Articles by Paul Gover

... everything from falling Falcon sales to the Japanese environmental disaster and increased competition from China.Ford is cutting 240 jobs at its Broadmeadows factory as it adjusts production to showroom demand, while Toyota is reducing its Camry production until it can get full supply of parts from Japan.The carmakers' moves come after Bosch Australia announced last month that 380 jobs would be lost as it relocates 75 per cent of its local operation overseas and Autoliv Australia confirms it is closing an operation in Melbourne that once employed 1000 people.But there is some good news as Holden reports a $112 profit for 2010 and both Ford and Toyota say they are likely to have black-ink results when they announce their financial results for 2010 in coming months. Ford also says the job cuts do not affect the long-term future of the Falcon."We are committed to the Ford brand and continuing to produce vehicles in Australia," the chairman of Ford Australia, Bob Graziano, says.Even so, falling sales and growing stockpiles - with hundreds of cars parked on grass at Broadmeadows - have forced Ford to cut the daily output of Falcons from 260 to just 209 cars, equivalent to total annual production of just 45,000 Falcon and Territory vehicles. Ford says it will re-deploy as many workers as possible, with the remainder to be offered voluntary redundancy packages.Ford's production cut is a permanent reaction to a showroom slide which has seen large-car sales in Australia dropping consistently over the past 10 years. The Holden Commodore is still the country's favourite car, but has occasionally been trumped in monthly sales totals by the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 over the past two years, as overall sales in the large-car class have dropped by 53 per cent over the decade.Ford has been using 'down days' to reduce its production over the past six months but is now acting on a permanent cut, even though it is expecting more demand soon for its updated - and finally diesel- powered - Territory SUV."Ford is committed to making the necessary changes to ensure we are producing what Australian drivers want and value, which drives the viability of our business," Graziano said.The redundancies at Ford are the first since the end of 2008."We copped a fair amount of flak then but it was the right thing to do, and it allowed us to return to profitability in 2009," says Ford spokesperson, Sinead McAlary.At Toyota, production is being cut by 50 per cent in May and June to manage parts supplies following the disasters in Japan. The company says there will be no job cuts, although staff are being cut to shorter shifts and training, with full production to resume as quickly as possible.

Korea, Japan and France have each had a hand in the new Renault Latitude. The French brand's latest pitch into the mid-sized field is more controlled and on-target than anything that's driven under the badge in the past, and also comes with a $36,990 opening price that buries unfortunate memories of failures with the over-priced and under-done Laguna in the past.The Latitude still has to overcome buyer resistance, and it needs to answer plenty of questions, but it proves that new Australian management is not stopping after re-positioning and re-pricing the Megane at the start of the year. The Latitude is definitely a Renault, but not as we've known them. It's less 'French', more worldly, and that approach could work for a car that must go up against everything from the Ford Mondeo to Honda Accord and Toyota Aurion.VALUEA starting price of $36,990 looks good and there is a lot of good stuff in the Latitude. For a start, the bottom line is the same for both the turbodiesel and V6 petrol engines, and there is a Luxe package with plenty of added luxury for $5500. Building with Samsung in Korea means the list of basic equipment runs from leather seats and alloy wheels to sun blinds, keyless starting, a 3D sound system, satnav - a TomTom system including speed limits - and dual-zone aircon.The Luxe pack has a claimed $7000 of value, from Bose sound to a glass sunroof, massaging on the driver's seat, a reversing camera and even an ioniser for the cabin air. But the big value boost in the Latitude is the five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. "This gives us a flagship model. It has all the luxury features, but also gives us somewhere to move in the brand and moves us into the family market," says Justin Hocevar, managing director of Renault Australia.TECHNOLOGYMost of the technology is loaded into the equipment, not the mechanical package, including the ioniser. The Latitude is standard four-door sedan with two engine choices – the torquey turbodiesel and smooth V6 - and front-wheel drive with a six-speed automatic across the models. But there is some neat stuff hidden away, including the basics of the Nissan Maxima in the mechanical package and the V6 engine.DESIGNThe Latitude will sell in more than 50 countries and that means it is pretty bland. Not offensive, but not a head-turner. The shape ensures there is good space in the cabin - particularly rear- seat legroom - and a big boot.No-one can explain the silly little attempt at a spoiler on the boot, the cabin is effective without much personality, and it's impossible to look at the Latitude and not benchmark it against the classy job done by Kia on its latest Optima. The two cars even have something in common - a shiny black roof that's becoming a must-have item on wannabe prestige cars.SAFETYA five-star safety rating is one of Renault's brand pillars and that's what it is expecting from the Latitude. But it's yet to be tested and so we have to rely on the strength of the French company's body engineering, as well as six airbags, ESP stability control and some smart stuff including anti-pinch electric windows (to protect little hands) and a speed limiter. The brake assist also trips the hazard warning lights in a panic stop, something we've only seen in upscale cars in the past.DRIVINGThe Latitude is a relaxed drive. It's relaxed and comfortable, with some nice surprises from the clever satnav to rear sunblinds. The basics are good, the ride and handling is safe and predictable, and it is fit-for-purpose on the driving front. The turbodiesel engine has solid shove and if you want more then it's available in the V6. It's a sweet motor we've liked in the Maxima, although there is no temptation - not even shift paddles behind the wheel - to encourage anything sporty.Some of the quality looks a bit ordinary, at least compared to the classiness in the new Kia Optima, and it's not nearly as enjoyable to drive as a Mondeo. It's probably closest to the Camry and Aurion, although with the turbodiesel engine and more equipment at a value price.At the end, the Latitude is a much more sensible choice than a Laguna in the past, but it just doesn't have that 'French' look and feel you expect from a French car. That could be a bonus if Renault can lure people into showrooms on a value deal, but we wonder if the Latitude is different and classy enough in a class that's already packed with choices.VERDICTNice car, nice price, nice warranty, but not enough impact."A nice package at a good price, but it's lost the Renault feeling"

Honda's American newcomers are the Civic sedan being previewed at the show and the production version of the Civic coupe seen at the Detroit Motor Show in January, but eco-friendly engine choices - including the latest hybrid and a car that runs on compressed natural gas - swell the lineup. The new Civic is the ninth new model to wear the badge and Honda has high hopes for a car that's been a best seller for the brand since the 1960s. Honda Australia will only take the four-door Civic seen in the Big Apple and is waiting on the European Civic five-door hatchback to complete its new-model plan for the final months of 2011. The new Civic sedan is good but not great, based on back-to-back comparisons with rivals in New York including the impressive new Subaru Impreza and even the hugely improved Korean contenders from Kia and Hyundai. There is obvious cost-containment work in the cabin, with hard plastics in areas where rivals are nicely soft-touch, and little sign of any adventurous thinking in either the design or execution - even the measurements are almost identical to the current car. Still, the hybrid has had a significant tweak with a larger 1.5-litre petrol engine and lithium-ion battery pack - the first in a Honda - for the new model. Honda Australia will fit the new Civics into a family pattern in Australia, taking the four-door sedan from Thailand and the five-door hatch from the Swindon factory in the UK. "At this stage the plan is still for a local launch around the end of the year," says Mark Higgins, of Honda Australia. "The coupe is very much for north America, so we will only get the sedan from New York. It will be a similar lineup to today, which is a 1.8-litre four, a 2.0-litre four and the hybrid. We will also be taking the hatch from the UK." Pricing for the Civic currently starts at $22,490, with the hybrid from $34,490, and Higgins hints that Honda wants to keep the newcomers close to its existing price points. "We haven't had any discussions on price yet. It's a long way out. Obviously it's a very very competitive segment and we need to make sure we're at the sharp end," he says.

The all-new, global mid-sized car is seen in public for the first time at the New York Motor Show and Chevrolet boss Mark Reuss says it will be a boost - not a threat - to the Commodore. GM Holden has already confirmed the Malibu as a Holden and Reuss, the former top man at Fishermans Bend, believes the two-car strategy will work well in Australia. "I think it actually, in some strange ways, secures some of the rear- wheel drive production that we have there because it's so different. The cars are so different," Reuss tells Carsguide. "And I think we're going to be able to demonstrate that at Holden. That's very important." Reuss cannot resist a slight swipe at Ford over ongoing speculation about the Falcon, and the potential to eventually twin it beyond 2015 with the Taurus from the USA instead of leaving it as a uniquely local vehicle. "Where you see some makers converging on one type of vehicle, we're going to have two different vehicles. I think it's important because there are a lot of different tastes we'll be able to satisfy." Reuss set the Holden product plan before he was called back to the top job at Chevrolet in the USA and knows what is expected from the Malibu as it joins the compact Cruze and the Commodore. "I was there when it was signed off. I think it's going to be very good in Australia. I think it's very relevant," he says of the Malibu. Reuss also believes there is a place for cars which drive from opposite ends, with the Malibu able to compete with rivals including the Toyota Camry while the Commodore continues to line up against the Falcon. "I think front-wheel drive, and rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive are very different. The package will be very different." Without going into detail, Reuss says the Malibu line-up is likely to be extended with other body types, perhaps including a coupe and a station wagon. The car is built on what GM calls its 'Epsilon platform' and that can be capped with a variety of body styles, as well as being adaptable for production in the USA, China and Korea, which will supply the Malibu for Australia. "I think there are a lot of variants that are Epsilon based that we are looking at. The turnaround time would be very short. "Anything is a possibility on that. The wagons may become a relevant point that we want to leverage," he says. Reuss refuses - again - to comment on persistent speculation about a major new export deal based on the Commodore, perhaps with the Aussie ute joining Chevrolet's pickup range to provide a more fuel-efficient contender than some of its current line-up.

   On the eve of the Manhattan event, Lexus rolled its new hero car into the spotlight with the promise of a new design direction for the brand.The LF-Gh hybrid concept previews the look of the upcoming mid-sized GS but, more importantly, signals an all-new design direction for the brand.  The 21st century signature item of every major brand - the 'face' - has been changed to a super-aggressive look built around a blacked-out 'spindle' shape in the nose.Lexus has already used a watered-down spindle on the front of the CT200h which has just arrived in Australia, but the new look is intended to be much more aggressive and flows into everything from a more-elegant overall shape to a BMW-style kick around the rear side glass and a slashed-out tail lamp treatment.The LF-Gh - no-one at the New York preview calls it a GS - is slightly longer and wider than the car it will replace and is likely to spark another F-branded performance push similar to the work already done with the compact IS-F.It comes from a brand which was created for the USA in the late 1980s and its name is sometimes known - incorrectly - as a contraction of Luxury Export to the USA."The captivating design of the LF-Gh concept examines the possibility of balancing what are normally opposing qualities, such as style and functionality," he says.  For Australia, the LF is likely to morph into a GS sometime in 2010."It's pretty representative of the design direction for Lexus. The guys aren't saying it's definitely a GS yet," says Peter Evans of Lexus Australia, in Manhattan for the unveiling.  "It's the next iteration of the design language, the next development of L Finesse at Lexus."The New York show car is very close to production ready, although its 20-inch wheels and rear-view cameras are unlikely to survive to showrooms. It even has a complete interior with production-style dashboard, although the car's windows are blacked-out to prevent anything beyond a sneak peak. 

It was too costly, thanks to its all-alloy body, and never made it to Australia. The boxy, narrow styling also failed to score against chic European runabouts such as the Peugeot 207. But now Audi is going again with a new A2 and the Carparazzi artists reveal a car that keeps the visual hints of the original with a much more stylish and curved body. Look for it in 2012.

... with plans for a range of sub-Mini and 1 Series newcomers for cities of the future.  Carparazzi shows how a BMW 'city-mini' car is likely to look, possibly even with a three-cylinder turbocharged engine in the nose. The body is far smaller than today's 1 Series starter, and much more rounded, but still has plenty of front-seat space and comfort.

Toyota has already provided two early previews of its born-again Celica - the FT-86 - and the car is expected to star at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne in early July. But sales of the Celica - or could it become a Sprinter, after the Corolla AE-86? - are not timed until 2012 and that gives Subaru plenty of wriggle room for its version of the Japanese go-faster coupe. But Carparazzi knows what people want and it has stripped the camouflage from the Subaru version of the FT-86 to provide an early hint on what will eventually get to showrooms. The computerised Carparazzi view - one of four exclusive pictures in Carsguide this week - shows a similar profile to the Toyota coupe but with more chunky Subaru detailing and a bonnet scoop directly related to the Impreza WRX and STI that headline for the brand.  

The Mercedes-Benz A-Class was dropped after falling sales in Australia but an all-new A will show a new style direction, and a more youthful side, when it returns to local showrooms in 2012. It's previewed at the Shanghai and New York Motor Shows next week with the promise of a racy hatchback body to replace the boxy fridge-like look of the outgoing car. And more excitement. Mercedes-Benz Australia denies it lost faith in the A-Class but says the new A, and the B-Class that comes with it, will renew buyer enthusiasm. "The A-Class went into hibernation. We took it out of the catalogue because the B-Class was predominantly meeting that need," says Benz spokesman, David McCarthy. "The volume has encouraged us to bring both the new A and B-Class to Australia when they are released." The worldwide emphasis is on the A, as the B will continue as a family-focussed hatch. There will also be a compact SUV as Mercedes leverages an all-new compact car platform for the future. The third-generation A-Class is much lower and livelier than before, comes with a class-first anti-collision system, and has an adventurous cabin with a dash inspired by an aircraft wing. But it's still only a concept car and the motor show machines could change before production next year. McCarthy says the objective with the new A-Class is to get younger people to add a baby Benz to their shopping list. "Not only is this a new market for Mercedes-Benz, it will also lure   people to the brand who have never considered us before," he says. He refuses to be drawn on price or exact timing, or speculation that the A and B-Class cars will have a joint arrival next year. "It will be great value. It will be sometime in 2012 for Australia," McCarthy says.

It has a pumped out body and the giant wheels you expect of an S-Car, and is likely to come with a turbo engine. The big question is if Audi will continue the all-wheel drive requirement for its S-cars with the hotrod from the A1 family.