Articles by Paul Gover

It comes as the replacement for the CL but with more style and driving enjoyment, as the S-Class - which Carsguide drives in July - is stretched up to fill the space previously occupied by the unloved Maybach.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover  

The biggest change, according to Carparazzi, is a total rework of the old-fashioned and low-quality interior. The Corsa also gets a new face taken from the baby Adam and there could also be more power when the car arrives here towards the end of the year. Here late this year with little change from current pricing. This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover    

This new French concept is a crazy mid-engined little beastie, but the body is another clear pointer to the way the Twingo will look next year.It's called the Twin'Run concept and it hot-lapped the F1 course last weekend during the run-up to the Monaco Grand Prix, where Renault-powered Red Bulls finished - ironically - second and third behind a Mercedes-Benz.The Twin'Run is the second Twingo teaser and comes hot on the heels of the Twin'Z, as Renault shows the twin-edged potential of the new Twingo. "The Twin'Z took an environmental focus and this is the sporty one," says Renault Australia spokesperson, Emilie Ambrosy."It actually runs. It was driven at Monaco by Carlos Tavares, who is the chief operating officer of Renault." "The point of the car is to show what a future generation of the Twingo might look like, but also to pay homage to some icons from the past." Those cars are the pocket-rocket Renault R5 Turbo that won the Monte Carlo Rally and the Clio V6 racer.So the Twin'Run has a Nissan V6 engine - picked up through the Renault-Nissan Alliance - where the back seat and boot would normally live, turning the rear wheels through a six-speed racing gearbox. The car can zap to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds with a top speed of 250km/h.Because it's a concept, and focussed on racing, it has a full motorsport cabin and bodywork formed from carbon composites. But rip off the rear wing and driving pods to reveal the basic body shape and you get a good look at the Twingo thinking.“Twin’Run is a cocktail of energy, passion and athleticism, rekindling the memory of emblematic Renault racing cars,” says Laurens van den Acker, head of design at Renault. “Following its twin, Twin’Z, a stylish urban concept car, Twin’Run shows that personalisation is a core strategy at Renault.”But there is a more important consideration for Australia, and the potential for Twingo sales in 2014 and beyond. "It has to be the right car, with the right specification, at the right price," Ambrosy emphasises once again.She also hints that the Twin'Run could come to Australia, perhaps as part of Renault's involvement in next year's Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne,. "Of course, we would love to get the Twin'Run to Australia. It's a great looking thing and it sounds like fun. But we'll see if that happens," she says.if (window.tconf) { window.tconf({"tags" : "content:type=video", "plugins": {"vcms": {}}});}     

The Falcon and Territory might be on death row, but that doesn't mean it's game over at Ford Australia. Work is still underway on dozens of projects at Ford's local engineering base, including the headlining SUV that will eventually cap the T6 program.The award-winning Ford Ranger - and its Mazda BT50 twin - was the first product of the T6 work and now the SUV is being fast-tracked for production in 2014. It is believed to be a seven-seater that's bigger than the Territory, packing the punch to go up against the best in class, both in Australia and around the Asia-Pacific region.Its Australian roots could even mean it wears Endeavour badges in showrooms, although it's also known as Everest. This development car is caught this week by Jackson Emiris, a smartphone-wielding Carsguide reader driving along the Princess Highway near Avalon, just outside Melbourne."It seemed to be a Ford Territory cross Ford Ranger," says Emiris. "On the back of the car it read 'Left Hand Drive' and 'Engineering Evaluation Vehicle'." The car clearly has Ranger roots, carrying the pickup's front end back to the rear of the front seats. But, from there back it has been mated with a Territory tail to provide the extra back-end space that will bring SUV buyers to the car.These images all but confirm that the model will ride on a shorter wheelbase than the ute, unlike previous Thai-built Ranger spinoff wagons. A similar approach has been used by General Motors with its Colorado 7, with the shorter wheelbase improving manoevrability and off-road clearance over the longer ute variants.Ford has also carefully obscured this prototype's rear suspension, disguising a likely move to a coil-sprung live setup -- also like the Colorado 7.Carsguide can confirm it's one of a run of prototypes that are being tested and developed in Victoria, both at Ford Australia's proving ground at You Yangs and on public roads. They have been up and running for a number of months, pointing to a public reveal sometime in the second half of 2014."Ford has always said the Ranger pickup would be the first of the vehicles to come off the T6 platform," confirms Neil McDonald of Ford Australia. "The Ranger pickup is the first 'top hat' of that platform. However, at this stage we cannot provide any further specifics as to timing or features."The Endeavour, if it is called that, will join the 22 ute models already spun from the Ranger platform, including the latest XLS.The success of the T6 project is reflected in class leading comfort, refinement and safety, as well as waiting lists for some models including the Ranger Wildtrak that is backed up several months as customers wait for deliveries from the Ford factory in Thailand that produces Australia's new Ford baby.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

The new ES is moving up and away from its one-time twin, finally earning a dedicated development program intended to make it a real Lexus and not just a Camry with a posh badge. The ES hits Australia before the end of the year with a two-poweplant plan that includes a hybrid for the first time, and big promises about improvements in every area. "The decision to develop ES on a different platform came about in the initial development stage, when I drove the previous generations and spoke to potential customers about the things they liked and disliked about ES," the car's chief engineer, Toshio Asahi, reveals to Carsguide from Japan. "At that early stage of development it became clear that space, refinement and comfort were the priority. But I also knew that dynamic performance needed some attention. To achieve this we engineered a new longer, wider, lower and more-rigid platform - then designed the suspension systems from this solid base." It's a very different approach to the earlier ES models, which were set as price leaders in Australia. Just over 7000 cars were sold here before the ES was withdrawn in 2006, with 2800 still in known active service. But the car was very similar to the Jaguar X-Type - a re-badged and re-bodied Ford Mondeo - with a loyal group of older owners but few converts. Lexus Australia lobbied hard to ensure it gets the new ES, driving the right-hand drive program, and also a petrol starter car that's more suitable for luxury buyers than the hybrid CT200h or sporty IS. That points to a price point beyond either the CT or IS, most likely starting beyond $60,000. "ES will target a very different customer . . . in that ES customers prioritise space, comfort and quietness over driving dynamics," says Asahi. He says a lot of work went into the new ES, just as Lexus has reinvented both the mid-sized GS and compact IS over the past three years to give them more impact and driving enjoyment. "As for the exterior design . . . it leverages L-finesse design with spindle grille that delivers a resolute look that is distinctive, sporty and elegance. For its interior, ES aims to achieve advanced design incorporating Lexus Remote Touch, while also offering many luxury accents such as wood grain ornaments and leather seats." "As for driving dynamics, we focused on the improvement of driving comfort, straight-running stability at high speed, while further improving ES’ high levels of quietness." He says the showroom position of the ES is unchanged despite the improved chassis, with the emphasis on luxury. "When ES was first launched it was called the compact LS, offering many of the features and traits of our flagship vehicle in a smaller body – today that is no different," Asahi says. "Even though it is an entry luxury sedan . . . interior space is comparable to S Class and ride comfort and NVH are key selling points for this vehicle." News from Japan on the ES comes as Lexus Australia confirms three new models, with the ES 300h and ES 350 opening the action in late 2013, ahead of the GS 300h hybrid in early 2014. “The return of ES to Australia is a direct result of continued customer demand and we are pleased to have secured not one but two options for them while simultaneously expanding our innovative hybrid vehicle portfolio," says the chief executive of Lexus Australia, Sean Hanley. This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover  

The newcomer picks up from the Furia concept car and promises to finally bury the dowdy approach to boxy little Corollas. But - and it's a big one - the new Corolla won't hit Australia until sometime in 2014. That means close to a two-year delay between the arrival of the latest Corolla hatch and the sedan that was always intended to sit alongside it. Toyota is planning another two-pronged effort on the Corolla front with its sedan, which will be unveiled simultaneously in Europe and the USA. And there are likely to be significant differences between the cars. “The Furia is close to how the car will look. There are definitely clues in the concept,” the spokesman for Toyota Australia, Mike Breen, tells Carsguide. “Yes, there are two versions of the car. Because they are slightly different, Toyota has decided there will be European and American launches at the same time.” But, in another twist to the story, there is no confirmation yet on the car for Australia. “We don't know yet which one we will get. It's still being decided,” Breen admits. There is also uncertainty on everything from prices to engines and even the factory where the car will be built. The Corolla hatch is currently shipped from Japan to Australia but the sedan could come from Thailand, or Europe, or even America. “It could come from a number of places. It will ultimately depend on the supply chain and where it is best to source the car,” Breen says. The one definite is that the car will have a much edgier design than the current Corolla sedan, with a wedge shape and more personality in the nose and in the cabin. The current Corolla is around five years old and will be positively ancient when the newcomer arrives, although Toyota is doing its best to keep people interested and currently sells it for $21,490 driveaway in the lead-up to the end of the financial year. “Yes, the sedan has been on the market for quite a while,” admits Breen. “But the new car is coming in the first half of next year. It will be about two years beyond the start of the current hatchback's life.” “They have already moved the hatch to a more sporty flavour. The sedan is going the same way.” Toyota has only given one hint on the new car's design, with a back-end shot on the company's Facebook page highlighting a giant S badge on the back end. But the Furia that was displayed at the Detroit motor show earlier this year points to a sedan that's far more like a hatchback in its layout, as well as providing the packaging for the hybrid model that will be sold in Europe. This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover  

The small-car landscape has tilted towards Europe with the arrival of Golf MkVII. Volkswagen seems finally to understand that Australians want more than just a nice car with a European badge, so it's serving up extra value on the new Golf and including the capped-price support package that now provides a fresh foundation across the brand.So the Golf is the car you want for the here-and-now. But do you really want it for the long haul, once you're out the other end of the warranty and approaching the 11-year average of the fleet on Australian roads?  Not me. Not Carsguide.Japanese brands still make a more compelling case for the long haul, which is among the reasons Mazda and Subaru sell so well here. It's all about the dealership,  intrinsic quality,  long-term support and resale value.Volkswagen is doing much better these days on the sales charts but, based on my personal experience and the weekly emails from owners, it's still catching up. We get regular complaints about DSG gearboxes, the cost of premium unleaded petrol and electrical glitches. And that all mounts up to a Very Big Deal if you keep your cars for longer than three years and the next company lease.The new Golf is considerably better than the Mazda3 as you drive away from the showroom but the Mazda hits back in the long run. And think about this. If you're buying a vehicle with your own money, for your own garage, the Toyota Corolla and Hyundai i30  make powerful cases for cost-effective ownership.The new Corolla is great buying and has capped-price servicing. The i30 adds a five-year warranty. I can't remember the last time I heard a complaint from a Corolla or i30 owner.Is it any wonder, then, that Corollas often stay in the family for 10 years or more? They are passed down from parents to their children, or move out through extended family and friends, because they stay bulletproof and cost-effective for so long.So, Golf or Mazda3 for a 10-year run? A Corolla for me, thanks.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

Safety-conscious car buyers are about to face a confusing choice between cars sitting in showrooms with conflicting safety scores.

It has just given the green light for its outrageous Urus as the world's luxury carmakers rush to satisfy the SUV craving with a range of models including future cars from Bentley and Maserati.The Urus will not hit the road until 2017 but is already predicted to comfortably double production for the Italian brand, just as the Cayenne SUV did for Porsche. That points to sales of around 3000 a year.It will lumber in above the Gallardo and Aventador with a body teased from Lamborghini's existing Urus concept car and a mechanical package based on the Volkswagen Group's MLB platform, which is designed to fit under the next-generation Audi Q7, Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg.Confirmation of the Urus future comes during Lamborghini's 50th birthday celebrations but it comes not from the Italian company's management but from Audi, which has ultimate control of Lamborghini."In the year 2017 we will start the third model range: the Urus. So, in the future, Lamborghini will continue to stand for exclusivity, uncompromising aerodynamics and sporty driving," says Rupert Stadler, chairman of Audi.The Urus project first surfaced last year in the run-up to the Beijing auto show, where the bright-red concept was shown for the first time. It's big and brutal but has an edginess family to all Lamborghini products and a nose which picks up hints from the Gallardo and Aventator.Stadler says Lamborghini "has to do it" and development of the Urus is "on track". There is no confirmation yet of the Urus's engine, but it is highly likely to be a turbocharged V8 with hybrid electric booster to liberate around 440kW.It is expected to undercut the other VW Group SUVs on the weight front, by around 100 kilograms, by using carbon fibre in its body structure. The Urus should be around 4.9m in length but only 1.7m high, rolling on alloy wheels at least 20 inches in diameter.And its name? Unlike other Lamborghini models, which are named after Spanish fighting bulls, Urus goes back further to the original ancestral name for the cattle which came before modern cows.This reporter is on Twitter @paulwardgover

The idea is good, and the green power pluses are mostly fine, but no-one wants to pay to play this way.Global sales of plug-in cars are currently little more than a trickle, even if Tesla of America is currently trumpeting a showroom success - thanks to massive government subsidies across the Pacific - that means its Model S outsold the about-to-be-replaced Benz C-Class last month in the USA.Here in Australia, Nissan has slashed the price of its plug-in Leaf by $7000 and has an $85-a-week repayment plan to try and entice buyers.But the numbers are not good and even Carlos Ghosn, global boss of the Nissan-Renault alliance that leads the mainstream conversion to battery power, says it's going to take time - and large-scale conversion work in China - to turn electric power into anything beyond an oddity.We're expecting the Renault Zoe in 2014 and it drives well and looks good, but Renault Australia has effectively cancelled its plan for a Fluence electric car because Better Place - the start-up energy company that's in all sorts of trouble - cannot deliver on its plans for battery-swap stations across Australia.But there is something new that could also help and it plugs into one of the oldest maxims in the car business - Racing improves the Breed.This tagline is mostly applied to V8-powered racers that have fuelled our appetite for V8 muscle cars, but it applies just as well - or better - to a new category called Formula E. Think of it as F1 with batteries.The plug-in racers are set to run in 2014 in a new world championship that's also intended to take the whisper-quiet contenders into the hearts of some of the world's biggest and best-known cities, including Rome, Rio, London and even Bangkok. The organisers are planning for 20 cars in 10 teams.Not surprisingly, Renault is an early adopter for Formula E and will supply cars and power packs, while TAG-Heuer wants to time the action and get a nice green rub-off for its watch business.“We believe that motorsport is an efficient manner to promote the efficiency of new technologies, and we’re eager to use that single-seater in FIA Formula E championship to show our technology is the best,” says Patric Ratti, managing director of Renault Sport Technologies.But the key to Formula E is huge support from Paris, and the global headquarters of the FIA. The French organisation is responsible for overall governance of world motorsport but is taking a growing role in road safety and the future of the automobile, including its electrification.It believes Formula E can be a powerful tool to drive electric power forward, as well as showcasing the advantages of plug-in power and the performance potential of battery cars.The conversion plan looks shakier in Australia, because we rely on dirty coal combustion for almost all our power, but it still has plenty going for it.A bunch of high-tech single seaters will highlight the latest developments in electric power and, provided no-one runs out of zap, it's a formula for potential success that could revive another of those hoary old slogans from the past.You know it - Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover