Articles by Paul Gover

Land Rover says it has learned what it needs from its polarising DC100 concept cars, which put a controversial 21st century spin on renewal of the tractor-tough Defender, and is now moving into the ne

We've already got the all-new A and B-Class hatches. And the CLA becomes a CLS-style four-door coupe for people who want a bit more luxury in a compact package.  

It gets a total renewal early next year, built around Volkswagen Group's impressive MQB mechanical package.With the promise of everything from a bigger cabin to a major weight cut ahead of local sales in the third quarter.Here in October 2013 for around $25,000.

The Skoda Citigo is likely to be just over $13,000 before on-road costs, based on the prices charged for the same cars in Europe. The Citigo is now a definite for Australia as part of a product drive that includes the Rapid sedan that has just landed and the upcoming replacement for the Octavia, which is likely to be previewed at the Geneva motor show next March. With the Up already starting at just $13,990, and Skoda models typically 4-5 per cent cheaper in Europe, everything points to a showroom sticker right on $13,000. If things go well on the exchange rate, it could even limbo just into the $12,000 range. But Skoda refuses to discuss the potential pricing, even though company boss Matthew Wiesner tells Carsguide the Citigo is a definite. "We're talking about the second half of next year. We don't want it to get in the way of the Rapid, because that is very important for us in the small-car segment," Wiesner says. "And it cannot get in the way of the next-generation Octavia. We're currently working on midyear timing for the Octavia, with some discussion about the sedan and wagon. My preference is to do it all at the same time." The Up and its spin-offs are planned to open new entry doors across the Volkswagen Group and Wiesner confirms a similar approach for Australia, although he refuses to get into details on price or specification with the car so far in the future. "There will be pretty much a set parameter between the pricing of the Up and Citigo, based on what happens overseas," he says. "The only variation would be specification. We've got options with packages that are available. What I don't' know yet, because we're just finalising it, is how they compare with what Volkswagen does. "My view is that a Citigo for a Skoda brand should have the safety features as standard then keep it as simplistic as possible. As far as I'm concerned, that's what that car represents. It's a really good little urban car. "The only challenge is getting around the automated gearbox. And that' something that's still a bit of question mark, how that will be perceived." Wiesner predicts that Skoda will have a major growth spurt in 2013 thanks to the Rapid and Octavia, the first Skoda model built from Volkswagen Group's modular AQB mechanical toolbox. Similar parts and pieces are already included in the super-good seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf that comes to Australia in the first quarter of next year. "I've seen the next-generation A7 (Octavia) and it's a couple of generations ahead of where we are today," Wiesner confirms. "It's on the AQB platform, so that will be one of the first ones and the first for Skoda."    

The new C is not expected until later next year but the totally revised C55 will be the hero car and this even a potential all-wheel drive model.  

mechanical package is hidden beneath a raised Giulietta body in this Carparazzi shot but the final package will line up agains the Volkswagen TIguan and Ford Kuga.  

The all-new Toyota Corolla and Nissan Pulsar have both been landed below the psychological $20,000 barrier as the two Japanese brands look to maximise customer value and boost sales.Toyota has cut prices across the new Corolla range while adding value, as Nissan returns the Pulsar to local showrooms with the sort of value deal that makes plenty of sense. The only downside is that the automatic gearboxes in the two cars, which are both fuel-focussed CVT designs, cost $2000 in the Corolla and $2250 in the Pulsar.The two cars are previewed alongside Mitsubishi's new bargain-basement battler, a Mirage expected to be tagged from $12,000 in showrooms, at the opening of the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. “If you get the product right, everything else follows,” the executive vice-president of Toyota Australia, Dave Buttner, tells Carsguide.“All the growth in sales this year is with private buyers, as government departments have been winding back and fleet sales are also down. Private buyers are confident and they are spending on the second-biggest purchase after their house.” He says car sales are well on target for an all-time record around 1,080,000 with double-digit growth for much of the year.Toyota is aiming to snap up more than 200,000 of those sales, running a parallel run out program with the old Corolla - at $18,990 on-the-road - to boost its compact conversions while holding onto leadership in the ute field with its HiLux. The only setback for the new Corolla is the late arrival of the four-door sedan, with only five-door hatches for Australia for at least nine months.For Nissan, the Pulsar is crucial and the company is looking for a big impact including a return of the SSS hatch that was a cult car in the 1980s. “Pulsar is back and we have big plans,” Bill Peffer, managing director of Nissan Australia, tells Carsguide. Among the other real-world cars set for spark a sales surge before December 31 is the new Mazda6, with the good looking Peugeot 208 and Renault Clio also on the way from Europe. For Mazda, the new 6 is its first all-new arrival since the GFC and a pointer to the replacement for the top selling Mazda3.“You can see now where we're going,” Doug Dickson, MD of Mazda Australia, says. And the baby Mirage? “It's something new for us, and it's going to bring a lot of people to the brand. I reckon we'll sell heaps,”  Mitsubishi marketing chief Paul Unerkov laughs.He refuses to talk pricing, but everything points to a $12,000 bottom line for a car which must head off the latest Chinese and Korean contenders. 

I admit to losing focus as I fronted-up to the wicked Aston Martin One-77 on the opening morning of the Australian International Motor Show, and my head snapped around when I again caught sight of the

...the compact class.It has already confirmed the A45 with a turbocharged 2-litre engine and all-wheel drive for the A-Class five-door hatch and now Carparazzi has pictures to prove the same package will be fitted under the upcoming CLA four-door coupe. 

...and was ahead of Mazda's CXers and even the Kia Sportage and Hyundai ix35.But now it's only built in left-hand drive and sold in the USA with an Acura badge instead of a Honda tag. Call Honda now if you want to push for a return.