Articles by Paul Gover

Most people prefer to put their family into a four-wheel drive, even though the Honda Odyssey is a wonderful device and the Chrysler Voyager has been the people mover pace-setter for years.Styling is the big drama, because they are big boxes. Usually ugly, too.But there are powerful reasons for moving a people mover higher up the list to consider, particularly if you really need to carry seven people in car-like comfort and safety.The latest Kia Grand Carnival proves the point.It is an all-new, bigger, much better model of the vehicle that has been Australia's favourite people mover in recent years.The Grand can even carry eight people, or provide cabin flexibility and seating choices most families only dream of.We have not been as impressed by a people mover since our first drive in the "giant egg" Toyota Tarago.Toyota has lost the plot since then, but the first purpose-designed Tarago — there was a previous model in the 1980s, but it was a delivery van with seats — had a combination of space and comfort, performance and value then impossible to beat.Now there is the Grand Carnival, which does it all for $36,990.It has a new 3.8 litre V6 engine with a five-speed automatic and real performance, airconditioning, remote central locking, power steering, roof rack, tinted glass and electric windows and mirrors, with electric opening for the middle row of windows.On the safety front, there are twin airbags and anti-skid brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, and optional side and window bags. But Kia has missed one target — with only lap belts in the middle seats of the two three-seat rows.The South Korean company says the Grand is all new, which means more built-in refinement and safety, as well as the new mechanical package.The quad-cam V6 engine, with variable valve timing, produces 184kW and 343Nm. That's up from 132kW and, crucially, 220Nm in the previous 2.5-litre Carnival.The shortie Carnival continues and Kia is regularly delivering more than 200 a month to lead sales in the people-mover class.The numbers could change in coming months as Kia moves to direct distribution in Australia, but it is a winner.And it has made an impressive comeback after the early engine troubles that sent many Carnivals back to dealers for major work.The Grand Carnival is surprisingly good in a lot of ways. Most ways, actually. It is a brisk drive, handles acceptably well, is not a gas guzzler and has the sort of refinement, comfort and space which many families really need in their new car.It does a much better job of carrying people than the vast majority of four-wheel drives and it is impossible to do better on the value front.The flexibility of the cabin is incredible. The middle row of seats do a double-fold job for access to the third row, and they fold flat to the floor to create a huge boot space.The seats also lift out, there is a walk-through between the front buckets, and even the doors are sliders on both sides.And so we come to the test car, one of the vehicles Kia had at the Australian Open tennis. It's stacked with stuff not included in a regular Grand Carnival: rain-sensor wipers, full leather upholstery and electric sliding side doors.None of it is essential, unless you want to impress your friends with toys and trinkets.We disregarded the extra gear, though Grand Carnival buyers could still snap up one of these cars with about $10,000 of added fruit as a secondhand deal from a Kia outlet.Apart from the huge cabin with all those seats, we were were most impressed by the performance. The Grand really gets along, and you don't have to push it hard. It has more than enough torque for overtaking, still does well with a full load, and won't kill the budget at refuelling time.The handling is fine for the class and the job, but it will never be a sports car. And it is pretty easy to park, with a turning circle that is actually tighter than the shortie Carnival.Lined up against its rivals, the Grand Carnival does not have the class or refinement of the Honda Odyssey, but it has a lot more space and will carry more people.It is much better value than a Voyager, beats the Mitsubishi Grandis on value and space, and is far better looking and more proven than the Ssangyong Stavic.And the Tarago, the former king of the class? Too expensive, not enough space and doesn't go.Which means the Grand Carnival now runs second overall to the Odyssey, but leads the class by a comfortable margin after you have done the value adjustment and taken into account that it puts the "people" into people mover in 2006.More families should be looking at a Grand Carnival before they dive straight into a trendy four-wheel drive

Australians have been brought up on the notion of automotive rivalry being all about Ford against Holden.

It faced a tough bunch of rivals after a punishing year — but VW's Tiguan SUV helped to raise the brand's image.

Carsguide picks the best new and used performance cars for your money right now. As this month draws to a close, the new-car focus is on bargain buying but there are other segments with a quite healthy sales pulse, showing that Australians still like -- no, love -- cars that go.When Volvo decided to get serious about a Polestar performance push it chose Australia as the launching pad. Its Polestar S60 is already winning in V8 Supercar racing and the road-going version, after an early update and a recent price cut for Australia, is about to be rolled out around the world.The local brands are also doing great business, as Holden keeps cranking its SS Commodores, HSV does the top- end thing with the best Holden of all time, and Ford has a sellout success with its final GT 351 Falcon. Holden says its go-faster cars — the SS, SS-V and Redline — currently draw 23 per cent of buyers and a whacking 37 per cent of VF Commodore buyers want a V8 under the bonnet.But European companies such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and even Renault are converting this need for speed, as much as you can in 2014, into driving enjoyment and hot rod hero cars for Australian drivers.There is a waiting list at BMW dealerships for the impressive new M3 and M4 we have just tested in Europe, and Audi has never had more S and RS models, but the showroom support for Renault Sport RS and Mercedes-AMG has made them much more than just spin-off divisions.In fact, RS and AMG cars are more likely to get buyers excited than any of the regular Renault or Benz machines. "Motorsport is at the heart of Renault's DNA and the Renault Sport brand enables us to transfer this racing pedigree to our passenger vehicles." In 2013, Australia was the second highest selling country in the world for the Megane RS 265," says Renault Australia spokeswoman Emilie Fadeyev. "The Renault Sport brand was first seen in Australia with the second-generation Clio RS introduced in 2001," she says. "Today, with the expansion of the Renault Sport range and the growing popularity within the Australian market, Renault Sport represents approximately 14 per cent of our total sales." The story is similar at Mercedes-Benz, where AMG is a sales winner for Australia. "We are consistently in the top five worldwide for penetration and, 2013, Australia-New Zealand was No. 1 worldwide," says Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy. "So far this year, AMG models account for about 9 per cent of sales locally, which is a new high. Total demand continues to outstrip supply." HOLDEN COMMODORE SS - From $42,490 Rating: 4/5 Engine: 6.0-litre V8, 270kW/530Nm Transmission: 6-speed man/auto; RWD Thirst: 12.3L/100km The V8-powered Holden hero is a long-term favourite in Australia and has never been better for quality, comfort or driving enjoyment. It's also a relative bargain and taps everything from links to V8 Supercar racing to Holden's history as the country's favourite brand. MERCEDES-BENZ A45 AMG - From $74,900 Rating: 4/5 Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo, 265kW/450Nm Transmission: 7-speed auto; AWDThirst: 6.9L/100km The only thing against the A45 is the price. It's a genuine pocket rocket that was developed by AMG, one of the world's most sophisticated and experience hot-shops. It runs against the grain with all-wheel drive and turbo engine but is a rorty little funster. RENAULT CLIO RS 200 - From $29,290 Rating: 4/5 Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo, 147kW/240Nm Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch man; FWD Thirst: 6.3L/100km When people think of Renault Sport they usually think of the Megane, but it's the Clio that sets the new standard for fun. It's a car that's sharply focused, tweaked with the right sort of go-faster gear and is affordable for anyone who craves a car that's more than just an econobox.SECOND HAND: BMW M3 It's not gone yet, but the arrival of a new twin-turbo, six-cylinder M3 means the outgoing V8-powered car is going to become a classic. The new car is set to be an M3 landmark — the same goes for the M4 coupe — but there is still something special about a luxury compact with a thumping V8 in the nose.There are already people snapping up the last of the superseded M5 sedans with a V10, not the new-age turbo V8, and we're expecting the same thing for the M3 V8. It's a car that has incredible charisma and packs the one thing that every homegrown Aussie muscle car since the 1980s has been built around: a V8 with a rumbling exhaust note and a smile-making combination of power and torque.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Mercedes-Benz SLC 300 with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Porsche 718 Boxster with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the updated Subaru Impreza with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its international launch in Japan.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe with specs, fuel consumption and verdict. The donor sedan is the secret of its sculpted success. People who buy coupes are looking to get more from less. They are also, almost always, paying more for less. In the case of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class,

Keeping your car on the straight and narrow is not as easy as it seems.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Honda NSX supercar with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its international launch in Portugal.