Articles by Neil McDonald

Despite a depressed vehicle market and the entrenched dominance of Japanese off-roaders, Land Rover Australia has delivered a vote of confidence in its trusty off-roader by broadening its Defender range from two models to eight.The 2010 model lineup now includes five 110 wheelbase (for 110-inch) and three 130 wheelbase models, specifically targeting serious off-road users and commercial buyers with its heavy duty 4x4 ute and cab-chassis models.Land Rover Australian spokesman, Guido Schenken, says there is strong interest from rural, mining and tradies for more Defender variants."Particularly with the potential heavy duty carrying capacity," he says.Prices kick off at $45,990 for the Defender 110 hard top and single cab chassis, rising to $53,490 for the 130 crew cab high capacity pick up (HCPU).The $48,990 four-door 110 station wagon, identified by its safari-style windows in the roof, is responsible for delivering a modest sales spike for Land Rover over the past 18 months and wagon sales have grown 4.5 per cent this year.The wagon, which has an optional $2000 seven-seat capacity, is now joined by the 110 four-door crew cab pickup. Both have air-conditioning, traction control, alloys, locking wheel nuts and electric front windows. A new two-door 110 hard top is based on the station wagon and gets a single CD player, air conditioning and electric front windows.Visually it also has a black grille, wheelarches and headlight surrounds, white steel wheels and roof. It also has rear sliding rear windows.Also new is the 110 single cab chassis, which has the same specification as the hard top, as well as the 110 single cab high capacity pick up (HCPU), which gets a rear canopy.The 130 crew cab chassis carries over unchanged but is now joined by the 130 single cab chassis and 130 crew cab HCPU fitted with a well side body and canopy.The 130 single cab chassis is fitted with heavy duty suspension and extended tray that can carry 1500kg with a GVM of 3500kg.Schenken has also not ruled out a return of the short-wheelbase Defender 90, which was available out of South Africa a few years ago. "We're continually looking at it," Schenken says.All 2010 Defenders are powered by a 2.4-litre 16-valve common-rail four-cylinder turbo diesel shared with the Ford Transit. The engine develops 90kW at 2200 revs and 360Nm at 2000 revs.All models get a permanent dual-range four-wheel drive system with locking centre differential.The Defender dates back to 1948 when the Series I was launch. Almost 1.9 million have been sold globally in more than 100 countries. 

However, of seven vans rated by ANCAP, just three, including the iLoad, have four-star ratings.The others are the Mercedes-Benz Vito and Volkswagen Transporter. By comparison, the best-selling Toyota Hi-Ace gets a three-star rating.ANCAP manager, Michael Case, said many work vans and other commercial vehicles still lacked proven lifesaving safety features like anti-skid brakes or electronic stability control. Few vans have them fitted as standard, he said."No commercial vehicles currently have a five-star rating, which requires excellent crash protection plus head-protecting side airbags and electronic stability control," Case said.He praised the iMax and iLoad results but said other carmakers still need to lift their game. The iMax and iLoad were crashed at 64km/h to simulate an off-set head-on collision with another car. He is also urging businesses to put safety ahead of penny-pinching when purchasing work vehicles."It's a question of occupational health and safety," he said."The OHS requirements on employers to provide a safe work environment do extend to work vehicles and that often means the commercial vehicles we're talking about." Fleet managers no longer have any excuse to buy unsafe vehicles, Case said."ANCAP is seeing mixed safety performance in its recent crash tests of van-style vehicles and the Hyundai results are good to see," he said. "It has put considerable effort into improving the safety of its vehicles and the results reflect that effort."Case also said parents who also use their work vans as family transport at weekends are risking their families' lives. "That's of particular concern," he said.Both the iLoad and iMax get dual front airbags, anti-skid brakes and electronic brake distribution as standard. The iMax also gets stability control but it is still optional on the iLoad. 

But it's not the four-legged animal that runs around parts of North America prairies, it's Ford's new alloy V8. Coyote is believed to be the codename of Ford Detroit's new light-weight engine that could end up powering local Ford Performance Vehicles.The new 5.0-litre V8 is slated for the Ford Mustang and F150 in North America soon and the engine could be in line to replace Ford Australia's current 5.4-litre FPV V8 ahead of moves to Euro IV emission standards from next July.A decision on Ford's in-line six-cylinder and V8 engine strategy is expected at the end of the month. However, neither Ford president Marin Burela or FPV boss Rod Barrett are not giving anything away.FPV is not commenting, and Burela is only saying that the I6 Falcon engine remains a key part of Ford's future. Nor is he saying if Ford will broaden its V8 reach from its hot FPV cars to the rest of the Falcon range.Burela has hosed down suggestions that Ford could add a V8 Falcon model to sit above the G6-E turbo, aimed directly at the Commodore Calais V8."We've looked at that and our response has always been what the market is looking for," Burela says."It's been very clear to us that the G6-E turbo is the right solution."We have the V8 but when you look at what people are asking for, inquiring about, it's the turbo six that ticks the box for them."The Coyote 32-valve V8 is said to develop around 330kW and 540Nm in standard tune with a hotter supercharged version possibly powering some top-end FPV cars.Burela acknowledges that GM-Holden has made its V8 more relevant to consumers by adding cylinder deactivation technology in an effort to chase better fuel economy. But Ford also has plans, he says."We've got a comprehensive plan that we've been working on between us and FPV," Burela says."We've been focused on ensuring that we put our efforts in the right place to cater to the different consumers."Burela believes there will always be a desire and need for a Ford V8."But the question is how do you deliver that without creating an aura around the brand that you are only a large car company with large engines, which then tends to send these messages that you're not about fuel efficiency and not delivering the right emissions levels," he says.Burela says Aussies love their large cars but are increasingly becoming more aware of the environment."But they want the costs to be competitive and emissions to be responsible," he says.Ford is slowly shedding its blokey Falcon car company image with a more focused European range from the Fiesta right up to the Euro-inspired Falcon."People saw us as old fashioned … no technology," he says. "Now they see us as being relevant." 

Lamborghini is going ahead with a plan to build 250 limited edition rear-drive V10 Gallardo supercars, bearing the retiring chief Lamborghini test driver's name.The rear-wheel drive LP 550-2 will be based on the all-wheel drive Gallardo.Just five are slotted for delivery to Australian buyers by the end of the year with a pricetag of around $479,000. Importer Andrew Smith says, the limited edition car's exclusivity means it will cost a tad more than the all-wheel drive LP 560-4.However, for those who miss out on the Balboni car, a lower cost rear-drive Gallardo is in the wings, he says. "However, there won't be a Spider version of it," he says.The regular rear-drive Gallardo could land here around $435,000 and go head to head with the Audi R8, Ferrari 430 and upper end Porsches. Removing the all-wheel drive system out of the car shaves off about 120kg in weight.The car will hit 100km/h in 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 320km/h.To make sure the rear-drive Lambo loses none of the grip or performance of its all-wheel drive brother, it gets different springs, dampers, stabiliser bars, different aerodynamics and new tyres.The robotised sequential E-gear transmission has been upgraded to cope with the torque through the rear wheels alone, along with a stronger rear axle. The rear axle also gets a 45 per cent limited slip differential and modified electronic stability control, which enables great drift angles in the car's Corsa performance mode.Power comes from a naturally aspirated 405kW 5.2-litre V10, down 7kW from the all-wheel drive model.Visually the limited edition car gets different front and rear bumpers, a more aggressive rear diffuser and a retro white strip across the roof, bonnet and boot.Inside the Gallardo gets black leather upholstery, a badge bearing Valentino Balboni's signature, a transparent engine cover, and navigation system with Bluetooth connectivity.Balboni joined Lamborghini in 1967 and has driven about 80 per cent of all Lamborghini cars.

The Sportback represents a return to luxury hatchback motoring for the well-heeled masses.The arrival of the Sportback into Audi’s Australian showrooms will eclipse BMW by a few months. The Sportback range arrives in the first quarter next year ahead of the BMW 5-Series based Gran Turismo, which is slated for the second quarter. Audi's entrant will be on par with the BMW in the space race, but both will be far cheaper than the ‘other' German luxury hatch, the Porsche Panamera.The Sportback is the third model in the A5 stable, joining both the coupe and cabrio. Audi says the A5 Sportback will forge a new segment for the brand.As expected from the teaser images released several weeks ago, the Sportback does not depart too far from the Audi script. The five-door has short front and rear overhangs, long wheelbase and wide track while four frameless doors complete the dynamic look.Inside the spacious cabin has enough room for four along with a large boot that increases from 480 to 980 litres with the rear seats folded. The rear seats also split-fold and there is a small ski-port for long items.The luggage hatch is seamlessly integrated into the long, tapered tail end with flat C pillars.A rear spoiler lip, diffuser insert and dual exhausts are not only functional but add visual presence to the rear.Both TDI and FSI engines will be available, but Audi Australia is yet to finalise the range and pricing. However, both front and quattro all-wheel drive models are tipped, with prices expected to be slightly above equivalent A5 coupe models. The entry A5 coupe opens at $79,900 for the 2.0-litre TFSI.In Europe, three direct injection petrol and three TDI engines will be available with Audi's multitronic automatic or seven-speed S-tronic automatic. All are equipped with a recuperation system that recovers energy during braking and deceleration, storing it temporarily in the battery.Audi will initially offer three petrol and three diesel TDI engines, with a further three engines to follow next year. The petrol engines a 2.0-litre TFSI with 132kW or 155kW and the 3.2-litre V6 with 195kW are all equipped with the Audi valvelift system for variable control of valvelift. The three TDI engines will include a 125kW 2.0-litre four cylinder, 140kW 2.7-litre V6 and 176kW 3.0-litre V6. The 2.0-litre has a combined fuel economy figure of 5.2litres/100km and is coupled with a stop-start ignition system for better city economy.

This week's high-level Federal Government visit to China is already yielding positive results for not only the car component sector but the local industry as a whole. Industry Minister, Senator Kim Carr, says several large Chinese brands, including Chery, JAC, Geely and Dongfeng, are seeking new markets like Australia for technology and investment, particularly in the depressed components sector.Trade Minister, Simon Crean, joined Senator Carr on his lightning visit to the country's leading manufacturers. Carr says that apart from direct investment, there is room for reciprocal agreements between the local supply industry and China. "We've seen with Geely in terms of Drivetrain Systems International transmissions but there are other investments," he says."I'm expecting that there will be increased interest in the components section of the automotive industry," Carr says. "That's likely to be quite an attractive area for future investment from the Chinese motor producers." Some of that investment is already bearing fruit.In March, Chinese carmaker Geely threw a lifeline to the Albury-based DSI transmission company, paying $52 million for the company to secure its future and boost its research and development.Carr says the Chinese are looking for high-quality developed technologies and partnership arrangements. "And they know, I believe there is increasing awareness, that Australia provides the capacity to produce good results in those areas," he says. "Now there are 11 companies operating here at the moment that have come out from Australia."Carr says research organisations like the CSIRO and even Geelong-based Deakin University, are working on technologies that will be very attractive to the Chinese car industry. "In terms of light metals, in terms of composite materials, in terms of fuel systems, there are huge opportunities opening up," he says.Australia's reputation as a mature, respected market is helping too. "We have a mature industry that might well be small in volume but is high in reputation," Carr says.Ultimately, he says the diversification of the local component and car sector will help "strengthen our industry's capacity to ensure its sustainability". The issue of intellectual property rights, a controversial problem between some foreign carmakers and some Chinese brands, was also discussed.

The company is expected to ramp up production from 6000 engines a year to 20,000 over the next four years.The engines will go to Shanghai General Motors, a joint venture partnership between General Motors and the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. They are expected to be used in a range of GM China cars, including the Buick Park Avenue, a model based on the locally built Holden Statesman.Apart from its engines, GM-Holden's North American export plans for its Commodores could also be back on the agenda. General Motors vice chairman, Bob Lutz, has told US media that GM-Holden was poised to recommence exports of a Commodore-based car to North America. Lutz is being widely reported in the US as saying the Commodore would return as a Chevrolet.However, GM-Holden spokesman, Scott Whiffin, was unable to confirm Lutz's comments. "The priority for GM has been exiting chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings," he said.GM-Holden cancelled its export plans for the Commodore-based Pontiac G8 when GM axed its Pontiac brand in May. However, within hours of the New GM emerging from chapter 11 bankruptcy last Friday, Lutz was on the offensive.He said Commodore exports were likely to recommence because of existing export agreements with GM-Holden and the fact that it already built the Commodore as a Chevy for the Middle East.The car industry this week has been buoyed by Federal Industry Minister, Senator Carr's visit to China spruiking the local industry. Carr said several Chinese carmakers were keen on Australian know-how. "There are opportunities for expansion in transmissions through Geely and new investment opportunities with Chery Motors," he said. "We're seeing quite a wide range of possibilities of new technologies and new markets for Australian suppliers. "There are huge opportunities here in terms of broadening our collaborations and diversifying our opportunities."The Chinese vehicle market is defying the global auto downturn as it continues to fast-track its own industry. Vehicle sales are set to hit 10 million sales this year. 

After waving its R-Design wand over the XC60, the wagon gets a more aggressive look with matt silver exterior finis-hes, skid-plates, twin chrome exhausts and five-spoke 18-inch alloys.Volvo Cars Australia spokesperson, Laurissa Mirabelli, says the hotter looking XC60 will be available later this year. "But we're still finalising local specifications and prices," she says.Volvo is broadening is R-Design packages across most of its range. With the XC60 R-Design as well as the 2010 model year S80 R-Design, Volvo will have seven sports models available, from the C30 hatch up to the XC90.Mirabelli says most of the R-design option packs available locally are purely cosmetic. "They are non-performance enhancements like spoilers and body kits," she says.But the XC60 gets sharper steering and slightly firmer suspension. The V70 R-Design also benefits from a firmer chassis. Visually the lower section of the XC60 is colour matched to the rest of the car, instead of the matt-black lower panels of the standard off-roader. This creates an impression that the car sits closer to the ground, giving it a more dynamic look, even though ground clearance remains unchanged.Inside the XC60 gets metal highlights with aluminium inserts in the sports steering wheel, doors and centre console. Brushed aluminium sports pedals have rubber inserts for grip.Volvo buyers looking to boost engine performance can access the extensive Heico Sportiv performance catalogue available through their local dealers.Heico can supply up to 350 different enhancements for Volvo cars, from pedal sets to engine-management systems. Enthusiasts can spend from as little as $500 for alloy pedals up to $6000 for the performance-rated tyres and alloys.The XC60 has been a minor success story for the brand locally. Last month 175 were sold, putting it ahead of the Audi Q5 (149) and the BMW X3 (123).From August an upgraded 2.4-litre D5 turbo diesel XC60 arrives. Engine power grows 15kW to 151kW at 4000 revs and torque is up 20Nm to 420Nm from 1500 revs.

The $2200 Mobileye advance collision warning system alerts drivers to three types of potential hazards, forward accidents, unintentional lane changing and tailgating. The company distributing the safety system, the Command Auto Group, has had keen interest from business operators and fleets. But CAG's national product manager, Con Stogiannou, says fleet customers are keen on the technology but he believes it has wider appeal for the average motorist. He says a cheaper mass-market version costing as little as $1000 could be available within 18 months. "It's new technology so it commands a higher price," he says. "But in time prices should come down." Mobileye uses a smart camera driven by a powerful computer chip and can be fitted to any car or commercial vehicle. Similar technology is found in luxury cars from BMW, Volvo and Cadillac. Stogiannou says the system also has another feature called Tracktec, which works like an aircraft's black box recorder. Tracktec will record information about how a driver reacts, or fails to react to an incident on the road. Mobileye has the potential to reduce work-related car accidents and deliver significant cost and time savings for businesses, Stogiannou says. Several truck and commercial fleet operators are already trialing the system. The Queensland University of Technology's Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety estimates that work-related road crashes cost Australia more than $1.5 billion a year, with work vehicle crashes costing businesses $28,122 per accident. "Overseas this technology has saved business in two ways by reducing crash-related costs and lowering insurance premiums," Stogiannou says. "I have no doubt it will do the same here." QUT figures show that work-related crashes account for half of all occupational fatalities and 13 per cent of the national road toll. Fleet vehicles have a higher crash rate than non-fleet vehicles, even though their drivers are less likely to be speeding, tired or drink driving. Stogiannou says he is encouraged by the Federal Government's recent commitment to promoting collision avoidance technology. "This technology has been very effective in reducing collisions and driver injuries in places like Europe and America," he says. "When companies have fewer accidents, there's less to spend on insurance, not to mention avoiding costs like workers' comp and downtime." The Federal Government is specifically committed to encouraging the uptake of such systems in its National Road Safety Action Plan, developed by the Australian Transport Council.

GM-Holden's executive director of sales and marketing, Alan Batey, says the V8's active fuel management system, on sale since January, has helped spur on sales. However, he concedes that lower fuel prices coming off the highs of last year may also have helped."There is really not one single reason for the lift in V8 sales," he says.Batey says Holden's AFM system has been well received. "It's got momentum," he says.Last month, GM-Holden sold 6570 Commodore sedans, utes, wagons, including the long-wheelbase Statesman and Caprice and of those 1682 were V8s."We've had good sales of V8s in the last two or three months but in June we recorded 1682 V8 sales, the best V8 sales since November 2004," Batey says."Primarily they were automatics, and we think one of the main reasons for that is the introduction of AFM."Holden says it could have sold more V8 Commodores and Statesmans but stocks are running low."Our inventories are pretty tight," Batey says.Holden's order bank is up 50 per cent compared to the same period last year and Ford too is experiencing increased traffic for its Falcon models, particularly the G-Series cars.AFM is only available with automatic transmission cars but Batey credits the fuel saving technology as having a positive impact. Holden says AFM can conservatively save up to 1.0 litre/100km on its 6.0-litre V8.In past years, eight-cylinder Holdens have accounted for 20 per cent of the mix of Commodore and Statesman sales. A Holden V8 with AFM cuts the fuel supply to four cylinders when coasting to improve economy and lower emissions.When it is working, mostly at consistent highway speeds or coasting down hills, a "4-cyl mode" light illuminates in the car's dashboard display.GM-Holden's AFM system is similar to that used in other General Motors vehicles, particularly its luxury Cadillac brand, in North America. GM uses the system in 15 of its North American models with V6 and V8 engines.Other brands, like Honda and Chrysler, have similar cylinder deactivation systems in their Accord and 300C models.