Articles by Paul Gover

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Mazda2 at its Australian launch.

Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz or...Hyundai? That's the choice now facing luxury shoppers who want maximum value, as the Korean car maker from struggle street moves into the top end of town.In the most aggressive move in the luxury class since Toyota put Lexus on the road in 1999, Hyundai has produced a new flagship called Genesis that it is pitching directly against the German luxury establishment.A starting price bang on $60,000, and a fully loaded hero car at a highly affordable $82,000, mean it's also likely to make the list for people considering a large Aussie car like a Holden Caprice.The Genesis is full-sized, fully loaded, a success in the US and already into its second generation across the Pacific. But this is Australia, where competition is tougher than anywhere else on the planet with 60-plus brands - and where a Hyundai badge is all about pricetags that end in $990 with a five-year warranty to provide a safety net."We deliberately chose not to have a $990 price tag. I think this was important. This is a major change for us," says Hyundai CEO Charlie Kim.So Genesis is more than a car. It's a change in the game. Or not. "We know that selling a luxury car will not be easy," Kim says. "But it's the next step for our brand. We think we are ready."Starting with the basics, Genesis is an old-school luxury car with a V6 in the nose, rear-wheel drive, and a five-adult cabin complete with everything from leather trim and touchscreen infotainment with 17 speakers to a button in the back that allows you to move the front-passenger seat for more lounging space.Hyundai stirs in everything from nine airbags in the basic car up to a carbon dioxide sensor - claimed as a world first - in the $11,000 Sensory Pack to combat fatigue and drowsiness, then a panoramic glass sunroof and acoustic glass to cut noise in the $22,000 'Ultimate Pack'.The Genesis has just achieved the highest safety score in the history of ANCAP crash testing, 36.88 from a possible 37, and the company also claims interior noise levels that are nearly 25 per cent better than a couple of its European rivals.Distilling the claims, we're talking about the size and equipment of an Audi A6 for the price of an A4.During the press preview of the Genesis this week, the comparisons sweep up a huge range of luxury contenders from Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz, as well as the Commodore and Caprice.But Hyundai has the advantage of a five-year warranty, which it is sweetening on the Genesis with five years of free servicing.It's all about conquesting what Hyundai describes as "astute thinkers", although you might think of them as accountants, or hire-car operators. They're more likely to be looking at the facts and figures than the badge on the bonnet.Hyundai's research says likely buyers are in the 40-60 age group, mostly live in big cities, and could be comparing the Genesis with everything from a Toyota Aurion to a Mercedes E400.So, what's it like?The car looks good, with plenty of presence in the carpark, there is a big boot, good space in the back, and there is nothing to complain about in the cabin.Everything you really need is in the $60,000 car, but sliding up to the $82,000 model brings such tasty features as bigger instruments, head-up display, ventilated seats, powered bootlid and that giant sunroof.The Genesis has 232kW with strong torque from low revs and that means, with an eight-speed auto and despite a fair heft, it gets along well.There is good overtaking punch and it cruises easily at 110km/h. The fuel economy is not great but I have no trouble beating the company's 11.2L/100km claim during a long run that mixes suburban and country roads.The car is quiet and comfy, there is lots of safety stuff - including an all-round camera in the flagship and both radar cruise and blind-spot warnings - and it drives easily. It's no match for an Audi in the cabin quality - one car I drive has a dashboard squeak - but it does the job quite nicely. If I didn't know it was a Hyundai I'd more likely pick it as a Lexus or an Infiniti.And that's where the plan comes slightly unglued. All the rational stuff makes sense. The car ticks the boxes for people who buy a car as transport and want maximum value.But an Audi feels more 'special', a BMW is better to drive and the new C-Class from Mercedes shows how to refresh an idea with modern thinking and design work. Just as an example between challenger and champions, the wood trim in the Genesis is fake.Still, the price is impressive and I would rate the Genesis ahead of a Lexus ES and the Caprice as a car.Hyundai's sales target next year is about 1000 cars, which is slightly ambitious but could be on the money if it's right about those astute thinkers who use their calculator as much as their car. And there are also those limo drivers, who are definitely looking for an alternative to the Caprice without having to spend big on an Audi or a Benz.The badge snobs will not be thinking about a Genesis any time soon but we can still expect to see many examples on the road, many of them driven by smartly dressed men wearing hats who know a bargain when they see it.

More and more small-car buyers are finding their $20,000-something budget can upgrade them from what they need into the SUV they really want.A small SUV explosion is hitting showrooms and, as Mazda teases its CX-3 this week ahead of the Los Angeles show, it looks as if every brand that's serious about winning new owners is focusing on that segment. It's much easier to get a first-car buyer hooked on your brand than to win a convert later, which is why so much advertising is now aimed at on twenty-somethings and the SUVs they crave."People like them, they're practical, they're flexible, and you can sit up high. And there is an adventure element, even if you never use it," says Mazda Australia marketing chief Alastair Doak."With these vehicles, because they're priced from the low $20,000s and up, more people are realising they can actually afford an SUV." The boom has pitched the Ford EcoSport and Holden Trax against the Subaru XV, probably the best looker but limited by lacklustre performance and an undersized boot.The two biggest sellers in the class, the Hyundai ix35 and Volkswagen Tiguan, will be punted out of the competition in 2015. They are both beyond the size limits for a 'small' SUV tag, something now recognised by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.So the pecking order will change, even more with the arrival of the CX-3 and Renault Captur, denied to Australia for nearly a year as a result of booming worldwide demand."It's a big growth segment and we're keen to jump into that. This gives us an entry right at the sweet spot," says Doak of the CX-3.He believes the new Mazda can change the rules in the class, just as the Mazda3 and latest Mazda2 are doing, with a combination of an efficient 1.5-litre SkyActiv engine and front-wheel drive, good looks and classy finishing. As to price, he merely says the CX-3 will be very competitive when it arrives next year."We are going to treat this with the respect it deserves," he says, "and make sure we have a full line-up of models." He expects the arrival of so many baby SUVs to create much wider ripples in Australian motoring, by winning sales from the small-car class rather than the cars with which they share platforms. So that could mean fewer people will buy a Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Corolla or Mazda3.If that's true, it could tip the balance of power completely in favour of work-and-play utes in the fight for No. 1 in showrooms. The Toyota HiLux has topped the sales charts several times and, with a new model landing in 2015, it could become a longer-term leader in Australia.CHOICESHolden Trax - Three starsPrice: From $23,990Engine: 1.8-litre 4-cyl, 103kW/175NmTransmission: 5-speed man; FWDThirst: 7.0L/100kmLowdown: Not the best in the class but a very strong seller thanks to the pricing, Holden badge and recent engine upgrade. It's the benchmark but doesn't set the bar too high for comparison drives.Mercedes-Benz GLA - Four starsPrice: From $47,900Engine: 2.1-litre 4-cyl turbodiesel, 100kW/300NmTransmission: 7-speed auto; FWDThirst: 4.6L/100kmLowdown: Best of the new-generation Benz babies but also one of the dearest in the class. Works very well as a basic front-drive turbo diesel. The AMG 45 is the one to get if you have an unlimited budget.Subaru XV - Three starsPrice: From $28,490Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 110kW/196NmTransmission: CVT; AWDThirst: 7.0L/100kmLowdown: Good-looking, well-built with security of AWD. Not a great performer and small boot is a major flaw for kid-friendly motoring. Good for city singles.SECOND-HANDThe Nissan Dualis is the one for me, even though it's now called the Qashquai after the arrival of an all-new model a couple of months ago.It's the right size for most people, is well priced and drives well enough, and there is even a seven-seater if you need it.The Dualis is not as sexy as newer arrivals, because it hit before the youth drive in small SUVs, but it still does most things right. Nissan's long-term warranty and the basic quality also make sense for the longer haul.

Martin Roller has set ambitious sales goals for Ferrari Brisbane.When he was a boy, Martin Roller used to dream about Ferrari.Now he has more than he ever dreamed, after landing the Brisbane agency for the famed Italian sports car brand.It's taken more than two years of negotiations, but the man who built a $100 million empire with 180 employees based on BMW has now got the Italian stallions in his stable.Roller has already opened a 'pop-up' showroom with a difference inside the upscale Space furniture showroom in Fortitude Valley while he waits for the completion of a purpose-built Ferrari showroom in the new Energex building in Newstead. The total spend on the Ferrari business is more than $7 million."I owned a Ferrari 430 Spider and I loved it. I've got my eye on a California convertible," said Roller.But his Ferrari stable is much bigger, as there are three cars in the pop-up and the dealership layout calls for six cars on the floor at any time."Our volume plan for 2015 is 16 new cars. And the Ferrari recommendation is we should sell 1:1 new and secondhand cars."But Roller, as always, is thinking big after investing in a Brisbane rebuilding program that's already included a monster welcoming party for 350 Ferrari owners and insiders."My personal objective is 40 cars, new and used. That's starting from ground zero."It's a similar approach to the one that has worked so well on the BMW front, now including Mini and the BMW i range of electric cars.Roller is originally from Melbourne and, at 55, is a new father to Isabella with his partner Renee. His career began with a degree in transport economics and a graduate diplomas in marketing before time at Mazda, in the advertising industry and then 13 years at BMW Australia."I moved to Brisbane in 1999 when Lindsay Fox concluded negotiations with the Trivett family for Brisbane BMW. I came with Marvin Burke and we had a 45 per cent stake in the business," Roller said."We've grown the BMW business from the seventh or eighth-biggest in Australia through to, in 2013, the biggest. In year one, 1999, we did 700 new and used BMWs, last year we did 2800."We have the biggest BMW new and used cars business, with Mini, operating from Ann Street in Fortitude Valley and Westside BMW in Darra."But there is more to the business than BMW and, in 2011, Roller and his crew took on the Lamborghini franchise for Queensland."In the first full year we did 25 new and used cars. The year before it had been three," he said.But Ferrari was always on his radar, even during a massive buyout of the BMW business by the global Sime Darby Motor Group."The timing was a coincidence but Sime Darby is one of the longest standing Ferrari dealers in the world, through Continental Car Sales in New Zealand."It's actually taken more than two years since we started talking. Lamborghini gave us a taste of the super-exotic car business but we were always after Ferrari. It's only gathered steam since Ferrari took over direct control from a distributor in 2013, with Herbert Appleroth in charge for Australia."Roller said he has a clear objective for Ferrari, and for his final two-and-a-half years before the total handover of the BMW business to Sime Darby."We've always positioned our BMW business as the best. We want to look after customers, and we've also been very profitable," he said."We've worked hard and we've got a great result. We've already got six orders for new Ferraris."Roller said he is now rooted in Brisbane and, even though he can see a stop date at BMW Brisbane, has no plans for an early retirement at 55."I love what I do. I came to Brisbane because that's where the opportunity is. My position has changed somewhat, because we've got an agreement to sell out the balance of our equity."But I'm not going to retire. Retirement is not on the radar for me. There is far too much still to do."

Holden talent, Red Bull cash and Triple Eight race engineering are behind V8 Supercar Sandman. There is still life in the Holden panel van. Nearly 40 years after the original, and despite a death sentence hanging over the Commodore, the Holden hero has been reborn and reimagined as a V8 Supercar Sandman.It picks up the roof and back door from the Commodore Sportwagon, side guards from the ute, a bunch of hand-formed side panels and a unique quarter window copied from the original panel van.There is no chance of it becoming a production model but it has just begun an Australia-wide tour, making special appearances at V8 Supercar races including the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide and the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.The new-age Sandman is the result of Holden talent, Red Bull cash and Triple Eight race engineering.It can hit 100km/h in less than three seconds and would easily top 270km/h at a track like BathurstBut, ironically, the inspiration came from Bathurst winning team boss Roland Dane, an Irishman whose shaggin' wagon dream car was turned into a reality by 21-year-old Holden designer Tom Grech."When I was a nipper, I used to get a copy of Wheels magazine every month from my godfather in Adelaide. Then I saw the original Mad Max movie and thought the Sandman was pretty cool," Dane says."I wanted something different for the race team to use for our passenger ride days. I was thinking we could do a station wagon but then I realised we could do a panel van."When I spoke to Holden about it, they were keen to get on-board. And here we are." It took a lot of hard work for a good idea to become a 240km/h reality, much of it by Grech. He was hand-picked for the job by another of Holden's prodigies, Peter Hughes - who designs the Commodore warpaint each V8 Supercar season."I'm a creative designer for interior and exterior in the advanced studio at Fishermans Bend," Grech says."I thought door handles and chromed trim would be my job. But they've thrown me in at the deep end and I'm involved in whole car designs for GM's global brands, Chevrolet, Cadillac."Then this came along."I'm stoked. It's a pretty awesome thing, just because it's my first car. It came together so quickly, in just three months. All the other projects in the studio take so long because we're looking out to cars in 2025." The heart of the Sandman is a retired V8 Supercar racer, which was parked last year after failing to win favour with five-time champion (soon to be six) Jamie Whincup.It's been tweaked for more speed and spectacle, picking up a bigger engine, F1-style paddle gearshift and grippier Michelin tyres, with the bodywork laid over the top.Grech did the original sketches and then it was down to the fabricators at Red Bull Racing in Brisbane to create the bodywork."That's not just fibreglass. It's all steel, with carbon fibre panels inside. It's not a bodgie job, it's properly built," says Dane. "It took hundreds of hours. We used as many original Holden panels as we could." The car's silver paintjob reflects Red Bull's involvement. There is also a pair of carbon fibre surfboards on the roof."The idea was to carry over a lot of existing parts," Grech says. "Proportionally speaking, it's more radical because it's lower, shorter and wider."He did much of the early work, from research in history books to hand sketches and CAD drafts, as an after-hours project, but it was quickly adopted as an official Holden concept."It's great that this has happened. Holden has a big commitment and big ideas for the future, not just turning into a national sales company. It shows they are also committed to motorsport projects," says Grech."I'd love to see more exciting one-off things like this." Mechanically, the car is pure V8 Supercar, from its 475kW Chevrolet V8 engine to the six-speed sequential manual gearbox to old-school rear-wheel drive. It can hit 100km/h in less than three seconds and would easily top 270km/h at a track like Bathurst.The Sandman fired up for the first time last week and was unveiled alongside an original Sandman with racy red bodywork on the Gold Coast.Not surprisingly, Craig Lowndes drove the old-timer while Jamie Whincup got the new car.Over the weekend of the Gold Coast 600 the car completed a series of demonstration runs and drew huge crowds whenever it emerged from its pit garage. It still needs some work, and will grow a subtle rear spoiler to try to tame some unruliness over 200km/h, before being paraded across the country.There is zero chance of a production model, but Dane is happy and Holden is also keen to show the car."I think it's really cool. It's turned out really well, Dane says. 'Everyone who sees it seems to like it."ALL ABOARDLots of people have a Sandman story and this is mine.It's definitely the newest, since it was only written on Sunday morning on the streets of Surfers in the newest Sandman of them all. And it's all Roland Dane's fault.The boss of the Red Bull Racing team is the man who decided to transform a superannuated V8 Supercar into a born-again Holden panel van, then asked young gun Andrew Thompson to give up his weekend for some chauffeur work, and finally blustered me into taking a ride."Come on. What are you, a coward?" he says.That's exactly how I feel as Thommo idles down to the end of the pitlane. "Ah, don't worry. It's pretty good. Mostly...," he tells me as we wait for the green light.Mostly what? I know it will crank up to 240km/h but I wonder how the Sandman bodywork will work over the top of a genuine race car just like those handled by Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowdnes.I don't have long to wait. He drops the clutch, the rear wheels spin madly and dissolve into tyre smoke, and then we're in fourth gear and heading for the hairpin.It takes most of the first lap for my brain to catch up with my eyeballs. The scenery is firing at me, the concrete canyons create a giant V8 thunder chamber, and I can see skid marks and gouges where cars have smacked walls.I realise I've just ridden in the world's fastest SandmanMy ride is actually better than a V8 Supercar, since the Sandman has a Formula One-style paddle gearchange and grippy Michelin tyres, but it still gets nasty at times.Especially when Thompson locks the back wheels at 200km/h into the first turn and the car jumps sideways.He gathers it up before I realise we're in trouble, then pushes hard for the rest of the lap. Now I can see and feel what the racers feel, from the heat in the cabin to the wheelspin out of the slow corners and the effort required to keep the car under control and pointing down the road.Then it's over. We roll back into the pits and a huge crowd gawks at Holden's new hero car."Well, what did you think?" Thompson grins."Honestly, I'm not sure," I say.It takes a minute for my heart rate to drop enough for me to reflect. And then I realise I've just ridden in the world's fastest Sandman.History indeed.REMEMBER THE LAST ONEThis is the second time the Sandman has been brought back from the dead. The first was in 2000, when Holden rocked the Sydney motor show with the unveiling of a unique concept (above) that celebrated the original Sandman from the 1970s.Based on a VU Commodore, the Sandman panel van was a converted ute with a bold psychedelic paint job that included murals - with beach and bush goddess themes - by Mambo art director, David McKay.It also starred at the Detroit show in 2001, but only after a local artist was called into add some modesty to the scantily clad women airbrushed on to the side panels.The artwork was eventually restored to its original Mambo condition and the car is on display in the heritage collection at Holden headquarters at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne.Why we love the SandmanIt's a born-again icon It uses production body panels It could become a production car Why we don't love the SandmanNo mural on the side No shag-pile carpet insideHolden will not build it

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the 2014 Holden Barina RS, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the 2014 Audi S3 Cabriolet, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

The last call is about to go out for Honda Accord Euro orders. The car has just been killed off, despite its popularity here.The Accord Euro succumbed because of global demand for the wide-body Accord that's more like a Toyota Camry and a winner in the US heartland.Nearly 75,000 Accord Euros have been delivered in Australia over the past 12 years, a result that handily trumps the sibling locally. Fans expected its popularity would mean a new-generation car in 2015 but it's not enough to save the car.The bad news has just arrived from Japan after a worldwide tally of the third-generation Accord Euro.Honda Australia director Stephen Collins says: "It was a global decision to discontinue the model. The car is not sold in the US, not sold in Japan. The lead market was Europe but sales have been declining there." "There is no doubt it's been a success for us. For three years in a row we sold more than 10,000. We were a reasonable market, but not big enough. We're disappointed, obviously. But the global decision was based on the decline in Europe." Honda Australia has locked its final production slot for the start of next year, which means its dealers are taking orders for cars that will be delivered until the middle of 2015.The Euro arrived in 2003 as part of a new wave of Japanese cars, including the Subaru Liberty, which were much more European in the way they looked and drove.The idea was to launch a full-scale attack in the soft underbelly of European prestige brands including Audi and BMW, but the global financial crisis hit and the Japanese makers retreated, and now the Europeans have their own generation of price-competitive compacts."We introduced it in 2003. During the same period we've sold 52,000 wide-body Accords. The best year was 2005, when we sold 10,500 cars," Collins says. He is not expecting a surge in the car's final months, says there no special run-out edition plan, and expects the price to stay at $30,340.The loss of the Euro is another blow for Honda Australia, whose sales have been in retreat this year. "We re going to end up around 33,000 this year. That's clearly down on last year but we're having a much stronger second half to the year," Collins says."Next year, we're hoping for close to 40,000. That will be led by HR-V and we want to be one of the main players in that small SUV segment."

Comparing the contenders has always been a great way to bag a new-car bargain. So you might be looking at a Holden Commodore but, after watching the Bathurst win last weekend by Paul Morris and Chaz Mostert, decide instead a Ford Falcon is more your style.Or you could be convinced you need a new Toyota HiLux, until you check the prices for rivals such as the Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton. But there is a new twist in the tale.It's all about brands stopping rivals gain ground. And stealing their customers. It's called ambush marketing and it's becoming more common.Earlier this year, on the same day BMW was ripping the covers off its hot rod M3 sedan and M4 coupe, Mercedes-Benz boosted power and cut the price for its belter C63 AMG.As Ford continues the build-up to its FG X, which goes on sale in early December, Holden has just done a 2015 update on its excellent VF Commodore."Ambush marketing is all about stealing someone else's glory," says John Startari, who heads Peugeot and Citroen in Australia. They're challenger brands and he's always looking for a way to lure people from the mainstream. "Remember the Holden blimp? The day it accidentally got blown towards the MCG in a Toyota-sponsored ALF game? Ambush marketing."Even Toyota's AFL sponsorship is a way to one-up companies, like Mazda and Renault and Fiat that support individual teams." There are no boundaries in ambush marketing, with Kia doing a job on half-brother Hyundai in a people-mover stoush this week.As Hyundai previews its updated 2015 seven-seater Santa Fe, Kia has done a value-added package for its rival Sorento. Kia says the "Family Pack" is a $3400 value boost, which is sure to tickle shoppers who put value at the top of their priorities.

The luxury brand aims to double annual sales with a high-riding rival for Rolls, Maserati and Lamborghini.Bentley is promising to rewrite the rules for high-end SUVs as it readies an ultra-luxury flagship for the road.Rolls-Royce is planning a similar super SUV, most likely based on its $645,000 Wraith coupe, and Lamborghini and Maserati both have SUV plans in the works. Bentley is several years ahead with its contender.A camouflaged prototype is turning test laps at the Nurburgring in readiness for a public unveiling next year and company chief Wolfgang Durheimer exclusively reveals to CarsGuide that it breaks new ground on the SUV front."I'm convinced we have a game-changer. We will create a new layer in the SUV segment, right at the very top," he says."We are now in the final test phase. That is including a challenging off-road phase." Durheimer is serving his second stint in the top job at Bentley. He originally gave the green light to the SUV program - when it was only an ugly concept called the EXP 9 F - and says it has progressed as he planned."In only my third day back I was able to drive the first prototype. The company has moved on, in a good direction," he says.The Bentley boss has also served time at Porsche and can see parallels with the impact of the original Cayenne, Porsche's first SUV, on his current company."It's a step change in two directions. A situation we have never been in before. We have never had an SUV before and there has never been an SUV like this before." He predicts SUV sales of about 3000 a year, which would more than double Bentley's annual results.This year alone the company has logged a 25 per cent increase in global deliveries."The best years for Bentley are yet to come. We are again on the road to setting a new record." He believes Bentley has an untapped market for its SUV among the existing owners of its luxury sedans, coupes, and convertibles."Most have at least one SUV in the garage already," he says. Durheimer will not be drawn on engines or specifications, but gives a solid hint on pricing."It will be below the ($662,858) Mulsanne. We already have a flagship but, in terms of the market sector, it will be the SUV flagship."