Articles by Paul Gover

It only takes 10 minutes to get an impressive taste of the all-new Range Rover Sport. That's perfect, because we only have 10 minutes of drive time during the fact-packed press preview of the SUV sporty at Land Rover's test track at Gaydon in the British midlands.The Sport has just been cut away from the mid-level Discovery and twinned with the all-new Range Rover, a move that has created non-identical twins at the top end of the Land Rover family.The luxury Range Rover is already up and running in Australia and the Sport comes in November, with pricing still to be revealed but an impressive set of standard luxury and driving equipment.Apart from the switch to an all-alloy body, the new Sport becomes the first Range Rover with a seven-seater cabin - thanks to a third row of "secret seating" intended for youngsters - and other innovations run from a laser-driven heads-up instrument display to a torque-vectoring transmission system to improve the car's on-road dynamics.If there is one thing that points to the transformation of the Sport, it's the gear lever in the centre console. The luxury RR has a rotary control that ensures it's always a full automatic, but the Sport is a car that is intended to be driven.That also includes front seats that are set 20 millimetres lower, with a console raised by 9 millimetres, to give a more driver-focused cabin.It's easier to compare the Sport with the Range Rover than the previous Discovery-based model, because it reflects a new approach to the top end at Land Rover."We're about taking quantum leaps forward with every new model we do," says Nick Rogers, the vehicle line director for Rang Rover programs."Range Rover Sport has helped us transform our business. It's new people. They are 80-85 per cent conquest customers."The new Sport is part of the 65th anniversary celebration for Land Rover and it's about as far removed from the British off-road original as it's possible to get."It's Land Rover's take on the dynamic SUV. It's a sports tourer. The key aspect is long-range comfort," says Rogers.The unveiling of the Sport is a 'soft' launch that is big on facts and figures, but short on driving. Carsguide will have a full driving review later in the year, most likely from the off-road tracks and winding country roads of Wales, before the first deliveries - and the all-importing bottom line - in the final quarter."Pricing will be revealed in June, and it's on sale in November," says Tim Krieger, brand manager for Land Rover Australia.The new Sport is still pitched up against the BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne and Mercedes-Benz ML, but also picks up extra points from its twin-brother role with the Range Rover.That means a choice of engines from a four-cylinder unit almost identical to the EcoBoost motor in the Ford Falcon through to a supercharged V8, a weigh loss program that's stripped more than 400 kilos - 500 with the baby four - active anti-roll suspension, an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, the ability to wade through water up to 850 millimetres deep, and true off-road capability.But the Sport turns sharply away from the Range Rover in one way."It really is re-focused to emphasise its dynamic ability. It's lower than the Range Rover, it's more agile with improved ride comfort," says Stuart Frith, chief program manager. "We wanted to transform the on-road dynamics, with impeccable composure." The bottom line is that 75 per cent of the parts in the Sport are new and different from the Range Rover.Once the technology workshops are out of the way, we get out 10 minutes of play time. Land Rover says this is not the first drive, but we're driving and we're first.But first there is time to consider the car's WiFi hotspot, the soft-close doors and electric tailgate, and a cooler compartment in the centre console that's big enough for a bottle of champagne.But that all zaps into the background as I fire the supercharged V8 for a romp around Land Rover's high-speed test track and a couple of quick laps over a ride-and-handling course.The first impression is very good, as I'm sitting in the car and not perched on top - like riding an elephant, as my colleague Stuart Martin calls it - Range Rover style.The Sport is very quick with the top-end engine, it responds enthusiastically to manual use of the transmission - with a race-style layout that means you push forward on the lever for downshifts and pull back to go up a gear - and it is quiet and brilliantly built.But it's the cornering and ride control that is most impressive.I've driven some quick SUVs, and the Cayenne GTS is my current driving favourite, but the big Brit is incredible in all types of turns. It sits flat on its adaptive dampers, responds eagerly to the wheel, and can be hustled through all types of turns without complaining.The rock-and-roll behaviour of most SUVs, even BMW's M-tweaked X5 and X6, is defeated and it runs through curves at more than 160km/h on the test track while also defeating cobblestone bumps at just 60km/h.I find myself wondering about fuel economy, and the performance of the four-cylinder starter car, and how it goes without the adaptive suspension, and just how badly it's going to hit the hip pockets of people who want one in Australia.But then I rush through another corner and the torque-vectoring driveline makes me look like a high-speed hero.It is the most impressive heavyweight SUV I have driven, even if it's only for a few minutes and only within the limited area of an artificial test track.The Sport looks terrific and the little details are great, right down to air vents for the third-row seats and a V8 performance model that will crack to 100km/h in less than five seconds.It will also lap the Nurburgring test course in just over eight minutes, a reflection of the driver focus that even includes the positioning and shape of the steering wheel.We still have to see how it goes in the real world, and at home down under, but after the first 10 minutes the new Sport is looking good. In fact, it's looking great.

As the impressive F-Type sports car finally hits the road, with the first Australian deliveries set for August, the focus at the British brand has switched to an all-new model range to sit below the top selling XF. It will provide rivals to the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, although company insiders stress that the cars will be uniquely Jaguar. "We're working on it. This sector is a third of the total premium segment. We're missing out on a whole big chunk of the market," Jaguar's global brand director, Adrian Hallmark, said recently. No-one at the cutting edge of Jaguar's development teams is prepared to comment on the compact car crew, but there are plenty of hints. And they go back as far as the compact RD6 concept car of 2003. It's likely that the first kitty Cat - most likely a four-door sedan - has already been cleared for production, since it takes a minimum of two years to convert the final styling design into a vehicle that's running down the production line. And everything points to a 2015 launch for the car. Jaguar is now running extremely profitably, just like its sister brand Land Rover, with each new model funding the next. It is also adding new spin-offs of its existing models, with the high performance RS version of the XF sedan coming within months together with the speedy luxo XJ-S model. Jaguar Land Rover is committed to spending of more than $4 billion each year for the next four years as it stretches its lineup and adds extra production capacity for everything from the top selling Range Rover and Range Rover Sport to the 3 Series rival. It sold 355,000 vehicles last year, the majority in the SUV class. There are plans for 16 individual models in the Land Rover range, including the successor to the geriatric Defender. It is also building its offshore assembly operation, recently confirming a joint venture with Chery in China, assembling the Jaguar XF and Land Rover Freelander in India, and looking for another potential site in Saudi Arabia. "You have to invest in big amounts of seed in order to reap the harvest, which is what we are doing," company chief Ralf Speth said recently. There is also longer-term work on the XF, XJ and XK successor models, which are expected to be spun from a reduced number of production platforms to cut costs and complexity. "We're now looking at models some way into the future," the Jaguar spokesman, Paul Chadderton, tells Carsguide. "But nothing we're doing is particularly outrageous." Design director, Julian Thompson, also confirms that funding and directions are in place for the longer-term future at Jaguar. "We're looking at cars for 2018 and beyond," he tells Carsguide. This reporter is on Twitter @paulwardgover

...The big question now is whether the cabin contains seven seats or if the extra space is just translated into extra back-seat legroom. This reporter is on Twitter @paulwardgover

Anyone who wants a truly affordable F-Type Jaguar will have to wait a while. The starting price for the F-Type convertible is set today at $139,000, right between the Porsche Boxster S and 911, but the bottom line is likely to fall by at least $10,000 in late 2014 when the Cat coupe arrives. The convertible is the obvious early focus as Jaguar finally gets serious about sports cars for the first time since the 1960s, with a car that reinvents the classic E-Type. There are three models of F-Type convertible - at least for now - with the V6-powered starter car at $139,000, the F-Type S V6 at $171,400 and the V8 S at $202,300. “It's a relative bargain in Australia. And it is a lot of car,” says Jaguar's brand manager for Australia, Mark Eedle. “This car does what the box says. This is all about performance.” He rejects any suggestion that the F-Type is over-priced, and says the car sits right on target and that Australian buyers are getting a good deal. “We have worked very hard to make this car as affordable as possible. If you look at some of the other markets, we're doing alright. Some people might think it's not as affordable as they hoped, but it is more affordable than lots of other countries,” Eedle says. But the timing for the F-Type announcement is not good, as the Boxster S has just had a $6000 price cut in Australia that means it's now starting at $126,500. “There is white space between the Boxster S and 911. All along we've been talking about where we are positioning the car, and the pricing is exactly that,” says Eedle. “It wasn't intended to be head-to-head against Boxster S. So it shouldn't have been expected to be on their pricing.” Carsguide gets a first drive in the F-Type later this week in Spain, driving all three models. The basic F-Type has a 3-litre supercharged V6 that makes 250 kiloWatts for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 5.3 seconds - with standard equipment including 18-inch alloys, performance brakes, sports suspension and exhaust - while the V6-powered S jumps to 280 kiloWatts and 4.9 seconds, with the supercharged 5-litre petrol V8 producing 364 kiloWatts for a sprint time of 4.3 seconds. “We're talking about the sporting bloodline with this car. It you look at the E-Type it was 1961. It's been a lazy 52-year break since then,” Eedle says. “The F-Type was designed as a true sports car, not a grand tourer. This is taking us into the hard-core driver's segment. It's 911 all over.” Eedle refuses to discuss the upcoming F-Type coupe, or the potential for R and RS models with even better performance, even though they are clearly part of Jaguar's planning. “We don't comment on future product. But Jaguar's brand ambassador Adrian Hallmark is on record as saying 'It's a car we can do so many things with',” he says. This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover  

...Volkswagen is well into testing the Golf R, the turbocharged all-wheel drive headliner that gets 205 kiloWatts and a 1-100km/h time better than six seconds. This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover

...but the body changes are very minor and the cabin is also staying much as today. The big differences are likely to be more technology and efficiency improvements in the drivetrain. This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

...but don't have to wait that long to see exactly how it looks. The S is caught by Carparazzi without a skerrick of camouflage and the promise of a Magic Ride Control system that uses cameras to watch the road ahead and instantly adjust the suspension to suit. Here early in 2014 for at least $200,000.

...flogging it around the Nurburgring to get the driving right.Genesis will change the game in Australia, taking Hyundai seriously upmarket for the first time with everything from V6 and V8 engines to a full luxury cabin in a package with old-school rear-wheel drive.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

This is the 2 Series Cabrio and BMW promises more style and sports feel despite the open-air cabin.

The 205 GTi hit like a missile when it was aimed and fired at youthful driving enthusiasts in 1983. It looked great, it was compact and responsive, it was affordable and it was so, so, so much fun to drive.There was also a rawness about the car that I remember well from my first drive on roads around Canberra. The 205 was always egging you on, encouraging you to rev the engine, stand on the brakes, then exploit its go-kart grip and response.It was a lightweight car but a heavyweight player as the world woke up to the potential in hot hatches, led by Volkswagen's landmark Golf GTi. But the 205 was a type of car that cannot be built in 2013. Today's safety regulations have added weight and complexity and customers demand much more quality and refinement.To be honest, the 205 GTi was a bit ropey. I remember seats that flexed and wobbled, plastic trim that was well behind the Japanese pacesetters of the day, and even an engine compartment that was too crowded for power steering and aircon to share the space.The non-steer 205 GTi was hard on your arms, but aircon is essential in Australia and the French eventually got with the program. Later. I'm looking forward to driving the 208 GTi but, despite all the hype, I'm not expecting a return of the 205.The Golf GTi is light years better now than it was, delivering performance, safety, economy and quality that was just a dream in the late seventies and that's what Peugeot is promising. The cooking 208 is a nice car, comfy and refined, but it's too costly against its rivals and that's likely to be the biggest hurdle for the GTi.We're expecting it to be more costly than a Polo GTi, and that car is a cracker, and it will have to battle the rapid Renault Clio RS I've just driven and enjoyed in Europe. But it's great to see that Peugeot is going rallying with the 208 GTi to build a halo for the car, just as it did with the 205 T16 that conquered the world in the 1980s.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover