Articles by Stuart Martin

New car buyers have turned to Sport Utility Vehicles in record numbers, according to the official sales figures released yesterday by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.So far this year the small SUV brigade – including such popular vehicles as the Nissan Dualis, Mitsubishi ASX, Volkswagen's Tiguan and Hyundai ix35 – has grown at an unprecedented rate of 31 per cent. Australians bought 23,845 SUVs of all types last month.Small SUV sales have not come at the expense of the larger models - the medium, large and upper large SUVs all continue to record twenty-plus per cent growth.SUVs have sold 177,100 units this year – or just 20,000 vehicles short of the SUV tally for 2007, which was the record year for vehicle sales. The segment is on track to top 305,000 sales.The FCAI also says SUVs are being bought by both private and business customers. Diesel engines are the powerplant of choice.The sales data shows a 59.9 per cent growth in private diesel SUVs and a 36.3 per cent in non-private sales.One brand that has strong SUV sales to thank is Toyota - Australia's executive director sales and marketing Matthew Callachor said strong performances from Toyota's SUVs helped lift Toyota's sales tally by 26.2 per cent this year."Toyota SUVs sales rose by a massive 58 per cent July-on-July, led by Prado which more than doubled its year-ago result,'' he says.     

The fuel-efficient petrol-electric passenger cars started out as market oddities when Honda first brought the Insight to market in 2001. Now they are finding mainstream market.

Set for a world debut unveiling at the Moscow motor show next month before the full range is seen in Paris, the new Mazda 6 has kept plenty of the Takeri in its looks.

The arrival of the Malibu mid-sized sedan sets the stage for a sibling spat between it and the GM-owned Opel Insignia. The Australian arm of GM has a handful of Malibu medium sedans now on the road for local suspension and steering calibration in the lead-up to going on sale here next year.  Holden says its engineering team will be putting together the local chassis tune, as well as completing calibration work on the transmission for the Australian and overseas markets, something the Melbourne-based engineering team has done for a number of global GM products prior to Malibu. "The suspension and steering tune is for us in Australia only, the transmission calibration is being used elsewhere, we tend to do unique suspension work, some of the dynamics and handling are for the local market," Holden spokeswoman Kate Lonsdale says.  "It's going to compete in a quite different market segment (to the Insignia), similar in size but I they will be quite different offerings." The development work on the Malibu likely to go on sale mid next year and seen as a direct competitor for the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord Euro is being done at the company's Lang Lang proving ground as well as on public roads in Victoria. Holden integration and safety director Ian Butler says the local tailoring-to-taste of the Malibu by Holden's engineers was of considerable benefit. "Our engineers have paid close attention to the vehicles driving dynamics, ride and handling, suspension and comfort so Malibu will be sure to meet the discerning needs of drivers in this competitive segment," he says. "This is a fantastic global car but of course we want to make sure that it goes on sale with plenty of Holden input to ensure it suits Australia's unique and varied road conditions." The Malibu is seen by many as more of a threat to Commodore, being just 38mm shorter in overall length, 45mm narrower but sitting on a 177mm shorter in wheelbase, the Malibu is already on offer in the US with a petrol-electric mild-hybrid version as well as several four-cylinder powerplants. The US-built medium sedan is part of Holden's 2012 "product renaissance" which includes the new Colorado, the dedicated LPG Commodore and Volt electric range-extender vehicle.  Opel's Michelle Lang says the Insignia will sit on a chassis that carries over its European suspension and steering tune, which will appeal to Australian driver tastes. "We are taking the Euro-spec suspension, in terms of what is standard and optional features will be as per our requirements locally, but we're not doing any tuning locally," he says.  Ms Lang says the Opel brand is not being positioned as purely premium in the lead up to going on sale in September. "We're not premium, that's not where we're positioning ourselves, we're high-quality German engineered and designed. The Insignia will be a highly-specified vehicle."

The battery-switchable electric Commodore, developed by EV Engineering, has unofficially broken the distance record for a production electric car - 1886km over a 24-hour period. The car covered a 122km loop - which would leave the lithium-ion battery with as little as 20 per cent charge remaining - but the battery switch system allowed the car to get back on the road quickly rather than waiting to re-charge. A crew of 16 kept the car (one of seven electric Commodores built by the company) on the loop, which EV Engineering said was all public roads between Port Melbourne and Geelong at normal driving speeds and using the car's heating and other features. "We just travelled at the speed limits and not getting in the way of traffic, we used the heater and the air conditioning as required, the heater consumes more energy than the A/C, it didn't make too much difference but it draws about 3kW and maybe reduces the range by 10 per cent," he said. Based in Port Melbourne (near GM Holden's Melbourne headquarters) EV Engineering is made up of a group of Australian automotive suppliers - Air International, Bosch, Continental, Futuris, GE, and recharge network company Better Place. EV Engineering CEO Ian McCleave said it was a great feeling to see the electric car designed and developed here beat a world distance record. "While our achievement is not an official record, it's a sound validation of our cars capabilities. "We're happy with the range we're getting out of the car, there was still 20 to 25 per cent charge left which suggests a 150km range, that's pretty good," he said. While Mr McCleave, formerly planning and program management executive director at GM Holden, was unwilling to talk about future plans, the future for EV Engineering's electric Commodore is promising. "We're winding up phase one and wanted to celebrate the achievements, we're thinking about looking at an official record attempt," he said. The official record is held by the Renault Zoe - which used fast chargers instead of battery swapping - at 1618km. "There isn't a phase two at this stage, we're in discussions with various parties and it's a bit too early to say how they might unfold - the team has done a fantastic job and we've built a lot of capability here," he said. Mr McCleave said the battery switch technology was critical to covering such a large distance and it shows the age of the electric car has arrived. "That's what got us across the line ... we were able to quickly switch our depleted battery for a fully charged one, so we didn't have to park and plug in order to recharge," he said.  The system used to switch the battery is a scaled-down version of the Battery Switch Stations that will be rolled out in Australia by Better Place - Australia is the third market for Better Place, which already has operational networks in Israel and Denmark. The Society of Automotive Engineers Australasia (SAE) observed the 24-hour trial across its entire 24- hour duration and it has confirmed one electric Commodore covered the 1886km in a continuous 24-hour period.  

The new seatbelt safety system was first offered as an option in the US Ford Explorer in 2010 and is expected in the new Ford Mondeo next year. Ford claims the seatbag system spreads the force of an impact across five times the area compared with a normal seatbelt. Lexus' V10 supercoupe, the LFA, has seatbelt airbags for its two occupants that work in a different manner to the Ford and Benz examples. The Lexus system has an inflatable seatbelt (with a gas inflator in the buckle) and separate lap sash belt, which separate during inflation. Mercedes-Benz has not nominated a specific model for the technology's arrival in the three-pointed star range, but the S-Class has brought key safety technologies to market previously - airbags, anti-lock brakes and stability control to name a few - so the next S-Class (also a 2013 prospect) is a good bet. The inflatable seat-belt strap reduces injury risks by spreading the impact force across a broader area of the rear passenger's chest. The beltbag is triggered by the same system that controls the rest of the car's airbags, inflating the multi-layered belt strap through velcro seams to almost three times the seatbelt's normal width, says Benz. Trials of the new seatbelt showed it was comfortable to use, due in part to the softer edge of the belt. The German brand's burgeoning markets in China and Russia have higher rear seat occupancy rates - as high as 30 per cent - resulting in the inclusion of more safety features for rear seat dwellers. Benz says the inclusion of rear seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load-limiters in current models, as well as developments like the recently-unveiled active seat-belt buckle (that pops out of the seat when the doors are opened and then retracts a little to tighten seatbelts), is evidence of the company not ignoring the back-seat bigwigs. The brand says there are no plans to introduce a front seat seatbelt airbag as airbags are already included up front.  

Currency and competition mean a price cut and more gear are top of the highlights sheet for most new models coming into the Australian market - the Lexus GS450h is no different. The new model has no major changes in dimensions but plenty of improvement, now offered in three model designations - Luxury, F Sport and Sport Luxury - we're luxuriating in the latter.VALUEIt's difficult to fit value into the same sentence as a Japanese luxury car that carries a $121,900 pricetag, but when you consider it is $5000 cheaper than the outgoing model, there's some scope to keep a straight face.The features list is extensive - 18-in alloy wheels, keyless entry and ignition, sunroof, electronically-controlled suspension, leather and woodgrain trim, power-adjustable (Lexus says 20 ways) heated and cooled front seats, manual rear-side sunblinds, an electric rear windscreen sunblind, rear climate and sound system control, heated rear seats and tri-zone climate control.The infotainment system in the top-spec model has a 12.3-inch control screen, which Lexus says is the world's largest, to control the 835-watt 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, the satnav and a number of the car's settings and functions, although strangely there's no TV receiver, which seems a waste of such a big screen.It's all operated by the fixed mouse-like set-up that is the Japanese brand's take on BMW's iDrive, controlling access to the menu system, while some phone and sound system controls are also accessible from the buttons on the wood/leather trimmed steering wheel, which looks nice but isn't the best for grip.TECHNOLOGYThe drivetrain is an upgraded version of the superceded car - using a 3.5-litre Atkinson cycle V6 direct and port injection engine, which has - says Lexus - improved by 20 per cent the engine's efficiency and emissions without reducing output. An Atkinson combustion cycle delays the intake valve closure for a smaller fuel-air mix, the company says.Changes have also been made to the continuously variable transmission (CVT) to improve the drivetrain feel and reduce the "flare" inherent in these transmissions - the driver also has the choice of a manual mode via paddleshifts to liven up the drive a bit. More along those lines can also be achieved by playing with the Lexus Drive Mode Select system - which changes drivetrain, chassis and steering mapping in one of four modes.Eco mode aims to make the most economical way from A to B, with a milder throttle map, less input from the petrol engine and a reduction to 500 volts on the electric side in most driving conditions. Eco and Normal modes both bring blue illumination to the dashboard, but when Sport or Sport+ are selected, the red mist descends on the instruments. Turn the controller to Sport and the ECU opts for more aggressive throttle calibration and the petrol-electric drivetrain leans more towards performance than economy. Flick it again and the Sport+ mode brings the chassis into the equation, tightening up steering and dampers and allegedly backing off stability control interference. Extra energy is also being recovered the via the company's most efficient regenerative braking package yet, which Lexus says contributes to a 20 per cent drop in fuel use reduction to 6.3l/100km. Other highlights include a climate control system that counteracts dehydration by putting microscopic ions with around 1000 times more water content than regular air ions - apparently it's gentler on skin and hair.DESIGNThe second generation Lexus GS 450h hybrid is the fourth Lexus to get the new look, and the aggressive, angular look sits nicely on the big sedan. The rear end has lost the rounded rump of its predecessor and that's a good thing. There's also a classier clock - analogue, which is a big improvement over the old green digital unit.The car's overall size hasn't changed much apart from a small increase in width height - the wheelbase remains a little shorter than its class competitors and that is displayed in a number of ways, including rear legroom. Thankfully the new nickel-metal hydride battery layout allows for 45 per cent more bootspace - now 465 litres - than the outgoing car and helps give the GS450h near 50/50 weight distribution.SAFETYThe outgoing car was a five-star car and the new one has more than enough to suggest a similar rating. The Sport Luxury top-spec model has a blind spot monitor, a Head Up Display with speed, satnav and sound system info, active cruise control and pre-collision safety system, anti-lock brakes, stability and traction control, tyre pressure monitoring, automatic bi-xenon adaptive headlights with automatic high-beam system (although its more clumsy to use than the BMW system).Also on the Sport Luxury model is the driver fatigue monitor, encased within the little red LED monitor on the top of the steering column, which uses an infra-red LED pulse and a camera to monitor the driver's face and eyes, to check if the driver's eyes are open and watching the road. The alert system warns the driver of potential drowsiness and can even jolt the brakes to further alert the driver.There's also auto-dimming mirrors, ten airbags (dual front, dual front knee, front and rear side, full-length curtain and a ) and rain-sensing wipers. The features list also has parking sensors front and rear (part of the auto-parking system), a rear camera, LED front running lights and tail lights.DRIVINGThe old car looked a little droopy front and rear compared to the sharp new Lexus look, and it works. What is also very effective is the drivetrain - it's nearly two tonnes of Japanese luxury car but the smooth and unobstrusive petrol-electric system mimmicks a never-ending slingshot away from standstill.The continuously-variable transmission (which doubles as a generator to re-charge the battery when coasting) lays claim to a sprint to 100km/h of 5.9 seconds and it is a deceptively quick conveyance. The ride is on the firm side but is still in the good range - tightening it up for corners over cruising doesn't turn it into a molar-rattler either, but nor does it become a vehicle that is going to match a purpose-built corner-carver either.This definitely is a cruiser - swift in a straightline, but cruising is its forte. The soundtrack doesn't match the mumbo, sadly - it sounds like angry wasps on speed - but you can't argue with the outcome.The soundtrack is easily overcome - crank up the Mark Levinson sound system, which is considerable in quality and volume of sound, topping a well-packed features list that is minimal for optional extras, unlike the German opposition. The cabin is perhaps not as cavernous for interior space as the overall dimensions might suggest, but four occupants can be comfortably transported - a fifth passenger is going to need to be vertically-challenged as the centre section of the seat is high.Slow improvement has been made on the active cruise control front with Lexus, but they're still not there yet. The latest version brakes to a standstill and can move away again but it's not as dextrous as the opposing German systems. It still has trouble maintaining a set cruising speed downhill without a car in front to engage the braking function. Even the non-radar cruise systems of Benz and BMW can involve the brakes to do this, Lexus has taken too long to catch up.Pricing has always been a plus for the Lexus and the Japanese luxury marque has kept it lean - it's the only hybrid in the segment until the three German brands get into the act, but preliminary numbers on the Beemer ActiveHybrid 5 suggest fuel economy on that brand's existing diesels is better.Audi says an A6 hybrid is in the future and Benz has two hybrid E-Class models - a petrol-electric E400 and the E300 diesel-electric hybrid - but none of the aforementioned are imminent on Australian showrooms.VERDICTThe GS series is a car that - by Lexus brass' own admission - hasn't done enough in Australia. The medium prestige market has a number of under-performers but Lexus might have given the GS the look to get it on more shopping lists.Lexus GS450h Sports LuxuryPrice: from $121,900Warranty: 4 years/unlimited kmResale:  43 per cent (Source: Glass's Guide)Service interval: 15,000km/12 monthsSafety rating: five star (predicted)Engine: 3.5-litre dual-injection 24-valve DOHC 215kW/352Nm petrol V6, 650v electric drive motor 147kW/275NmTransmission: Six-step electronically-controlled continuously-variable transmission with paddleshift; RWDBody: 4.9m (L); 1.8m (w); 1.5m (h)Weight: 1910kgThirst: 6.31/100km, on test 8.1, tank 66 litres; 147g/km CO2

The new-look CR-V will go on sale here during the last quarter, sporting front or all-wheel drive but no diesel. The oil-burner destined for the European and UK markets - under the bonnet of the UK-built version - is absent from the Thai-sourced vehicle of similar look that will come to Australia. The overhauled Honda SUV has been updated with a more aggressive look, including a 30mm cut to overall height and a front grille flared out to the front headlights, front LED running lights, LED tail lights and more than a bit of Volvo SUV when looking from the rear. Engineers have also given the new CR-V a flat underfloor section and wheel-arches that have been made-over for better air flow, as have the front bumper and rear lip spoiler, all of which has given the CR-V a 6.5 per cent improvement in wind resistance. Hip points are lower and there's also been more sound insulation and double-seals added to the doors for better sound insulation - the boffins are claiming a 3dB reduction in cabin noise. The powerplant in Europe is a two-litre i-VTEC engine but if that heads for Australia outputs would be reduced on the current car. The European-spec machine will get an "Econ" mode (which tailors throttle and climate control for better fuel economy) and driving behaviour is rated by white-to-green colour changes in the "Eco Assist" display. European buyers ticking the box for a manual transmission will also have access to the stop-start fuel-saving system. Honda is the latest SUV manufacturer to join a growing list of SUV makers putting front-drivers into their model mix - the company says two-wheel drive SUV models now account for 51 per cent of the petrol-engined compact-SUVs sold in Europe last year and the balance is similar in Australia. The UK-built CR-V going to European buyers will also get as standard a hill-start assist system and automatic models will also benefit from the debut of hill descent control in the new model, which controls a descent at speeds up to 8km/h. Boot capacity is 589 litres (up from 556 litres) and when the seats are folded flat there's 1648 litres of space (up by 148 litres, says Honda). Euro-spec cars get an automated electric tailgate and keyless entry and ignition, but other markets look like having to do the rear tailgate manually. Honda has sold more than five million CR-Vs in 160 countries since the model was introduced in 1995 - Honda Australia's Lindsay Smalley says the fourth generation of the important SUV model would be launched toward the end of the year. "The all-new CR-V will be launched in Australia in the last quarter of 2012 with two petrol variants; a four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive, the CR-V is a very important model for Honda Australia and we are excited about its launch." "Our CR-V will share some of the styling characteristics of the European model and will be manufactured at our plant in Thailand ... full specifications and pricing will be released closer to its Australian launch date," he says.  

Fiat Chrysler Group Australia has recalled more than 1100 of its 2010 Jeep Wrangler models over concerns about underbody fires following investigations in the US for similar issues. Earlier this year more than 67,000 2010 Jeep Wranglers were recalled in the US to replace the skid plate with a skid bar.The company said in a statement then that the catalytic converter was relocated to a new location closer to the skid plate as part of exhaust emissions compliance for the 2010 model. "If an excessive amount of debris collects in the underbody, the catalytic converter could ignite it, causing an underbody fire without warning," the recall notice said.A spokesperson at Fiat Chrysler Group said 1156 vehicles in Australia may be effected by the safety recall. "The transmission skid plate may allow debris to collect in the undercarriage of the vehicle under certain driving conditions. The spokesperson said if an excessive amount collects in the undercarriage, the catalytic converter could ignite the debris and cause an underbody fire without warning. "It is applicable to off-road driving and the voluntary fix is to replace the transmission skid bar, there have been no reported incidences in Australia," the spokesperson said.The skid bar is fitted to later models as part of a design change implemented in late 2010, which Jeep says was as "a weight-savings measure." The company will contact owners of all effected vehicles in writing or owners are advised to contact their nearest Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealership to have the protective plate replaced free of charge.The Wrangler range was also the subject of a recall in March last year over possible loose suspension components. The off-roader was also the subject of a recall in late 2010 for a possible hydraulic leak that could reduce brake performance, as well as a May 2010 recall due to a transmission fluid overheating issue that could potentially cause a fire.Porsche Cars Australia has also issued a recall notice for the Panamera Turbo S and the Cayenne Turbo S over sub-standard turbochargers and engine failures. The recall notice said the Borg Warner turbochargers did not meet quality standards and in extreme cases a turbo failure could result "in an engine bay fire."Porsche Cars Australia spokesman Paul Ellis said there were only three Panamera Turbo S cars in customer hands - the fourth was unsold and still in PCA yard - and no Cayennes sold in Australia were effected by the recall."The Cayenne Turbo with a power kit would be the only models effected but we haven't sold any of those with a power kit. "We have had no issues with cars or any incidents in Australia," he said. 

Finally, some good news for Ford. Research from Roy Morgan has shown the Blue Oval's brand loyalty - which currently sits at 47 per cent - is on the way up. The Melbourne car maker sits a few rungs down the ladder from the top - that spot is held down by a 64 per cent customer loyalty percentage by the hard-charging German marque Volkswagen, who has bold global volume plans. Ford spokesman Neil McDonald says Ford has shown improvements across a lot of our nameplates. "The addition of EcoBoost into the family is resonating strongly with our customers," he says. "It's always good news if that's what it's showing externally from an independent analysis point of view," he says. Ford has refreshed or renewed more than 80 per cent of its line-up in the past 18 months, says Mr McDonald. "We've been pretty pro-active across our nameplates, launching new models, and capped-price servicing resonates well with buyers because it provides some level of certainty to them in the marketplace and it's something that's doing well with the dealers," he says. Second spot is held by Subaru, which boasts a 61 per cent customer loyalty, which is good news for one of several Japanese brands that was hammered by earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident. The Roy Morgan research estimates that more than two million Australians will be in the market for a new car in the next four years - with just six per cent first-time new-car buyers - so solid brand loyalty is critical to on-going sales. Roy Morgan Research industry communications director Norman Morris says VW appears set to continue strong sales growth. "Increasing numbers of VW drivers intending to buy another VW, not surprisingly, 98 per cent of those Volkswagen drivers intending to repurchase are satisfied with their current vehicle," he says. Fast-growing Korean brand Hyundai has gone from 10th to 7th on the list, with 46 per cent brand loyalty. "But the other half of the Hyundai driving group looking elsewhere are focussed on trading in their Hyundai on a Toyota, Holden, Ford, Mazda or Subaru," he says.