Articles by Paul Gover

The retro revival car was not a hit at first with men but another re-work -- given an early tease in Sydney -- changes everything but the Herbie-style shape that makes a Beetle a Beetle, is claimed to be much more masculine.It rolls into Australia next year in a one-size-fits-all package built around a 118TSI engine, with limited options and the choice of six-speed manual and seven-speed DSG gearboxes. "The new Beetle has a more masculine style which we believe will have a wider appeal," the managing director of Volkswagen Group Australia, Anke Koeckler, tells Carsguide."Based on the feedback from the Australian International Motor Show the new Beetle is definitely a more appealing vehicle to both men and women. It has a more dynamic and sporty style. "The new Beetle is bolder, more dynamic and simply fun to drive. It clearly has a place in our range as it shows the emotion in our brand." She says the re-design has been done to answer complaints about the previous retro Beetle.Carsguide said from the start that the new-age Beetle was severely compromised by having to share the mechanical package of the Volkswagen Golf. That mean the rounded body had to sit well back, creating a people mover-style driving position, pinching rear-seat space, and turning the boot space beneath the rear hatch into an afterthought.Volkswagen still sold more than one million cars globally, and boosted the Beetle back into a cabrio and a semi-speed machine with a turbo engine and all-wheel drive, but Koeckler predicts much more from the new car. "The new Beetle was designed be even more practical. Customers will find the vehicle has significantly more interior space as it is longer and wider and the boot area has increased from 209 litres to 310 litres," she says.The new-new Beetle is expected in February, timing that puts it ahead of the seventh-generation Golf in a packed calendar of new Volkswagen arrivals. Koeckler refuses to speculate on pricing but confirms the one-car approach for 2013."Our strategy is not to offer every model but to minimize complexity and maintain key volume models across all of our different model lines. The new Beetle will be launched with the 118TSI engine with the choice of either a 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG transmission. You will have to wait for the launch in February for the final specifications."But what are the chances of a price cut to boost the car's showroom appeal in Australia. "You will have to wait and see," she smiles. The new-new Beetle has already been previewed as a droptop, and a hybrid car, but Koeckler says it's too early to talk about anything beyond the basic car."We have not committed to take the Beetle Convertible. We currently offer two other convertibles in the Golf Cabriolet and Eos and are not planning on adding any more variants for now," she says. "I expect we will see a number of variants to come with the new Beetle. We have already seen some of the special editions released in Europe and we expect there will be even more model to come."But she knows exactly what the Beetle means to her company and it's global slogan 'Das Auto'. "The Beetle is Volkswagen. Our success is tied to the success of the Beetle and how it defined our brand. The Beetle has such a readily recognizable shape and our designers have worked hard to stay true to the original," she says. 

The 5 Series picks up the new front on a mild mid-life facelift next year, but there are no details - yet - of any other changes. 

The rebirth comes thanks to an unlikely liaison between Renault and Caterham. The two companies are already tied through Formula One and now Renault has tasked Caterham to create its 21st century hero cars for badging under the Alpine brand.Two sports cars are included in the plan and are expected on the road in late 2014 or early in 2015. There is also expected to be a Caterham version. Renault has already tested the potential for an Alpine revival with a great looking two-seater sports car and now it's put the pieces in place to make it a production reality, including construction at the Dieppe factory that already creates its RenaultSport versions of the Megane and Clio.Caterham is best known as the company that took over production rights of the classic Lotus 7, designed by F1 genuius Colin Chapman, and it has managed to keep the car alive over the years with a long string of technical updates that have not greatly affected the basics of the 1950s chassis and body package.But Alpine will be different, as Renault has big plans to create cars that can restore the bragging rights that originally came thanks to Monte Carlo Rally victories and success in the Le Mans sports car classic in the 1970s.A Renault Alpine 110 even won the first running of Australia's Castrol Rally, the most competitive and innovative forest fight of the 1970s, in the hands of national champion Bob Watson. Exact details of the Renault-Caterham liaison and car plan have not been revealed, but Caterham Group is taking a half share in the Automobiles Alpine Renault Company in January.“This innovative partnership with Caterham embodies a longstanding ambition: the creation of a sports car with the Alpine DNA. It carries both opportunities for the Dieppe plant and the development of its historic know-how," says Carlos Ghosn, chairman of Renault.Tony Fernandes, chairman of Caterham and founder of the AirAsia group that allowed him to springboard into Formula One, is upbeat about the new plan. "We know the markets we are going into and, particularly in my playground in Asia, there is a huge opportunity to replicate the AirAsia model and give consumers access to exciting, affordable products that marry our interests in F1 and technology and help make their dreams come true," says Fernandes.Renault knew it needed a new model for its Alpine plan and says Caterham is the right choice to help it. “Our ambitions of reviving Alpine depended on our ability to find a partner in order to ensure the economic profitability of such an adventure," says Carlos Tavares, chief operating office of Renault."Right from the start, we wanted to place the Dieppe plant at the heart of the project. Today, through our partnership with Caterham Group, we can enter a new phase:  the design of a vehicle that will embody the very essence of Alpine, a vehicle that will rekindle sporting passion once more. It could become a reality within the next three or four years.” 

The crazy looking crossover is confirmed to slide beneath the family-focussed Dualis with a starting price that Carsguide believes will shimmy below $25,000. Nissan claims it will provide an antidote to the boring blandness of small-car showrooms, as it has already done in Europe. "Feeback from buyers is that many of the biggest sellers are unoriginal and uninspiring," the managing director of Nissan Australia, Bill Peffer, tells Carsguide. "Many buyers want something a little different." Peffer is confident the Juke is more than different enough for the job, without sacrificing the practicality promised by its five-door SUV body. "I don't think it's oddball at all. I think it's an exciting car that, like our popular Dualis, will attract many first-time Nissan customers. "As a crossover it will deliver what small-car buyers want - fuel efficiency, agile handling and compact dimensions - but with more driving fun and more space. "We expect the Juke to be a popular model. If Juke's overseas experience is any indication, small-car buyers seeking something new and original will find the Juke very appealing." The boxy Soul from Korea is an obvious opponent but Peffer believes the Juke will have plenty of other rivals. "The Juke will compete with a number of cars, mostly from the small-car and small SUV segment." He avoids any specifics on specification - the Juke is available with four engines including a diesel, as well as front and all-wheel drive - but is happy to hint on pricing without getting into detail. "We've been able to secure the right balance of specification and price. It's too early to reveal any hints about prices but they will be competitive." But the timing for the Juke is already locked. "At present, production for the first Australia-bound Nissan Dukes is scheduled for quarter three in 2013. So, at this stage, we could have the Juke in Nissan showrooms by the end of next year or the start of 2014." He is also hoping Nissan Australia will be able to provide a tasty tease with a guest appearance in Australia of the ultimate Juke - the limited-edition Juke-R that's powered by the twin-turbo V6 engine and all-wheel drive package from the Nissan GT-R supercar. "I'm a car guy. I think a GT-R powered Nissan Juke is a great expression of our brand's excitement so I'm naturally keen to showcase the Juke-R. I'm certain the car-loving Australian public would find it fascinating," Peffer says. "I can't confirm a Juke-R appearance in Australia but, if we do, then expect me to have the keys first."  

It will be previewed at the Los Angeles motor show later this month ahead of express deliveries down under. It's said to be a major advance from a company that also claims to have invented the compact SUV - despite Toyota's counter-claim for its RAV4 - and now plans to move things forward. So the new Forester is bigger, with more efficient engines, improved cabin quality and extra equipment. It also gets engine stop-start, the Eyesight safety system on upscale models, and an inevitable CVT automatic transmission. But, despite recent cuts on new Toyota models including the $19,990 Corolla, Subaru says it's too early to talk about showroom stickers. "We've never been the cheapest, it's about value," the managing director of Subaru Australia, Nick Senior, tells Carsguide. "There is a hell of a lot more specification and equipment in this one. We've not decided on price because we've still got a couple of months. We'll see what the exchange rate does and whether it can help us." But he's emphatic on the Forester's design and development. "It's all-new," he promises, dismissing any suggestion that the boxer engines are just carryover items. "We've got the new HB engines, which have been refined. They are in the current Forester, then the Impreza and XV. "The new Forester is bigger. The interior room is improved. I think people will be more than pleasantly surprised by the fuel economy and emissions, as well as the soft-touch plastics in the cabin." What then, about its history and future role in Australia? "I know what everyone claims. But we showed the original compact SUV at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1995. It was the Strega, a concept car that became Forester in 1997," says Senior. "It attracts our most diverse audience, from young single adventurers to families with kids up to the more mature. It's a car for all seasons and reasons. "These days it's incredibly important. it's been our highest selling vehicle for a number of years and it's been the top selling compact SUV until the flood of front-wheel drive cars came in." So, will Subaru have a front-drive price leader with a Forester badge? Now or at some future time? "No. It's not being built in front-wheel drive," Senior says bluntly. "We have all-wheel drive and all-wheel drive with ground clearance. So the Forester can be used as SUVs were intended to be used. "Not ever is a big statement. But there has been no indication. It was never the intention to have a front-wheel drive Forester when this one was designed." But Senior cannot make any promises on an automatic gearbox for the diesel-powered Forester, one of three engines choices for 2013, despite the limitations of the CVT used with its petrol powerplants. "Yes, it's something we'd like. But most people just put the transmission in D. I can't give a timeline on that." So, what about the design, which has been heavily criticised since pictures first hit the web with claims the Forester looks bulky and brutal? "You have to see it. It's the most global of Subaru's vehicles, and it's successful in Australia, China, Japan, Europe and the USA. It's not an American design," says Senior. Finally, Senior promises there will still be some surprises when the car lands in the New Year. "There are a couple of little features that we have incorporated on some models that will be a success on the showroom floor. But you've got to wait," he says.  

Once again, not much to see but it will be an excuse for a value boost......and probably some extra technology and economy improvement. 

As the eldest in our family, I was a bit like Hyundai. I had some good ideas, and I got there first, but Keith always managed to take what I'd begun and improve things.When I started as a paperboy I was happy to clear around $20 a week, but he lifted that to more than $40 on the same route and put it all in the bank. No frippery or splashing on motor magazines, that's for sure. He was also way better at anything practical, tougher on a football field, and first to head out from home.Just last week I was driving the new Hyundai Sante Fe and was impressed by the design, space, quality and seven-seater practicality. The steering felt wonky and the ride was floppy, but all-in-all it was a very impressive thing. This week I'm in the latest Kia Sorento and almost the same as the Sante Fe - no surprise there, since they're among the Hyundai-Kia clone cars - but a bit better.I think the driver's seat sits way too high for comfort and control, but the Sorento's suspension is massively better and the steering is good. It also feels more 'together' and a little quieter, and the extra refinement in the Sorento means I will always recommend it ahead of the Santa Fe.It's much the same as the Kia Sportage, which I prefer over the Hyundai ix35, the Kia Rio that trumps the Hyundai i20 - and currently holds the Carsguide Car of the Year crown - and the mid-sized Optima which is way better than either the i40 or i45 from Hyundai.Look at the sales figures this year and Hyundai is up by 4.9 per cent over 2011, holding fourth in the charts. Kia is only 11th, but its numbers are up by 26.9 per cent. Kia has the obvious advantage of building up from the basics set by Hyundai in everything from cabin size to engines, but it scores with the styling work by design ace Peter Schreyer and it also has Aussie suspension guru Graeme Gambold on the books.The Schreyer-Gambold double-punch lands every time, which could partly explain a major change at Hyundai that put former Holden marketing boss John Elsworth into the driving seat this week. He's going to lead a more locally-focussed management team tasked to deliver what Australians want in their cars, while holding the prices and value at the level Australians expect from Korean.'He could do a lot worse than to take a look, and a drive, in something with a Keith - sorry, Kia - badge. 

....just caught by Carparazzi during testing at the Nurburgring.It's heavily camouflaged but likely to take its design cues from the Emerg-E concept car, while also sharing mechanical parts with the new Benz C-Class range. 

It's great to drive around hands-free and connected, but I wish I had a smile for every time I've had a technical problem or been asked why I sound like I'm talking to a tin can on the end of a piece of string.Every week there is another car to try and seduce you into a new relationship, but it never seems to be the same process. Just finding the pairing package can be a pain. Is it the button on the steering wheel, some sort of setting I must access through a jet fighter-style dash layout, or a hidden link through the infotainment system?Some systems want a password on the phone, some want it through the infotainment system, some want it for both. And some systems just don't want to connect. If you try to make a Bluetooth connection on a suburban street, how do you know if you're actually linking to the car in question or another that's idling at the kerb, someone sitting up the street, or even someone walking past with the Bluetooth activated on their cellphone? Urk. It's a mess.Just this week, as I was trying to connect to a new Infiniti hybrid, I realised my phone was storing connections for over a dozen cars I have driven over the past month. Doing a bulk delete definitely made things easier. My problems are a bit extreme, but each week I get emails from people who are having Bluetooth dramas. The most common complaint is that their particular phone won't connect to the system in their car.As an example, Doreen is complaining today that her iPhone won't talk to her new Mazda CX-5. And her neighbour has the same drama with a CX-9. Mazda is getting back to me.Bluetooth is becoming more and more important because of the safety risk of driving while talking, and NSW has just brought in tough new rules that will be rolled out across the country. You need to check them, now. But you should also spend a few minutes to focus on your Bluetooth needs and ensure you have a system that works with zero interruption to your driving.I've got to dash now, a Kia Sorento has just arrived and I need a few minutes to pair my iPhone. 

The British rival to the Mercedes E63 and BMW M5 is coming next year. The XFR-S has been extensively tested at the Nurburgring to ensure it can tackle the Germans head-on.