Articles by Paul Gover

Toyota has already flagged at least 1700 cars that are affected by an airbag problem, with Nissan, Mazda and Honda also checking the local implications. The airbag problem was triggered by the Takata Corporation, which produces airbags, after reports of faulty inflators which could burst and send plastic pieces flying around a car's cabin. Toyota was the first to announce a recall, for 1.3 million vehicles worldwide, with the other brands following quickly. Honda is recalling 1.1 million vehicles worldwide - including the Civic, CR-V and Odyssey - with Nissan reporting 480,000 vehicles involved. Toyota reported five incidents involving the passenger-side airbag, three in the USA and two in Japan, but no injuries. In Australia, around 1700 Corolla and Avensis Verso vehicles built from November 2000 to March 2004 are affected. "The recall is due to the possibility that the front passenger airbag may have been assembled with improperly manufactured propellant wafers. In the event of a crash, the inflator may rupture and cause the front passenger airbag to deploy abnormally," Toyota says. It has established a hotline for worried owners, at 1800 643 242  

It could look like this and wear Z2 badges in showrooms.

That's how things roll, with the mid-sized Golf followed by the baby Polo and picking up engineering and styling lines from the bigger brother. If the Carparazzi wizards are right, the next Polo will be more angular than the current car and also - inevitably - bigger in the cabin. Here probably 2014, starting below $20k.  

The BMW X4 is being previewed as a concept car at the Shanghai motor show this month but is already a certainty for production as the German brand stretches its SUV stable.

It's part of a full-scale Alfa model revival that begins with the gorgeous 4C supercar that's already confirmed for Australia.The Spider, according to the artists at Carparazzi, is ripe for 21st century revival. 

Just don't ask about the price. The all-new WRX promises everything from more punch to better economy and quality, all wrapped in a body that is creating worldwide headlines following its unveiling at the New York motor show.The first cars will be delivered by June next year and company boss Nick Senior tells Carsguide there has already been a big reaction in Australia."There has been a huge amount of interest. There are blogs and forums, but people are still going to wait to see the final car. We don't get involved with pre-orders but there is a lot of interest.'' Senior says the show car from the Big Apple is almost identical to the production car, although the four-door WRX is expected to gain some extra headroom at the expense of the coupe-style roofline."The excitement and the elements of design are all there. There are some obvious things that will be missing, like the small mirrors and carbon fibre roof, but the factory has always produced a sporty replacement for the existing model,'' Senior says.But push him for details of the fourth-generation WRX, especially on a pricetag that needs to fall below $40,000, and Senior retreats to re-group. "To give you more, I'd probably be misleading you. There is still a long time to go before we even get to specifications and pricing.''There is talk about all sorts of WRX developments, from downsized turbo engines to the end of the two-door and wagon versions of what - from now - will be a unique body that's not shared with the Impreza. But, again, Senior is giving nothing away."I know there is a lot of interest in this. I'm not being evasive, but there are some things I cannot discuss,'' he says. So what, then, does the managing director of Subaru Australia want in his new WRX? "From a performance point of view, it's still got to be true to the core appeal. And broadening the appeal,'' Senior says."We'd like to see changes to the interior, particularly for the STI model.'' Senior says the new WRX is a cornerstone for a range that runs from the BRZ sports car across to the Forester, and also sees plenty of showroom potential. "We are seeing a bit of a renaissance in sporty and performance cars. That's the direction I very much want them to take."We have a unique opportunity and unique position in Australia. The SUV category is growing stronger and the sports categories are also growing stronger. "We see that increasing in the next 5-10 years. We'd like to have those sporty models available."And what about talk of a WRX with a 1.6-litre hybrid drive package? "Definitely not. I have heard nothing along those lines.'' Senior also says there will be ample supplies of the new WRX, and the STI to follow, unlike the BRZ which became the focus of an internet sales plan to prevent waiting lists and squabbles in showrooms. "We have no plans to adopt the BRZ strategy with this car. It will be a regular model, the same as it is today.''This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

A Swift new Thai takeaway has failed to deliver the one thing Australian car buyers really want - a price cut. Production of the Suzuki Swift has just been switched from Japan to Thailand, a move that brings a little extra value but no change to the GA model's starting price of $15,990.There is more gear in the GL and GLX, but even that has brought a $300 price rise for the mid-level model. Suzuki Australia defends the latest deal by pointing to the existing dollar deal of its top selling model. “The GA is absolutely unchanged, and the price hasn't changed either. The price isn't going down because we're putting more stuff into the GL and GLX,” says Suzuki spokesman, Andrew Ellis.Suzuki switched the Swift from Japan to Thailand, and its newest factory, in a similar move to the one that sees Ford, Honda, Toyota and a wide range of other brands taking their supplies from the Asian manufacturing powerhouse.Thailand is now second only to Japan as a source of cars for Australia and last year we bought 171,878 Thai-made cars. “Swift is the first Thai car for us. Japan is now concentrating on domestic production,” says Ellis.“It is a greenfield factory that's only been building cars since the third quarter last year. In future we'll look at every possibility with cars coming out of that plant.''For the Swift, the new supply line brings cruise control and factory-integrated Bluetooth to the GL model, while the GLX picks up cruise control. Suzuki says the new deal is an $850 bonus on the GL, despite a price rise of $300, but there is no change to the showroom sticker of the GLX which is priced from $18,990.

Twenty years from now, the carscape will be vastly different. Electric cars will be commonplace, hybrids will be universal and the Aussie V8 muscle car will be a page in history.But a handful of 2013 cars will have survived the turmoil to attain classic status just as the Ford Falcon GTHO from the 1960s is considered even more desirable today than it was when it first hit the road. Classic cars are not necessarily about horsepower or price.We know a collector who loves the humble, bumbling Morris 1100 in his multi-car garage. The first Toyota Prius is a car to keep because of its place in history. The original Mazda MX-5 from 1989 is just as “classic'' as certain Porsche 911s. The key to classic status is simple: Emotion.A car does a job in the same way as a fridge but it's much more than a machine, from the shape of its bodywork to the touch-and-feel pieces in the cabin and the way it makes you feel when you're driving. The attachment could take the form of the love you feel for a first car, even a humble '50s Beetle, or the satisfaction of finally parking a dream machine -- even a Leyland P76 -- in the garage.Classic cars don't have to be affordable on day one, because depreciation hits everything. Not enough, perhaps, to make the LaFerrari more than a dream but it could help with a Porsche 911 or an Audi R8 that's definitely desirable despite the showroom sticker.Which current cars will achieve classic status? If we really knew, the Carsguide crew would be putting them up on blocks today as investments for the future. But here are some likely suspects:Abarth 695 TributoPrice: from $69,990Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder, 132kW/230NmTransmission: 5-speed sequential auto, FWDThirst: 6.5L/100Km, CO2 151g/kmThe Italian baby is outrageously expensive but this humble Fiat 500 has been touched with the Ferrari wand, which makes it special. It looks wicked and is a hoot to drive. Just plain fun.Holden Commodore SS-VPrice: about $50,000Engine: 6.0-litre 8-cylinder, 270kW/ 530NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or auto, RWDThirst: 12.2L/100Km, CO2 288g/kmThe last in the long line of truly home grown Holdens will soon be one to enjoy, thanks to improved efficiency and an Audi-style luxury cabin. The SS-V and HSV's coming F Series cars will be historic and performance icons.Range Rover EvoquePrice: from $51,495Engine: 2.2-litre 4-cylinder, 110kW/380NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or auto, FWD or 4WDThirst: 4.9L/100Km, CO2 129g/kmThis one is a fashion item, not an SUV. The Evoque is all about the looks, a lot like a Mini, but it is also a great drive and we know the all-paw drive examples will go almost anywhere.Nissan GT-RPrice: from $172,000Engine: 3.8-litre 6-cylinder, 404kW/628NmTransmission: 6-speed auto, 4WDThirst: 11.7L/100Km, CO2 278g/kmGodzilla is already a collector's car, thanks to earlier models tied to the GT-R that won the Bathurst 1000. The new model is a better car, and still great value, but collectors will need to find one that hasn't been battered and abused.Volkswagen Golf GTIPrice: from $40,490Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder, 155kW/280NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or auto, FWDThirst: 7.7L/100Km, CO2 180g/kmThe German pocket rocket is a top drive and the coming model, using the Golf Mk7 body, promises to be even better. The GTI has been a cult car since the '70s and truly great since the 2005 Mark 5.Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86Price: from $37,150/$29,990Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder, 147kW/205NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or auto, RWDThirst: 7.8L/100Km, CO2 181g/kmPeople who love cars have fallen for the Twins, the sports cars that won Carsguide's 2012 Car of the Year. There is a waiting list for both and the keen are paying more than the showroom sticker, because they deliver exactly what they promise at a great price. Pushed, we'd go for the BRZ in Subaru's signature blue.

The upcoming Corolla rival is part of a compact development program that has already produced a new SX4 crossover and will soon include a small sedan for China.The SX4 was previewed at the Geneva motor show last month and the Suzuki sedan, currently called the Authentic, will be unveiled at the Shanghai motor show on April 20.There is no official confirmation from Suzuki of its small-car plan, but everything points towards a major new push into the biggest growth area in Australian motoring."We really haven't had a genuine small car to compete with the Corolla and Mazda3. But it looks as if it could be coming," the general manager of Suzuki Australia, Tony Devers, tells Carsguide."The small-car segment is where we need to be. It's most likely to be a hatch, especially for Australia. We'd prefer that because it's 80-90 per cent of the sales in that segment."The last time Suzuki made a major expansion of its lineup was when it introduced the original Swift and mid-sized Kizashi, but those cars  were before the Global Financial Crisis and the death of the company's president."We're hoping for a plethora of new models. We've very keen to get new and updated models in the growth segments," says Devers."We got through the GFT, we're making profit, and R&D is back into full swing." Devers says Suzuki is already planning for the local arrival of the SX4, probably towards the end of the year, but sees it drawing different customers to showrooms."We're not sure if we'll call it a small car or an SUV. It's more like a Nissan Dualis than the current model." On the small-car front, he is expecting a firm plan for the second half of 2014."I cannot say anything yet. We don't know about the timing, but I hope it would be next year. "We don't have enough information yet, but the sooner the better for us."Devers says he hopes to have more information later this month, as he plans to be in Shanghai for the unveiling of the Authentic show car.He also reports a record March result for Suzuki, thanks to sales campaigns but also the successful sponsorship of The Block on television.'Our sponsorship of The Block worked well. It started off slowly but it finished off well. And we had good product placement," he says.Suzuki is now planning how to end its involvement with the latest series, disposing of four Swifts that were decorated by contestants."We've going to give a couple more to charities. One went to the public contest winner and there are three more that we need to so something with."This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

The imminent arrival of an all-new Golf has triggered the overdue introduction of capped-price servicing at Volkswagen. More than five years after Toyota slashed the unpredictable costs of routine new-car servicing with a fixed-price plan - although consumer legislation means it must be called capped - Volkswagen is finally joining everyone from Nissan to Ford, Holden, Hyundai and Kia. It says there has been no customer pressure to make the move and denies it has lost any sales to rivals because it could not offer certainty on servicing, even though there has been a major Carsguide campaign to apply pressure at Volkswagen. “We have had a lot of negative coverage in the media,” admits Volkswagen spokesman, Karl Gehling. The Volkswagen program covers all of its passenger models and runs for six years, doubling the deal in its new-car warranty. Unlike some brands, which set the service intervals at six months or put the most-costly servicing just outside of the capped period, Volkswagen says its deal is transparent. “We always said we were looking at it. There was work to do to ensure we had the right package and we wanted to make sure we offered a very competitive product,” says Gehling. “It runs for six years and gives a very comprehensive coverage for any owners, well beyond the normal warranty period.” Volkswagen says it has been working on the program for more than 18 months and, after trailing it on the baby Up from October last year, is confident it has the right package. It will not discuss resistance from dealers, or the cost of the program. “We're not subsiding it. That's the accurate representation of our running costs,” says Gehling. First-year services, for 12 months or 15,000 kilometres start at $280 for the Up and $519 for a V8 turbo diesel Touareg. At the other end, the figures for 90,000 kilometres or 72 months run from $391 for the Up to $988 for the Touareg. Showroom shoppers can even calculate the service costs through the coverage period, which range from $2440 for the Up to $4091 for an all-wheel drive Touareg V6 diesel. “There are no hidden costs involved in the servicing. And we give people a guarantee, not just on the purchase price, but also the running costs for the first six years,” says Gehling. This reporter is on Twitter @paulwardgover