Articles by Paul Gover

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the 2015 Hyundai i30 Series II with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

The humble LED is the new star of car lighting.

Paul Gover reviews the Holden Cascada and Astra VXR

The Aventador LP750-4 Superveloce — let's just call it the SV — officially claims 2.8 seconds for the 0-100km/h sprint with the promise of a top speed beyond 350km/h.Neither performance stat is likely to be seriously tested in everyday conditions in Australia but the bottom line of $882,560 definitely will sort the dreamers from the drivers.Just 600 examples of the limited-edition model will be built, but it's still unclear how many will make their way down under.Cars for Australia could arrive by December"Yes, it will come to Australia. The number is not determined, but we are already receiving some inquiries," says Lamborghini Australia manager Eginardo Bertoli at the Aventador SV's preview at the Shanghai motor show, teasing Chinese buyers who are expected to snap them up.Bertoli says the first cars will be in production within six months and cars for Australia could arrive by December.The history of the SV models in the Lamborghini line stretches back to the Miura, which was built by Ferruccio Lamborghini — the tractor magnate who built his own cars after falling out with Enzo Ferrari — from 1966 to 1973.The Miura SV was produced with more power and tweaked bodywork, a pattern repeated with the more recent Diablo and Murcielago.Aventador SV development has focused on weight reduction and extra power, which means the car tips the scales at 50kg under the regular car and barks with a tweaked 6.5-litre V12 (552kW/690Nm). the most exclusive, pure and emotional car in our current model rangeInevitably, carbon-fibre figures in the weight-loss program. Further savings come from deleting the standard satnav and stripping out all sound proofing.Tech tweaks include sports-tuned magnetic dampers — similar to those used by Holden Special Vehicles — and sharper steering matched to more aggressive settings in the Haldex all-wheel-drive.Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann describes it as "the most exclusive, pure and emotional car in our current model range".In Australia, that means buyers will pay a premium of $121,000 on the "regular" Aventador coupe's $761,500 (the Roadster is $795,000).The Italian company sold 30 cars here in the first quarter of this year, up from a lowly four at the same time in 2014, thanks almost entirely to the arrival of the all-new Huracan.Priced from $428,000, the Huracan picks up a lot of technology from Audi, which owns Lamborghini.

Honda's mini-SUV revives a badge and relies on a winning — but cheaper — formula.More than 1000 people voted for the Honda HR-V last month.Their first preference in showrooms reflects both the success of the mini-SUV class and the acceptance of the born-again Honda tiddler.I say born again because there was an HR-V from 1999 to 2006, although it would not have remotely qualified for The Tick. It was small outside, even tighter inside, underpowered and underdone.This new one is a fresh idea, based on the all-new Jazz, and aimed at filling the gap that's emerged below today's CR-V.So it's a youthful newcomer that is virtually the same size as the original CR-V, which was introduced as a high-riding Civic in the early days of the SUV takeover. It's aimed straight at first-time new-car buyers, people in their 20s, and older drivers who are downsizing to something that treads lightly and is easy on their hips and legs.My first impression is not greatThe starting price is $24,990, it comes with a 1.8-litre petrol engine, the cabin is quite roomy, it has good boot space for the class and it has that "H" badge that has won so many people for so many years.It drives well enough, has some classy stuff including a seven-inch multimedia touchscreen, and each of the four models gets a standard reversing camera.My time with the HR-V comes as I'm cycling through the newest mini-SUV arrivals, including the Renault Captur and Mazda CX-3. So it comes into crisp focus from the get-go.And my first impression is not great. Why? Because of the cover over the luggage space.I find a flimsy piece of fabric where other companies have some sort of cardboard and it rings alarm bells. This is cost cutting of the worst kind and the cover is not even strong enough to support a single bag of groceries.This discovery sends me looking for more and I discover cheap plastics, seat covering that looks flimsy and poorly stitched, and seat padding that is less than supportive.That's all fine on a Jazz from $14,990, but the HR-V costs another $10,000 — at least — and it's up against classy rivals led by the CX-3.There is plenty of room in the cabin, and it's quiet and relaxed at freeway speedsBut I park the early prejudice and find I like the way the HR-V drives. It's nicely spritely despite a CVT auto that never wants to work with me, there is plenty of room in the cabin, and it's quiet and relaxed at freeway speeds.The ride is a bit bouncy but the fuel economy is good on standard fuel.The warranty is much improved from Honda's earlier package, and there is a capped-price service package for five years, but the yearly service interval at 10,000km does not match some rivals. We're tipping good resale figures from Glass's Guide.On the safety front, I like the camera, the parking radar and the rest of the basic package, so I'm fairly certain it will hit Honda's five-star ANCAP target. But I am driving a heavily loaded VTi-L and that means a bottom line of, gulp, $32,990.The multimedia system has a huge display, and the basic boot space of 437L is among the best in class. Honda says folding the back seats opens up 1032L, sufficiently open to carry a pair of mountain bikes.That's good news for weekend escapers and also young families who have to haul prams and the rest of a baby-support package.Yet, despite all the good things about the HR-V, I keep coming back to its rivals and asking which one I would choose. Would I prefer the funky looks and the cabin comfort of the Renault Captur, or would I go for the CX-3 that sets the class benchmark?Or would I go instead for a Nissan Qashqai or a Subaru XV (that one is a no) or any of the other mini-SUVs?The HR-V is a lineball callYou see, the HR-V is good, but it's not great. I like the drive, apart from the annoying CVT, and I really like the space. But I can't get past the cheapoid work around the cabin and the feeling that Honda could and should have done better on a car that costs $10,000 more than the one on which it is based.

The classy compact has been given a hybrid boost with a giant twist, transforming it from a youth-appeal hatchback into an all-out supercar revealed at the Shanghai motor show this week.The petrol-electric combination delivers more than 370kW and a 0-100km/h sprint in 4.0 seconds, but with CO2 emissions of just 70g/km.The 308 R HYbrid Concept is one of the new-age high-performance hybrids taking over everywhere from Formula One and sports car racing to the top end of motoring.Peugeot’s effort is not as outrageous as the othersMercedes-Benz is dominating F1, Porsche is racing Audi and Toyota at Le Mans. The LaFerrari, Porsche 918 and McLaren P1 are proving hybrids are the new power in supercars.Peugeot’s effort is not as outrageous as the others. What’s impressive is the scope for the powertrain development to be shared through the PSA Group — Peugeot, Citroen and DS — in France.“The high-performance hybrid powertrain fitted to the 308 gives a glimpse of the potential for ultra-sports models in the future,” says Peugeot Sport director Bruno Famin.The company’s motorsport division, which has run and won at Le Mans and in the World Rally Championship, was chosen to develop the car.Peugeot Sport has no plans for a production car The starting point was a regular 308 hatch, which was quickly transformed with the petrol-electric powertrain, all-wheel drive, and bodywork stretched to give a bigger footprint for 19-inch alloys and track-style Michelin tyres.The technical tweaking also includes carbon-fibre panels, head-up instrument display, extra air intakes and subtle aero additions.The 308 R is painted in the same vivid blue as the Quartz SUV concept for the Peugeot’s Shanghai display — with fluoro pigment and glass particles.The car’s plug-in hybrid drivetrain augments a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine with 85kW electric motors on each axle. The front electric motor is also linked to the car’s six-speed gearbox, activated by paddle-shifters on the race-style wheel.The Peugeot Sport input endows three driving modes — road, track and hot lap. These deliver at least 220kW/400Nm, with maximum outputs of 370kW/730Nm.Peugeot Sport has no plans for a production car but is pleased with its work.“It is down to our passion for a challenge and our desire for excellence. Peugeot 308 R HYbrid is part of a very select club ... reaching 0-100km/h in four seconds,” says powertrain chief Jean-Philippe Delaire.But as Peugeot accelerates its hybrid development, there is still no plan for a petrol-electric contender in Australia.“There are a couple of hybrids available in France, but we need to determine if they are suitable and if we have the right support in Australia,” says Peugeot’s Tyson Bowen. “So this car is more a demonstration of our potential future drivetrains.”

Buying a new Bentley now includes a psych test. It's not a deep dip into childhood fantasies, but it does provide a surprisingly clear direction for a new-car decision.Instead of relying on whims and fads, the computer program is intended to tap into underlying desires instead of preconceived ideas. It still takes a human touch from one of Bentley's design gurus, but the results are already changing the look and feel of cars being built at the company's historic headquarters in Crewe, England."We had one customer who was set on a black car with black leather. We ran him through the Design Studio process and came up with something completely different. And he was very happy," says David Fearnley, lead interior designer at Bentley Motors.The test starts with a series of picture choices — often between modern and classic or fire and ice — before an expert consultant moves in to the Bentley Studio to guide a potential buyer.The test gives us almost a nucleus of a personFearnley was recently in Australia to demonstrate the operation of the Studio, which was first trialled as a pop-up in the US last year and is now being rolled out through the Bentley network.He says people often struggle to make relatively simple colour and trim choices on any car, without worrying about the one million-plus combinations at Bentley. And even that number is without dipping into the truly bespoke service, where even a nail polish colour can be applied to a car, from the Mulliner division."The test gives us almost a nucleus of a person. We carefully selected the images. It's somewhere to start," says Fearnley."There are four goalposts in the test — adrenaline, future, serenity, legacy — to allow us to start to talk to customers. So the technology is going ahead but it's also a way to start a face-to-face interaction with customers."There is a growing number of people who want a bespoke service. It's quite entertaining for us when we're trying to make people happy."It's all about piecing together the story of a person's carAfter the computer quiz, the Bentley Studio process begins with a choice of body colour. Then comes the major leather colours for the cabin, starting with the top of the dashboard and moving through the seats, before such things as the dash and centre-console materials.Some owners even choose to buy a Bentley child seat, then have it trimmed to match their car's cabin.It's their car, their expression"It's all about piecing together the story of a person's car," says Fearnley."It's their car, their expression. Many people say they buy a Bentley and never intend to sell it, so their choices are something they will be living with for a long time."

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the 2015 Renault Captur Expression with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

The race to build the world's costliest and most outrageous SUV just shifted into high gear.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the new 2015 Citroen DS3 at its Australian launch.