Articles by Paul Gover

Complaints from Australia will ensure a better car for customers when the Mitsubishi Mirage returns to local roads. The price fighter is being revived to create a new starter car for the Japanese brand and a direct competitor for rivals including the Nissan Micra and Hyundai i20 early next year. The Mirage is promised with a nice price and global engineering but, more importantly, a commitment to delivering what Australians expect from a new car. "This is our lifeline. If we fail, we will fail," the new boss of Mitsubishi Motors Australia, Mutsuhiro Oshikiri, reveals to Carsguide. "This is the starting point. A really important car. We cannot fail." He is trying to rebuild Mitsubishi following the collapse of support since the company withdrew from local manufacturing in Adelaide. The Mirage is a new global price fighter and comes with a range of promises, including a sharp starting price - that needs to be well under $15,000 in Australia - and fuel economy better than 5.0 litres/100km. It weighs less than 850 kilograms and has a tiny 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine. But a press posse savaged it during a preview drive in Thailand, where it is built, and that has led to promises of improvements for Australia. "We have listened. We understand," says Oshikiri. The car's underwhelming CVT transmission is being tweaked to make it more spritely for Australia, although there is nothing that can be done - in the short term - about the cost-down development work that's produced a relatively humble car suited to budget buyers across Asia. Mitsubishi is now working on a youth-focussed promotional campaign for the Mirage to try and excite the same sort of support the car had when it was a three-door version of the Lancer. This time around, it's the first all-new model from Mitsubishi after the global financial crisis and it has cut any ties to the Lancer. "In two years, three years, comes the new Lancer. Outlander comes first, then the new Lancer. The lifecycle is longer than normal but this is not fatal, but transient," says Oshikiri. Still, he admits the current Mitsubishi lineup is too old and lacks true hero cars. "The product is old .. and the prices are too high," he says. But he promises an aggressive program to rebuild Mitsubishi, putting customers first and also focussing on support for dealers to deliver the right support for the brand. "Mitsubishi is too much an engineering company. Now we return to a marketing company. This is what I'm thinking," he says.  

... but that has not stopped Aston Martin developing a minor facelift for 2013.There is a tweaked nose, with a new rear bumper and spoiler which looks a little bigger, but there could also be a new engine. 

The new Cabrio is testing at the Nurburgring ahead of its 2013 motor show preview, but sales in Australia are unlikely before early in 2014.The big different for the Astra Cabrio, says Carparazzi, is a two-part retractable hardtop rather than a conventional canvas roof. Here some time in 2014 at around $50,000.

After being withdrawn from local showrooms in the late naughties when it got too costly against its competition, the French baby is set for a significant slot in the growing Renault range. The fourth-generation Clio is going public next month at the Paris motor show and is set for showrooms down under by the middle of next year, priced from the $16,000 range. It's role is to bring more people to Renault and build on recent sales successes that have produced a 30 per cent jump this year, including an all-time record in June. "We have an appetite for growth," the head of Renault Australia, Justin Hocevar, tells Carsguide. "What's missing is what Renault has always done very well, and that's the smallest hatch." The company's sales reached 2350 cars by the end of July, up from 1808 at the same time a year earlier, and he believes everything from a better warranty coverage to low-cost finance - and even a television commercial shot in Sydney - has helped. "Every stone is being turned. We're improving the relevance to the local market," Hocevar says. "We're about 30 per cent up on last year. And last year was a good year for us, as we were up just shy of 90 per cent. "What are we doing to try and break through to be mainstream? Everything. At almost every level of the business there has been substantive change." The Renault Sport version of the Clio has maintained a skeleton presence in Australia over the past two years, although even it is now struggling as it enters its twilight. So the revival plan for 2013 is built around the mainstream five-door hatchback and a choice of petrol and diesel engines, a move intended to position the Clio against the better of the small-car babies, including the Polo and 2. "It's about trying to break through and become mainstream. We're improving the relevance to the local market," Hocevar says. Renault has already revealed the new look for Clio 4, which includes a hatchback shape that's more like a coupe. Full specifications and the model lineup will come at the Paris show, including a Carsguide preview drive, but Hocevar is not intending to go early on the details. "What's the price point? It's too early to announce, but it's fair to say we're akin a more aggressive approach to position it in the marketplace. "Natural competitors are the Mazda2 through to Polo. Price? Let's say high teens. "We'll tend to favour a relatively high level of specification. We've got a five-year warranty which some of the others don't, and our servicing is once a year." Hocevar knows the Clio has failed before but believes he knows the reason for a campaign that fizzled out with heavily-discounted sales to rental companies. "It took off reasonably well, and they did 1700 cars in the first full year. What didn't work in that vehicle's favour was currency. By about 2006 the dollar-to-Euro rate was completely different to what it is today." Hocevar confirms Clio 4 will hit around the middle of new year, with the Renault Sport model about six months later. And he says the born-again Clio 4 just the start of a longer-term product offensive. "Have we reached the point of crossing over into mainstream? No we haven't. That's a longer burn for us, and a case of careful management to achieve that goal," he says.  

There's an easy way to get a grip on the latest Renault Megane RS 265. Think of it as the much-better-looking French equivalent of the Subaru Impreza STi. Without all-wheel drive.The Megane hero hatch has been a familiar sight in Australia over the past couple of years, firstly as the Renault Sport 225 and then the 250, delivering the same sort of turbocharged thrill ride that's familiar to anyone who has jumped into Subaru's charismatic WRX.Now the upgrade to the RS 265 level lifts things to an STI standard, polishing the RS halo with extra power and torque, visual tweaking and extra equipment. It even has the sort of inlet-and-exhaust fireworks that provide the punctuation to time with an STI.The name change on the 265 is the reflection of the horsepower number in the engine room, even though the French are responsible for the rule of kiloWatts in Australia. Adding 15 horsepower - that's 11.2kW - doesn't seem like much, but it is the way the punch has been packaged that makes it special.The car starts on the button as a regular 250, but when you toggle the ESP into Sport model it unleashes the whole package. That means a different exhaust beat, much more response to the throttle, and an almost-total lack of turbo lag, as well as a bigger mid-range surge and the 265 top-end power.The RS range - including the pocket rocket Clio - has been very good for Renault during a massive rebuild in Australia, doing a WRX-style job of bringing newcomers to the brand."We love RS dearly. Renault Sport has been very good to us, and for us," the managing director of Renault Australia, Justin Hocevar, tells Carsguide. "We're now the third-largest market in the world for Megane RS and closing on number two, which is Germany. It's an authentic performance car and Australians have come flocking."VALUEThe RS now comes with three levels of trim and equipment - Cup, Trophy, and the new Trophy+ with more focus on luxury. None of the cars qualifies as cheap, but for the money - from $42,640, up slightly from $41,990 for the RS250 - they are well equipped and the finishing is top class. Everything you can see and touch in the cars is classy and substantial, and some of the 2012 changes - the radio interface, for one - have been made in response owner feedback.The standard stuff runs from 18-inch alloys on the Cup chassis package to dual-zone aircon, LED running lights and an RS monitor. The Trophy adds Recaro cloth bucket seats, 19-inch alloys, a tyre pressure monitor and hands-free ignition. The full-loaded Trophy+ gets electric front seats, fixed glass sunroof and a satnav and reversing camera package that lots of people now demand although they will be paying $51,640.Sitting between the Trophy cars, until they're sold, is yet another limited-edition Megane RS. This time it's called the 808 - after the car's 8 minute 8 second lap of the Nurburgring racetrack - and it comes with 19 inch alloys, Recaro leather seats and bi-xenon lamps, special Bridgestone tyres and decals for $49,990. Renault says there are only 100 cars for Australia, half each with special yellow or white paint.TECHNOLOGYMost of the update work on the RS is dancing around the edges, including the engine. It has more turbocharger boost and some inlet changes to liberate the extra power and torque, as well as the special sport driving mode. Renault Sport developed the package to win a French police tender for pursuit cars, which meant matching - ironically - the Subaru WRX.So the Euro5 compliant engine - although testing is done with only the 250 package - brings those 195 kiloWatts and 360 Newton-metres of torque at 3000 revs. Renault says it means a 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.0 seconds, with fuel economy of 8.2 litres/100km and emissions of 190grams/kilometre of CO2. "We've got a 5.7 per cent improvement in fuel economy and emissions over the RS250," says Hocevar.Elsewhere, the RS monitor alloys the driver to track their action - and gives access to five throttle maps and a lap timer - and the car gets 'highway mode' turn signals that flash three times in a single touch. I've found this system, which is even in the latest Ford Falcon, is a good indicator of the age of any car since it's now compulsory in Europe. To make things a little nicer inside, there is an air-quality monitor that automatically switches to recirculated air if things get putrid outside.DESIGN The giveaway to the RS265 is a predictable bank of LED daytime running lamps, while the nose also has black masking around the headlamps and a front spoiler that Renault says was inspired by its involvement in Formula One. Inside, there are red seat belts and colour-coded stitching on the leather pieces, as well as a new digital speedometer. The 18-inch alloys are a new design, the bigger satnav screen is welcome - but means you cannot have the RS Monitor on the Trophy+.SAFETYNone of the RS cars has been belted into a wall to produce an NCAP score, but Renault has a very strong corporate focus on safety and it's likely the RS265 would make the five-star standard. The protection package includes eight airbags, ABS and ESP, brake-force distribution and brake assist, automatic headlamps and a limited-slip differential which is fitted for performance but also improves the chance of avoiding a potential collision.DRIVINGThe Megane RS looks terrific, with a combination of class and menace, and it's the same when you drive. The cabin is comfy, well equipped and nicely finished, so it's easy to sit back and relax. The minor switches can be confusing and hard to find, the RS Monitor display is too small for me, and parking and lane-change visibility is crimped by the car's hunkered-down rear end. But that's pretty much the end of my complaints.I expected the latest RS to be over-firm in the suspension but it's actually complaint on all surfaces, not too noisy, and gives good grip and feedback at the wheel. I begin with the engine in the 250 default settings, where it's easy to keep up with traffic, ease along on the freeway, and sprint a bit by pushing beyond 4500 revs. It's already a car that delivers on its RS promises.But then I switch across to unleash the 265 package and the car goes wild. It's not untamed, or nasty, just wicked. I'm now getting instant response to the tiniest tickle on the accelerator, all turbo lag is banished, and the car is eager, eager, eager. This is a French WRX with more style and classier quality than the Japanese car and I really begin to enjoy myself.Corners come and go without the slightest fuss, as the RS has really substantial cornering grip and I can used the limited-slip differential to get onto the power early and hard for some fun running. The six-speed manual - there is no auto - is slick and the RS Monitor hints at the best gear for any situation. Then I flick it back to 250 and things quieten for a stop-start run back to through the city. And no-one has to know that we've both been a little bit naughty on a quiet Tuesday afternoon.VERDICTThe update to the Megane RS brings much more enjoyment that expected from relatively minor changes.

...but we've been fooled in the past.Mercedes is now committed to major under-the-skin revisions in its mid-life updates, although the next E will also get more aggressive in the nose with a look that mirrors the style of the latest C Class.

The future of Britain's two best-loved car brands is wrapped inside the lightweight skin of the all-new Range Rover.The next-generation SUV flagship is a full 420 kilograms lighter thanks to the aluminium platform that will be shared between everything that Jaguar and Range Rover builds for the next decade.The new look of the luxury SUV headliner is previewed ahead of Australian sales in the first quarter of 2013, reflecting a Range Rover that retains its familiar style despite a bigger and bolder body that will also be stretched - eventually - into a long-wheelbase model.Introduced as the “the most capable and most luxurious Land Rover yet", it brings everything from a new high-tech suspension system to petrol and diesel engines with dramatically better fuel economy and CO2 emissions.Australian insiders say development of the new Range Rover reflects a new can-do attitude under the Indian ownership of billionaire Ratan Tata. “In the past we asked for a list of things and got one or two. This time we got everything we wanted," he reveals to Carsguide.Testing of the new Range Rover has run for millions of kilometres over the past 18 months in more than 20 countries. The emphasis has been on improving the vehicle's dynamic ability while boosting luxury and technology.The bigger new cabin includes 118 millimetres of extra legroom in the back, while there is acoustic lamination of the side glass to cut noise levels. Mechanically, the highlight is a second-generation Terrain Response system that analyses driving conditions and automatically selects the most suitable vehicle settings for the terrain.The head of Jaguar Land Rover in Australia says the 2013 Range Rover also has the green credentials to finally end jibes about Toorak tractors. “This car is now, I think, at the cross-hairs of utility, practicality and the experience people are looking for in our world. Our products are delivering into the SUV sweet spot,” David Blackhall tells Carsguide.“Three or four years ago there were people in London spray painting windscreens and running keys down the sides of cars. That's over now." Blackhall says the all-alloy platform and body panels of the new Range Rover shows the direction JLR is taking with its upscale SUVs and cars."It's the first an all-new one for 10 years. This is the first really dynamic demonstration of our commitment to the new platform. That becomes the donor platform for everything over the next 10 years or so." Full details of the new Range Rover will be released in Britain in a fortnight and Carsguide will be there, as well as reporting the first drive from Morocco in November. Blackhall refuses to discuss pricing of the new Range Rover - the current model starts at $160,500 - but says full-scale deliveries in Australia will begin in the first quarter of next year. "Most importantly, the product stands up and does what a Rangie has always done," he says. 

Hyundai was keen to get a bigger seven-seater into the local lineup to appeal to larger families, and saw the long-wheelbase Santa Fe from America as the ideal choice.But the plan needed a go-ahead for development of a costly right-hand drive version, since the long-wheelbase SUV is only currently sold in the USA and Australia gets the ‘shortie’.“We were keen but product planning in Korea said no,” the managing director of Hyundai Motor Australia, Edward Lee, reveals to Carsguide. “We think it would have more space for passengers and luggage. This is important to families.”So the all-new Santa Fe will only come in one body size when it gets a total renewal in Australia next month, although Hyundai will not reveal the cabin layout. The Santa Fe came with five and seven-seater layouts from 2006 but overwhelming demand for three rows of seats led to the five-place car being dropped.“Both are available. We'll definitely have it with seven seats,” says Hyundai spokesman, Ben Hershman, dodging the question about a return of the five-seater. He is happier talking engines, confirming both a 2.4-litre petrol motor and a 2.2-litre turbodiesel, but goes vague again on any other details.“It will be on sale in early September. I cannot comment on the pricing right now,” he says. The Santa Fe is the next Hyundai model to pick up the company's new fixed-priced service program, which caps the cost of scheduled maintenance for the first three years of ownership.In a major new development - and one avoided by other brands - Hyundai's iCare program also includes free satnav map updates for three years. “We have a focus on the ownership experience. It matters, says Nick Aravanis, director of aftersales at Hyundai.“ Australia is the most competitive market in the world. iCare is a holistic program, not just a service program. 

The all-new Toyota Corolla has just been revealed in Japan and is a dead-set certainty for number one sales status in Australia in 2013. The Holden Commodore is fading fast, the Mazda3 was Australia's favourite last year but has even been trounced by Toyota's HiLux four times this year, and now comes the Corolla. It has a totally new look that's almost un-Corolla, is promised with driving dynamics inspired by the 86 sports car that's early favourite for this year's Carsguide Car of the Year award, and will be priced right on the crucial $20,000 value point in local showrooms. It looks like an unbeatable combination, with everything from a greener 1.8-litre engine to a bigger 360-litre boot and more space in the cabin. Quality is also up, although a CVT gearbox - not a Carsguide favourite - takes over as the automatic to improve efficiency. Toyota should have no problem finding 3500 new owners each month for the Corolla next year, and closer to 4000 is even possible if the car works as planned. It is vitally important to Toyota Australia and, even though it's odd-on favourite at Carsguide to become sales champion next year, the company is avoiding any optimistic early forecast. "I always prefer to be number one ahead of number two, but I'd prefer not to make that sort of prediction," Matt Callachor, executive director of sales and marketing, tells Carsguide. "It really depends, finally, on the price and specification of the car. Frankly, that's still being debated at the moment." But Callachor knows the new Corolla, the 11th generation of the world's all-time best seller, is a make-or-break car as Toyota faces growing competition on all fronts but especially from much better Korean cars wearing Hyundai and Kia badges. "It is very important. The small-car sector is huge and, frankly, it's still growing. If you can get people into your brand early you have much more chance to make them converts and advocates," he says. First pictures of the new Corolla carry an Auris badge because they are a tease ahead of the world preview next month at the Paris motor show. Toyota will headline the car a month later at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney. The new look is much more edgy and aggressive in the overall shape, has sculpted guards, and shows a new family ‘face' including low-line headlamps and a big mouth below the bumper line.  The numbers show a 30 millimetre increase in length and a 55 millimetre drop in overall height. Inside, the dash is smoother, the auto picks up the trendy blue gear knob from the Prius hybrid, and the seats have eco-friendly fabrics with thinner backs to boost legroom. They are also set 40 millimetres lower to improve headroom. Mechanically, Toyota talks about a lower centre of gravity to improve handling, as well as the use of wishbone rear suspension in a class where most rivals have something with less technology and cornering grip.  "86 was part of a change that's going right through Toyota. Everything is under a microscope and the new Corolla is part of that," says Callachor. He confirms the Corolla for Australia will be built in Japan but will not be drawn on price or specification, even though the current bottom line is a competitive $20,990. "I'd rather set it at a reasonable level. The corolla won't be priced through the roof." He says sales of the current Corolla have been hurt this year by the impending arrival of the new model, but disappoints bargain buyers who might be hoping for a final flourish with the outgoing car. "The new cars will start being delivered from November. The current car is at the twilight of its career, so to speak. We could crank the sales rate up if we discounted heavily. But we're not going to do that." Carsguide will have an on-the-spot assessment of the new Corolla from the Paris motor show, with the first drive report in the third week of October.  

The mid-sized Fortuner SUV is based on the working-class HiLux and was developed in Melbourne for sales in countries as widespread as Malaysia, South Africa and Venezuela.It's now being assessed for a family-focussed slot between the Kluger and Prado, based on its seven-seater cabin layout and a value price. The potential timing is unclear, but local sales are not likely until early in 2014. Toyota Australia is not prepared to commit to the Fortuner, even though it is proud of the local work on a vehicle that's doing big business across the globe."We cannot confirm or deny any plan for the Toyota Fortuner" says company spokesman, Mike Breen. In the car world that answer is usually translated as a "yes" and there is plenty of reason to believe the Fortuner would work well in Australia."We're always looking at any opportunity," Breen admits. It was styled and then engineered in Melbourne in a program very similar to the one at Ford Australia that resulted in the Ranger and Mazda BT50 pick-up twins. Ironically, there will also be an SUV based on the Ranger next year for sales around the Asian region.Even though the basics of the HiLux are relatively simple and well proven, the local engineering team did a lot of work for the Fortuner including tweaking it for the many countries where it is now sold.A team led by Max Gillard, the president of the Toyota Technical Centre Australia, has worked on the Fortuna since 2006 as part of its integration into the company's global engineering resources. The workforce has grown to more than 160 people and its success led to Gillard's elevation to the most-senior engineering post ever held by an Australian.The design team for the Fortuner body was led by Paul Beranger, who is about to retire from his post as head of Toyota Style Australia, as part of local work that has included the prestige version of the Camry sound in Asia.The Fortuner is currently built in six countries including Thailand, which would be the obvious supply choice for Australia as the Toyota factory there already produces the HiLux and the country has a free trade agreement with Australia.