Articles by Paul Gover

First pictures of the new Accord from the USA show a car that's got a punchier front end and surprising curves and sculpting on the sides. The four-door sedan is a major departure from the boring looks of the previous car, which looked more suitable for Homer Simpson than Ralph Lauren. Honda has again readied the four-door family Accord alongside a wedgier coupe, although the two-door is not coming to Australia. The new Accord is a definite for 2013 and will continue Honda Australia's two-car policy, running alongside the smaller and more driver-friendly Accord Euro. It will get updated engines, with more efficiency promised for both the four-cylinder and V6. Details of the Accord plan are coming together, but Honda Australia is being deliberately evasive on the details - especially on prices and the model lineup - because the cars are still a fair way into the future. It is trying, unsuccessfully, to build some suspense despite the level of detail that's already available from the USA. "We will launch the Accord in Australia in mid-2013 with the same engine line-up as we currently have," confirms Honda spokesperson, Melissa Cross. "Regards images of the U.S. model, there will be some styling similarities between this car and the car we launch here. There will be no Accord coupe in Australia, this car is designed specifically for the U.S market." Although she will not reveal any timing for the next Accord Euro, she does confirm a continuation of the two-car attack. "We will be selling both the Accord and Accord Euro in Australia," Cross says. And what about the design, which is such a major departure from the Toyota Camry-style blandoid efforts of the past? "Design for the Accord is a collaboration between all the major markets that sell the vehicle. This is coordinated through and by Honda R&D at Tochigi," says Cross. She is not discussing mechanical details, but the new Accord points - on the design front - to an even more adventurous Accord Euro and a boost for efficiency and comfort. The overall dimensions have shrunk slightly but the cabin dimensions are largely unchanged. In the USA, the 2.4-litre four gets direct fuel injection and a continuously-variable transmission, the V6 has also been tweaked, and the hybrid attack will become all-wheel drive with a 2-litre four. Carsguide drove the hybrid prototype in Japan last year and it feeds conventional petrol power through the nose, with electric drive to the rear wheels.  Honda says the production plug-in will run for 23k kilometres on its batteries alone. On the safety front, the new Accord gets lane-departure warning as well as a front-collision alert system that uses stereo cameras in the windscreen similar to the Eyesight system already available from Subaru in Australia.  

The base model ClubSport and Maloo join the Holden Special Vehicles' lineup to lead a new value drive and start celebrations for the brand's 25th birthday. Prices have been pegged at $58,990 for the Maloo ute and $64,990 for the ClubSport, with no loss of punch from their 6.2-litre V8 engines. The only thing missing, compared with the R8 version of the ClubSport, is HSV's high-tech Enhanced Driver Interface system. But the cars do get a new 20-inch alloy wheel called Pentagon. The born-again ClubSport is much the same as the short-run GXP Commodore but, says HSV managing director Phil Harding, this time it's a "real HSV, all the way around". "We brought the ClubSport back as a GXP a couple of years ago and there was a desire to bring it back in a more solid way. It satisfies a need," Harding tells Carsguide. "It won't be significant volume, but it helps bring people to the marque. It's for the sort of guy who perhaps had an HSV but fell off the ladder and wants to come back." He admits the pricing is an important reason for the ClubSport and Maloo tweaking, but says HSV is happy with its sales despite the large-car downturn that has hit the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon. "The biggest change to get to a ClubSport from the R8 is the loss of the EDI system. It helps us get down to a price poiint. With the Luxury Car Tax, once you take something out it has an added effect. "As for sales, we're about where we wanted to be at this time of the year. We're not panicking and we're doing alright." The new starter car comes as HSV goes public with a range update called MY12.5, although there will be other significant 25th anniversary action. "There is nothing that's public yet. Watch this space," Harding says to deflect any extra questions. The 12.5 changes are very minor, although the ClubSport R8, Maloo R8 and ClubSport Tourer R8 pick up a power boost to 325 kiloWatts in addition to the 20-inch alloys and leather seat trim. Power in the Senator Signature also improves to 325kW, together with optional 20-inch forged alloys and `Vector' hood scoops and side vents. The 25th anniversay is refected in a special `start-up' screen in the infotainment system, build plate, internal identification and sill plates.  

The droptop conversion is much as expected and the car also carries over the mechanical package from the coupe with a thumping power plant and major body tweaks to advertise its performance potential.

It believes the series is not a good fit for the brand and does not suit its sales plan in Australia.There have been long-term rumours linking the Benz brand with a major motorsport program in Australia and it admits there was a proposal which was considered by its high-performance arm, Mercedes AMG in Germany, before the no-go decision.The push to lure Mercedes into V8 racing under the Car of the Future regulations came through Erebus Racing, which fields a pair of Mercedes SLS coupes in the GT3 category of Australian GT racing, with a potential tie-up through Stone Brothers Racing.But Mercedes-Benz Australia is emphatic in its decision not to race with V8s. “Mercedes-Benz has thoroughly investigated this possibility and, after serious consideration, the company has resolved that we will not be proceeding,” says company spokesman, David McCarthy. “Obviously there are people and teams who want MB in V8 Supercars, but...there will not be a factory team.”McCarthy says there have been various approaches about V8 Supercar racing over the years, with the latest moves made possible because the COTF rules only involve the supply of a suitable V8 engine and technical support and not homologation of a complete car.“We know that there have been discussions for the potential of this happening via a Customer Sports program. The Customer Sports programme for SLS GT3 provides a complete car whereas the V8 Supercars discussion was only for, and was limited to, engine supply and technical assistance only.“We will not be proceeding with this as it is not a fit with the Australian and New Zealand brand positioning. He says there have been no talks with SBR, the Queensland Falcon team who won championships with Marcos Ambrose and Russell Ingall but whose support from Ford Australia is up for renewal at the end of the year.“We have had no discussions with Stone Brothers. Our understanding is that Stone Brothers are a component of a discussion with other motorsport organisations around the Customer Sports proposal,” McCarthy says. Despite the no-go decision, McCarthy says Benz wishes V8 Supercars well in the transition to the COTF regulations which will see Nissan joining Ford and Holden next season. “We, as a brand, have been long term participants and supporters of motor sport. We wish all the competitors well. COTF has provided the mechanism for factory teams to be involved in V8 Supercars but that will not include Mercedes-Benz or AMG. 

According to Carparazzi, the car has a folding steel roof and is being positioned to win sales against the good looking Audi A5.

The car is caught by Carparazzi during testing at the Nurburgring, where it is being honed to continue the Japanese brand's challenge to the dominance of the BMW M3 and Mercedes C63 AMG. The only big surprise on the fastest IS is a giant rear wing that will definitely turn heads.

It has a two-part retractable hardtop, not the canvas roof seen in the earlier Holden Astra droptop in Australia, to give it a showroom advantage over the Volkswagen Golf. There is no confirmation yet that the fresh-air favourite will return down under but it looks highly likely.  

Deliveries through to the end of July are up by close to 10 per cent over 2011, with most forecasters now setting their sights on a full-year total that would just clear the previous mark of 1,049,982 set in 2007.The July result, confirmed yesterday by VFacts, takes the seven-month total to 634,495 with Toyota, SUVs and utes doing best in the ultra-competitive showroom battle. That total is up by 9.1 per cent and 57,268 vehicles.The current target for 2012 is 1,050,000,set by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, but pent-up demand from buyers who could not get cars last year - because of the Japanese natural disasters and floods in Thailand - is helping drive the ongoing demand."It could be a record. The running rate is definitely there," says Alastair Doak, marketing chief for Mazda Australia. His brand has been a stand-out performer this year, scoring a July record last month and continuing in third place overall behind Toyota and GM Holden. "There are a lot of cars being delivered. There is a lot of catch-up from last year, with cars that people couldn't get. "So it's possible. Yes, absolutely. It depends on what happens in the back half of the year, if the economy remains strong. "And the boost from the catch-up has to slow down at some time."The total number of vehicles delivered in July was 86,641, according to VFacts, with SUV sales continuing to climb but the passenger market down by 5.1 per cent over the same month in 2011. Sales are up across the country, although Tasmania is the only state with a seven-month total lagging behind 2011. A one million-plus year is almost a certainty now, which be only the fifth on record, with a huge number of new models - including an all-new Toyota Corolla - expected between now and December.      

The company admits there is a potential problem with the rear suspension of the popular SUV but says it has no plans for a safety-related recall. Instead, it intends to notify owners of more than 65,000 cars by letter, advising an inspection at a Toyota dealership.In the USA, the RAV is the subject of a major recall involving more than 778,000 vehicles -- the others are the Lexus HS250h sedan not sold here -- that continues a long string of safety scares for the world's best selling carmaker.Toyota recalled more than 3 million vehicles last year in the USA, including a group of RAVs built in 2007 and 2008, because there was potential for their airbags to fire without warning. The RAV is also being investigated by the Federal government over door fires potentially linked to electric-window switches.In Australia, there was a recall in November involving 21,792 locally-made Camrys over a steering issue. In the latest case involving the RAV4, the problem has been traced to insufficient tightening of rear-suspension nuts after a wheel alignment. This can lead to wear and potential failure of a rear-suspension arm.Six case of failure have been reported in Australia but company spokesman Beck Angel says there have been no crashes attributable to the problem. Even so, owners of 66,377 RAVs built between October 2005 and November 2010 will be contacted by Toyota Australia.“The rest of the regions -- Japan, Oceania, Europe, Asia and others -- will conduct a customer review,'' she says. ``North American dealers conduct a rear wheel alignment before the cars go to the customers. Other regions don't do that. So the problem is more likely in North America.“In Australia, the customer review is more precautionary.'' Toyota says the problem is attributed to insufficient tightening of the rear suspension bolts. No accidents attributable to the problem have been reported to Toyota. Ms Angel says in Australia, 66,377 RAV4s, built from October 2005 to November 2010, are affected.Toyota will notify owners by letter and request a vehicle inspection at a Toyota service centre. There is concern that some vehicles have changed owners and may not be able to be contacted by Toyota. ``We will notify all automotive groups and associations to capture those cars that are no longer on our records,'' Ms Angel says.

Less than 1000 Falcons were delivered in July as the company battled the continuing sales slide for its one-time hero car and the fallout from 440 sackings at its factory at Broadmeadows in Melbourne. The official total is likely to be around 945 cars, only slightly better than the dismal 931 in January, although confirmation will not come until Friday with the monthly new-car sales results from VFacts. “It’s challenging,” is the only comment from Neil McDonald of Ford Australia. Falcon now only rates fourth among Ford’s nameplates in Australia and was outsold by the Ranger ute, Focus and Fiesta in July. The showroom scorecard will show the Toyota HiLux continued its run as Australia’s favourite in July with just over 4150 sales, well ahead of the second-placed Mazda3 at 3355 and the Toyota Corolla at 2980. Once again, the Holden Commodore is back in the pack – after losing its long-term number one position at the end of 2011 and suffering a mauling from the Mazda3 and HiLux this year – with 2360 sales. It is expected to trail the locally-made Cruze compact again when official figures are released, but could also fall behind Holden’s new workhorse, the Colorado ute, which is tipped for close to 2700 sales. The Colorado success came as utes continue to out-perform the overall market growth this year, with Nissan also delivering more than 2100 of its Navara pickups and the Ranger doing around 1700 for Ford. Toyota dominated through July with around 17,000 sales, compared with Holden at just on 8900, then Mazda and Hyundai.