Articles by Paul Gover

The big brother to the Mercedes-Benz ML shares a similar chassis, stretched out for seven-seater space.Carparazzi says the frontal treatment will be similar to the latest E Class and GLS, with engines from the ML including the 3.0- and 4.0-litre diesels and a 5.5-litre petrol V8 with Benz’s seven-speed 7G-Tronic transmission.

The heavyweight drop top gets the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 now favoured for all M cars as well as giant 20-inch alloys that will test the BMW's ride comfort of the top-end cruiser, especially on Australia’s sub-standard roads.

The big Aussie families who need the most help into a new car have just lost a lifeline. The Kia Carnival has copped a $5010 price increase with the loss of the bottom-end family wagon and a new focus on the upmarket equipment favoured by more people mover buyers. Just like the Oldsmobile Silhouette driven by Chili Palmer in the 1995 movie 'Get Shorty', the new Grand Carnival is more like the Cadillac of minivans.The 2012 update to the Carnival lineup means the loss of the short-wheelbase models and the end to the manual gearbox, which had held the potential bottom line down to $33,890. So the starter car is now the Grand Carnival V6 auto at $38,990. That's not cheap but it is still good value and Kia Australia has figures to support its move."Why have we discontinued the short-wheelbase Carnival? Because no-one was buying it," says Kia spokesman, Kevin Hepworth. "The problem with the short-wheelbase Carnival was that it was seriously compromised as an eight-seater. It was more suitable for a family of five who sometimes took friends along. People who wanted to travel with eight found the luggage capacity was lacking."Kia says only five people bought a short-wheelbase Carnival last month, from a total of 362 deliveries, with the Grand Carnival Si - from $49,990 - accounting for more than half of all sales.The 2012 Grand Carnival has had tweak with an optional 2.7-litre diesel engine and Bluetooth across the range, while everything from the Si upwards gets roof rails, electric windows for the third-row seats, rear aircon controls and heated mirrors. The Si also picks up alloy wheels.Even the basic car has a 3.5-litre V6 engine and that gives it an edge over a Toyota Tarago, while the price line helps in a comparison with the Chrysler Grand Voyager now from $55,000 and the loaded Mercedes- Benz Viano from $74,990.The price spread for the Grand Carnival has most of its meat in in the $40,000 range, although the top-line Platinum is getting pricey from $52,190. "You can still buy a very affordable Carnival," says Hepworth. And there is the five-year warranty to sweeten any deal.There is nothing particularly special about the design or mechanical package on the Grand Carnival, although the 2.7-litre petrol engine is gone and most are now being delivered with the more powerful and efficient 3.5-litre, double-overhead camshaft.Si, SLi and Platinum shoppers can now also go for the 2.2-litre, four- cylinder R-series turbodiesel, which has more power and greater efficiency than the 2.9-litre predecessor with 143 kiloWatts and a 429 Newton-metre thump of torque. There is a transmission upgrade for the '12 cars thanks to a six-speed automatic that's actually smaller, lighter and more efficient than the old five-speeder.The Grand Carnival is a big box and there is no disguising its heft. It's the single biggest reason why some people like it - and other people movers - and others race straight to the chunkiness of an SUV. The upside is lots of space and lots of convenience, but the downside is an instant branding as a breeder.The interior of the Carnival for The Waltons has some nice tweaks and touches, from the fold-down table between the front buckets to aircon controls for the back seats, lots of cupholders, easy-fold seats - with a third row that drops down flat - and even ISOFIX child seat anchorages in the outboard spots in the middle row. The top-tether mounts are also built into the seats so you don't get metres of belt trailing around the place.There is no ANCAP star rating for the Grand Carnival, but the Carnival is a four-star performer since 2007 and that should translate directly to the long-wheelbase model. The safety package runs to ABS brakes and ESP stability control with front-side-curtain airbags in all models.The Carsguide family feels just like Chili Palmer when the Grand Carnival arrives with automatic electric side sliding doors and a tail lift in the Platinum package. There is also leather across the cabin, punchy sound and alloys on the outside. But perhaps that's a package for hotel pickups ahead of families, although the bottom line is much more affordable than the Tarago V6, Grand Voyager or Viano. The leather is good with little ones but the bottom line is likely to be the bottom line if you really need eight spots for the crew.Driving the Kia is exactly what you expect - nothing special. It rides alright, even with a big posse on board, it stops alright and the cornering is alright. But as the two-year-old says, "Where is the sports car daddy?"It does have some punch with the V6 engine but it can get thirsty around town. There is definitely a case for diesel drive for interstate work. It's easy enough to park, with a nifty rearview camera built into the rear-vision mirror and a reasonable turning circle, but it's pretty big when you head into the supermarket spots.So the Grand Carnival is all about practicality and nothing about driving, something proven by a driver's seat that's more like a cockatoo perch. It's too high, with no support, and does nothing to encourage either comfort or crisp cornering. Still, when you're loading a bunch of youngsters with bikes and balls, it does the job. And the Platinum pack makes life a little special - especially showboating with the electric doors.The Kia kicks a goal over similar rivals by combining lots and lots of space for the money, more equipment for less money, a V6 that gets it moving, and a bottom line with five-year warranty backup. Anyone who says a big van just brands you as a breeder should try one for size - and flexibility and, yes, fun.Anyway, there is always dark window tint if you cannot front up to the SUV stampede on the school run without some disguise.

A major project is underway in Japan that will produce no fewer than 52 new Nissans by 2016, including a car that will revive the idea behind the Silvia coupe, known as the 200SX in Australia. Australians have already had an early look at Nissan's thinking, which is reflected in the Foria concept displayed at the Sydney motor show last year. The baby-blue dream machine is compact and coupe in looks, despite using a four-door body that uses similar 'suicide' rear doors to the Mazda RX-8. But there is much more to come from Japan, including the potential for an electric powertrain. Nissan sources say there is no decision yet on either petrol or electric power for the Silvia. In fact, one insider sees the new Silvia - which might not wear that badge - re-surfacing in around 2013 as a kind of 'bridge' between the last petrol-powered Silvia of 2008 and the electric-powered, rear- drive Esflow concept car which debuted at the Geneva motor show earlier this year. The return to a new Silvia comes as Japanese carmakers crank up development work following the Global Financial Crisis. The Silvia was chopped in 2008, at the same time as Honda binned its V10-powered NSX supercar, even though 70 per cent of the world was done and the exterior design was complete. Three years, with its balance sheet back in order, Nissan has just announced its ambitious 'Power 88' plan intended to boost global sales and profit by eight percent within six years. It could even tap into a new deal with Daimler that will see the brands sharing a mechanical platform flexible enough to house everything from four-cylinder to V8 engines. The Mercedes-Benz platform is already expected to be the building block for the next Skyline and Infiniti G from Japan, but could have other uses including the Silvia. Further into the future, around 2020, there is talk in Japan that Lotus Engineering could also be involved with the Nissan-Daimler deal. This new three-way collaboration could figure into the commercialization of rear-drive electric vehicles, tapping Lotus expertise in lightweight construction with a new 'bathtub' construction to replace the orthodox monocoque car body. But that's further into the future than the Silvia, which tracks its history in Australia back to the 1960s when 49 cars in the CSP311 series made it downunder. The Silvia really got going in Australia in the 1980s, when it was known as the Gazelle with a wheezy 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, before the switch to 200SX badging in the late 1990s. The 180SX was never officially sold in Australia but has been a huge success as a 'grey import' from Japan, especially as the base for highly-power and highly-modified cars used in drift competitions.

The all-new baby car is coming in 2012 and, to slide in below the Polo and take over as the German brand's starter car, Volkswagen Australia is targeting a Korean-style bottom line. It knows $15,000 is the best way to build a following for the car without cutting into the recent success of the Polo - the reigning Carsguide Car of the Year. "That's where we are looking, to make it feasible," the managing director of VW Group Australia, Anke Koeckler, reveals to Carsguide. "I think an entry-level model would be a nice one. It's the Up. It's now confirmed for Germany. I'm more than keen to get this car into Australia. It's another opportunity. It would be great for someone just starting to drive." The final production version of the Up - which has been teased at motor shows around the world for more than three years - will be revealed at the Frankfurt show in September and Koeckler is hoping for Australian production in the second half of next year. She says Up is part of a major product push for Volkswagen, which has the overall objective of becoming the world's top selling carmaker by 2018. She is not revealing the Australian targets in the plan but admits she is happy to have cracked the top-10 rankings in Australia after 31,500 sales in 2010. "I'm looking forward to a significant increase in 2011. Right now we are ahead. We are climbing up the rankings and increasing our sales," she says. Volkswagen has a wide range of new models coming and the objective for 2012 is to bring new people to the brand. "Next year will the year of emotionalising the Volkswagen brand," Koeckler says. The showroom plan for this year continues with the Jetta and limited-  edition GOlf GTI 35, then the new Tiguan in October, followed by the Yeti from Skoda. "We put a lot of focus on Tiguan. It did the job very successfully so far. We also have the Golf Cabriolet." But there is not always good news, as anyone who wants a Polo GTI currently faces a 12-month wait. "This is a positive sign," Koeckler believes. "The Polo is a worldwide success. All of our production capacity in the world is running at full capacity."

It could also be a Bug, a Vocho or even a Maggiolino. Those are just a few of the 50-plus local nicknames the hump-backed people's car has picked up over the past past 70 years. And Volkswagen says they are coming back with the arrival of the all-new Beetle just redesigned and re-developed in Germany and heading for Australia in 2012. It has given approval for individual nicknames to give a showroom boost to a car that is expected to do much better than the original but compromised - cabin and boot space especially - born-again Beetle. Although no-one is expected to pick the 'pregnant rollerskate' tag sometimes applied in Australia ... "Each market will be able to choose if they would like to go with the  traditional Volkswagen badge on the rear or a market specific  nickname," says Karl Gehling, spokesman for Volkswagen Group Australia. The nicknames vary widely but almost all pick up some form of animal cuteness from the shape of the car. So the Beetle in Australia is the Bug in the USA, the Coccinelle or ladybug in France, the Peta or turtle in Bolivia, the Kodok or frog in Indonesia, and the Fakrouna or tortoise in Libya. But there are other nicknames, such as the Bjalla, or bell, in Iceland  and the Pulga - flea - in Colombia. And in Denmark, which obviously has clear memories of the Nazi era and World War II, it was sometimes know as the Hitlerslaeden or Hitler-sled. Gehling says the final badging for Australia has not been decided but  the Beetle is a 99 per cent certainty to continue in 2012. Käfer ("beetle") in Germany, Austria and Switzerland Pichirilo in Ecuador Pulga ("flea"), or "Escarabajo" ("beetle") in Colombia Coccinelle (ladybug) in France, Quebec, Hiati and Algeria Kever in Belgium Vocho in Mexico, Costa Rica and Colombia Fusca in Brazil and Paraguay Escarabajo (meaning "Beetle") in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, Spain, Uruguay, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Venezuela Peta ("turtle") in Bolivia Folcika, or Buba (Bug) in Bosnia and Herzegovina Kostenurka (meaning turtle) or Brambar (meaning beetle) in Bulgaria Bug, Beetle, Choupette (Herbie's name in the French version of the movies) in Canada Escarabat (means "beetle") in Catalan Poncho in Chile Buba in Croatia Brouk in Czech Republic Boblen (the bubble), Bobbelfolkevogn (a distortion of 'the bubble' and a translation of 'Volkswagen', the people's car), gravid rulleskøjte (pregnant rollerskate) or Hitlerslæden (The Hitler-sled) in Denmark Cepillo ("Brush") in Dominican Republic Pronounced khon-fesa (Beetle in Arabic) in Egypt Fakrouna ("Tortoise") in Libya Põrnikas ("beetle") in Estonia Volkkari' (short from "Volkswagen"), Kuplavolkkari or just Kupla ("bubble") in Finland Scathari meaning beetle in Greece Cucaracha or Cucarachita (Cockroach or little cockroach) in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Bogár ("bug") in Hungary. Bjalla ("bell") in Iceland Kodok (frog) in Indonesia Ghoorbaghei ("frog") in Persian Iran Agroga (froggy) or Rag-gah (small turtle)in Iraq Bimba in Israel Maggiolino in Italy Kabuto-mushi (means "drone beetle") in Japan Kifuu in Kenya Vabole in Latvia Vabalas in Lithuania Kura (turtle) or Kodok (frog) in Malaysia Sedán, Pulguita (little flea), Vocho or Vochito (sometimes spelled "bocho/bochito") in Mexico Kashima in Namibia Bhyagute Car in Nepal literally: "Frog Car". Kever in the Netherlands Boble (bubble) in Norway Foxi or Foxy in Pakistan "Pendong", kotseng kuba (literally, 'hunchback car') in the Philippines Garbus (literally, 'Hunchback') in Poland Carocha in Portugal Volky in Puerto Rico Broasca / Broscu?? (little frog/froggy) or Buburuza (ladybird) in Romania Buba in Serbia Volla, Kewer, Volksie - Pronounced Folla in South Africa Chrobák in Slovakia Hro?? in Slovenia Volks / Beetle/ Ibba (turtle) in Sri Lanka Kobe in Tanzania Pronounced Rod Tao (turtle car) / (Volk Tao) in Thai Kaplumba?a or tosba?a (meaning turtle) or "vosvos" in Turkey. Con B? in Vietnam Bhamba datya in Shona - Datya is frog in the vernacular from Zimbabwe Tortuga in Panama Escarabajo, Bocho o Rana in Perú Kupla (Bubble) in Finland.

The zero-pollution city car will be ready for preview drives in less than two years, and perhaps as early as the second half of 2012, after a long-running fuel cell development program in the USA. Toyota is running a small fleet of hydrogen-powered Kluger SUVs and has now completed the essential work needed to transplant its knowledge into a showroom car that's similar in size to the Yaris. "It's going to happen," Craig Scott, manager of the advanced technologies group at Toyota in the USA, reveals to Carsguide. He is convinced hydrogen is the fuel of the future, even if there are only a handful of filling stations in the USA and none yet in Australia. Honda already has a limited number of its Clarity fuel cell cars on the road in Japan and the USA, Mercedes-Benz is well advanced with a program using its B-Class - and has just completed a round-the-world promotional tour - and GM is also running Chevrolet SUV trial cars in California on hydrogen. Scott says hydrogen will eventually take the place of gasoline, overtaking recent gains in battery-powered plug-in cars. "I'm a believer. I think there will be a very limited role for batteries (inside 50 years), they will be second or third cars." He says it will be easier to convert to hydrogen, despite the existing power grid for plug-ins. "If everyone plugs their car in at home in the same street the local transformer will blow. If you upgrade the local one, then next one will blow. There isn't enough capacity," Scott says. "Electric-vehicle infrastructure will be more expensive to instal than hydrogen infrastructure." He only hints to Carsguide about the coming production car but points to a much smaller vehicle thanks to advances in the fuel-cell 'stack' - which generates electricity - and high-pressure tanks that use a combination of plastic and aluminium. Comparing with the Kluger - officially called the Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle - he points to several advances. "The new car will be nothing like this. The powertrain is considerably larger than the production model," says Scott. "This is an engineering experiment. We've had a lot of learnings. Previously we needed a vehicle of this size for packaging, but not now."

It says BMW's new look compact will share its mechanical package with the next-generation Mini to go head-to-head with the new Benz B-Class and Volkswagen’s Golf Plus.

...even hot-lapping the mid-sized luxury contender at the Nurburgring.Carsguide knows the Lexus GS is a lot sharper after a drive in the US and is waiting for the disguise to be stripped away so we can see how close the car is to the Lexus LF-Gh.

The new Mercedes-Benz B Class is coming out at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month and final tests are under way with production-ready cars wearing minimal disguise over the more stylish new B’s body.