Articles by Stuart Martin

Toyota 86 GTS and Ford Focus ST go head-to-head in this comparative review.

Just in case you were left feeling a little underwhelmed by Cayenne Turbo, Porsche has given it a dose of steroids and released the S. The Cayenne Turbo S is priced at $294,000 - up from the old model's price tag of $281,400 and a $46,500 impost over the current Turbo - and it will roll into local showrooms from February next year. The new SUV flagship for the German car maker now packs a 405kW wallop from its twin-turbo direct injection 4.8-litre V8, up from the far-from-sedate Turbo's 368kW. Torque has risen from 700Nm (between 2250 and 4500rpm) to 750Nm, while Porsche is claiming a European fuel use figure of 11.5l/100km. Those outputs are enough to get the two-tonne Teuton to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds (a 0.2 second drop) and onto a 283km/h top speed, up 5 km/h on the "standard" Turbo. That sort of performance from an SUV is not hen's teeth rare - a $177,400 ML63 AMG Mercedes-Benz has 386kW and 700Nm on offer for a 4.8 second claim to 100km/h. BMW'S $178,200 X5M and the $190,900 X6M both have the 408kW/680Nm turbo V8 and claim 4.7 seconds to 100km/h. Audi's V12 turbodiesel Q7 asks for nearly $260,000 but 368kW and 1000Nm shifts the 2.6-tonne German to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds. Jeep's SRT8 344kW/624Nm Grand Cherokee claims a five-second sprint to 100km/h for the bargain-basement price of $76,000. But it's the S on the rump means it gets as standard all the clever drivetrain and chassis systems that gives the big bertha of the Porsche range considerably more dynamic ability than any SUV (including the aforementioned) should rightly possess. It inherits the Turbo's air suspension and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) adaptive damping system and teams it with the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC), which uses active anti-roll bars controlled by hydraulic motors front and rear to counteract body roll. The Sport Chrono package (which monitors and displays total driving time, lap distances and times) and Torque Vectoring - which lightly brakes the inside rear wheel appropriate to improved turn-in during cornering - and an electronic rear diff lock combine to get the maximum from the rear end on exiting a corner. The S will stand out from the rest of the Cayenne range thanks to gloss-black trim bits on the front grille and the side mirrors, 21in 911 Turbo II wheels with gloss-black paint (exclusive the Cayenne Turbo S despite the name), as well as interior tweaks to further distinguish the S. The interior design department has conjured up a bi-colour leather trim package specifically for the Turbo S - in black and carrera red or black and luxor beige colour combinations with contrasting seam stitching, as well as the carbon fibre trim package. Porsche says the Turbo S retains the Cayenne's skillset - versatile off-road capabilities and towing power - have been preserved without exception.  

ANCAP has expressed concerns at the Isuzu D-Max and Holden Colorado single-cab utility models only achieving four stars.  The dual cab version of the Colorado achieved five stars earlier this year and has been a prominent part of Holden's marketing for the vehicle. ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh said the D-Max four-star rating was an improvement on the old model but five-star was becoming a main requirement for fleet and private buyers.  "The five-star safety rating of the Colorado crew cabs should be praised; however a four-star result for the single and space cab models is disappointing," he says. "Like the single and space cab Colorados, the shared-platform D-Max also has only single pretensioners resulting in the four-star ANCAP safety rating," Mr McIntosh says.  

A turf war with street brawls and king-hits is underway in the hot-hatch segment. Ford has weighed back into the battle with the ST, taking the best from the superseded XR5 and limited-edition RS.Ford marketing general manager David Katic says keen Australian drivers have a real love of the hot hatch genre. "Focus XR5 and Focus RS were tremendously successful vehicles for Ford Australia and carved out a cult following, the Focus ST not only continues this tradition of hot hatches from Ford, but takes it to a new level,'' he says.As Volkswagen's supply of the outgoing GTI dwindles, Ford is ready to take the mantle of top dog in the segment. The ST is on sale in Australia from this month, although supply constrained by, says Ford, strong demand from the 40 countries getting the car.Priced from $38,290 there's no shortage of gear — the sports Recaro seats, dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable, heated and folding exterior mirrors, LED interior and rear tail lights, alarm, automatic bi-xenon headlights, and auto-dimming centre rearvision mirrors and rain-sensing wipers.The ST also gets a Sony sound system, with USB and Bluetooth link and nine speakers, sports alloy pedals, satnav (albeit on a small-ish 5in display), keyless entry and ignition.A turbo four from the EcoBoost family tops the list for the ST — a 184kW/360Nm two-litre unit (a close relative to the 179kW/353Nm four-cylinder Falcon's powerplant). The engine has direct injection, variable camshaft timing and a revamped intake and exhaust system, which includes a sound generator for better induction noise and a grille shutter to control airflow through the engine bay and improve aerodynamics. It is only on offer with a six-speed manual and lays claim to 7.4l/100km, which Ford says is a 20 per cent improvement over the outgoing ST, which wasn't on sale here. The other highlight is the Sport Steering system, a variable-ratio steering system that delivers the appropriate ratio to the job at hand. It's only a couple of turns lock to lock but works well in low-speed situations and in the corners.The electric power steering and three-stage stability control also work to counteract the dreaded torque steer, as does the torque vectoring system that brakes an inside wheel to stop the nose running wide.There's no doubt you're looking at a Focus, and a special one at that. The front end has been given a big front grille, the flanks have been adorned with side skirts and there's a sizeable roof lip spoiler as well. It sits squat — but not stupidly so — on 10mm-lower sports suspension 18in wheels with 235/40 Goodyear rubber. The rump has what Ford calls a "twin-hexagonal" exhaust outlet.The cabin is dominated  by the sports leather/cloth trimmed Recaro bucket seats, which are remarkably comfortable and provide excellent lateral support — they need to, but more on that later. There's a three-gauge binnacle atop the dash which boy racers might like but if it disappeared I wouldn't miss it.The five-star ANCAP safety rating is applied to the ST, which gets dual front, front-side and curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes with brakeforce distribution and emergency brake assist, rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.The first impression of the ST is that it's quiet and civilised when sauntering through traffic, with a firm ride — it's not  uncomfortably so for a hot hatch, there's an initial compliance that makes life a little easier on the derriere and you won't need a kidney belt.The turbo powerplant on part throttle can deliver solid forward progress without fuss — slipping between gears, the shift has a hint of rubberiness to the lever but the action between the gears is clean. You won't need a massive number of cog-swaps of you don't desire them, as the engine is remarkably flexible — cruising at 100km/h in the tall 6th gear has the tachometer sitting at around 2200rpm. That said, if you want to stir it up, the animalistic tones from the sound generator and the turbo engine will encourage press-ahead progress on the right road.The first series of corners will have you recalibrating your steering wheel use, as it turns into bends with a ferocious enthusiasm, accuracy, good weighting and plenty of grip. Only thoughtless throttle application will disturb front wheel grip — the solid bolsters in the Recaro bucket seats are required features as the ST can generate plenty of lateral force.Body control is good and torque steer is still present, but not to the point of seriously disturbing the driver.The ST claims 7.4l/100km but our time in the ST had the trip computer showing 9.1 — but that's not bad given we weren't aiming for fuel economy records.The ST still has the busy centre stack that is not to all tastes and would take some time for familiarity.The sports steering wheel is a delight to use for its primary task but it's crowded with buttons that are not always easy to use.The centre display has myriad readouts but there's no digital speed readout — the instruments are clear enough to read but a digital display of speed could be handy, given the way the ST can quickly head into licence loss territory.The muscular front seats don't help rear legroom — I could just sit behind my own driving 191cm position but four normal-sized adults could be accomodated without concern, as will their gear with about 316 litres of bootspace.

Call it a facelift with new underwear and nicer shoes - Kia's Sorento SUV has had a mild exterior makeover (to the skin that arrived here in 2009). But the underpinnings have been also been upgraded, and the bodyshell is now stronger and stiffer.The new Kia SUV flagship sits on a new platform shared with stablemate Hyundai’s Santa Fe as part of platform reduction and production streamlining strategies for the Korean carmaking group. On sale in Australia this month, the range has been expanded with additional front-wheel drive models, and all-wheel drive models.The new seven-seater Sorento range starts from $37,490 for the Si petrol V6 front-wheel drive (up $500 over the outgoing car), with the newly-added SLi upping the price by $3000; the SLi with satnav is $41,990. The diesel line-up is all 4WD (which is about 60kg heavier than the equivalent 2WD) and kicks off at $38,990 (a drop of $1000) for the Si six-speed manual (add $2000 for the six-speed auto). The SLi is down by $2200 to $43,990 (or $45,490 the nav-equipped model).The flagship Platinum is up by $1200 and creeps over the $50,000 (by $390) and is diesel/auto only. Standard fare range wide includes alloy wheels plus full-size spare, front and rear parking sensors (the SLi and PLatinum add a reversing camera), cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio, phone and cruise controls, a USB/AUX compatible six-speaker audio system with Bluetooth, and dual zone climate control with vents for the second row.What Kia calls a "SuperVision" cluster is fitted to the SLi and Platinum, which has an LCD screen displaying a conventional-looking speedometer and an information display, while the standard Si gets conventional instruments. The SLi sits on 18in wheels and adds a fan control and vents for the third row of seats, automatic headlights and an auto-dimming centre rearvision mirror.Buyers of the Platinum flagship have 19in alloy wheels, power-adjustable, heated and ventilated front seats, active and automatic xenon headlights, additional speakers, satellite navigation with real-time traffic info, keyless entry and ignition and a panoramic glass sunroof.Kia says the chassis and body have been re-engineered to increase strength and rigidity, but have shed about 100kg overall – an aid for fuel economy. The Sorento benefits from damped subframe (which are a new design) mounts for the front MacPherson struts and a multi-link rear end. Mid and top-spec models also get the "FlexSteer" variable-weight power steering system, which has comfort, normal and sport settings; the Si sticks with the conventional electric power steering system.The drivetrains are largely unchanged - the 204kW/335Nm 3.5-litre petrol V6 and 145kW 2.2-litre turbocharged intercooled common-rail diesel engine, with 421Nm of torque with the six-speed manual or 436Nm (a 14Nm increase) when the six-speed auto is selected. Also under consideration for the Australian market is the 141kW/242Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine.The familiar look is refreshed by new fog lights, front grille, headlights and LED daytime running lamps, as well as a new tailgate and LED rear lights. Overall size hasn’t changed, but a dropped suspension has lowered the height by 10mm.The cabin has been given an updated layout, with a new centre screen and climate controls, while the nav-equipped models get a larger (and clear) centre screen and a new LCD instrument screen.No local crash test yet, but the new-generation Sorento earns a 5-star EuroNCAP safety rating. Kia says the body structure has been upgraded for better crash performance, backed by a features list that includes stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes, parking sensors and rear camera, dual front airbags, front-side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. Front brake disc sizes have also increased, with 320mm ventilated front discs teamed with the existing and 302mm discs at the rear.The SLi front-wheel drive V6 was the first new Sorento sampled and it immediately impressed with a refined and quiet drive.The absence of any drive at the rear was rarely felt, with a firm ride and better body control in the bends. Large road imperfections were dealt with well, but there was some jitteriness over small bumps.The V6 has ample grunt and makes a nice noise when generating it - it teams well with the six-speed automatic and returned just under 12l/100km during a country road drive that was not driven with economy in mind. The front seats were comfortable and more supportive than appearances would suggest, but the digital instruments didn't impress - the artificial speedometer needle was difficult to see.The flex-steer system didn't endear itself either - the different modes may need more distinct characteristics to make an impact, but the base model's normal steering setup felt more than adequate. The second row has enough leg and headroom for easy adult occupation but the flip-up third row is head and legroom restricted to make them a rugrat domain only.Switching to the 4WD diesel Si manual, the all-wheel drive set-up feels a little more balanced; the gearbox had a clean shift action but a dead clutch pedal. The little diesel was sitting in the mid-8s during most of the day, despite some demanding driving.The road-biased tyres were also not fond of loose-gravel surfaced dirt roads and could wander at the front and rear, but aside from that acquitted itself well. The diesel engine had enough torque for effortless progress, the engine noise rarely intruded into the cabin and wind noise was not intrusive either.The Kia SUV flagship certainly looks reasonably familiar but has been given plenty of tweaks under the skin and to good effect. There are still those who would ignore Korean built product but they do so at their loss - the updated Sorento is a value for money proposition that is quieter and more refined. While there are some SUVs with more off-road ability the Sorento has taken the more-worn on-road path and is worthy of making a family-carter shopping list.

The Kia Track'ster may show a future path, but a renewed attack on the mini peoplemover segment and a new small car will lead the Kia charge next year. The new Rondo seven-seater - including a diesel model - will follow a phased release of the new Cerato range in the first half of 2013, including a diesel variant of the mini peoplemover. Kia national sales manager Alan Crouch believes the Rondo seven-seater is headed for an untapped market segment. "We think it has a huge, a latent market because it looks more like a hatchback." "We like the set-up of the seven-seater, they haven't caught the imagination here because they haven't looked like a good hatch," Crouch says. Kia Australia chief operating officer Tony Barlow says the Korean brand is also looking at models from the sport coupe end of the spectrum - although there's nothing from the Veloster family with a Kia badge in the immediate future. The Track'ster that will star for Kia at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney later this month is set to show a possible future path, Barlow says. "The Track'ster will be out here at the motor show - and that will catch people's eye, that's a concept car that could come to reality as well.". Barlow says the pro-cee'd is also being further examined by the brand for Australia but had a few hurdles to clear yet. "It is something we'd like to have a bit of a closer look at, it went on sale in Europe in May - we had a look at it in Paris and it's something we'll follow up on, but at this point in time it's nothing firmer than a thought," he says. The brand's last few years have been the most exciting for the Kia badge in Australia. "We've been here for about 15 years, the last third has seen the most exciting changes have occurred." "Since Sportage it has been a humbling experience to see how well-received Kia has been with customers, voting with their purchases," Barlow says.  "We have launched the 5dr Cerato, the Optima, the Rio and now Sorento - all of that activity has supported our domestic sales and brand strength - we're experiencing 23 per cent growth over 2011, the market is at 9.5 per cent growth," he says. Kia sold 2744 vehicles in September (up by 500 units over September 2011) and is up 4431 sales in 2012 in year-to-date terms.  

A renewed attack on the mini peoplemover segment and a new small car will lead the Kia charge next year.

The Adelaide-based car maker will add extra "market response" days to its production schedule between now and the end of the year to avoid producing excess stock. Holden's SA spokesman Sean Poppitt said the company was implementing a small number of what the workplace agreement with staff calls "market response days" between now and the end of the year in response to reduced demand, but declined to put a number on it. "We're not saying specifically - it's less than four per cent of our total production volume for the year," he said. The plant, which employs around 2400 people, is producing 400 Caprice, Cruze and Commodore vehicles - 45 models in total - per day. The plant was scheduled to run up to around 240 production days this year, with a target of 90,000 for 2012 - a four per cent reduction would reduce the vehicle production by 3600 units, or as many as nine production days. "Would we prefer not to be doing it, absolutely, but it's not an enormous number and it’s crucial to us, being a small-volume manufacturer, that we are able to respond to the market and stay lean, because having excess inventory for us is the worst position we could be in at this point," Mr Poppitt said. The large car segment continues to reduce in size - so far this year it is down more than 20 per cent on last year's lack-lustre figures (although Commodore continues to outsell the Falcon by 2:1). The 2011 tally for large car sales was a 20 per cent fall on the previous year. The small car segment - which includes the Adelaide-built Cruze - has grown by more than two per cent, although the Cruze sales are down by 7.7 per cent so far this year. Mr Poppitt said the schedule changes had been worked through with union representatives to identify the best days for no vehicle production. "It is in the agreement for these exact situations, employees are aware of them - we don't make these decisions lightly, we understand that people not required to work that day are on 60 per cent pay - they have the opportunity to top that up with leave entitlements, but we don't take it lightly, we know that it effects people," he says. No plans have been made to change the ratio of Cruze and Commodore model production and Mr Poppitt said the production down days allowed then to make line and equipment upgrades for the upcoming 2014 VF Commodore. "It's not as though the place is a ghost town - there are all sorts of engineering upgrades and critical maintenance that we can't do when we have the line running, so it's an opportunity to do these things in the lead up to VF," he said.  

Born from a vicious family split but showing little residual impact, Holden Special Vehicles is now celebrating 25 years in the supercar business and has given the GTS a boost. At the upcoming Australian International Motor Show in Sydney this month, the HSV stand will have a 25th anniversary limited-edition GTS as its show stand star. Following on from a refresh of the HSV range last month, which saw the re-introduction of the ClubSport and Maloo nameplates as entry-level models to the line-up, the 25th Anniversary GTS will be available to just 125 Australian buyers. HSV says there's an extra $7500 of extra features for a $2000 price hike above a standard GTS -  the 25th Anniversary GTS six-speed manual will be priced from $84,990. Power by the 325kW/550Nm 6.2 litre V8, the limited-edition GTS sits on light-weight 20in forged alloy wheels (finished in Satin Graphite) which the low-volume car maker says offers a weight saving in excess of 22kg over the standard GTS wheel set. Bonnet and side vents finished to match the alloys will distinguish the anniversary model, as will (for the trainspotters at least) six-piston brakes, with the safety features list is expanded to include a blind spot monitoring system. Those not wanting a clutch pedal can pay an extra $2000 for the six-speed auto; also on the options list is a sun roof for $1990, a rear DVD player for $1290 or gas fans can opt for the Liquid Propane Injection system for the engine for an extra $5990. The company celebrated 40 years of the GTS badge in Australia with a - surprisingly - 40th Anniversary limited-edition GTS in late 2008. A limited-edition GTS-R, available only in a polarising bright yellow colour and with a 215kW/475Nm 5.7-litre V8, was offered by HSV the mid-1990s. HSV marketing and communications manager Damon Paull said the GTS is the hero model of the range. “The MY12.5 was introduced in August, a freshening of the range which involved some specification changes, plus bringing in the Clubsport and Maloo entry level models. “The introduction of the 25th anniversary GTS model rounds off our whole range realignment,” he said. The 25th Anniversary GTS will be available in Heron (white), Sting (red), Phantom (black) and Hazard (yellow, pictured) and has the obligatory badging and embroidery. Just in case the owner forgets, they can be reminded every time they fire the big V8 up - the Enhanced Driver Interface centre display's start-up screen and an internal ID plate will detail the build number of the anniversary model. “Twenty-five years is an important milestone in the HSV journey - we believe this 25th anniversary GTS truly embodies all that HSV stands for - race-bred performance, design and technology at a price that represents outstanding value,” said HSV general sales manager Darren Bowler. The limited-edition GTS will be revealed in the metal at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney on October 18 and stock will be available in dealerships the same day.  

Ford Ranger XLT and Holden Colorado LTZ go head-to-head in this comparative review.