicles on Chinese roads and to meet demand, there are about 60 domestic carmakers building and selling one-million units a month — bigger than any country." Ateco now distributes Great Wall Motors' (GWM) two dual-cab ute models through 46 Australian dealers. It's a modest start but sales expansion and new models — deliberately priced 10-15 per cent below comparative Korean-made vehicles are coming. And coming fast.Hull says GWM's two commercial utes will be joined by the Hover H3 4WD and a single-cab ute variant before the end of this year. The Florid (a five-door hatch not unlike a Suzuki Swift) follows in early 2010, then a smaller hatch (the Phenom) and a sub-$25,000 seven-seat people mover are planned for release through that year. (If the names are frightening, Hull assures they'll be replaced for the Australian market).There's even a startlingly well-equipped and finished camper van based on the dual-cab ute that is being eyed by Ateco as suitable for Australia's camper rental industry.The Chinese assault being prepared by Ateco next year will also include products from China's fifth-biggest vehicle maker, Chery. Already confirmed for next year is the Chery A1 — a 1.3-litre hatchback but Hull says that single model could not sustain the brand in Australia. So the A1 will be quickly followed with bigger passenger car derivatives, including the pretty Mazda3-sized A3. "They also have a diesel van — similar to the now defunct Kia Pregio that we're almost salivating over," he says, "because it will be a very, very popular seller in Australia."Ateco's plans for Chery and GWM are parallel though they'll be offered to different dealers and occupy different showrooms. "There'll be some dealers selling both but they'll have to be stand-alone operations," he says. Ateco is yet to sign Chery. Hull is awaiting final specifications before completing a business case and selecting dealers.He indicates that the much smaller GWM company — which only started mainstream carmaking in 1990 and is one-fifth the size of Chery is faster at making business decisions and more open to tailoring vehicles for specific Australian needs.Comparisons with China's progress in automotive manufacture are made with that of Japan and Korea. Everyone, including GWM CEO, Madam Wang, agree that there are similarities. But there is a difference. Time. Hull expects companies such as GWM to take half the time of Korea to reach global market and product maturity.Madam Wang, China's only woman car boss, is aware of criticism about the quality of earlier, domestic-only vehicles. She believes GWM's smaller 1.3 to 1.5-litre cars are almost equal to the Japanese in terms of quality but believes the mid-size 2-litre models have about four years to go to be on par with the Japanese rivals. "We can match the quality of Lexus in seven to eight years," she says. "But in terms of (engine) performance, there is still a big gap.""We forecast we will have five-star Euro NCAP (safety standard) car ratings by 2011." GWM has a seemingly minor 7-8 per cent of the enormous Chinese domestic market though is regarded as being one of the better quality manufacturers. "In our smaller cities, buyers have price as the most important issue," Madam Wang says. "In the bigger cities, like Beijing and Shanghai, buyers want quality and brand image. We sell better in the bigger cities."That quality image will be further tested when GWM in 2011 takes on the locally-made BMW models. "The luxury BMW sells for one-million RMB (about $200,000) but we believe we can get a similar car in style and luxury on the market for RMB400,000 (about $80,000)," she says. "The difference between pricing is a branding issue and some technical issues."That car is believed to be based on GWM's recently shown CHC011 four-door coupe concept, a 5m-long limousine now with a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine and five-speed automatic transmission. A relatively unknown Chinese car company with aspirations of taking on BMW would, in normal circumstances, be laughable. But to Madam Wang and her company of 200,000 employees, taking on BMW is entirely possible.

Blank switch covers on the dashboard of a new car say something about the owner. It says: You are a cheapskate. You couldn't afford to buy the extras that come with the switches to fill these holes. So for the life of your car, they stare blankly back at every occupant and silently scream ‘cheapskate’.Thankfully, there are ways to fill ugly and embarrassing blanks in a new car's dashboard. Mini has found the ideal fitment to its Cabrio S Chilli, a model that frustratingly spent some time in my hands getting wet in a few days of winter rain.It is the ‘absolutely unique Always-Open Timer’. In plain English, it tells you how long the roof has been open and so important is this device that it sits big and proud alongside the tachometer. Why? Because, Mini says, ‘this unprecedented instrument 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’.There are SO many things I want to say about this, but I'm going to be kind and just suggest that blank switch covers would actually be better looking, cheaper and serve a greater function.Drivetrain On a kinder note, the Mini Cabrio S is a gem. It's all to do with the bright, lively and even fuel-miserly 1.6-litre 4-cylinder, turbocharged engine that constantly lures the driver to revel in its prodigious torque and sweet nigh-revving exhaust note. The transmission is a six-speed manual — though an auto is available — which is equally as delightful and a joy to stir.The engine, also used by Peugeot in its 207 model, has already been voted as one of the world's best and for very good reason. If it has a fault it lies in the noise generated by the driver's active right foot.Body and space Don't think that the Mini is a small car. It's a scale model of the original 1960s creation but has been super-sized so it has proportions close to the Golf or Corolla hatch. That indicates room for four but in effect is a 2+2 with the children allocated in the diminutive, yet beautifully crafted, rear seats.The Cabrio gets a fabric roof with electric drive and includes a clever ‘targa-style’ setting that opens just the section above the front occupants' heads. Better is that this function can be opened and closed at speeds up to 30km/h. If the weather is inclement — as it was for the majority of this test — then Mini this year provides climate airconditioning as standard.For protection in a roll-over, there is a single-piece rollbar behind the rear seats that arises automatically in 150 milliseconds. I doubt if you'd need this. The Mini Cabrio — tested in its S Chilli version which adds more features plus the turbocharged engine — hangs on like a limit through the bends.Driving This is really one of the best fun cars — along with the Mazda MX-5 which incidentally is its biggest rival — on the market.The short wheelbase, wide track and sharp steering ratio make it go-kart accurate and with the ability to change its line through the corner. But the ride on the run-flat tyres is firm and sometimes harsh and usually noisy. It works well, however, on smooth bitumen. The Mini Cabrio S Chilli is a great package — at least from a drivetrain point of view.But the Mini demands sympathetic and well-heeled buyers. These are people who can live with its small cabin, hodge-podge switch and gauge placement and the unconventional placement of the windscreen somewhere near the headlights.It would never win any aesthetic prize. Like the original Mini, the speedo is a huge dinner plate disc in the centre of the dash. It is within easy view of any occupant and can become an issue if you pick a pedantic passenger. Toggle switches are placed — predominantly — in the centre of the dash and can be awkward to quickly locate.Then there's the stupid ignition key that has to slide into position one-way up and then a starter button has to be pressed. Too fussy! But I'm probably being too fussy myself. This is a style car and the function may be less important to its buyers.PricingIt's not cheap. Prices for the Cabrios start at a reasonable $39,800 but you have to fill in the blank dashboard panels so the option list can get a healthy work out. As tested, the car was $51,600. That includes the Always-Open Timer that told me the brief time spent with my head in the fresh air cost $2345.45 a minute. And that's a figure any owner would not want to gauge.Mini Cooper S Cabrio Chilli Price: $51,600Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder, turbochargedPower: 128kW @ 5500rpmTorque: 240Nm @ 1600-5000rpmPerformance: 0-100km/h: 7.1 secondsFuel economy (official): 7.2 litres/100km, (tested): 8.4 litres/100kmEmissions: 171g/km (Corolla: 175g/km)Transmission: 6-speed manual; front-driveVerdict: 85/100Rivals: Audi A3 Cabriolet 1.6 ($43,900) — 87/100Mazda MX-5 ($43,850) — 92/100Lotus Elise 1.8S ($69,990) — 91/100BMW 120i Convertible ($52,900) — 88/100

You don't drive a truck because you appreciate fine handling, responsive engines and the G-force chest crushes on acceleration. You drive a truck because someone pays you too. But it doesn't need to be a chore and for owner-drivers, there are clever trucks that will help you improve the business' bottom line. Which is where Kia comes in. After the demise — permanent, I believe — of the Pregio one-tonne van, Kia has been left with a single imported commercial vehicle.The Kia K2900 replaces the K2700 with more than 50 per cent more power, better comfort and a greater load-carrying ability. Sadly, it's still a truck and any resemblance to a passenger car is in your dreams.Driving a small truck is no fun when they are empty because they buck like a branded steer. They are also very short on safety. But to improve the ride quality, put a tonne of load in the back and it’s plain sailing.So when the financial advisor at home decided on a back garden upgrade, the Kia took aboard 1.2 tonnes of crushed quartz. Later this was transferred, incrementally, to my arms, shoulders and back. But that's now a medical issue.The K2900 — the K is for Kia (d'oh!) and the 2900 represents the capacity of the four-cylinder, common-rail turbo-diesel engine — is pure function and any aesthetics is purely accidental.It is keenly priced at $30,490 — including a steel tray — which is practically irresistible to a tradie on a budget.Platform and drivetrainAnd it does an excellent job. The rear deck is 3.11m long and 1.63m wide. At 761mm from the ground, the low deck also makes it a relatively easy to shovel off sand or load hardware. The low deck height is attributable to underslung chassis rails and small-diameter rear wheels — in this case, the dual 12-inch rears compare with the 15-inch front wheels and, for this reason, one of each tyre is carried as a spare.The four-cylinder engine is related to the previous 2.7-litre mill though is significantly upgraded to produce more power. This engine is also an option for the Grand Carnival people mover.There's only one transmission in the K2900 and it's a five-speed manual that turns a long prop shaft to the rear wheels. Conventional technology means a live rear axle with leaf springs and that produces the unnerving ability for an unladen rear end to hop and buck at any road surface irregularity.Put some weight in the rear and the truck rides like a quality mid-size car. That's good news for the driver and up to two passengers who live in a forward cab cell with typical bare-bones features. The seating position is quite good and I never suffered any aches from driving. The turning circle is brilliant despite the truck's 5m-plus length and visibility is excellent.EquipmentThere are electric windows and a CD player, but there's no airbags, no ESC and no ABS — though the front brakes are discs. But there is some handy stuff. The centre seat has a fold-down back that becomes a flat workspace for documents.It's a pure form of transport and with its claimed 10.6 litres/100km and the five-year, 130,000km warranty it makes sense for a bloke who needs an affordable worker.KIA K2900 Trayback Price: from $30,490Engine: 2.9-litre, 4-cyl, common-rail turbo-dieselPower: 92kW @ 3800rpmTorque: 245Nm @ 1500-3250rpm0-100km/h: todayEconomy (official): 10.2 litres/100km, 10.9 litres/100kmEmissions: 272g/km (Corolla: 175g/km)Verdict: 80/100 for doing exactly what it's designed to do.

Kia’s affordable and durable Sorento 4WD has shed its old clothes to become a stylish suburban wagon. But the change takes the Sorento down a new, more urban road.In Korea today, Kia unveiled the new Sorento with seven seats, a monocoque body, the option of an economy-minded four-cylinder petrol engine, the availability of a 2WD system and yet without its trademark low-range 4WD transmission.The new wagon is now clearly aimed at the urban market and in doing so, has increased its comfort-biased features and eased off on the adventure-trail image of old.Kia Australia spokesman Jonathan Fletcher says the new Sorento will be on sale in January — priced about the same as the current model — though under debate is the engine selection and the trim levels.“We have the choice of a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, a 3.5-litre V6 petrol and a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel,” he says.“The turbo-diesel is a definite. But were not so sure about which petrol, and even if we need a petrol. The 3.5 is less fuel efficient than our current 3.3. The 2.4 may be too underpowered, though may suit the 2WD system in Mum’s taxi roles.“We have to look at the manual or automatic transmissions — do we bring in both or just the auto?“So then we have to decide if Australia wants a five seater or a seven seater or make the extra two seats an option.“Then we have the trim levels. We will get electronic stability control. The base-model LX in Korea doesn’t get it but we will. So we’ll upgrade the LX with safety features ESC and six airbags, and bring in the upmarket EX and even look at making a limited edition model above the EX with airbag list of standard features.”The 2WD version will give Kia a lower-cost medium-sized SUV in the Australian market that will compete with the Ford Territory, Hyundai Santa Fe, Holden Captiva and Toyota Kluger.It is possible that a high-spec 2WD could be priced s low as around $32,000 though Fletcher says it is too early to call prices.This entry-level model with a diesel engine would only compete with the Hyundai — ironically one of Kias associate companies — and the similarly Korean-made Captiva.The Sorento gets a chiselled look and wide-mouthed grille that follows the creation of a family face by Kia’s leading designer, Peter Schreyer.It is substantially more aerodynamic, slashing its drag figure to 0.38 from 0.425, which aims to improve the fuel economy.Compared with the current mode, it sits on a slightly smaller wheelbase yet at 4685mm is longer by 95mm and is 15mm lower.Its move away from the dirt is reflected in its ground clearance, now 184mm from the previous models generous 203mm.Cabin room is up, hence the ability to seat seven and luggage space is up 10 per cent to a spacious 1047 litres.The automatic transmission is a new six-sped unit that is 12kg lighter and 54mm shorter than the five-speed box it replaces. The move away from a separate full ladder chassis has saved depending on the model up to 215kg. The diesel and V6 are both about 1760kg. The 2WD version saves another 45kg.Kia claims the Sorento will get the maximum 5-star Euro NCAP and US crash ratings and the best 3-star pedestrian rating, but has not yet received official test results.The lack of a low-range gearbox will affect specific market sales though Kia is looking above this sector at the more substantial family and soft leisure markets. This is defined by Kia’s plan to start manufacturing the Sorento in the US state of Georgia in November. It is Kia’s first plant in the US and in fact the first new vehicle plant to be built in the US this year.Australia will get its Sorento range from Korea as the US plant will be left-hand drive only.Look at the new Sorento, expected in Australia in January, as an update of the current model and you would be barking up the wrong tree.In almost every respect, what the next Sorento does and how it does it is far, far away from the original model that was seen as a durable, rugged and off-road capable five seater. Now, its gone soft. Very soft.On a long and winding road through South Korea this week, the Sorento felt supple and very compliant and it was only when a sharp pothole or bad road joint came in contact with one of the wheels did it all become a bit pear-shaped.The ride, while sumptuous, doesn’t have the suspension — particularly the dampers — to muffle the transition through to the occupants derrieres.It is, thinking back, very close to the impressions of the first Sorento.Treat the new wagon carefully and it will come close to matching the ride comfort and quietness of its main rivals, the Ford Territory and Toyota Kluger.I drove a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel model with its six-speed, inhouse-built automatic transmission driving a part-time, on-demand all-wheel drive system. There is no low-range gearbox on offer. The test vehicle was also a seven seater and, according to Kias statistics, weighed about 1800kg.The engine is new for Kia, with an aluminium block and head, variable-geometry turbocharger and a high pressure common-rail injection system. Kia codes this engine as the R series and it will be expanded to other models.It’s a strong unit with 145kW and a meaty 436Nm of torque at 1800-2500rpm which gave a surprisingly good account of hauling the Sorentos weight and its three adult occupants.There was an occasion or two when the engine wasn’t awake and the lag would temporarily produce a dead accelerator. The gearbox has a sequential manual mode and it’s this feature that overcomes any tendency for the engine to suffocate.General handling is good though, again, there may be benefit in fitting firmer dampers to get a more positive feel to steering and body stance.For towing, the turbo-diesel is rated at 2000kg which should really be at least 2500kg. There may be adjustments to tis when the final specification shake-down happens for the Australian model range.The Sorento is a big vehicle and will seat seven, though the third row of seats which fold flat into the luggage floor are awkward to get to and a bit limited for adult haulage. Im 177cm and just fitted in, with tight legroom and my head on the ceiling. Best for the kiddies, really.Interior finish is very good though there is a lot of hard (and black) plastic in there. Heated front and rear seats were on the test car though probably unlikely — and generally unnecessary — in Australia. 

After unexpectedly launching the novel Soul, Kia is again chasing the youth market with a pretty and price-competitive coupe based on its Cerato sedan. The Cerato Koup comes to Australia in September with a 2-litre engine and a price that could start around $25,000.It is Kia’s first two-door coupe and reaffirms Kia’s attention to move along a younger and more dynamic path compared with the more traditional and mature, family-friendly road being used by its associate company, Hyundai.Kia international public relations manager Michael Choo says the company has changed its brand positioning first set in 2005. “Previously it was a nice car at a reasonable price and now it’s an excellent car with special value,” he says. “We have no intention of hanging around at the lower end of the car market ladder. We now aim to climb the premium ladder with an accent on youthful and dynamic features, so moving away from the direction being taken by Hyundai.”The Cerato Koup uses the Cerato sedans 2650mm wheelbase though the body is 50mm smaller and the roofline is 60mm lower. Korea will make it with at least three petrol engines — 1.6, 2.0 and 2.4 litre four cylinders. It could even get a V6.But Australia — for the moment — gets only the 2-litre with the choice of a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox choice. Later, a six-speed automatic will be available. The 2.4 will only be sold in the US. However, pressure on Kia at the Koup’s launch may make it available in other markets, including Australia.Kia claims the Koup’s firmer suspension and different steering tuning makes it a sharper drive than the sedan.No surprises that the Cerato Koup shares many driving similarities with the Cerato sedan on which it is based.But there has been some effort placed on firming the ride to improve handling and give the Koup a better relationship with the asphalt. For one, it has less bodyroll through the corners and the steering appears to be sharper.The differences are marginal but go a long way to convey the impression that the experience of driving a Koup has, or may have, an element of excitement.This is enhanced by the tactile sense of seats with good lateral support and the visual sense of the Koups sports nature reflected by the two-tone dashboard — red and black in the test car’s case — and leather stitched seats.And then it all stops.Australia from September gets the Koup with a 114kW 2-litre engine and the choice of a five-speed manual or four-speed auto. I drove the auto and unfortunately that while it is a good general purpose package, it is short on any thrill and for someone in a hurry, will see-saw between disappointment and frustration.Thankfully there is some reprieve in the sequential manual mode of the gearbox that will allow the free-revving engine to sing out each gear. Using the box manually also improves performance into and out of corners which, in turn, reveals that it’s not a bad little handler.Kia quotes a 0-100km/h time of 9.3 seconds and economy of 7.5 litres/100km for the manual transmission models. The auto is claimed to accelerate to 10km/h in 10.5 seconds and get 7.6 l/10km Spirited driving with three adults aboard through the mountainous area south-east of Korea’s capital Seoul returned 10.2 l/100km, so Kia’s data for a single-occupant car is plausible.But it all could be better. Kia is sending a 2.4 litre (an engine that is also used in product as diverse as the Jeep Patriot, Mitsubishi Lancer Aspire and Hyundai Sonata) to the US market in the Koup. Australia needs the same engine, preferably with the forthcoming six-speed automatic or six-speed manual. Then the pretty and eye-catching shape of the Koup will have some muscle.In saying that, the success of the Koup will be driven by marketing and the styling will probably sell its socks off.It will seat four adults (because it shares the wheelbase with the generous cabin dimensions of the sedan) and only tall occupants in the back will hit their heads on the roofliner.All other features are similar to the sedan, though the dash is better arranged and the boot is a fraction shorter. The fold-down split rear seats make it flexible for cargo.Kia Australia expects to sell the Koup for around the $25,000-$27,000 markYou’d buy this for its style, not necessarily its power. 

Saab, which is being removed from the books of beleagured GM, filed in February for reorganisation with the Swedish government. This was the first step to begin as an independent company. Saab and privately-owned Koenigsegg Group AB have signed a memorandum of understanding to seal Saab's future. It could lead to a sale by September. The proposal includes an expected $770 million funding commitment from the European investment Bank (EIB) that will be guaranteed by the Swedish government. Further financial and structural support will come from GM and Koenigsegg to ensure Saab's operations and product programs. Saab plans to launch several new products that are in the final stages of development. As part of the proposed transaction, GM will continue to provide Saab with architecture and powertrain technology. Saab plans to produce its next generation 9-5 model at the company's Trollhattan factory. Koenigsegg Group AB is a consortium of private investors led by supercar manufacturer, Koenigsegg Automotive AB.

We live in an age of allergies that feeds an industry of preventative medicines and an army of taxpayer-funded advisors.Each of us has some food-related allergy or, at least, an intense dislike to what's on the dinner plate.All foods, that is, except chicken.You never hear a kid complain about KFC.You never get the aircraft scenario where the flight attendant pushing the food trolley down the aisle is asking: "Chicken? Chicken anyone? No, I'm very sorry sir, the fish and the stew are all gone."Everybody likes chicken. It's every menu's safe bet.And if a car was listed on the menu as chicken, it would undoubtedly be served up with a Toyota badge.Like chicken, everybody likes Toyota. It's the safe bet.I thought the world had passed by the Toyota RAV4. It's now three years old and the new kids on the block — notably the VW Tiguan, Nissan Dualis and Subaru Forester — are flavorsome options.Yet the RAV4 still impresses and sales shows that despite the newcomers, the RAV4 is Australia's second most popular Compact SUV after the Forester.It's about the same price as its rivals and technically and feature-wise, is on par. That makes it a hard sector for buyers to pick their next car.Toyota knows that so there are nine RAV4 models that start with this one here, the base-model CV with automatic transmission.Yes, you can buy a 3.5-litre V6 version and scare the pants off Commodore owners.But to me the CV auto is the essential RAV4 — neat, cleanly styled, very functional and fairly priced at $35,490 (plus on-road costs).The five door wagon seats four adults. The back seat slides on rollers so the luggage area can be expanded — at the expense of legroom, of course — and that feature should be a no-brainer for all SUVs.The side-hinged tailgate looks cumbersome with the spare wheel — a full-size spare, by the way — hanging off but is actually light and well supported by gas struts.I like the underfloor bins for small-item storage, the netting for shopping and the flip down rear seats for added cargo space.It drives like a small car with light steering feel and simple dashboard controls. Nothing fancy, just efficient.The four-speed auto is a bit archaic in a market with five and six-speed boxes, but the Camry-derived 2.4-litre engine is lazy enough so there's a broad power band.Performance is adequate rather than elating, though I caught myself smiling once so I left the grey cardigan in the wardrobe.More important is an upgrade by Toyota that made electronic stability control (in Toyota-speak it's VDC) standard along with traction control and active head restraints. The latter reduces whiplash injury.The CV gets two airbags but there is an optional package that adds five airbags — you have to use your other hand because that's seven in total — and climate-control, dual-zone airconditioning. No, I don't know why aircon and airbags have become allied.Along with its easy driving manners, the RAV4 is quiet and comfortable. Yes, some conventional sedans — the Corolla for example — are quieter and indeed safer, but the small SUV market promises more flexible cabin space.Though economical to purchase, the RAV4 is a bit thirstier than expected. Toyota claims 9.6 litres/100km and I was into the 10s and sometimes 11s. Compared with a similar size sedan — the Corolla, again — which is rated at 7.4 l/100km, the RAV4 will put its hand deeper into the weekly household spend.On the plus side, there's a set service cost for the life of the three year warranty which is cheaper than most rivals.But I like the RAV4 for its simplicity. It's just like chicken.Snapshot TOYOTA RAV4 CV Price: $35,490 (plus dealer and statutory charges)Engine: 2.4-litre, 4-cylinderPower: 125kW @ 6000rpmTorque: 224Nm @ 4000rpmEconomy (official): 9.6 litres/100km, (tested): 10.5 litres/100kmEmissions: 227g/kmTransmission: 4-speed automatic, constant 4WDRating: 85/100Rivals: Ford Escape ($33,990) — 80/100; Honda CR-V ($33,990) — 86/100; Jeep Patriot/Compass Sport ($29,990) — 79/100; Mitsubishi Outlander LS ($32,990) — 85/100; Nissan X-Trail ST ($32,490) — 84/100; Subaru Forester X ($30,990) — 86/100; VW Tiguan 125TSI ($33,990) — 86/100