Articles by Philip King

At what point do you abandon a cherished belief and change your mind? It's a question that haunts a few independent carmakers which have grown successful by sticking to certain core values.Japanese maker Subaru faces this dilemma. One of its defining values has been all-wheel drive -- if you buy a Subaru, that's what you get. “Confidence in motion'' has been its mission.In Australia, where Subaru sold a record 40,000 last year and finished between Volkswagen and Honda in the top 10, it's easy to forget that it's punching above its weight. With a global total of just 706,000 sales last year.All-wheel drive has been crucial for its success both in Australia, its fourth-largest market, and the US, which buys almost half Subaru's total output. But it's not inviolable. Its joint sportscar project with Toyota, the BR-Z, is rear-wheel drive. Many of its small home market runabouts are front-wheel drive.Subaru has shown it can live comfortably with those exceptions but a larger problem looms: lots of today's SUVs are two-wheel drive only. They're cheaper to buy and to run. In Australia four years ago, most mid-size SUVs came with 4WD. Now, one-third of buyers opt for 2WD. In a boom segment, 2WD softroaders have gone supersonic.That means Subaru's commitment to 4WD is under assault. Every time it launches a new SUV, it will have to ask itself whether it can afford to deviate from the approved text.At the launch of the fourth-generation Forester last week, it had not budged. Marketing chief Andrew Caie admitted Subaru was now the only major player not offering a 2WD mid-size SUV.“Do we try to match the 2WD burgeoning volume with a 2WD product?'' he asked. “The answer is a resounding no.'' Its cherished unique selling point would not be sacrificed on the altar of sales and Forester could turn that to its advantage. Buyers looking for substance would find it: “Subaru's strengths are its differences.''VALUEThe top-spec Forester XT Premium includes a power tailgate, Harmon Kardon stereo, satnav, leather trim and the brand's Eyesight safety system, which uses cameras to monitor the road and brakes automatically if necessary.These are features unimaginable in a Subaru only a few years ago and on price, the $50,490 XT Premium begins to overlap more prestigious rivals such as Land Rover's Freelander and Evoque.While top-level prices have risen, an entry-level Forester 2.0i manual starts as before at $30,990 and a 2.5-litre petrol is still available for another $5000. Diesels begin $1000 lower than before at $35,490, although only with manual transmission.DESIGNCabin and cargo space improve, with all Foresters longer and taller. It adopts the angular exterior styling of the smaller XV, ditching the boy-racer bonnet scoop of previous XTs. The driving position is good, offering excellent visibility, although the seats have the short squabs typical of Subarus and most variants use cheap racket-style adjusters.Ambience lifts with a new steering wheel and soft-top dash, although the hard plastics that have blighted Subaru cabins have not been banished entirely and XT Premium could do with a bit more garnish. Control screens remain a riot of information and display styles. However, cabin refinement levels have risen and the engine stays remarkably quiet even under load.TECHNOLOGYThe new turbocharged XT’s 2.0-litre engine has been downsized from 2.5 in the previous model but develops 8kW more power and 30Nm more torque (at lower revs). With a direct injection system and continuously variable transmission -- both developed in-house -- it's quicker to 100km/h by 0.6 seconds.However, better aerodynamics, electric power steering and other efficiency measures such as idle-stop mean fuel use drops 19 per cent, to 8.5 litres per 100km. Subaru managing director Nick Senior said the XT was expected to double its share of Forester buyers with up to one in five picking it.“The XT can do for the Forester what the WRX originally did for the Impreza and that is to create an iconic performance car that will become the halo variant in the range,'' Senior said. “It's the most complete vehicle we've ever launched. More interior room, vastly improved fuel economy, better transmissions, a significantly improved driver and passenger environment.''DRIVINGYou cannot remain unaware of its height but it stays fairly flat. Ground clearance has actually dropped slightly in this XT, to 220mm, although that's still serious offroad territory. For this and its other bush credentials, Subaru claims the Forester can challenge the offroad benchmarks.The new steering was most difficult to like, with a lack of immediacy around the straight-ahead position, while the tendency for all-wheel drives to run wide in corners remains. Another negative in this upgrade is increased weight, with XTs gaining around 100kg.VERDICTTurbocharged Foresters will retain their reputation for being among the best to drive in this segment with a nicely nuanced chassis.“The Australian love affair with SUVs is great news for Subaru,'' Nick Senior said, and if it continues to grow at last year's rate, Australians will buy another 20,000 mid-sizers this year alone. Subaru's target is 12,000 Foresters in 2013 and although its main rivals -- the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Mitsubishi Outlander, among others -- are all being renewed at the same time, demand is so strong it's possible they'll all do well.Subaru Forester XTPrice: from $43,490Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged boxer 4-cylinder petrol, 177kW/350NmTransmission: 8-speed CVT auto, AWDThirst: 8.5L/100km 

The Tesla Model S is the first battery-powered vehicle that actually makes senseI'm in a carpark in downtown Los Angeles being shown around the Tesla Model S, the electric car from the outfit that made the Tesla Roadster. There are lots of unusual things about this luxury sedan but inside is one thing that has me captivated.VALUEIt's an enormous screen, easily the largest I've seen in a car, angled towards the driver and looking exactly like an oversize iPad. It controls all the functions; there are no buttons. To open the panoramic glass roof, for example, there's a slider graphic you move with your finger, alongside a crisp overhead image of the car. As the glass opens, so does the roof on the image of the car. There are no predetermined positions -- set it anywhere. It's slick.Little icons across the top of the screen direct you to other menus. The logic is child's play, there's internet and you can pinch to zoom. It feels Apple to the core, so I ask. Nope. All our own work, says Asia-Pacific director Kevin Yu, who's back home in California for a few days from his post in Tokyo. There's little missing in the car in terms of expected technical features at this level, with adaptive suspension, three grades of steering weight,TECHNOLOGYYu was one of the first customers when deliveries began in June and his car was No 23 off the line. The first 1200 cars delivered in North America are all Signature models, with a high level of specification and the most powerful, 85kWh battery, which gives a range of 480km. Yu's goes one better: its Performance spec is also very quick: zero to 60mph (96.6km/h) in 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 209km/h.The Signatures have already sold out and Tesla is starting to make standard cars that offer less powerful batteries, although even the 40kWh base car does the sprint in 6.5 seconds and has a 250km range. Tesla is a child of Elon Musk, who created Paypal, and its ethos is shot through with Silicon Valley can-do. Many employees are ex-Paypal, including Yu, and their confidence with the software and battery technology is palpable. “Batteries are a commodity,” Yu explains, “and they're going to get cheaper.”It's how you link them, control them, keep them at a constant temperature and exploit their potential that is Tesla's strength, he says. The recharge plug is hidden neatly behind one of the rear lamps and comes with adaptors for virtually any situation. At home, it can be plugged into a 240V socket overnight or charged more quickly via a special wall-mounted unit. The battery pack forms the floor of the car and helps give structural rigidity. The motor is mounted at the rear to drive the rear wheels.DESIGNThe Model S is a 5m long sedan that weighs 2.3 tonnes. There's cargo space front and rear, and two optional rear jump seats for children mean it can carry seven if required. The Model S, unlike the Roadster, which was a Lotus Elise stuffed full of phone batteries, is unlike anything else on the road. Almost nothing, beyond the window switches and steering column wands that I recognise from Mercedes, is familiar.Where Silicon Valley know-how was not enough, Tesla spread a global net to recruit talent from across the car industry. The design chief, Franz von Holzhausen, worked for Mazda and GM, and can be credited with making a large sedan almost sexy. The cabin has a modern, architectural feel. The seats, incidentally, are by Australian outfit Futuris. It's a convincing luxury statement with plenty of road presence.SAFETYIt comes with eight airbags and, I'm increasingly unsurprised to learn, electronic stability control that was done in-house. No job too big.DRIVINGIts range is such that Yu explains he typically does the 600km from LA to San Francisco with a three-stop strategy, topping up for just 15 minutes at one of Tesla's solar-powered “superchargers”, which cost owners nothing. That's no longer than a typical bathroom-and-drinks break. Because the batteries recharge like the ones in a phone, drawing down a lot of juice quickly when they're most depleted, he could skip one of the stops and spend 30 minutes at one of the stations for a half-fill. It all sounds, well, pretty much like what you'd do anyway on a trip of that distance.But on the stop-start freeway traffic one or two wrinkles do emerge. There's no hill-hold function, so on an incline it will roll back as your foot moves from brake to throttle. At least it doesn't have one yet; when Tesla has written the software, the car will simply download the upgrade from the internet. Another issue at crawling speeds is a stutter when you lift off the throttle. It's the motor reversing polarity, turning into a generator to harvest the deceleration energy. Yu assures me it's noticeable only at 15-20km/h, and when the traffic finally moves it's gone.There aren't many corners on the way to Hawthorne so I learn little about the car's dynamics, although it does have that weight-in-the-floor feel typical of electric cars and that gives a distinctive quality in bends. But I'd be encouraged to explore its potential on a country road. Acceleration is blistering. Eight-lane freeways can be hectic places when you're unsure if your blind spots are covered and rear visibility isn't a strong point, although not a deal-breaker. The Model S will leap between lanes if needed.VERDICTThe Model S outperforms any other electric car available on range, yet is bigger and more practical. 

My mental list of Holdens that attract attention used to have one entry: any HSV. The Holden Volt -- it's sold as a Chevrolet elsewhere -- is the electric car General Motors wouldn't kill for quids because it tells the world, and the Republicans, that of course it cares about the planet and it can do tech wizardry when it wants to.But that was before the Volt, which goes on sale this month as a US-built import and threatens to tilt the brand's entire demographic. Some of the oglers were not wearing blue singlets.However, the threat is more apparent than real. Conversations with the curious go well until you reveal the price: sixty large. “Tell 'em they're dreaming,” sums up the average response. Holden's Volt is expensive but it is the only electric car available here that can recharge itself on the move.As well as almost 200kg of batteries it has a little petrol engine to power a generator when they run out. That makes it a hybrid of sorts, although the engine is not connected to the wheels.GM says it only ever runs on electric power. The reason for the engine is something EV proponents prefer not to call “range anxiety''. That's the fear that you're going to get stranded, and from my experience, it starts the moment you disconnect the recharger.The Volt has a tiny electric-only range -- compared to other EVs -- of about 80km. But you'll get another 500km once the engine fires up, so it's about the same as a standard car. Under the boot floor is a special connector that you won't want to handle every night when you plug in. It needs to be fixed to a wall. Which means you probably need two of them -- one for home and one to carry.The exterior is a bit more Toyota Prius-shaped than Holden would care to admit, but that's essential in a small hatchback to achieve aerodynamic efficiency. But the cabin presents as modern and premium, with an unusual overlapping dash design capping a centre console housing a large screen and lots of rather randomly scattered touch-sensitive buttons.Distinctive white plastic trim, here and elsewhere, is me-too Apple, and durability might be an issue. In some lights, the button labels can be invisible, and there's a mine's-bigger-than-yours gearshifter. But the Volt gets away with it. The materials are soft where they should be, there are chrome highlights, quality wands and a great wheel.And a blue pulsing power button. Press it, and Star Trek sound effects tell you it's coming to life. The centre console screen plus another in front of the driver become a Times Square of tiny, attention-seeking neon. There's an awful lot going on and the organisation does not lend itself to clarity. But it's mostly useful stuff, with the usual ability to monitor power and fuel use to the ninth degree.However, there are practical limitations including just four seats, with the rear occupants seated under (darkened) glass and nothing between them and a cargo area of modest (300 litre) capacity. The rear glass could do with a wiper and the design compromises rear vision a bit too. The hatch itself is long and heavy.The centre console screen is also helpful because lit screens tell you it's on, and like other EVs it's so quiet it's possible to forget. There's even a special horn with a non-threatening warble to alert sleepy pedestrians. The premium appearance is backed up by a mountain of features, including a lane departure warning system and forward collision alert. You don't have to option this car up.Driving on batteries alone, it's pleasantly quiet and comfortable. Electric motors have plenty of torque so throttle response is immediate and ample for city traffic. On highways it's better than other EVs until the petrol engine starts. Then there's the sound of an angry four-cylinder operating within a narrow rev range. Volume doesn't even move in concert with your right foot. It just drones unpredictably.Its dynamics are not ideal for country roads either -- it's tall, just 4.5m long and a whopping 1721kg. But if short city trips are your thing and you recharge -- from a standard powerpoint -- every night, you might hardly hear the engine. It can be quite a positive experience.

BMW's M tag is far less exclusive than it once was but still signals high performance. Forty years ago in Munich BMW decided to step up its commitment to motorsport and create a specialist division. It focused on racing engines and one car in particular: the 3.0 CSL.With 270kW from a 3.3-litre straight-six -- and weighing a mere 1.1 tonnes -- it won everything European touring car racing had to offer. A few years later, BMW wanted a car to compete in a Formula 1 undercard race and made a mid-engined supercar called the M1. To meet the rules, it had to build at least 400 road-legal versions. As well as a stunning shape, the M1 was the fastest German sportscar of the time. Just 456 were made, so it's very collectable now. That car gave the division its name and within a few years it was turning out the M3 and M5 performance variants that cemented BMW's reputation as a driver's badge. When it applied M-ness last year to the 1 Series two-door, it wanted to reserve “M1” for the 1970s original -- or its heirs -- so it broke with convention and called it the M Coupe. Which suggests that behind the scenes BMW may be working on a new M1 supercar. In a way, that's exactly what it needs because the blue, violet and red tricolour is being applied increasingly liberally across almost everything BMW makes. That M Coupe saw the division embrace turbocharging for the first time, but any inhibitions about how far M could legitimately go had already been dismantled a couple of years earlier when it allowed offroaders, inherently non-racy vehicles, to qualify for performance tuning.The X5 M and X6 M were the result; amazingly capable SUVs but a long way from where it all started. There's more. To maximise the potential of the badge, there's now a sub-brand called M Performance. This is sort of M-lite, with a performance wand waved over the chassis but assembly on the standard line rather than specialist construction.VALUEThe prices start from $68,400 BMW M135I, $292,500 BMW M6 (coupe) and $308,500 (convertible). Its debut vehicles are powered by M's first diesel, a triple-turbocharged six-cylinder in the M550d versions of the X5 and X6. BMW admits this diversification was inspired by the success of its M Sports packages, which apply racy cosmetics such as sports seats and aero kits to standard cars.M Sport versions have just become available for the 3 Series launched early this year and BMW expects 40-50 per cent of buyers to opt for it -- on a car already available with a so-called Sportline trim. Depending on which model you start with, this can add $8900 to the price.M Performance parts are the latest twist. They leverage the M Performance sub-brand to offer buyers a selection of aftermarket add-ons. In effect, the M badge has been parlayed into a huge Sports-R-Us superstore. If it used to stand for Motorsport, perhaps it now stands for Marketing.In fact it's difficult to say what it stands for, so diverse are the offerings. The two latest are effectively bookends for the non-cosmetic side of operations. At one extreme is the M135i, an M Performance model that spices up the mainstream hatchback launched last year.For the price the M135i’s performance is sensational: 4.9 seconds to 100km/h (slightly slower with the manual). That's identical to the M Coupe, which was $30,000 more. At the other is the M6 Coupe or Convertible, which is the most expensive M you can buy and, aside from the V12-powered long-wheelbase 7 Series limousine, the most expensive BMW.TECHNOLOGYOnly a year after it debuted in an M car, they both use turbocharging. Thanks to emission regulations, turbocharging is needed to meet the challenge of getting performance and economy from smaller capacity engines. In M cars, it changes the character of their power delivery. Previously, you had to rev the daylights out of them before you could tap into their potential. With turbos delivering huge torque virtually from idle, that's no longer the case.It has made the M6, which is a mechanical twin to the M5 launched earlier this year, much more like its AMG rivals from Mercedes. The engine, downsized from the previous 5.0-litre V10 to a 4.4-litre V8, uses turbos to get 39kW more power and a whopping 160Nm more torque. The redline arrives 1000rpm lower, at 7200rpm, but peak torque is accessible across virtually the entire rev band, from 1500-5750rpm.It's some compensation for turbocharging's downside: lag between throttle and response. But what it means in practice is wheelspin on demand and power oversteer if you turn all the settings to max and take it to a track, as BMW did for the launch.The M6 Coupe can hit 100km/h in 4.2 seconds and twice that in just 12.6, making it BMW's fastest car. The Convertible, being heavier, is a fraction slower but still quicker than its rivals from Jaguar or Maserati. Of course, there's an option called the M Driver's Package, which lifts maximum speed from an artificially limited 250km/h to 305km/h. I've little doubt it could get there.DESIGNThe Convertible is heavier and less rigid than the carbon-fibre-roofed Coupe, but they are both the wrong side of 1.9 tonnes. The M6 has piled on 200kg since the 2006 original. It's a splendid luxury express with one of the best cabins I've seen in a BMW. However, it's a long way from where M started and although everything works -- the brakes held up well, for example -- I wanted to be less remote from the car.That's something you get more of in the M135i. Even though this is not a full-dose M car but an M Performance model, it's closer to the first M3 than anything bar the M Coupe mentioned above -- which is now, sadly, unavailable. The M135i looks like a frumpy little hatchback rather than a performance car and, initially, seems too softly sprung for a performance variant.DRIVINGThe Lakeside circuit in Queensland is much tighter and twistier than Phillip Island, where it took the M5. Any overzealous throttle use brought the tail out and the traction control light was almost permanently on. Disappointingly, there was less subtlety and feel to the steering, throttle and brakes than I'd like and where the M5 was a hoot at Phillip Island, the M6 felt large and weighty at Lakeside. I was acutely aware my daring depended on fat rubber and it seemed like hard work from behind the wheel. No wonder, given the speeds achievable. However, brilliant front-end grip means you can point it around corners with confidence. The rear can stutter a little, but it tracks through bends with superb composure. It's also relatively light, at 1.5 tonnes.The M135i’s engine -- a familiar 3.0-litre turbo six -- sounds great when pressed and comes with an unsampled six-speed manual or excellent eight-speed automatic. There are issues, such as tyre noise and wide A-pillars, but against rivals such as the Audi S3 it looks an absolute bargain.VERDICTWith more M cars on the way, including an M3 Coupe and Convertible rebadged as the M4, it's a vital reminder of where the whole M thing started.BMW M135IPrice: from $68,400 Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged 6-cylinder petrol, 235kW/450NmTransmission: 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic, RWDThirst: 8.0L/100kmBMW M6Price: from $292,500 (Coupe) to $308,500 (Convertible) Engine: 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 petrol, 412kW/680NmTransmission: 7-speed automatic, RWDThirst: 9.9L/100Km (10.3L/100Km)

The toaster I bought recently came in a huge box to accommodate all the bumph that came with it. There was a catalogue of similar products, so I could furnish my kitchen with a kettle or blender along the same lines. There was a guarantee it would toast until eternity and instructions which, if I had never used a toaster before in my entire life, just might have been useful.Insert bread. Turn on. That sort of thing.
Then there were safety warnings that assumed I was a complete stranger to electricity and, best of all, a note congratulating me on my superb product selection.
Giving you a warm inner glow after buying a white good, or in this case an orange good, is retailing 1.01.But Harvey and Bing and their mates must look enviously at car dealers. Toaster-love is contrived, a ripple in the empathic ether. Buying a car is a seismic event.
This is something carmakers like to dwell on, especially the premium brands.Catch the right emotional wave and they can surf their way to fat margins.
You might think, given the number of vehicles that pass through the paws of Prestige Motoring, that I've become inured to their various charms.
Not so.The same cars manage to strike the same chords generation after generation, on a spectrum from ennui to excitement via irritation and delight.
There are some cars, though, that summon a feeling I can only describe as "King of the Road''.It's a very short list and while yours might be different, mine does not contain a single Ferrari, Lamborghini or Aston. There are no BMWs, Audis or Porsches either. They have qualities aplenty, just not this.On my list there are just two: the Range Rover Vogue and the SL AMG. Obviously, whatever they have, it doesn't boil down to power or luxury. You can't point to part of a Range Rover and say, "Ah, that's the secret ingredient.'' But from behind the wheel of these two utterly different cars I feel as if I'm in the throne room of vehicledom. No other cars can do that.
I'm aware, of course, there are plenty of negatives to both.The Rangie makes you public enemy No 1 to the entire environmental movement while the SL has the unmistakable whiff of white shoe. So I'm not suggesting you actually buy one on the strength of this emotion. I can imagine wanting a Rangie but there's no way I'd want an SL. It's wrong in every way.It's a convertible, and a folding hardtop one at that, so it won't drive as well as an equivalent coupe. Worse, it's an ostentatious convertible that exists mainly to show others of a well-heeled persuasion that you're better off than them.DESIGNTo top it all, this SL, the sixth of the line, is downright ugly. The lumpen design of the standard car is made even worse in the AMG studio by add-ons and aero bits. Now it's heroically unattractive in a Henry VIII sort of way.Its elegant predecessors, the original 300SL Gullwing or second-generation Pagoda, must shrink with dismay at their brutish heir. From the driver's seat however, this is not what you see. Instead you look out over substantial bonnet real estate with strakes and vents that connect you visually with what's underneath.The cabin matches the drive experience nicely, with a solidity that Bentley would be proud of. Rich metal, carbon fibre and leather. Nice little IWC clock. The seats are excellent, of course. They look more sporty than regal, but in reality that's what they are.TECHNOLOGYThat's a turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 with 395kW and 800Nm awaiting your command. There's a delay -- the lag between edict and obedience that turbocharging brings -- but before long the tyres are scrabbling to do your bidding like frightened courtiers.
It's awesome power and it quickly corrupts. Despite its size, it can weave through other traffic as though it were stationary, reaching 100km/h after 4.3 seconds.A performance pack lifts power to 415kW and torque from 800Nm to 900Nm, cutting one-tenth from the sprint time. Keep your foot down and the acceleration is relentless, hitting 200km/h in 12.9 (or 12.6).
Turbocharging tends to stifle the sound of an engine and it's no different here, although the bass blatt that emerges could be a force of nature with enough growl to make it addictive.It sounds best when punching down through gears, when the multi-clutch transmission matches revs for you. This gearbox, with four levels of aggression, can be abrupt when cold and defaults, annoyingly, to an eco mode which shuts down the engine at lights. This allows Mercedes to claim remarkable fuel economy of 9.9l per 100km.You'll never see that, though, because once you're behind the wheel you become Harry in Vegas.
This chassis, lighter than the previous model by 125kg, is up for a night out like no previous SL I've driven. Usually, hardtop convertibles feel like you're driving a box of flatpack furniture but this one is all-of-a-piece, as rigid as a car with a proper roof.DRIVINGThe body control is remarkable for something exceeding 1.8 tonnes and it handles directional changes with an alacrity you simply don't expect. It turns in, points and has tremendous grip. This royal can dance.
On my test route I was expecting sloppiness but what I got instead was supremely assured handling combined with an ermine ride. The brakes can be uneven in feel, a minor letdown given the rest, but the steering is precise.
VERDICTThere are drawbacks -- the roof won't fold on the move and it's a shame some of the mechanism is visible. Worse, there's no digital radio, as there is in a Toyota Camry, which meant that instead of News Radio I had to listen to the parliamentary broadcast. But the view from the throne turns out to be sensational. And I'm thinking of doing away with parliament.Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMGPrice: from $381,500Engine: 5.5-litre twin turbo V8, 395/800NmTransmission: seven-speed automatic, RWDThirst: 9.9L /100km

The troubled local carmaker shipped in a sexy coupe concept car and flashed a teaser video for the freshened-up Falcon due in 2014. The teaser gave away few clues about where the local sedan is going, but they were present in the Evos, a red fastback that points the way to future Ford designs. "The Evos concept represents a huge visual and technological change that will be a showcase of many Ford vehicles going forward,'' Ford Australia chief executive Bob Graziano said. Features include a seat that monitors the driver's heart rate and an airconditioning system that gets the cabin right ahead of a trip. The Evos got the preview day off on the right foot after show organisers had struggled to persuade many usual exhibitors to take space. About two dozen brands decided the outlay was not worthwhile, including drawcards such as Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce. However, one Aston Martin turned up after Australia's only owner of a One-77, the brand's $3m supercar, lent it to organisers just weeks after taking delivery. The silver coupe, with a 7.3-litre V12, is one of just 77 built. Sportscars are a show theme, with Lamborghini shipping in its Sesto Elemento, a $2.7m carbon-fibre track special to be built for just 20 collectors worldwide. More accessible but just as appealing was Jaguar's F-type, whisked to Sydney from its world debut in Paris two weeks ago. The sexy roadster, which will compete with the Porsche Boxster when it arrives next year, inherits the reputation of Jaguar's landmark E-type from 50 years ago. "There are a few areas where we were influenced by the E-type,'' designer Ian Callum said, "but we stuck to the rules about designing a Jaguar and the end result is the right car.'' At the other end of the scale, a wave of new small cars will ignite competition in our most popular segment. Toyota launched its next Corolla with a line-up of all 10 of the previous generations and dancers choreographed to hits of the time. It will compete with a Skoda called Rapid from next year, also starting from $20,000, plus the return of the Nissan Pulsar, two other show debutants. And Mercedes will cater for an increasing appetite for luxury among small car buyers with its new A-Class, which arrives in March priced from just $35,600. The Sydney motor show, at the Exhibition and Convention Centre in Darling Harbour, runs from today until October 29.  

The muscle car era is being left behind by turbocharged hot hatches.Coming in at $38,280, the Focus ST should have a long list of eager buyers keen to get behind the blue oval brand. The ST comes equipped with a range of voice command features, a 5-inch colour screen display which is integrated with a nine-speaker audio system and a SYNC connectivity system which enhances Bluetooth and the voice control systems.Ford has dropped the turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder in the XR5 in favour of a turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder. This is effectively the unit in the four-cylinder Falcon and despite smaller capacity, delivers 184kW of power and 340Nm of torque -- 20Nm more than the XR5.There's an overboost function that briefly takes torque to 360Nm and its sprint time to 100km/h is just 6.5 seconds, making it line-ball with the Volkswagen GTI. On price it comes in below that car and equivalents from Mazda, Mini and Renault.Transmission is by six-speed manual only, which will limit its appeal, although competitive economy of 7.4 litres per 100km should not put too many off. Special plumbing tries to make the most of the stifled sounds generated by turbocharged engines, and it's partially successful but could use a bit more growl going up through the gears.Another turbo limitation is rev-ability, and while the ST has strong, linear power delivery with great flexibility at low revs, the redline arrives relatively early. The suspension is a revised version of the standard set-up, with upgraded shock absorbers and springs that lower the car 1cm.The Focus is a good looking car and the ST improves it with 18-inch alloys, a reworked grille and body kit. It looks best in candy shades; dark colours can make it appear bland, especially from the rear. Inside, Recaro seats keep you snug and there's a driver-pleasing wheel.The gearshift action and pedals are fine and traditionalists will be pleased to see an old-fashioned handbrake. Where it loses me is its over-fussy dials and an air of immaturity to the centre console design, which is a confusion of buttons and dials. Where do you start?The electric power steering has a system to counter torque steer -- wheel-tug under hard acceleration -- and another system that brakes the inner wheel during cornering to reduce understeer -- the tendency to plough straight ahead. Torque steer isn't absent but the Focus is one of the best-handling hatchbacks around and this one only enhances its reputation.It turns into corners quickly and thanks to variable ratio steering, introduced here, it tackles hairpins without your hands leaving the wheel. It has a nicely planted feel on the road with body movements well damped and a very acceptable ride quality. Overall composure is excellent and falls short only of the very best in this category, such as the Renault Megane RS265. Negatives include a little too much tyre and wind noise.

If you look at the pictures of the new Golf above and wonder, as I did, whether Volkswagen has changed anything at all, then its designers won't be offended. On the contrary, they will consider it a job well done.The charge that the seventh generation looks the same as its predecessor is worn as a badge of pride. It's a promise, in effect, that this Golf will be more of the same. That is exactly what Volkswagen believes its buyers want.With 29 million sold, it has strong grounds for that belief. Golf inherited the mantle of people's car from the Beetle and overtook its sales total a decade ago. “The Golf is a classless vehicle,” exterior designer Stefan Wallburg says at the launch in Italy early this month. “A car for everyone.” His inspiration came from the 1974 original.Golf VII has the same horizontal grille; light and shade play on its flanks in just the same way. But it could have been any of the previous six. They are variations on a theme; visual chords that resonate across the generations, the same song in a different voice.“If you had to hear one song for the rest of your life which one would it be?” ask the adverts. “Which car?” There's scarcely a nation where Golfs are not sold, but the hatchback heartland is Europe and this one arrives as the region is under siege from economic uncertainty.Car sales this year will be the worst in decades. That's only encouragement to Volkswagen. Marketing chief Jurgen Stackmann says the new Golf arrives at just the right time. “The global economy is changing,” he says. “People are insecure, they are looking for safe choices.”Predictable, anti-fashion, future-proof Golf is that car, he says. Young people aspire to one, old people think it's timeless. However, the challenge it faces goes deeper than showroom-shy buyers. Luxury makers are moving into volume segments, fashioning small cars with desirable features at oh-so-nearly-attainable prices.They have amplified the effect of the buyers' strike and left Ford, Peugeot, Opel, Fiat and Renault deeply in the red, haemorrhaging money on every sale, forced to slow factories to walking pace. The Golf already has the measure of those rivals. It's unassailable as Europe's favourite car. It's the luxury brands it has to worry about.VALUEVolkswagen has reached into its deep pockets and spent big. This Golf is as thoroughly new as new cars ever are. The chassis, the engines, the control systems, the interior -- little beyond the transmissions have been untouched. The options list bulges with technology that many premium cars have yet to offer.And prices will barely move, if at all. Volkswagen can afford to do this because the Golf is about more than the Golf. It is the centrepiece, the tarmac zero, of all the small cars offered by Volkswagen brands from Skoda to Seat to Audi.TECHNOLOGYAt its core is a new platform, called MQB, that will make all these cars lighter. Two new families of turbocharged petrol and diesel four-cylinders employ all the latest techniques for improved economy.The diesel available at the launch drive in Sardinia, a 110kW 2.0-litre, is smoother and more flexible than the previous unit while the 103kW 1.4-litre petrol has a new feature that can shut down two cylinders when coasting. These will be core engines for Golfs that come to Australia and either would be easy to live with for their quiet efficiency, with the manual 2.0 TDI the economy champion at 4.1 litres per 100km.The range will swell to include performance petrols and diesels for the GTI and GTD models, as well as smaller capacity (1.2 petrol, 1.6 diesel) units. Golfs with less than 90kW adopt a lightweight torsion beam rear axle while the higher power cars retain an improved version of the previous independent multi-link set-up. Or they can be set independently.DESIGNDespite being longer and wider, it sheds as much as 100kg. Fuel economy makes removing weight the highest priority. There's more premium steel, finessed for thickness and geometry, surplus metal pared back. Inside, space has increased in almost every dimension except headroom, although it's still ample. The car is lower than before to improve aerodynamics.On the top-spec cars available at the launch the interior has a finely turned answer to the assault by luxury brands. It's a clean and appealing design, impeccably turned out in soft plastic textures, pleasing fabrics and with a high level of detailing. Control knobs are wrapped in soft knurled rubber, the centre console, angled towards the driver, is glossy piano black. The wheel has well-organised controls and looks fabulous.There are tasteful metallic garnishes in all the right places, ambient lighting and a first-rate finish. It's possible entry-level cars, stripped to basics, lack this gilt-edged invitation. But in Sunday best the Golf is a luxury conveyance in all but name. Especially impressive is the control system, generously displayed on an 8-inch screen in premium variants. It sets fresh standards in graphic quality and logical excellence. Any iPhone user will recognise the result and it's at the cutting edge of these systems in any sort of car.DRIVINGOn the smooth roads of Sardinia it rides and handles with familiar Golf assurance. It drives very much as you would expect -- without wrinkles. As easy as a non-iron shirt. The front suspension is a revised MacPherson strut design. An optional new Dynamic Chassis Control system offers different modes from Eco to Sport for the engine, suspension and steering.The new electrically assisted steering is a highlight for its precision and that bodes well for the performance Golf variants to come. Variable ratio steering is an option -- an uncommon feature at this level of the market. It's just one of many technology introductions. Others include active cruise control, intelligent headlights that automatically adjust the beams to oncoming traffic and a traffic sign detection system that displays speed limits on the navigation screen.SAFETYThere are also safety systems new to this level, such as automatic emergency braking at speeds below 30km/h if the radar sensor detects an imminent collision, and a system that tightens seatbelts in anticipation of an impact. If the airbags are triggered the car automatically applies the brakes to prevent a multi-car pile-up.VERDICTJust four years after the previous generation, Volkswagen has jump-raised its rivals and set out an enticing stall for anyone tempted to stretch to the premium badges. Golf VII is a classless car that reeks of class. VW wins another round with the seventh-generation Golf.

Why drive when you can be driven? With its Ghost EWB, Rolls-Royce is appealing to the chauffeured classes.The hotel driveway is crammed with cars that catch the eye: Maseratis and Bentleys, lots of Mercedes and BMWs. And one Rolls-Royce. It's outnumbered, but commands the forecourt with an effortless patrician air. Not to mention colossal presence. This could be a hotel anywhere, of course, because luxury cars speak a universal language of affluence.But in China, where this gathering happens to be, it's a snapshot of a moment before its wealthy buyers became the most influential. When taste was still determined by the West. In a few years, after the elite in the world's largest market have worked their purchasing magic, this forecourt will have changed.The rich are different from you and me, and China's rich are different again. They like limousine-length vehicles. They prefer to be chauffeured and their self-esteem is measured in legroom and long bonnets. Expansive rear seats bristling with gadgets are more important than an ability to beat all-comers away from the lights.China's car market may be slowing to a simmer but luxury demand remains on the boil. This year, observers expect growth around 20 per cent - double the overall rate. Rolls-Royce is one brand alert to the opportunities.In 2011, its centenary year, China overtook the US to become its largest single market and Beijing its top dealership. At the 2011 Shanghai motor show it launched a car in China for the first time: the Ghost Extended Wheelbase, an XXL edition of its junior limo. The Ghost EWB, as it's known, arrives before the upcoming Ghost Coupe makes its pitch to Western buyers. It's a sign of priorities to come. The standard Ghost was the main reason last year's sales soared to a record 3,538.VALUEFor Australian buyers the Ghost EWB is a less formal, less expensive option to the million-plus Phantom. It plays country manor to the Phantom's stately home. The latest Rolls-Royce Ghost starts at $645,000.TECHNOLOGYFrom behind the wheel, the Ghost EWB loses little to the standard car, with the same 6.6L turbocharged V12 and the same giant strides to reach 100km/h in five seconds.DESIGNThe EWB reinforces the Ghost's claim to Chinese attention. Its extra 17cm is all in the back and the car's proportions are sweeter as a result. The rear doors open gatewise for dignified entry to a commodious compartment with all the toys you could want. Everything opens and shuts, is heated or cooled. The wraparound lounge poweradjusts.The doors swing shut at the push of a button and feet sink into lambswool rugs. There are rear screens and a 16-speaker hi-fi, frosted glass and ambient lighting. Everything is weighty and substantial, from the bull's-eye aircon vents to the tiniest piece of trim.DRIVINGYou hear the engine if you put your foot down but nothing disturbs the serenity of the cabin and a sense that the car is looking after things. Forget sports buttons and suspension settings, it doesn't have any. Just put it in D and let Rolls decide. Power delivery is smooth and relentless. It's got adjustable damping, active anti-roll bars and a whole lot more. Its refinement and comfort are first-rate.Of course the steering is slow and lazy. Of course it needs a football field to turn around. Around town it's an urban sailboat, only a bit more floaty. But if you're on the bridge (or the recreation deck if Chinese), the world is spread out below (some SUVs excepted).VERDICTThe Ghost defers only to the Phantom in being a paramount statement of luxury motoring. Ghost EWB, the Chinese luxury buyer awaits.Rolls-Royce Ghost EWBPrice: from $645,000Warranty: 4 yearsSafety rating: not testedEngine: 6.6-litre 12-cyl petrol; 420kW/780NmTransmission: 8-speed auto, RWDBody: 5399mm (L); 1948mm (w); 1550mm (h)Weight: 2360kgThirst: 13.6 L/100km, 317g/km CO2

The vehicle in question is more than just a new car. The M sedan launches a brand: Infiniti. It's the premium arm of Japanese maker Nissan, in much the same way Lexus is the luxury division of Toyota. It arrives here as part of a global strategy to expand beyond the US.It defines itself as a challenger brand for those who don't follow the luxury crowd. Carlos Ghosn, the charismatic leader of the Renault-Nissan group, says: “Infiniti is not about being all things to all people, but everything to some people.”With a 500,000 sales target dangling like a noose over his appointment, de Nysschen focuses on the fundamentals. “I don't live or die by the number.” He says it's more important to focus on the product, organisation, retail network and pleasing the customer and if you get all those things right...the sales absolutely will follow.VALUEThe large SUV Infiniti FX is priced from $83,900, while the large sedan Infiniti M is slightly more expensive priced from $85,900. The M goes up against the BMW 5 Series/Mercedes E-Class/Audi A6 and brings four-wheel steering, active noise cancelling and, happily, a hay fever-free cabin to the brand's tech showcase.If Infiniti is to claim a significant share, it will need to move quickly to its next generation of products and fill out its range. As a value proposition and break from the norm, it will attract a few. Like Audi, Infiniti must offer better value to lure people away from the established luxury leaders. “We will price directly against the competition but in terms of overall equipment, the content of our package will be a bit richer,” he says.“We will use that additional value to offset for the customer what is still to be done in building the brand awareness, presence and recognition.” But he believes that Infiniti can avoid falling into a “value trap” of always undercutting your rivals -- something that in China, especially, undermines brand status. Two more models are due this year. The G37 coupe and hard-top convertible are now halfway through a model cycle that starts afresh next year with the arrival of a sedan pitched at junior executives.DESIGN AND GADGETSThe Infiniti execs charged with taking the company global have jetted into the Gold Coast hinterland to explain how a brand that finished seventh in the US luxury charts last year will climb into the top tier alongside the Germans. When a car presentation turns to unusual cabin gadgets, alarm bells ring. If the somersaulting cup-holder is cutting edge, then the engineering priorities were surely wrong.If a fingerprint reader is essential, the car must be sorely deficient somewhere else. I'm being distracted by tinsel and it's the oldest trick in the book. But I'm listening intently to an explanation of a plasma cluster and can't get enough of the grape polyphenol filter. I can just about follow it through my constant sniffs. They sound -- the gadgets, not my sniffs -- like gimmicks but a chance they'll work means I'm interested.TECHNOLOGYIn Australia, Infiniti's 48th market, it begins with two products, the M large sedan mentioned above and the FX large SUV (see panel). A hybrid driveline is available in the top-spec M or two V6s, petrol and diesel. Its V6s are shared with the M and the diesel, sampled at the event, hauled four plus luggage with ease and refinement.Meanwhile the brand's commitment to alternative drivelines was flagged by a striking sportscar concept called Emerg-e at Geneva earlier this year. It's powered by batteries recharged on the run by an internal combustion engine. It will be reinforced by an all-electric midsize sedan study to be shown in Paris later this month. Both are candidates for production and both leverage the resources of the Renault-Nissan group, which has spent billions trying to get pole position on electric vehicles.DRIVINGAfter a short drive in the hybrid M35h, I can vouch for the air-conditioning. But its claims to be the quickest hybrid remained untested and it's difficult not to be aware of its US market origins, with evidence in features such as a foot-operated park brake. Ride and refinement were strong, but from behind the wheel it felt remote.For a “challenger brand”, leading with such a traditional luxury car is itself a challenge. The FX’s dare-to-be-different design works more successfully and although it has similar stateside traits to the M, it was more interesting from behind the wheel.VERDICTDespite being older, the FX was easier to like and should be more popular here.Infiniti MPrice: from $85,900Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 diesel; 3.7-litre V6 petrol; hybrid 3.5- litre V8 petrol plus electric motorOutputs: 175kW and 550N (M30d); 235kW and 360Nm (M37); 268kW combined (M35h)Transmission: seven-speed auto, rear-wheel driveInfiniti FXPrice: from $83,900Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 diesel; 3.7-litre V6 petrol; 5.0-litre V8 petrolOutputs: 175kW and 550Nm (FX30d); 235kW and 360Nm (FX37); 287kW andTransmission: seven-speed auto, all-wheel drive