Articles by Stuart Martin

Audi Q5 2.0 TDI and Volvo XC60 D5 Teknik go head-to-head in this comparative review.

Starting an argument about what were the pioneering hot hatches is easy - get Peugeot, VW Golf, Renault and a few other fans of the breed and see if anyone remembers the Swift GTi, which popped up in 1986, a year before the Pug 205 GTi. Some will argue the Golf is a size up, others won't rate the little cars and while Suzuki's honest little performer has lost the GTi/GTI tag, the Japanese car maker's new Swift Sport is aiming to maintain the bloodline.New Suzuki Australia boss Mac Kato, a 30 year veteran of the Suzuki brand, has aims of taking Suzuki into the top 10 and sees the Sport as a hero car to help achieve that. "It's one of my favourite cars and after talking to the engineering team, I'm confident that we will be able to continue the Suzuki tradition of building a great hot hatch," he says.VALUEThe Swift flagship has an upgraded features list and a downgraded price - it's dropped by $1000 to $23,990. That's despite an equipment list that includes climate control, a sound system with Bluetooth and USB, cruise control, 17in wheels, bi-xenon headlights, a six-speed manual (up from five cogs) or the option of a continuously-variable transmission (with a seven-speed "manual'' change mode and an electronic lock-up clutch for improved performance).The price cut and the CVT are expected to put the Sport volumes around 200 per month, with as much as 70 per cent opting for the $2000 CVT. The sports steering wheel has also grown audio, cruise and phone controls, and the features list also includes fog lamps, keyless entry and ignition.TECHNOLOGYThe 1.6-litre engine has been given a tweak to increase power by 8kW to 100kW and torque has risen from 148 to 160Nm, thanks to a new intake manifold, smoother intake ports and variable valve timing. When under medium load, a valve in the intake is closed, opening when required at high and low engine loads - shortening the intake path and improving the spread of available torque.The extra urge has not been accompanied by growing thirst - the Sport model still prefers 95RON PULP (it can cope with 91RON) but the number has dropped from 7.3 to 6.5 for the manual - or the optional CVT claims 6.1 litres per 100km. There's also 30kg less to haul, as the new Sport tips the scales at 1060kg, thanks to a 10kg lighter bodyshell and the lightweight 17in alloy wheels rolled thinner during a new manufacturing process.DESIGNThe little five-door sports hatch gets dual exhausts and a low-key sports body kit (including roof lip spoiler) that gives the evolutionary design of the normal Swift a lift. It sits on a wider track and its length has grown by 120 mm over old Sport and its 40mm longer than current Swift model, thanks to different bumpers.There's an extra 50mm in the wheelbase that Suzuki says improves rear space. The cabin has sports seats (with contrasting red stitching, also on the steering wheel and gearshifter) and pedals.SAFETYThe Sport has inherited the cooking model's five-star NCAP rating with a safety features list that includes seven airbags (the new car has a driver's knee airbag), as well as stability and traction control, as well as front seat belts with pre-tensioners and load limiters. The Sport model has also been endowed with slightly beefier brakes than the outgoing Sport and the current Swift.DRIVINGThe first few hundred metres in the new Swift Sport hints that the little Suzuki is not trying to be something other than what you see -- a small, perky little hot hatch that is an honest machine.The seats are comfortable and with adequate lateral support and a good range of adjustment, the sports steering wheel can adjust for reach and rake to get a decent driving position and the six-speed manual is a light and direct shift (there were no CVTs on hand to sample).Rear space is reasonable given the size of the car, even allowing for my 191cm frame behind the wheel and a similarly-sized person able to sit behind without too much compromise from the driver -- head room is less of an issue than leg room, which is at a premium.Country back roads with lumps and bumps showed the Sport's ride quality was passable for something that is biased towards handling, although country bumps did make it through a little more than is ideal.The cabin wasn't invaded horribly by road or engine noise, with little on the way of droning at cruising speed; work it harder and the driver is aware of the powerplant but it's not harsh in its soundtrack. A brief stint on the racetrack showed the little Japanese hatch has decent amounts of grip  as was experienced on the road drive  and feels like it could cope with more from the powerplant.The track allowed enough pace to be carried to push the nose wide but the stability control was not pessimistic.VERDICTSuzuki Swift SportPrice: from $23,990Warranty: 3-years/100,000kmResale: N/A% (est.) Source: Glass's GuideService Interval: 15,000km/12 monthsSafety: 5-star NCAPEngine: 1.6-litre, 4-cyl petrol, 100kW/160NmBody: 5-door hatchWeight: 1060kgTransmission: 6-speed manual or 7-speed CVT auto, front-wheel driveThirst: 6.5L/100km (6.1 CVT), 95RON, CO2 155g/km (CVT 145g/km)'

Never have those in the market for a prestige sports sedan been so spoilt for choice.My fairy godmother has yet to fund me for such a beast but if you're fortunate enough to be looking for a four-door that can embarrass sports cars and still cart the kids, there are several options.The bent-eight compact prestige brigade was largely a German affair until Lexus launched the IS F in 2008, with a musical powerplant and no vertical give in the rear end.It's had two upgrades since then and the latest update of the swift and sonorous model claims to have reduced the rear end's uncomfortably rock-hard ride - sadly that's not the case.VALUESitting amongst the M and AMG badged Germans that dwell around $150,000, the $126,800 Lexus sedan has a solid head start on price.There's dual-zone climate control with rear vents, leather trim, sports leather-wrapped steering wheel with shift paddles, reach'n'rake adjustable steering, keyless entry and ignition, power-adjustable front seats with memory, sports pedals, alarm, Bluetooth phone link (but not for the sound system), a 14-speaker Mark Levinson sound system (USB) with wheel-mounted controls, sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, power windows, auto-dimming centre mirror and folding auto-dimming exterior mirrors and automatic xenon headlights.TECHNOLOGYThe 5.0-litre V8 engine is seen elsewhere in the Lexus catalogue but in this incarnation produces 311kW at 6600 rpm (the redline is 6800rpm) and 505Nm of torque at 5200rpm. The direct-injection powerplant (with work done on its top end by Yamaha) uses dual variable valve timing for inlet and exhaust cams to provide flexible and relatively frugal motoring.The engine sends drive aft via an eight-speed automatic transmission (with a proper manual paddleshift mode) as well as a rear limited slip differential and is capable of accelerating IS F from 0-100km/h in just 4.8 seconds and claims fuel consumption of 11.4 litres per 100km.The suspension remains a bug-bear - the Japanese luxury brand says the IS F sits on springs, dampers and bushes with revised rates "to combine high performance with enhanced ride comfort," says Lexus .... nup, not yet people - keep at it.The IS F also gets the radar-controlled active cruise control, which maintains a following distance when cruising, but sadly still can't hold a set speed down hill - the Germans can do it with simpler controls on the non-radar cruise control, Lexus has had the system in several models over several model changes but as yet have not got it right.DESIGNThe IS F's exterior has a purposeful look to it - without screaming to authorities that it has street-machine smoke-making potential. It gets the day running lights - LEDs of course - but there are more changes on the dash than anywhere else.The instrument panel is dominated by the tachometer, which now has a tricky redline-imminent light display, as well as a digital and small analogue speed display. The snug-but-comfy four-seater cabin also has carbon-fibre centre-console inserts, more colour options for the leather trim and a revised sports steering wheel.SAFETYThe sedan gets all the bits to warrant its five-star NCAP safety rating - anti-lock brakes with emergency brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution,  stability and traction Control and eight airbags - dual front, side, curtain and driver's knee units.Also on board is the pre-collision safety system which uses a radar sensor in the nose to monitor the distance of the vehicle from objects ahead and if it senses a collision is likely it emits a warning and prepares the car's safety systems for action.DRIVINGTime spent behind the wheel of this car on a track amply displays its pace and talents on smooth tarmac with no speed limits. In real world driving, the IS F can ooze through traffic on a muted V8 burble, a refined note, with the ability to make more noise as required and leave the dawdling masses behind.The eight-speed auto is swift of change and has a genuine manual mode (thank you Lexus) but it can be indecisive, which would be more of an issue if it weren't such a slick-shifter. Daily traffic duties soon show that the chassis engineers still have work to do - on some nastier undulations and bumps the IS F actually pitches and harsher bumps are transmitted more than they should be.The cabin is snug but not uncomfortable for most occupants, although rear legroom is tight, as is front headroom for those over the old six foot mark. Lord knows how I managed to - at 191cm - get behind the wheel of this very car at a racetrack with a helmet on.The cabin design is starting to look a little dated but nowhere more than the digital clock - a Breitling or Omega timepiece is traditional, the digital unit is very 1980s and too naff.It's only a four-seater too, unlike its German opposition, Lexus says its four buckets are for better seat comfort. The IS F has a USB input for iPhones and other devices, but no music aspect for the Bluetooth; there's also no splitfold rear seat and the boot floor panel over the spare is a cumbersome set-up.VERDICTThere's a lot to like about the IS F, in particular the drivetrain that has the tight and hard sound as well as the outputs to back it up. It can also be swift and subtle, with a comfortable cabin. But the luxury arm of Toyota has had enough chances to get the suspension and radar cruise control right and they haven't.LEXUS IS FPrice: $126,800Warranty: 4 years, unlimited kmResale: 54%Source: Glass's GuideService Interval: 10,000km or 6-monthsEconomy: 11.4l/100km, on test 16l/100km, tank ; 270g/km CO2Equipment: eight airbags, ABS, EBD, stability and traction control, pre-collision safety system.Crash rating: 5 starEngine:  311kW/505Nm 5-litre V8Transmission: 8-speed autoBody: 4-door, 4 seats Dimensions: 4660mm (L); 1815mm (W); 1415mm (H); 2730mm (WB)Weight: 1700kgTyre size: 225/40 R19 fr, 255/35 R19 rrSpare tyre: Space saver

Sitting on platform shared with the Mitsubishi ASX compact SUV, the Citroen C4 AirCross will join the Peugeot 4008 in Australia's already crowded compact SUV market by the end of this year.

The new wagon model to be released next year will not be built here but in South Korea even though the company admits it has the capacity to build them at its Elizabeth plant in Adelaide.The Cruze hatchback and sedan last month outsold the Commodore for the first time to become the most popular Australian-made car. But when the third variant, a wagon, goes on sale early next year, it will be sourced from South Korea.Holden spokeswoman Kate Lonsdale said the company had the capability to build the wagon at the Elizabeth plant in Adelaide, but have no plans to do so."Could we build it here? Absolutely, we have the capability to do so, and it is certainly something we can look at in the future, but by importing the vehicle we get a great opportunity to test the market's reaction to a wagon of this size," she said."We're still working out what the volumes would be and to tool up for a new variant where the volumes might be niche, we need to work out if it's a good business move," she said.The Chevrolet version of the Cruze wagon, conceived by Cruze hatch designer Leigh Mitchell, will make its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month.The Cruze has sold more than one million units globally since it was launched in 2009 and Holden executive sales and marketing director John Elsworth is looking forward to the wagon."Cruze wagon ticks all the boxes," he said – just not the one marked “Australian-made". We're confident Cruze wagon will take the nameplate from strength to strength and reach new customers who are looking for more versatility," Mr Elsworth said.The new wagon is about 80mm longer than the sedan and boasts a 500-litre cargo space.Holden won't release any details on what engines will be offered with the hatch until closer to its launch but expect the current engine line-up of two petrol and one turbodiesel to be replicated in the wagon range.Also yet to be confirmed is the MyLink infotainment system that is being introduced on top-spec Cruze models this year, which integrates the owner's smartphone into the car, offering a link to playlists, photos, phone books, data, videos and even some satnav phone apps.

Maybe it's time to leave the cardigan in the wardrobe and whack on sunscreen instead of a hat - the new Camry is here.While it's not going to have the young hordes screaming into Toyota dealerships to sign up en masse, there's more to like and less to elicit adjectives like boring, banal or beige. The Atara SX replaces the Sportivo and that's what we're in this week - the second-to-top model of the revitalised Camry range.VALUEToyota says the Atara SX wears a $2000 higher pricetag than the outgoing equivalent Sportivo model but has more than enough gear to offset the rise. Aimed at private buyers and user-chooser lease buyers, the $35,990 six-speed auto-only sports model gets a model-specific rear bumper and lip spoiler, as well as sports pedals, sports-tuned suspension, black-tinted headlamps, trip computer, power-adjustable driver's seat,  sport-oriented leather-trimmed interior and a sports steering wheel has audio, phone and cruise controls.The SX features list also has a touchscreen-controlled six-speaker infotainment system, with Bluetooth, USB and 3.5mm inputs and while there's no standard satnav, the screen also displays the image from the reversing camera but there are no parking sensors.TECHNOLOGYTop of the list of technological changes is the engine, which has grown to 2.5 litres and is now running variable valve timing on both sides - it was previously only on the intake valves.  The engine offers 135kW and 235Nm in the Atara (up 2kW and 4Nm over the Altise thanks to the Atara SX's dual exhaust, says Toyota) and runs on 91RON ULP, but doesn't get direct fuel injection. Teamed with a six-speed auto, the fuel use claim is 7.8 litres per 100km - better by one litre than the 40kg heavier superseded model despite the extra 18kW and 17Nm.DESIGNThe new Camry hasn't grown in overall length or wheelbase but is 10mm lower in overall height and 5mm wider - despite that, Toyota is claiming an increase in interior space. There's a more angular snout design, which is reminiscent of the Accord Euro, with a squarer rump, but it's not a classically pretty or handsome car, but it's not bland either. The Atara SX has been given a sportier appearance with a new bumper, side skirts and a dual exhaust system.Toyota says the A-pillar is almost 10mm thinner to improve the driver's range of vision. The cabin is far less dull and claims by Toyota that there's more space, particularly for rear passengers, appears to have merit - despite a slight lowering of overall height, rear head and leg room are enough for me to easily and comfortably sit behind my own driving position. Boot space - even with a full size alloy-wheel spare - is 515 litres, more than a Falcon or Commodore, with a bootlid that goes well past the vertical for easier loading.SAFETYA five-star crash test rating is worn by the new Camry, which gets seven airbags (dual front, side and full-length curtain and a driver's knee bag), as well as stability and control systems that can no longer be switched off by the driver. The safety list also includes anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist, height-adjustable front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters.DRIVINGGone are the days of the Camry being a dullard to look at or drive. Granted, it's no fireball either. What it is is an inoffensive, roomy, capable family sedan that is value for money. The new look instruments (set within a plush new dashboard) are easy to read and there's no shortage of information on offer to the driver (some of it even useful) from the trip computer beneath the speedometer or within the touchscreen infotainment monitor. The touchscreen (which can suffer a little from sun-glare) makes controlling the sound system and Bluetooth phone easy, but I'd have though satnav could have been standard. The seats are well-cushioned but need more lateral support, but there's no shortage of head or legroom, particularly in the rear, which is not always something that can be said in this segment. The cabin is quiet - except when the squealy tyres are complaining - and the boot is more than useful, despite the welcome full-size proper spare tyre. The driver has good vision and the external rearvision mirrors are an appropriate size (Holden and Ford, take note) and the driver gets automatic headlights but not rain-sensing wipers.Ride quality is well towards the firm side and can get a little jittery on smaller bumps and ruts - when engaged in more enthusiastic driving the bigger bumps are generally dealt with well. The sports model has reasonable body control and corners with cardigan-less enthusiasm, although the Bridgestone rubber was noisier than is ideal.One for the parents is the seatbelt use indicator for the back three seating positions - it's not unique to Toyota but it should be on any vehicle with more than two seats. The engine has got more punch than the outgoing car and carries a little less weight - it's not going to set hearts a flutter with its soundtrack but it tries hard and works reasonably well with six-speed automatic.VERDICTToyota's new Camry has been given more mainstream appeal with less inert looks - the same can be said for the drive experience - that will make the choices even tougher for those shopping in the medium segment. The criticisms are few for the sports-tuned Camry - it's roomier, quieter, has a smooth driveline and is capable and comfortable - but it still lacks the charisma that endears some of its opposition to the families they cart.

Stop, look and listen, said Elvis - it's a philosophy made for this car. It's the last of the actions that most seem to do when near the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG - although in coupe form there's reason to look as well. If you've never seen a spunky 1730kg powderkeg, stop and look at the images here - it sounds even

As Holden leans down its Adelaide workforce further in the shadow of a strong Australian dollar, anywhere between 100 and 200 casual staff will be cut from the Elizabeth factory's workforce. However Holden says none of the 2400 permanent full-time Holden staff will lose their jobs. What will change is the time they start work - afternoon shift general assembly workers start at 3pm but will - by April - be transferred to dayshift, which kicks off at around 6am. Holden chairman and managing director Mike Devereux says the plan to build just over 100,000 cars in 2012 has been reduced to 90,000 (the same as was made in 2011). Mr Devereux detailed how the single general assembly shift would have a line rate speed of 60 seconds per cycle (down from 104), with more workers completing fewer tasks. The Holden boss says they are selling a richer model mix of both locally built cars but the new addition was taking up more of the line. "We're seeing more Cruzes being built, as well as a richening of our Commodore mix, we sell a significantly rich mix of Cruze. You'll see Cruze go from strength from strength and probably take an ever-increasing portion of our plant," he said. The plant had been ramping up in expectation of improved export volumes but ongoing currency strength has eroded export sales growth. "We've got a pretty stable domestic business model, we're making the same number of cars in 2012 as in 2011, but we're not going to see the growth on what I think is the best police car on the planet when we compete with Ford and Dodge who deal in US dollars, it was done on 85-90 US cents and we're selling them on a $1.07US," Mr Devereux says. The US police car export program was still very much alive, according to the Holden boss, who would have liked to capture between 20 and 25 per cent of the 70,000 unit program but would not talk specifics on how many police cars had already been exported. "Exports are icing on the cake for us and we will opportunistically go after them when it makes sense," he said. "We're going to sell thousands, but I would have like to have been in the five-figure range - I would have liked to have 20 to 25 per cent of 70,000 a year market in the US, but again we're dealing with Ford and Dodge, we have to price them to make money," he said. "The police car program is very much alive, we will sell thousands and we put them on boats every month - I just wish we could sell more of them." Holden had hoped to regain some lost ground in its Middle East export market - sitting around 4000 units but well down on the peak sales in that region around 31,000 in 2006. "When Crown Victoria ended, we were hoping to see increased Caprice sales but our plans were on a 90 US cent Aussie dollar, which has impacted on our plans to go after that market - you can't discount and lose money, that's not a smart business decision," he said. General Motors upcoming introduction of Opel to a market already crowded with more than 60 brands was unlikely to impact greatly on the domestic sales growth of Cruze for Holden, says Mr Devereux. "Astra will be competing with European product that are $2000-3000 more expensive on a feature basis than a similarly-equipped Cruze, they are different buyers to those buying Mazda3, Corollas and Cruzes. Are we going to have a few buy an Astra because they own a Holden Astra and they like it? Sure, that's going to happen but we don't see a huge amount of cannibilisation," he says. Mr Devereux said co-investment talks with state and federal governments were ongoing but he was not advocating any legislative measures to offset currency pressures. "I think Australia made a decision decades ago to be an open market, which benefits consumers with prices coming down, manufacturers get pressure to become competuitive and we have done that. It upsets me when I hear people say Australian car companies should make what people want to buy - I think we do, we make two of the top five cars in the country in the same dam plant." "We can't go back to protectionism but we can play the game the way everyone else does - UK, USA, Germany, Russia - either you have a big wall or you co-invest to attract hundreds of millions in investment capital," he said.

The dual-cab light-commercial ute is fast-becoming the 21st century's family wagon and just because it's got a tray, doesn't mean it's a hose-out workhorse.Although capable of plenty of hard yakka, the new Mazda BT-50. Mazda's BT-50 has often played the poor second cousin to its Ford Ranger twin and the segment's reigning monarch, Toyota's HiLux, but there's less reason for an inferiority complex now.We had all three recently back to back and it was a close run thing, with the BT-50 ending up in third but in a photo-finish.This is where the Mazda scores well - priced from $48,810 for the six-speed manual, the price rises to $50,810 for the same number of ratios without a clutch pedal - several thousand below the equivalent Ranger.The XTR model is not even the flagship (that's the GT, which is more likely to stand for Grunty Truck than Grand Touring or Gran Turismo) but it gets cruise control, Bluetooth phone link, dual-zone climate control, power windows and mirrors, side-steps, 17in alloys, front fog lights, three 12-volt outlets, a leather-wrapped gearshifter and steering wheel and satnav.There's a good-quality sound system with single-CD for the six-speakers to utilise, as well as USB and Bluetooth connections, with steering-wheel-mounted controls and a 5in LCD colour screen that also displays the satnav.The 3.2-litre in-line five-cylinder engine is chief among the technological highlights, packing 20 valves and an intercooled turbocharger - peak power is 147kW at 3000rpm and torque of 470Nm is on offer from 1750 and 2500rpm. The engine is fed by common-rail direct-injection system with a high-pressure fuel pump delivering fuel at 1800 bar (200 bar up on the outgoing engine) and piezo injectors.The five-cylinder engine - a first for something with a Mazda badge - claims a thirst of 9.2l/100km, which gives it an easy range in the realm of  850km from the 80-litre tank.  Running the six-speed auto is probably the better option, with the massive torque making it unlikely you'll missing swapping cogs yourself, such is the ability of the auto.If you want a traditional look to your LCV then Mazda is not the place to look - Mazda has gone where Mitsubishi did with the Triton. While it's kissing cousin the Ranger has adopted a squared-off traditional aesthetic, Mazda's load-lugger has taken the family look from the passenger car brigade and stretched it across the front of a big ute.Few seem to like it, but plenty don't - given the ads for the BT-50s hardly feature a vehicle without a bullbar and other accessories, I figure I'm not the only one who's not a fan. The cabin is less confronting, with more space than the outgoing car, particularly in the rear, which has been endowed with a more comfortable backrest angle.A five-star NCAP rating has been awarded to this workhorse - aside from the engineering work on crumple zones and crash performance, the BT-50 has six airbags dual front, front-side and full-length curtains), stability and traction control (with anti roll-over function) and trailer sway control.The trailer control system uses the same tricks as stability control (braking individual wheels and adjusting engine torque) to counteract any fish-tailing by a towed vehicle. The front seatbelts have pre-tensioners and load-limiters and all five seatbelts are lap-sash jobs. There's also a rear diff lock on offer for the 4WD models.These machines are wasted on tradies - anyone who stepped out of a 20-year-old work ute would be double-checking these things had a rear tray. The interior is comfortable and refined for the most part - the children did get a little grumpy at the ride in the back, as the tray wasn't weighed down with a lot, but at least there are proper side-steps for clambering in.Seat comfort is reasonably good, as is the cabin space - the driver has good fields of vision and is only let down by the absence of reach adjustment on the steering and rear drum brakes, which work fine but might be a little old-tech for some younger new car buyers. The pay off for the firmer ride than its Ford twin is crisper steering and better body control - where much of the segment resorts to leaning heavily and torturing front rubber, the Mazda feels more capable.It also shrinks around the driver to some extent, feeling smaller than the 5.3m length and 1.8m width listed in the specs sheet. Four-wheel drive can be engaged at speeds up to the state limit, with the back-up of a locking rear diff - although that's only going to be required when the going gets seriously rough, as there's no shortage of off-road ability with 237mm of ground clearance and an 800mm wading depth.The workhorse side of this vehicle offers decent capacity - the payload is over 1100kg and the maximum braked towing capacity is 3350kg, with old-school leaf springs under the rear.

As assassins go, this one doesn't look threatening - along the lines of some of the prettier femme-fatale James Bond villains - but the Mazda 3 has the killer modus operandi, just ask Holden.