Articles by Stuart Martin

Funky doesn't always work in cars, but when it's wearing a Citroen badge there's a chance it will strike a chord.  Some things the French brand have done can go over the buying public's collective head, but the DS3 is unlikely to miss its mark.  The head-turning, smile-inducing appeal of the DS3 DSport suggests the Citroen crew are on a winner.The DS3 Dsport six-speed manual demands $35,990, but the features list is decent.  The manual sports model gets an alarm (an option on the auto), remote central locking with deadlock and automatic drive-away locking, a reach and rake adjustable sports leather steering wheel, cruise control and speed limiter, power windows, a sound-insulated front windscreen, aluminium drilled pedals  (standard on the manual sports model only).The DS3 DSport also gets carpet mats throughout, filtered climate control, an MP3 compatible six-speaker sound system with Bluetooth iPod integration, suede/cloth sports seats, a trip computer  and a "gear efficiency indicator" that's only on the manual but a little incongruous given the sporty nature of the hatch.Anyone looking for an automatic transmission will have to opt for the less-powerful DS3 DStyle, which is $3000 cheaper but doesn't get the turbocharger on the 1.6; neither car has rain-sensing wipers.Among the optional extras for both models are rear parking sensors (at $500), an upgrade to the sound system for $800, Bluetooth phone hands free and USB port costs $700, the climate pack  for $1000 and gray leather or amarente red leather trim  adds $2000.The powerplant is the 1.6-litre turbocharged four shared with sibling Peugeot and development partner BMW Mini.  The engine uses direct fuel injection, a twin-scroll turbocharger (for better response), variable valve timing on intake and exhaust valves, as well as variablie lift on the intake valves.The little French hottie boasts a Bluetooth link for compatible mobile phones and audio players - an iPhone can be linked for both but was not always retained by the car's system, sometimes dropping out and then returning to the system.The most striking thing about the DS3 is its exterior design, which boasts head-turning good looks, but it's not always apparent why it looks so good.  Citroen says it uses "carefully considered design elements" on its new sports-hatch, boasting about the "shark fin" B-pillar, the "floating" roof and the signature LED lights on the snout.  It all adds up to a stylish package that passed the schoolkid-headturn test at the bus stop.Citroen has a reputation for producing safe packages and the DS3 is no exception - a five star Euro NCAP crash test, stability control is standard, as well as anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency brake assist, six airbags - dual front, side and full-length curtain airbag - all standard.The DS3 also features automatic activation of the hazard lights on under heavy braking, automatic door unlocking following an accident and a fuel cut-off device.French hot hatches can be a conundrum - so good in some ways and so annoying in others, but some, like the DS3 are becoming less painful to endure day-to-day.  On the right piece of road, some of the Gallic hatches that have gone before were laugh-out-loud brilliant - but curse-laden things to drive in mundane metropolitan duties.Not so the DS3.  Around town the flexible little turbo engine easily shoots the DS3 through traffic without requiring numerous gearchanges, but the six-speeder does encourage the driver to use it - the shift feel is good.Steering is light and direct, without any real torque steer issues, and the driving position is reasonable - an improvement if not ideal for someone over the old six foot mark.  It could still do with a little more in terms of range adjustment for the wheel and the seats.Cruising through the hills or on the freeway, the DS3 sits solidly on the road but is not uncomfortable, coping well with broken bitumen.  When the road begins to curl, the little Citroen laps it up, zipping through bends with good grip, no tyre squeal and well-controlled body roll.The DS3 is not the smallest in class, nor is it the biggest, but the cabin has enough space to get settled, although no one would be wanting to sit behind me in my best driving position.  The back seat is pretty much kids only unless its a quadrella of jockeys on board, but its a comfortable cabin.The DS3 will lead Citroen's charge into 2011, giving the French marque a halo car for its resurrected small car range. The asking price is on the money for the segment and it's chic and cheeky-quick.

Anyone who is a fan of driving movies will know what I mean when I say The Transporter should up his asking price and add "delivery guaranteed." That is, of course, if he’s upgrading to the new Audi A8 the pricetag now starts at a tickle over $225,000 but there’s a stack more gear, more grunt and less fuel being burnt.It’s subtle, perhaps too conservatively styled, but it feels like it could tackle any sealed road excursion with the best of German composure.VALUEThe 4.2 V8 is priced from $225,904 a $19,000 price rise over the old car, but there’s more vehicle for the money as the wheelbase has grown 48mm to 2992mm, contributing to an overall increase in length to 5137mm, up 75mm.The features list is extensive (and some of the options expensive) but the interior is dominated by a redesigned centre stack and dashboard, with a new multimedia interface. There’s the full sat-nav system which has the touchpad for manual entry of letters or numbers (probably easier for a left-hander to use), a Bose surround-sound 600-watt 14-speaker sound system, power-adjustable seats and quad-zone climate control.The options list includes a Valcona leather trim package for $26,385, plus there's an additional leather package that ups that again by a little over $20,000. Also available are full LED headlights for $2700, adjustable rear seats for an additional $9440, $5500 of heating and cooling for the front seats, the 1400-watt Bang and Olufsen 19-speaker sound system (including subwoofer) at $14,430 so if your bank balance can deal with is then the pricetag could easily approach $300-large and that’s before you get to the safety equipment options.TECHNOLOGYThe drivetrain has benefitted from the latest in engine tweaks, with outputs from the 4.2-litre direct-injection V8 up a little to 273kW and 445Nm, but the increases are offset by the use energy recovery systems, lower internal friction and an on-demand oil pump.Team all that with a very clever eight-speed auto and a lean (for its girth) 1835kg kerb weight and it all adds up to 13 per cent lower fuel consumption the claim is 9.5 but in the real world (with some enthusiastic use of the V8) that rose into the teens.SAFETYTop of the pile in safety equipment is the Audi pre-sense drive safety system, which offers three levels of driver assist systems (up to $10,000 on the options list). The accident anticipation system keeps an eye on the road ahead and will prep the car, warn the driver and then take action if it deems necessary to reduce or avoid an accident. We didn’t test it to that extent but it does get your attention.There’s also dual front and side airbags (front and rear), full-length curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes, stability control The test car had the $5400 optional night-vision system (that uses thermal imaging) and the adaptive cruise control system (with Stop and Go function), but its the former that was tested with interest.The pedestrian spotting function I had dismissed as a bit of a gimmick not just on Audis version either but a dark suburban street with two hidden walkers soon changed my mind.The adaptive headlights also proved worthwhile on a night run, probably saving the life of a dawdling koala on the exit to a corner he was lit up a few valuable seconds earlier.DRIVINGIt might not be a lakeside retreat but it was easy to ask "How’s the serenity?" A very quiet cruiser, the lack of any exterior noise was near the top of the class.The big sedan feels light to drive in its comfort or automatic (the latter the better for most driving) suspension mode, easily taking in its stride road imperfections that would previously have had this breed thumping a little, even riding on 45-profile tyres.Switching through to dynamic mode offers very effective body control without the same level of nervous jiggle that the top handling mode can deliver in such systems. There’s also much less of the remote feeling that some adjustable air suspensions can return.The big V8 sings sweetly but almost too quietly (bring on an S8 please) as it zips with almost no discernible change through the eight gears, swiftly and quietly dispatching of a back road run with unruffled elegance and a grin on the drivers face.The new-look transmission selector, reminiscent of a fighter-plane video game control, makes selecting Sport mode easy but in the other direction more than a few times I overshot Reverse and went into Park at in-opportune moments.The cabin is a beautifully lit cocoon, with comfortable seating and climate-controlled tranquility. If you had to drive from Perth to Sydney there are probably few better machines in which to do it.Unfortunately, not everything worked to plan Audis normally unflappable systems were marred by a sat-nav/infotainment freeze, which included shutting down the Bluetooth. The driver was well looked after by the active bolsters and massage function but the front passengers system stopped and (unlike the infotainment problem) failed to return.VERDICTA seriously capable uber-saloon that covers a broad breadth of duties with aplomb a few niggles did take the shine off and for this money you’d want everything to work.AUDI A8 4.2 FSI QUATTROPrice: from $225,904Engine: 4.2-litre DOHC continuous intake and exhaust camshaft adjustment 32-valve direct-injection V8Transmission: eight-speed tiptronic auto, all-wheel drive with self-locking centre differentialPower: 273kW at 6800rpmTorque: 445Nm at 3500rpmPerformance: 0-100km/h 5.7 seconds, top speed 250km/h (governed)Fuel consumption: 9.5 litres/100km 95 RON, on test 14.6, tank 90 litresEmissions: 219g/km, EU5Suspension: Five-link front suspension, upper and lower wishbones, tubular anti-roll bar, air Suspension (front); trapezoidal-link suspension with wishbones, tubular anti-roll bar, air suspension (rear)Brakes: four-wheel ventilated discs, with ESP/ABS/EBD, brake booster; hydraulic brake assist, electromechanical parking brakeDimensions: length 5137mm, width 1949mm, height 1460mm, wheelbase 2992mm, track fr/rr 1644/1635mm, cargo volume 510 litres, weight 1835kgWheels: 19in alloys.

Kermit the Frog said it's not easy being green, but it can be with certain brands. While parent company Toyota flogs its hybrids as eco-friendly machines, luxury arm Lexus takes a different tack - responsible performance. The recently-updated Lexus GS has had some interior tweaks and the GS 450h follows the program of giving the hybrid models an extra brushstroke or two from the styling department.The 450h has exterior differentiation - a unique front grille design, "hybrid blue" rear lamps and 18in wheels - to distinguish it as "the high performance flagship of the GS range," according to Lexus.VALUEThe GS range has been upgraded in the iotainment department, with new satnav software. The $126,714 GS 450h wasn't lacking in the audio department and retains the 14-speaker Mark Levinson 5.1 surround sound system to shake the mirrors, now with USB and audio jack plug connections. There is the delete option sunroof which would give a little more headroom but most below the old six foot mark won’t be bothered by the headroom intrusion.TECHNOLOGYThe hybrid GS is packed with technology - the 650-volt hybrid system uses a nickel metal hydride battery to store power generated by the 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine. There’s also energy generated by reversing its continuously-variable transmission to become a generator and employing brake energy recovery systems to further charge the battery. Lexus says the system teams up to provide 254kW of power (a definitive torque figure is a little harder to quantify) but the company claims V8-like outputs without the thirst.For example, despite being 200kg heavier than the $10,000 more expensive GS 460 (which has similar levels of performance) but uses an extra 3.1l/100km to achieve the same ends. The active cruise control system isn’t new and neither is the fact that Lexus still can’t get it to hold a set speed downhill without another car in front – the system is child’s play in a Beemer and a Merc but Lexus doesn’t seem interested in getting it right.DESIGNThe GS model doesn't push the boundaries for car design, although Lexus likes to invoke a European feel by calling its design language ``L finesse'' - the front view is better than the rump, with the rakish bonnet and lights forming a not unattractive snout, but the rear - perhaps due to the abbreviated bootlid and bulgy rear quarter panels - is not the prettiest of the prestige market segment.The cabin has undergone only minor changes, leaving the functional and user-friendly touchscreen and centrestack intact - unfortunately the 1980s clock and outside temperature display remains as well.SAFETYThe safety features for the updated 2010 GS range now includes the new Advanced Pre-Collision Safety System which uses the active cruise control's radar system to monitor the road; the system prepares the vehicle's safety systems for an imminent collision and will now also apply the vehicles brakes if the driver fails to act.There's the now-obligatory traction and stability control and the airbag list is extensive - driver and front passenger front, side and knee airbags, rear seat side and full length side curtain airbags.DRIVINGEerie quiet is a hallmark of Lexus and the GS hybrid does nothing to change that perception, as only the tyre noise is obvious - due to the lack of any other rumbling. Starting often has no noise associated with it, unless the petrol engine is required for air conditioning or other energy sapping systems, but creeping around a carpark on battery-only easily demonstrates how pedestrians can be blissfully ignorant of your presence. It will also cruise at metropolitan speeds on battery alone and that goes a long way toward the 10.1 figure we returned.Mundane commuting duties are what these hybrid systems are best at and it shows – heading out into the country hills drive doesn’t provide the stop-start driving that regularly allows for charging and minimal petrol engine use. That said, slipping the transmission into sport mode does generate some energy downhill on throttle over-run, but it’s soon used on the uphill runs.Putting aside the green aspects, the drivetrain itself provides a remarkable experience – a full-throttle departure is rapid, linear ... and did I mention rapid? The instant torque of the electric motor and the CVT’s seamless application of the outputs offers an extraordinary take-off. The adjustable suspension leans towards a firmer ride, even in the normal mode, but it’s not uncomfortable for its occupants, who will need to all need to be of average height to allow decent legroom for all.Flick the suspension button into Sport mode and things tighten up noticeably, allowing the GS to be aimed into corners with a reasonable degree of confidence. It sits flat enough and – despite low rolling resistance tyres – does a good job, although steering feedback is absent, which puts it out of contention for the prestige sports sedan who puts a chassis ahead of outright grunt, or green credentials. Even on eco-friendly front there are latest-generation turbodiesel with particle filters and other emissions control systems that might not be as quiet but will give good fuel economy as well as grunt.VERDICTTechno-philes and greenie-execs will like the trickery under the bonnet and it’s value for money when weighed up against it’s siblings as well as the largely-German opposition, but the design is lacking in flair and the cabin space lets it down.LEXUS GS450h Price: from $126,714Engine: 3.5-litre DOHC 24-valve direct-injection V6 & a battery-driven electric motorTransmission: CVT, rear-wheel drivePower: petrol - 218kW; electric - 147kW; combined total 254kWTorque: petrol - 368Nm; electric - 275NmPerformance: 0-100km/h 5.9 secondsTop speed: 250km/h (governed)Fuel consumption: 7.9 litres/100km, on test 10.1, tank 65 litresEmissions: 186g/kmSuspension (front): independent, double wishbones, coil springs, gas dampers with variable damper control, anti-roll barSuspension (rear): independent multi-link, coil springs, gas dampers with variable damper control, mounted anti-roll barBrakes: four-wheel ventilated discs, with anti-lock and stability control systemsDimensions: length 4850mm, width 1820mm, height 1430mmWheelbase: 2850mm, track fr/rr 1540/1545mmCargo volume: 320 litresWeight: 1930kgWheels: 18in alloys.

ANCAP announced the "disappointing" three-star results yesterday for the Toyota Landcruiser 70 Series and the Nissan Patrol.  RAA Technical and Automotive head Mark Borlace says both vehicles only had a lap-seatbelt in the centre front seat and no air bag. "These vehicles are often driven on rural roads, where crashes as severe as the ANCAP offset crash test are not unusual - the occupants deserve better protection," he says. DTEI's Director Road Safety, Martin Small says the three-star rating for the two utes is not a good result. "They both provided very disappointing protection for occupants and poor protection for pedestrians struck by the front of the vehicle," he said. "Owners and drivers of commercial vehicles need to consider safety in the event of a crash, ANCAP has concerns about the safety ratings for these two utes," he says. Small says the vehicles offered minimal safety features and the passenger compartment lost structural integrity in both crash tests.

The German marque is top of the prestige pops ahead of BMW - if you take out trucks and leave in the vans -  but there's more coming from the three-pointed star next year.  Fresh from winning its Australian Defence Force supplier contract, the company will bring in current Mercedes Car Group managing director Horst von Sanden's personal favourite and next company car - the G-Class. "It will be here early next year, this is close to my heart, I fell in love with it and was disappointed that it was not here," he says.  "After 10 years we will get it here and I will have one for sure," von Sanden says. "We will bring in the G55 AMG and the G350 BlueTEC, which will be the first BlueTEC car here, there's strong customer interest in this car," he added. BlueTec is the company's name for its nitrogen oxide (NOx) exhaust reduction systems, which puts AdBlue (a water-based urea solution) into the exhaust flow to create a chemical reaction that reduces (by up to 80 percent says Benz) the nitrogen oxides to harmless nitrogen and water in the downstream SCR catalytic converter. The BlueTEC models will continue to make the boat trip to Australia next year, with the S-Class range to be bolstered by the replacement of its AMG performance model and a frugal new variant. "S-Class will have the S63 and the S350 BlueTEC next year - the latter will be the Euro VI emission vehicle and it will have fuel consumption below the LCT fuel efficiency threshold, we're expecting that in the first quarter next year," von Sanden says. Among the other new arrivals for Mercedes-Benz next year will be the twin-turbodiesel GL-Class - "The GL450 CDI is one we will also get, the bi-turbo diesel V8, with 225kW and 700Nm of torque, it's the right engine for that car" - as well as the new CLS-Class (including CLS 63 AMG), the all-new SLK and the C-Class coupe (a stand-alone model not a CLC replacement) during 2011. "The C-Class coupe is eagerly awaited, we believe this market will be very interested in that car, so we will bring that in mid 2011, our dealers are excited to get this car as well." The company boss says the car group is 24 per cent ahead of its 2009 figures - "We are having quite a good year - year-on-year growth of 24 per cent - and we're well ahead of the industry rate," he says. Among the improvements for the brand has been the B-Class, which is up more than 900 units to 1568 following the removal of the A-Class from the Australian line-up.  "We thought A-Class and B-Class were too close together, we thought this starategy would give us a better result and it in fact this has started to work with B-Class," he says. Von Sanden also paid tribute to the C-Class, which he says had remained ahead of 2009 volumes (5415 versus 4826 year-to-date 2009) despite being the third year of its model cycle.  "To be 12 per cent up year-on-year is not typical in a car's life cycle. The E-Class is also performing ahead of expectations for the company - up by 45 per cent over 2009 figures.  "We've got good customer feedback on the car, it's one of our benchmark models - even we were surprised by the success of the coupe and cabrio models, it seems to be the right product in that segment." "We have grown our share as well, which is always a good thing to tell Stuttgart, it's a good position to be in, last week we passed the full year number from last year," von Sanden says.

A much improved look for the Mercedes-Benz family transporter will mean it gets parked closer to the clubhouse and day spa.Price: from $92,900Engines: three-litre turbodiesel, all-wheel drivePower: 140kW at 4000rpmTorque: 440Nm from 1400 to 2800rpmTransmission: seven-speed auto, all-wheel driveFuel consumption (l/100km): 9.3, tank 80 litres

The luxurious sledge hammer that is the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class has arrived.  The CL is (along with its S-Class sedan sibling) the technological pacesetter of the Mercedes-Benz range and is on sale this month boasting boosted outputs and lower fuel economy.The company says the CL-Class attracts the most amount of loyalty from its customers and it's easy to see why, as there is little in the way of direct competition.VALUEIt's difficult to call a mortgage sized pricetag under a value heading - the CL500 starts from $337,000, the CL600 V12 will be priced from $425,600.The high-performance AMG CL63 will be priced from $423,300 and the CL 65 AMG will start from $519,250, but there's no much lacking from the features list - active front seats, surround system, active suspension - but it's still a mind-boggling price range.TECHNOLOGY/SAFETYThe CL has introduced many of the brand's newest technology and the incoming model is no exception.  The CL500 brings with it active lane assist and active blind spot assist systems, which are part of the stability control program.The active lane assist keeps the driver's direction in check, monitoring - via a windscreen mounted camera - the road markings and delivering a vibration warning through the wheel and an image on the screen as it gently brakes a rear wheel to tuck the nose back into the proper line.The same sub-section of the stability control system is also involved in the brake torque vectoring system, which aims to control understeer by braking a single rear wheel.The active blind spot system lights up a red triangle in the mirror when there's another vehicle present, but the new bit uses the lane assist system's features to detect an impending lane change (using the indicator activation) and warn the driver against it, using the brake to further deter the lane change.The already-clever active suspension system has been further enhanced with a crosswind stabilisation system, which uses the suspension to change the body's position to compensate for crosswinds.The direct-steer variable gear ratio system alters the ratio with regard to the steering angle, aiding low-speed wheel work in carparks but keeping the steering direct at speed.The new star of the range is the twin-turbo 4.7-litre V8, which produces 320kW (up 12 per cent) and 530Nm, the latter a 32 per cent improvement and available from 1800rpm through to 3500rpm.It now boasts direct injection and piezo injectors capable of multiple fuel injections, all of which helps it lay claim to more torque than the current 6.2-litre naturally-aspirated AMG V8 but fuel consumption figures of 11.1 litres per 100km, a 20 per cent gain.  The CL500 cracks the sprint to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds - a half a second improvement over the outgoing car.The AMG model gets the multi-clutch seven-speed from the E63 and a capacity increase to 5.5-litres - retaining the new induction and combustion systems - resulting in a four per cent increase in power to 400kW of power and a 27 per cent improvement in torque to 800Nm from 2000 to 4500rpm.The AMG model can now match the C63's sprint to 100km/h of 4.5 seconds, but the more surprising figure is 10.6DESIGNThe beefy coupe has been given a makeover that takes little away from what was already a muscular, powerful coupe.  The snout has been given the sculpting treatment with a revamped bonnet, tweaked grilles (with an AMG-specific one-bar grille) and updated headlights, which are bi-xenon.The front and rear bumpers have been given a new look, with LED front running lights and extra air intakes, with the rear brake lights are now solid red.  The interior package remains opulent, extremely comfortable but largely unchanged.DRIVEBrutal and rakish, the CL has massive road presence and the drivetrains to match, even more so than before.  The two new models on offer that we drove briefly were the CL63 AMG and the CL500, with different incarnations of the new V8.The twin-turbo V8 engine in the CL500 is immediately impressive, with a quiet, refined part-throttle manner that dribbles torque through the seven-speed auto for unfussed - but far from tardy progress.It suits the style of the car to travel in such a manner, but punch the right pedal and two tonnes of German super-coupe surges forward with a melodious tone.The new steering set-up is welcome when turning five metres of Mercedes at low speed, without causing grief at higher speeds.  The AMG CL grumbles, burbles and screams (when required), but it lacks the hard-case crackle of the naturally-aspirated 6.2-litre V8 of the outgoing car.It's impressively ahead of that engine in all aspects and CL buyers might not want the petrolhead-magnet that is the AMG V8's aural appeal.Both cars coped reasonably well with the rutted and broken surfaces, although some buyers (of the CL500 at least) are likely to opt for the smaller wheel tyre package for the extra bit of ride comfort.Four adults and baggage are well accommodated in the cabin - as a 191cm driver I could sit behind someone of my size without being too cramped, but four average adults would have no issues.The lane-assist system is reasonably subtle in the use of the brake to pull the nose into line - the Benz people say they would rather use the braking instead of interfering in the vehicle's steering, preferring to leave the driver in charge of the wheel.Verdict: As a technological tour-de-force, the new CL has shown off some new worthwhile systems but its new blown V8 offers genuine force and impressive fuel use. It's a dream drive but with (for most) a nightmare price.Mercedes-Benz CL-ClassPrice: from $337,000.Engines: 4.7 or 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8; 5.5-litre or six-litre twin-turbo V12.Power: 320kW, 400kW; 380kW, 463kW.Torque: 700Nm, 800Nm; 830Nm, 1000Nm.Transmission: five (V12s) or seven-speed auto, seven-speed MCT, rear-wheel drive.Fuel consumption (l/100km): 11.1, 10.6; 14.3, 14.5.

Small, chic and very French…the Citroen C3 has been an absentee from the small car market in Australia, but will make a valiant return next year.

Merc as a whole continues to sell beyond this year's improving rate, last month moving 1463 vehicles - an 8.3 per cent increase on the same month in 2009 year - taking their 2010 tally to just over 18,016 vehicles, up nearly 3000 vehicles or 18.6 per cent.As a perhaps the surest sign that the GFC is a fading memory, the uber-performance AMG lines, which start with the C63, are en route for a record."I think we did 900-odd last year with supply delays, we will exceed 1000 for the first time," Mercedes-Benz spokesman David McCarthy says."If you look AMG sales figures for Australia and Germany, if you take out SLS we sell more than Germany and we're pretty pleased about that."The AMG range will be expanded with the inclusion of the $214,000 G 55 AMG early next year and there are already 15 orders for the unique SUV."Next year we have C-Coupe and there will be an AMG version of that, we're still looking at E 63 Estate but the business case for that is hard, the market for $250,000 estates isn't that big," McCarthy quipped.The mainstream side of the Mercedes-Benz product range has been boosted by the repositioned B-Class and strong sales further up the range, including the new R-Class."The repositioning of B-Class has been good, the absence of GLK hasn't helped but some customers are buying B-Class instead, the C-Class and E-Class coupe/cabriolet sales are going really well," McCarthy says.

The line-up of diesel engines from Volkswagen is already gathering a big fan base in Australia.  The turbodiesel side of the Passat range is the more popular part of the range and Volkswagen has a BlueMotion model within the revamped range.ValueThe local arm of the German car maker will be expanding its diesel model line-up with the inclusion of the Golf BlueMotion next year, but the company also has the option of further eco-centric turbodiesel models here with the new Passat. As yet there's no firm price-tag on the BlueMotion, but VW is keen to hold pricing to current levels where possible.DesignThe BlueMotion is not to be confused with the BlueTec or other models running compression ignition, which get some BlueMotion technology as standard - low rolling resistance tyres, a Stop/Start system and a battery regeneration mode.The Passat BlueMotion gets little aerodynamic aids as well as the other gear, using the most fuel-efficient engine of the range - the same 1.6-litre turbodiesel that will appear in the Golf BlueMotion when it arrives in 2011 - to maximum effect.TechnologyWhile the outputs aren't quite up to the two-litre turbodiesel we already get in Australia, 77kW and 250Nm from 1500rpm is enough to get things rolling in the new BlueMotion.The VW claim is 12.2 seconds to reach 100km/h and a top speed of 195km/h, with frugal figures improved over the outgoing car by 0.2 of a litre per 100km to 4.2 and 109g/km.Extracting diesel from a 70 litre tank, that equates to a range of at least 1600km, although a UK journalist managed to get a record of just over 2400km from one tank of fuel.Volkswagen says the record-breaking Passat used 77.25 litres to cover the record distance - so the tank was full to the brim - which equates to 3.14 litres per 100km or 90 miles per gallon.DrivingCarsguide got behind the wheel of the new-look Passat in its BlueMotion guise during the model launch, firing it up and punting through the traffic before heading for the hills outside of Barcelona.The six-speed manual gearbox is perhaps not as convenient through the traffic as a DSG, but the cog-swap is easy enough, with a decent shift action and useable clutch.The BlueMotion's little turbodiesel was a little chuggy when cold but once warmed settled down to a quiet demeanour - the more effective insulation introduced as part of the model upgrade keeps the cabin quiet enough.The torque on offer from 1500rpm was enough to allow fifth and sixth gears to be used easily on the motorway above 80 or 90km/h, provided there's no incline - 110-120km/h is an easier task for top gear as the turbo is getting into the meat of its operation.Peak power of 77kW is nothing to write home about - and the engine is not fond of heading into the upper reaches of the rev range to reach its peak.Better progress - and probably more frugal - is made keeping the engine gently humming with the gearbox, making the most of the torque.The test car had the variable damping that offered a comfortable ride in normal mode, which didn't degrade noticeably when sport mode was selected to tighten up the suspension and increase the weighting on the steering.VerdictOnly the absence of a DSG model takes the shine off its appeal for auto-addicted Australia, which is a shame, as the greenest of the new Passat models would make a worthy addition to the local line-up.Volkswagen Passat BlueMotionEngine: 1.6-litre 16-valve BlueMotion particle-filtered turbodiesel four-cylinder.Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive.Power: 77kW @ 4400rpm.Torque: 250Nm between 1500 & 2500rpm.Performance: 0-100km/h 12.2 seconds. Top speed 195km/h (governed).Fuel consumption: 4.2 litres/100km, tank 70 litres.Emissions: 114g/km.Suspension: MacPherson strut (front); multi-link (rear).Brakes: four-wheel discs, front ventilated.Dimensions: length 4769mm (wagon 4771mm), width 1820mm, height 1472mm (wagon 1481mm), wheelbase 2712mm, track fr/rr 1552/1551mm, cargo volume 565 (wagon 603/1731) litres, weight  1499kg.Wheels: 16in alloys.