Articles by Paul Gover

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Subaru Forester 2.5i-S with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Bluetooth has claimed its first casualty at our house.The shabby connection and reception from the Bluetooth unit has forced brother-in-law Peter to walk away from his dream car. It was a Subaru STI.After many years as a sales representative running in a string of Commodores, he finally walked away from Holden in favour of a Subaru WRX. He was hooked and trade-up time took him, almost inevitably, into the faster STI.He loved the car until he hit the road again to lay the foundations for a new business and discovered the Bluetooth failings of his new Subaru."It's OK around town but as soon as I hit the highway it's awful. Sometimes I have to stop so people can hear me," he says."Concrete freeway surfaces are the worst. But it's never good."His reaction is exactly the same one I experienced recently in a new Hyundai, which had a telephone connection that was more like Blu-toot. The company is promising a quick solution and says I only have to wait for the next tweak on the i30.Peter went looking for solutions and eventually found one in a new Kia Sportage. It's better for the travelling showroom, too.But I will not forget the look on his face as he parked the STI for the last time, a mix of frustration and disappointment with the lingering love of a great — but flawed — car.

Kia's sensational Stinger show car will become a road-going reality in Australia in a little more than a year.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Kia Cerato with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Pegueot 308 GTi 250 with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

The humble cupholder has come a long way and it's not done yet.Ford, for one, is conducting extensive research into the use and abuse of cupholders as it shapes the cabins of its future cars.Its background comes from a Neilsen survey in America but, apart from the size of the giant Slurpee cups that are so popular across the Pacific, the results are likely to parallel the situation in Australia.Neilsen says cupholders are now as popular for carrying mobile telephones, keys and coins as they are for beverages. And they need to be more than just a plastic hole in the centre console.About half of people use a cupholder to store their mobile, followed by 28 per cent who use one for change, 19 per cent for food, 14 per cent for chewing gum or mints and 12 per cent for wallets. Men are more likely to store their wallet and change, while women use cupholders for ... cups."When you like your cupholders, they can make your vehicle feel like home," says Jolanta Coffey, manager for instrument panels and consoles at Ford.Design work for cupholders now involves clearing more space — new-age rotary gearshift controls help — in the console, accommodating bottles as well, giving extra support for containers during braking and cornering, and even providing lighting and cooling in the cupholders.

Toyota's one-time Car of the Year is poised to make a track debut in one-make series.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo diesel with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

A radical Toyota sports car that was born in Australia could be heading to the world.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Audi A4 Avant with specs, fuel consumption and verdict at its Australian launch.