Articles by Paul Gover

This explains the full body bag used to camouflage the car during cold-weather testing in Scandinavia.But Carparazzi still got the shot and predicts a body shape based on Benz's F700 concept car with a hybrid pack capable of 3.3 litres/100km economy in the second half of 2012.

…and Carparazzi has caught a test car stripped of most of its camouflage.It's a smooth evolution that is being pitched against the Aston Martin Vantage and Jaguar XK, based on rival cars along for the drive, but with more lightweight work including extensive use of carbon fibre parts.

The mid-sized S-car still has four tailpipes, a more-aggressive nose and side skirts, but there is less of the obvious go-faster body bits. The German make has also been more restrained in the engine room, according to Carparazzi sources, by removing the 5.2-litre V10 currently fitted to the S6. Next time around, judging from this car caught on a trip from Germany to Gothenburg in Sweden, the powerplant is a turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 that could also do double duty in a Bentley Continental GT.

...into the next-generation Ford Escape, with Kuga badges for Europe.The new look is much more racy and shows the Vertek styling has survived for showrooms. But the V6 engine from the current Escape is out and the emphasis in early 2012 will be on the Ecoboost four.

…but the baby Zafira people mover looks like a certain starter in 2012. Carparazzi caught the all-new model under test in Scandinavia, highlighting the lower-line shape of a car expected to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

…with a Global Ford Ranger Challenge _ find the toughest job for the all-new ute and belt it around for ten days. Early entries run from pulling a road train to following Burke and Wills' route across the country to a Fraser Island camping trek. The worldwide series kicks off in Australia, then moves to Thailand, South Africa, Europe and South America. Five finalists in each market will be among the first to drive the new ute; one winner from each country will drive away in a Ranger. These new Fords are expected in Australian showrooms around September; the challenge is at: www.fordrangerchallenge.com.au

… complete with a baby diesel engine that could mean an $80,000 starting price in Australia. The updated mid-sized XF got simultaneous unveilings at the Shanghai and New York motor shows, with the American event focussed on design and the China reveal concentrating on the latest 2.2-litre diesel. In both cases, Jaguar design boss Ian Callum describes the XF update as the best facelift he has done in a 35-year history as a car stylist. "I'm very happy with it," Callum says, referring to predictable but classy changes to the lamps, grille, bumpers and bonnet that give the XF more style to compete with the latest 5 Series BMW and Mercedes E- Class. The update comes four years into the XF's life as Jaguar's top seller and money machine, and brings the diesel that could eventually account for more than half of sales. It's a 2.2-litre four also used in the Land Rover Freelander 2 and has 140 kiloWatts with a rousing 450 Newton-metres of torque. More good news is an eight-speed automatic gearbox for the XF diesels, complete with a stop-start system to improve economy and cut emissions. The updated XF goes into production in Britain in July and that points to an early 2012 introduction in Australia. The car also comes with slight tweaks to the cabin, including better- shaped seats and a punchier sound system. Not su rprisingly, new-age safety systems are also added to the XF and the car will be available with adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, adaptive lighting and hazard lights that trigger automatically during emergency braking. The body work on the car includes lamps with a much lower profile, but there is more to Callum's work than good looks. Engineers also drove changes around the mirrors and below the body to improve airflow and cut noise. Full details of the XF for Australia should be public around the middle of this year.

The disguise is finally stripped from the next ML to reveal a Benz soft-roader that's more user-friendly than the current model. Carparazzi believes it is actually slightly shorter than the current car, leaving space for the GL above and the GLK below, but there are massive changes to make it more comfortable and a better drive.

The next Civic went public at the New York show, but those are the American cars and Europe development is still focussing on the five- door hatch that will be the top seller. It has a funkier look than the five US Civics that is closer to the existing Civic Type R seen in Australia.

The latest Australia update to the BMW 3 Series is just weeks away but now Carsguide has updated pictures of its successor. The all-new Three comes in 2012 in Europe, with Australian sales the following year, and BMW is sticking with a familiar formula.Carparazzi pictures show a car which is clearly in the 3 Series family, but with a slimmer and more-toned look. Apart from improved cabin space the next 3 Series will be fitted with the latest of BMW's Efficient Dynamics equipment and is expected to be available for the first time as a full hybrid.