Articles by Stuart Martin

The brand has re-launched more times than it perhaps cares to recall, but the Renault crew keep chipping away at the Australian new car market, with a new five-year warranty and some attractive finance deals to spark interest in the French brand.One of the key weapons for the breed is the new Megane range, a sleeker, svelte beast to replace the angular big-bottomed model. The sedan part of the Megane has been slotted into a sub-range - called Fluence - and it's built by the company's Korean arm.VALUEThe Fluence Privilege is the top-spec sedan, starting from $29,990, and gets an electric glass sunroof, continuously-variable auto, electrically-adjustable folding heated exterior mirrors, 17in alloy wheels (with a similarly-sized steel spare) and the very chic and pocket-friendly Renault smart card key.There's also black leather trim, a leather-wrapped reach/rake adjustable steering wheel and gear shift, height adjustment and lumbar support for the driver's seat, dual zone climate control air conditioning with rear vents, satellite navigation, Bluetooth link for phone and music, power windows and 60/40 splitfold rear seats.TECHNOLOGYAt first the auto-locking and unlocking system can catch a rookie Renault driver unaware - if you've locked the car with the lock button on the key-card, then you have to unlock it the same way. But if you rely entirely on the hands-free unlocking, then the car automatically locks itself as you walk away.The tech-heads will like the Bluetooth connectivity for phone and music player, but with the back-up of a USB port and a 3.5mm auxiliary jack - enough plugs for several devices, but perhaps not enough storage in the centre console for all of them.DESIGNAs Renault models go there have certainly been more controversial in the looks department, as well prettier production cars, but the new Fluence is less likely to offend the eye. The four-door sedan won't stir emotions to the same extent either way, but it's not an uninteresting sedan.The cabin has good room - at least in the front half - and Renault says there's more storage space than before, including a cooled glovebox. There could be a little more in the centre console, which possesses miniscule cup holders, but by contrast the boot is large at 530 litres (more than a Holden Commodore) although the lid is held by old gooseneck hinges which intrude on the space a little.SAFETYThe Renault has - as you'd expect from one of the first brand's to ever score a five-star crash test rating - no shortage of safety features for its $30,000 pricing. There's stability control, anti-lock brakes, dual front, side and full-length curtain airbags, lap-sash seatbelts with load-limiters (plus pre-tensioners for the front seats), automatic lights and rain-sensing windscreen wipers.DRIVINGAs not much of a fan of CVT I was pleasantly surprised at the Fluence's drivetrain - there was less of the "rev-flare" than I expected and the powerplant provided more forward impetus than its numbers suggest. The seating front and rear is comfortable - although the cloth sports seats of the sports-hatch RS250 Cup feel better-cushioned - but adults in the rear will want to be closer to jockey-size than basketballer, as headroom (like it is in the hatch sibling) isn't great.The smooth and quiet drive in the Fluence is only let down by jittery ride quality over smaller road imperfections - something easily found on Australian roads.Some Renault folks blamed the top-spec wheel-tyre package with low profile rubber but I'm not sure that's entirely to blame. The payoff is decent body control in corners, but the light power steering, which is fine for inner-city wheel twirling, is dead in the bends.The quality of the interior materials has improved and - unlike previous Renault experiences of old - everything seemed to work. The brand's fondness for the remote control stalk for sound system behind the steering wheel is admirable, but it's certainly something that will require considerable time behind the wheel for familiarity.The sound system button on the dash are on the small side and having to use a remote control for the satnav is a bit complex - the satnav screen is easy enough to see but it needs a bigger cowling to limit the reflection on the windscreen at night and sunlight issues during the day.The big-rump remains, which is great for cavernous bootspace but the high bootlid makes rear sensors a must-have - thankfully they are standard. The sedan's gets analogue instruments instead of the hatch's digital readout - the latter is easier to read - and the hatch also gets the auto-filter recirculation system that's not on the sedan.VERDICTThe price is keen and the features list is also competitive, which means Renault has given itself every chance - with good warranty and finance offers as well - of making a greater impact on the Australian market than it has thus far. Sales so far this year suggest the Australian buying public are taking a shine to the new-look Renault range - including the Fluence sedan - and it's easy to see why.

Lofty volume targets have been set for Kia by its Australian boss despite ongoing supply constraints. As the Australian arm of the Korean brand unveiled its new Rio, Kia Motors Australia president and CEO MK Kim has plans to take Kia beyond 30,000 units next year on the back of the new light car, but it's unknown territory for breed. "We're targeting 2400 (Rios) for the rest of this year, 6400 next year - if we didn't have supply constraints perhaps we could sell 8000," he says. The company is also in negotiations and is confident of locking in the Picanto five-door hatch to slot in below the new Rio, but production capacity and timing remains an on-going theme for Kia. "We are asking for the Picanto as well, but it's the same problem - capacity - but we will keep trying to get it," he says. Kim says the brand is on track for 25,600 for 2011, with a target well beyond 30,000 for 2012. "In July I asked Korea for at least 34,000 supply, but KMC doesn't have enough capacity to meet that demand," he says. The Australian right-hand-drive market continues to play second fiddle to larger left-hand-drive markets (like the US) and the brand's home market of Korea for new models and new technology. Two of the brand's recent introductions - the new Optima and Sportage SUV - have received some critical acclaim but are not fulfilling their sales potential because of supply. "We only get 20 or 30 Optimas a month, we need 200 - we don't do any marketing because we don't have any cars," he says. "Once they look at all the market demands they will look at ours, but at this moment is my aim is to hit 34,000 next year," he says. So far this year Kia has (to the end of July) sold 14,701 - up 3.1 per cent on its YTD 2010 tally. Kia's 2010 performance of 23,848 was a 22.9 per cent increase on 2009. The affable Kia boss says its Sportage SUV still has issues with diesel engine supply as well as limits to production capacity. "Our chairman's direction is not to increase production volume, he wants to focus on quality," he says. Greener diesels, fuel saving technology and hybrid drivetrains are in the pipeline but will appear in Australia dependent on larger markets. Australia will see the fuel-saving Stop-Start system in Kia-branded cars as early as next year - promising fuel savings as high as 15 per cent - followed by diesels; hybrids and electric drivetrains will be unlikely before 2015 as there are no concrete plans. Mr Kim has also indicated an interest in returning Kia to the light truck and van market. "I'd like to get back the light trucks and vans, we sold 450 Pregio a month, Hyundai sells 500 a month or more with the iLoad - I have several times requested something similar to the iLoad but no luck yet," he says. We'll have an in-depth road test and review of the new Kia Rio for you here on September 1.

For some it's "just" a Golf R in a sleeker suit, others see four rings on the snout and they just have to have it. But regardless of its lineage, any chance to play with a TTS is worth taking up - an opportunity to sample the Audi TTS convertible, followed later by a TT RS, almost makes the pay cheque redundant. Almost.While the RS was a rapid and entertaining drive, the TTS wasn't far behind it for pace but with a demeanour that made it good everyday transport as well for $40,000 less, it put itself ahead of its more power.VALUEAn indulgence, a toy, a compensator coupe  whatever category you think the TTS coupe slots best into, the value is not just at the bottom of the sales receipt. Draped in black paint, the TTS S-tronic (Audi-speak for the DSG) four-seater coupe tickles the bank balance to the tune of $97,364. But given the performance is substantial, the value equation looks a little better when you consider the aforementioned price difference to the TT RS.The features list includes bi-xenon automatic headlights, leather trim, cruise control, trip computer, Bluetooth phone link, climate control, power adjustable front seats, anti-dazzle rearvision mirror and rain-sensing wipers.Our test car also had the satellite navigation system (a $5500 ask), the extended leather package for $1470 and $2400 worth of 19in alloy wheels  all of which pushes the as-tested price to just over $109,000.TECHNOLOGYThe TTS is underpinned by the company's renowned aluminium space frame, with steel panels for the back half of the body, while alloy panels adorn the snout  combine that with plenty of aluminium components and it keeps the weight evenly balanced and down to a lean 1415kg.The engine punches hard for its two litres, making the most of direct injection, variable valves and an intercooled turbocharger to produce 200kW and 350Nm, as well as employing an energy recovery system under braking.The Haldex-clutch all-wheel drive system defers to front-wheel drive but has smarts-enough to send all drive aft as required.It delivers considerable grip and the double-clutch gearbox leaves almost no let-up in the drive attempting to break traction  it's a strong performance package.DESIGNSitting 10mm lower than standard car, the TT's design has undergone only mild tweaks  given it was such an improvement over the looks of the old TT, there's little need to meddle with the metal too much. Within is typically Audi  functional, well-executed and with quality materials, the snug cabin has little about which to complain.SAFETYAside from the grip and poise of all-wheel drive, the TTS gets an anti-lock and brakeforce distribution system for the four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, as well as dual front and side airbags, emergency brake assist, stability and traction control, an electronic diff lock, front seatbelt load limiters and pre-tensioners.DRIVINGAt 190-odd cm I'm not the ideal size for a TT coupe, but squeezing into the little coupe is anything but a chore. Once in it's a good low-slung driving position, which has you looking up at most other road users, at least until you're looking back at them in the mirrors.That's not difficult to do either  the little direct-injection powerplant has punch right across the rev range (350Nm of torque is on offer from 2500 to 5500 rpm) and the sharp double-clutch gearbox has no qualms about passing it on quickly to ground.Audi claims 5.2 seconds for the sprint to 100km/h and it's easy to believe  the TT RS drops that to mid 4s with a different sort of soundtrack, but it's big price ask to drop below five seconds.The TTS departure is accompanied by an entertaining soundtrack as well, with woofly noises between ratios. I'm still firmly in the camp of a proper manual gearbox  there's just something challenging and satisfying about driving a talented sports coupe and attempting to swap cogs properly to keep everything humming along nicely. But the double-clutchers are certainly getting better  meaning the paddleshifters on the wheel are largely redundant.Sport mode for the gearbox is aggressive and so is the suspension mode of the same name. But unless you're on a racetrack or a perfect public road, leave that button alone  it's too stiff to deal with some of the broken surfaces and repairs that afflict our tarmac. The standard mode is more than enough for public roads and deals ably with broken bitumen without decreasing cornering prowess.VERDICTThe TTS is an entertaining package that doesn't need a big update to keep it worthy of consideration  change for the sake of it would ruin what is a peppy little coupe, which is the best of the TT breed  RS included.AUDI TTSPrice: $97,364Warranty: 3 years, unlimited kmResale: 49% Source: Glass's GuideService interval: 15,000km or 12-monthsEconomy: 7.9 l/100km, on test 13.1; 188g/km CO2Safety equipment: four airbags, stability control, ABS, EBD.Crash rating: 4 starEngine: 200kW/350Nm 16-valve 2-litre direct-injection turbocharged intercooled four-cylinderTransmission: six-speed automated double-clutch manual, all wheel driveBody: 2-door, 4 seatsDimensions: 4198mm (L); 1842mm (W); 1345mm (H); 2468mm (WB)Weight: 1415kgWheel and tyre size: 245/40 18in (as tested 255/35 19in)Spare: tyre mobility kit.

The Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) and more than 20 Australian racing component companies are returning to Florida in December for the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in Orlando.The Australian Performance Racing and Tuning Council (part of the AAAA) trade mission will be putting their wares on show- with the help of US-based race driver Marcos Ambrose - in the Australian pavilion in an attempt to secure a share of the AUD$14 billion US motorsport market.The PRI Trade Show claims to be the world's largest display of automotive racing technology - last year 1000 companies in 3000 booths attracted 40,000 visitors from 65 countries.AAAA government and international relations senior manager Ben Bartlett says the 25 Australian companies that travelled to the US event last year returned with multi-million dollar sales orders."This is our fourth year at PRI, we started in 2006 with six or seven companies, we went to 15 companies in 2009 and 25 last year - we're expecting a similar number this year," he says.Mr Bartlett says that while the strong Australian currency has made it difficult, the market was still more than viable."It is having an impact, but one of the advantages of focussing on the motorsport market is that the buyers are looking for well-engineered product, because we're seen in that light, paying a little more isn't going to destroy the market, it might eat into the volumes but it's still a good market," he says.The Australian contingent - backed by Austrade and the NSW and Victorian governments  - will also have an ambassador in the US, NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Marcos Ambrose.Mr Bartlett says the Australian product was building a following in the US."The response from the US trade was "wow - look at the quality of this gear" - the time and money invested by the PRTC and its members are now paying dividends. Australian performance and racing products are growing in acceptance on the global market because our products are based on innovative technologies and they are manufactured to high quality standards," he says.The association says the list of companies expected to attend the 2011 event included Davies Craig, Disc Brakes Australia, Harrop Engineering, Pedders Suspension, Penrite Oil, SuperPro Australia, Turbosmart and Whiteline.Mr Bartlett says the Australian exhibition space is fast filling up and companies looking for a break in the US needed to get in touch with organisers.

Not content with dominating the passenger car segment with the Mazda3, the Japanese carmaker's new CX-5 compact SUV has been revealed ahead of its official unveiling at the Frankfurt motor show next month. The new crossover wagon - set to arrive in Australia around mid-2012 - will be the first to bring the full range of fuel-efficient Skyactiv engines, the lighter and smarter automatic transmission and lightweight bodyshell technology to Australia. The drivetrain lineup will include the new direct-injection variable-valve two-litre petrol engine and the 2.2-litre turbodiesel, which will be available in Australia with a six-speed manual and the new six-speed automatic. Mazda Australia's Steve Maciver says the company has previously been restricted by the lack a diesel-auto models in its passenger-car and SUV range, but that CX-5 would change that. "One considerable difference will be that we'll have a diesel/auto model, that will be a significant upside for us as well, we're excited about that," he says. The company's new-generation petrol and diesel engine range boast between 15 and 20 per cent better fuel economy thanks to a 20 per cent reduction in internal engine friction, a fuel-saving stop-start system, regenerative braking, lightweight body construction and lower emissions - as low as 120g/km for the front-wheel drive turbodiesel model. Mazda Australia is aiming to make the pricing "competitive" - which should mean a sub-$30,000 entry-level model - but with the availability of features like tyre pressure and lane departure warning systems, automatic headlights and dual-zone climate control. "The CX-5 is similar in size to a Subaru Forester and VW Tiguan, bigger than a Mistubishi ASX, but smaller than a CX-7, but interior space will be similar to the CX-7," he says. The Sports Utility Vehicle Market to the end of June totalled 93,189 vehicles - down 3.9 per cent or just over 4600 vehicles - but the compact segment (the largest of the SUV segments) was up 866 (or 1.5 per cent) to 57,780 sales. Mazda's share of that with the CX-7 sits at 7.3 per cent - or 4236 vehicles - behind the market leader Subaru Forester, the Toyota RAV4, Nissan's X-Trail and Dualis and the Hyundai ix35. "We're excited to get it - CX-7 has done well since the facelift in 2009 ... but we feel there's a lot more potential in the compact SUV market so we hope CX-5 will give us a lift," he says. The new look for the Japanese breed was first seen on the Shinari and Minagi concept cars and gives the new CX-5 what Mazda calls "a prominent new front view with a bolder family face." The CX-5 will sit alongside the updated Mazda3 on the company's Frankfurt stand, the model range which will include the SP20 Skyactiv, equipped with the new-generation engine and transmission - set for launch later this year in Australia.

Sitting forlornly in our shed is an old HiLux, with hose-out trim, a column-shift and a radio that's not familiar with Frequency Modulation - a proper workhorse. Fast-forward to 2011 and Toyota are selling them by the boatload - more than 700,000 so far and it is still a regular podium finisher each month in the

This includes between 20 and 30 used cars The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) is responding to concerns expressed by the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) that its members will be exposed to radiation. ARPANSA spokesman David Tredinnick said the agency will board the Trans Future 7 when it docks in Port Kembla to test for any radioactivity in a shipment of 800 cars from the port of Yokohama, Japan. "This inspection is being made to reassure stevedores after concerns from the MUA that as many as 30 of the cars are used vehicles they may possibly have originated from the tsunami and nuclear affected areas," he said. Mr Tredinnick said ARPANSA is undertaking monitoring of potentially contaminated cargo ships simply as a precaution. "These concerns have risen after the discovery of low levels of radioactivity in cars recently shipped from Yokohama," he said. MUA assistant national secretary Warren Smith said there needed to be a more rigorous testing regime put in place. "We've been lobbying for this and we think that not enough has been done, we're of the view that there needed to be a fairly stringent process for testing," he said. "All we want to know is that they are safe and there is appropriate documentation and proof is available," he said. "All we wanted was a commitment and guarantee that any form of cargo is safe, it's not an unreasonable question for people on the job," he said. Shipping company Toyofuji were contacted about the cargo of its Trans Future 7 ship but refused to comment. Toyota Australia has 645 new Toyota and 55 new Lexus vehicles on board the Trans Future 7 cargo ship. Toyota spokesperson Laura Hill said the company had been in contact with ARPANSA, which said it was not considered necessary to introduce radiation screening measures on cargo from Japan. "To provide the unions with peace of mind they have agreed to conduct some spot checks on the ship arriving in Port Kembla on June 23. They (ARPANSA) believe that there is low-level chance that it will be an issue, but they want to provide peace of mind for the dock workers," she said. Japanese brand importers said none of the vehicles brought into Australia had shown any radiation contamination, having been tested by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association prior to being loaded in Japan. Subaru national corporate affairs manager David Rowley said the company has been monitoring its vehicles imported from Japan, something the majority of new car importers have undertaken without incident. "Tests have continually been carried out prior to shipping and no radiation has been detected. The issue raised in the media is quite clearly around used cars. We do not import any used cars from Japan," he said. The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association initiated its own procedures to test the radiation levels of vehicles produced in Japan in April.

The Swedish car maker is taking its pedestrian detection safety system - that brakes automatically if it detects a pedestrian in the vehicle's path - a step further by equipping it to detect animals. The anti-roadkill device is being developed primarily to prevent moose strikes in the brand's home country - Swedish statistics show 7000 of the 47,000 animal-related crashes last year involved the large animals. The new incarnation of the safety system is part of Volvo's 2020 road safety vision for 2020 to eliminate occupants suffering serious injuries in a new Volvo. Development engineers are tweaking the pedestrian detection system to recognise different animal species, beginning with the larger animals most likely to cause serious injury - for example moose, deer and reindeer. Volvo active safety systems' Andreas Eidehall says the radar/infra-red camera system monitors the road ahead, alerts the driver with an audible signal and brakes automatically if the driver fails to react. "In cases in which it cannot help the driver entirely avoid the collision, the system will slow down the car sufficiently to help reduce the force of impact and thus of serious injuries," he says. "In an impact with a moose, there is a relatively high risk of personal injury since it is common for the animal to end up on or roll across the front of the car and its windscreen." Volvo Australia's Jaedene Hudson says the brand's new accident avoidance technology would be beneficial to drivers here. "In Australia, kangaroos and wombats cause the most damage in traffic accidents," she says. Ms Hudson says the company was in discussions about Australian fauna and the system's criteria. "Volvo has also indicated that there may be an opportunity to visit Australia to test the technology on our wildlife," she says. The Australian Veterinary Association's statistics show more than 5 per cent of serious road accidents are caused by animal strike, with the numbers of unreported accidents likely to be much higher. In NSW alone more than 9000 serious accidents involve animal strikes each year.

The Adelaide-based car maker's recruiting office is looking for another 49 staff to fill production line positions.The company has recruited 265 new staff since it resurrected the second shift and took on local production of the Cruze small car earlier this year.Last month's sales figures showed the Holden Commodore had returned to the number one position as the country's most popular car, almost tripling the sales of its arch rival, Ford's Falcon.The Cruze recorded almost 3000 sales last month to top the small car sales list and rank third overall in vehicle sales for May. The 314 new jobs follow the company's cuts to its Australian workforce that reduced it from a peak of more than 6000 staff to just over 4500 during 2009.Holden's HR director for labour and manufacturing operations Ashley Winnett said the additional staff were required because of Cruze and Commodore sales."We made the decision on Monday, Cruze and Commodore sales, as well as some US police car orders - but mainly the Cruze sales figures," he said.Mr Winnett said the 49 new staff - in production and trade capacities - would also be offered 12 month contracts in line with offers made to recently-hired new staff. "The approach we've taken is that we want to build slowly and make sure there's momentum behind us, it's a sensible business approach."We're doing it on a business but we've got the right number for where we're at at the moment," he said.The company also wants to encourage female applicants to consider a position in the manufacturing sector with Holden."A lot of females don't consider it as a career, we've increased female staff by 33 per cent - off a low base - since last year, we want to continue to market manufacturing as an area for females to consider in terms of a career," he said.Holden has also opened applications for its co-operative undergraduate student program, a year-long paid course for as many as 25 students who want industry experience.

The car maker dropped to second in May - with 11,044 sales for the month - to be overtaken by Holden's tally of 11,115, according to Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) figures released yesterday (Friday 3 June, 2011) . Holden's Commodore returned to the top of the podium for monthly and year-to-date sales with 3504 sold in May, with Cruze falling just short of 3000 units, giving Holden the top two passenger cars for the month. Toyota's HiLux range pushed the Cruze into third place overall, with 3162 sales, but the company's woes were illustrated by Corolla's 1454 sales figure for the month, beaten by the Cruze, the Mazda3 (2797), Hyundai's i30 (2479) and the Volkswagen Golf (1864) in the small car segment. Toyota remains the clear market leader for the year so far, with 72,614 units sold, still 15 per cent down from this time last year. Holden sits in second spot with 49,743 sales for the year to date, down just over nine per cent. Executive sales and marketing director John Elsworth said the company was pleased with its May result - which included and acknowledged the difficult circumstances many of the competitors were facing. After a slow start to the year and a challenging few months for the global and local car industry, May was a positive result for Holden, he said. "Public reaction to our new and improved Series II range of models is pleasing,'' he said. Reduced parts supply has hindered manufacturing at Toyota’s Altona plant in Victoria, as well as shortened supply of imported vehicles, are blamed for the market leader's fall from first place. Toyota senior executive sales and marketing director David Buttner said the supply of vehicles arriving this month would be almost double the May level. "In July we will receive almost the full quota of cars we ordered well before Japan's natural disasters occurred,'' he said. "For the rest of the year, our business will basically be back to normal, thanks to a faster-than-expected pick-up in production,'' he said. The passenger market finished the month at 42,582 vehicles - down 7868 sales or 15.6 per cent - with every segment failing to show any improvement over May 2010 figures. The SUV market totalled 17,121 vehicles and is also down, dropping by 6.4 per cent - only the Luxury SUV segment made any ground on 2010 sales volumes, improving by 340 vehicles (16.4 per cent). Last month was the third in a row to show slowing new car sales, down 13.2 per cent on the same month last year. FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar softer new vehicle sales were suffering following the effects of the Japanese natural disasters. "A number of brands have experienced disruption in the supply of some vehicle models and components, as a consequence of the Japanese tsunami,'' he said.  "More recent reports indicate that these challenges are now being addressed more quickly than originally expected and we are hopeful that supply constraints will improve over coming months,'' he said.