Articles by Stuart Martin

I don't often lament the presence of a clutch pedal and I'm not about to now. But it seems such a shame that so few people will get to experience this particular diesel, just because they won't swap their own cogs.The Mazda CX-7 has been revamped and the highlight of the upgrade is the addition of the 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine to the specs sheet.The diesel packs a 400Nm wallop in this and the Mazda6, but the CX-7 gets the AdBlue emissions system that cuts nitrogen oxide (NOX) - something to assuage the guilt perhaps, but that and the single-digit fuel consumption that can regularly appear on the trip computer might help as well.The diesel claims a fuel economy figure of 7.6 litres/100km and CO2 emissions of 202g/km, with the AdBlue system cutting NOX emissions using a urea-based natural chemical reaction within the exhaust system.It's a comfortable cabin that has all its features falling easily to hand, Mazda says they've used improved-quality plastics, more sound deadening and given it more to combat vibration and it feels like its all been done to good effect.The dashboard and instrumentation has thankfully followed the path of the Mazda3, with the dashboard-mounted multi-information display to control sat-nav (when fitted), the Bluetooth phone link, the sound system, the reversing camera and the trip computer.The standard features list includes stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency brake assist, dual front, front-side and full-length curtain airbags, the multi-information display, a reversing camera and a trip computer.There also is climate control, a 6-disc in-dash MP3-compatible CD sound system, an auxiliary jack for an MP3 player, cruise control, a leather-wrapped gearshift and steering wheel, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking, reach'n'rake adjustable steering and variable intermittent wipers and 17in alloys.The added features on the diesel include sat-nav, powered and heated front seats, heated front exterior mirrors, leather trim and the up-spec Bose nine-speaker sound system.Anyone looking to hit anything other than A-grade dirt roads should be looking elsewhere - with 170mm of clearance this is not an offroader, it's an SUV that is definitely a sealed-surface machine, a good one at that.  Its ride is not uncomfortable in day-to-day traffic, but this is where the lack of an auto hits home.Given the close proximity in fuel pricing at the moment, the solid shove of the diesel powerplant is attractive given the turbo petrol's thirst, although the servicing will make up for some of that - let's hope Mazda has a good automatic on the way to complete the package.The six-speed manual is a nice-enough transmission to use, although the clutch is a little snappy, making it less at home in the traffic and better when slinging it around on a country road.That's where this machine is more at home, whisking its passengers quietly along a country road, gently sipping on the tank as its makes good use of its torque. Pointing into corners has little of the body roll and vagueness normally associated with the SUV segment.It still has its limits, it is a tall-bodied machine after all, but the enthusiasm for corners is well beyond the norm for a segment that still has plenty of trucks in it.

The manual gearbox - once seen to be the only gearbox for anything with sporting prowess - has become something more suited to old-school Ferrari cars as order sheets for traditional manuals have remained almost blank. Ferrari's new 458 is now a two-pedal-only proposition, with the famous marque opting out of a traditional manual gearbox because of minimal demand. Vittorio Dini, the engineer in charge of GT car engine development, says demand was miniscule for the manual gearbox in the 430 and the California, which prompted the 458 to be a double-clutch automated manual gearbox only. "There was no manual considered, it was always going to be a DCT gearbox, the manual comparison is just a simulation," he says. Dini says the speed of the gearshift in the 458 is almost instant, with the double-clutch drivetrain offering un-interrupted acceleration. "The engine is synchronised to the gearbox, this brings the engine down quickly, you use the kinetic energy of the engine to give a little extra acceleration, so instead of reducing acceleration you maintain it," he says. Dini says the manual gearbox requests didn't warrant the development and he is not saddened by the passing of the traditional manual transmission, although he understands why some people are. "It is, yes, we think so - but the requests for manual is very low, on the 430 was less than five per cent, California is worse because we developed a manual but we have almost no orders. "The performance difference is big - I understand the tradition of having the gate. "Me personally, I am not sad, because I am technically driven because I am an engineer, maybe some people in Ferrari who are more driven by history maybe, yes," he says. Ferrari Australia spokesman Edward Rowe says the Australian uptake of manual transmissions has been similarly low on 430 and California models. "We're not offering manual on California yet anyway, but order rates on manual transmissions has effectively slowed down to nothing. "The vast majority of 430s are the F1 automated manuals, not since the 360 has there been a statistically-significant number of manuals sold," he says.  

Ferrari has taken its two-seater V8 sports to new heights with the 458 Italia, but there's no manual in sight.Sharing some of the California's drivetrain, albeit with upgrades to suit the harder-core performance aspect of the coupe, the 458 is only being offered only as a double-clutch automated seven-speed manual when Australian deliveries start mid-2010, so low was the demand for 430 manuals.The company says the 458 - expected to cost as much as $600,000, or 10 per cent more than the 430 - completes the new generation Ferrari range, boasting better environmental credentials accompanied by more power and better performance.The 458 is largely focussed on the driver, with the remainder of the cabin laid bare - the driver gets a steering wheel that has the bulk of the features now mounted on it, moving lights, indicators, windscreen washer/wiper function to the steering wheel, as well as the start/stop engine button, the independent damper switch and the all-important Manettino toggle.That system controls the suspension, stability control and drivetrain via the one ECU, which Ferrari says allows the systems to work together for quicker response times.The aluminium-spaceframe vehicle, which was developed with input from Michael Schumacher, sits on a double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension, with some similarity to the underpinnings of the California - but some of the suspension has been altered for 458 Italia duty, including the bushing.The 458 is also stiffer than the outgoing 430 Scuderia, boasting only 30 extra kgs but with 50 more kiloWatts and 70 additional Newton metres of torque on hand, it's quicker than the outgoing sports model.The alloy direct-injection engine is now 4.5-litres, with work done to reduce internal friction as well as using a dry sump and oil scavenger system, producing 425kW at a manic 9000rpm and 540Nm at 6000rpm, although 80 per cent of that is available from 3250 through until 9000rpm.The sprint to 100km/h takes less than 3.4 seconds, it brakes from that point to standstill in 32.5 metres thanks to standard carbon-ceramic brake discs and a 1380kg kerb weight and the top speed is around 325km/h.The car has also benefitted from considerable aerodynamic work, managing to cut drag - it's cD is 0.33 - but at the same time generating solid levels of downforce at speed - 360kg of downforce is being generated at the top speed of 325km/h.Flexible front winglets, rear diffusers and subtle venting across the length of the body are all part of a complex aerodynamic package that aim to give the car ample track stability at speed.Driving the car on its local Italian roads and the test track at Fiorano where much of the development work was done, the 458 feels well-sorted. The road drive revealed the latest incarnation of the magnetorheological controlled damping system deals well with ride quality, as well as tightening up appropriately when asked.The engine sounds a little less inspiring at mundane speeds, but the drivetrain doesn't baulk at suburban dawdling.But bury the right foot and the active exhaust brays with intent as the V8 spins with ferocious intent to 9000rpm - only race mode will stop the gearbox changing up at the limiter, but the pace at which the horizon closes in on the sharp nose of the 458 is astonishing.On the Fiorano test track, the 458 is no less astonishing - the full throttle noise borders on a physical assault and the electronics are kept busy on a greasy track, but it feels cohesive and unlikely to bite, unless you switch all the electronics off - but we didn't.There's little that occurs beneath the wheels that the driver is not aware of, but the talents of the car are best shown by the Ferrari test drivers, who demonstrate the 458 Italia's considerable potential.For all the 458's ability, it is a sad day that sees a Ferrari without any chance of a clutch pedal. 

I was a fan of the old Z4 — it was a sportscar that had some traditional elements to it, rather than pandering to the masses. It may not have been classically attractive, but it was a bold looking device, with a proper soft-top joined later by the coupe. There were M versions of both, which very-much catered for the driver with proper hydraulic power assistance for the steering and not a run-flat in sight.A stint in an M-Coupe in Classic Adelaide a few years back reinforced the abilities, but the new model is here and has been accused of getting soft.Design The new Z4 carries the styling theme over but BMW has succumbed to the folding metal hard-top roof, beefing it up over the old model and increasing the glasshouse for improved vision as well.It offers the best of both worlds in terms of open-topped driving but the security of a hard roof for parking it places and not worrying about twerps with knives doing serious harm to the top.The drawback is that the boot, which isn't voluminous to begin with at 310 litres.But drop the top — a simple 20-second full-auto exercise once the fiddly rear luggage area's cover is in place — and the roof folds back into the loadspace, where there's barely enough room for the school bags at 180 litres.DrivetrainWe're in the 35, which is powered by the twin-turbo straight-six, with the seven-speed DCT, while the rest of the range has to make do with the optional six-speed auto. This engine is fast becoming one of the all-time favourites within the BMW range and in the automotive world in general, and nothing about its application here is going to change that.Driving Teamed with a double-clutch seven-speeder that is quick and clever, the new Z4 has no shortage of pace, but while electric power steering might tax the engine less for its assistance, ye olde hydraulics relays more information back to the driver.That's part of why it falls short of the old Z4 M Roadster for outright grin-factor — that car was a crackerjack ride and is sorely missed — but this one is easier to live with day-to-day from a driving perspective.The ride is decent thanks to the adjustable suspension system, which offers three levels — normal, sport and sport-plus, tweaking suspension, steering and pedal attitude to suit the driver's current desire. Sport mode leaves the stability control lurking in the background, something that can be an advantage for those brainfade moments when the outputs — particularly the 400Nm of torque on offer across most of the rev range — have been momentarily forgotten.Give the 35 too much right foot and the tail squirms, giving a solid hint of what it might do should a track day be in your diary.The top-spec model gets bigger brakes and a feature list that also includes cruise control with braking function, parking sensors front and rear, the aforementioned suspension system, all-electrochromatic mirrors, 18in alloy wheels, adaptive xenon headlights with high-beam assist and (for the first time in the breed's roadsters) the iDrive system.While some of the cars of a similar ilk and pricetag might lack the outright mumbo of the Z4, or the versatility offered by a folding metal roof.There's something missing from the Beemer that some of its primary opposition (of the same nationality) has more of — personality, soul, whatever you call it — but having driven the Audi TT S convertible I think I'd bank the difference, or tick some option boxes.Z4 sDrive35i Roadster Price: from $116,900.Engine: three-litre twin-turbo direct-injection in-line six-cylinder.Power: 225kW @ 5800rpm.Torque: 400Nm between 1300 & 5000rpm.Transmission: six-speed manual or seven-speed automated double-clutch, rear-wheel drive with electronic differential lock.Performance: 0-100km/h 5.2 seconds (DCT 5.1), top speed 250km/h.Fuel consumption/capacity: 9.4 litres/100km (DCT 9), tank 55 litres.Emissions: 219g/km (DCT 210)Rivals:Mercedes-Benz SLK 350 convertible, from $115,637.Audi TT S convertible, from $96,900.Porsche Boxster, from $114,800. 

The Mercedes-Benz Vito 120CDI entered the Thoroughbred Tour of this year's Classic Adelaide and was far from disgraced during the closed-road stages. Several media drivers and Mt Gambier Benz dealer Pete Gazzard completed the event in the van, which demonstrated the strong torque by competing with event burnout king Mick Doohan's C63 at stage starts.Mount Gambier Mercedes-Benz dealer-principal Peter Gazzard completed his fourth Classic Adelaide in the Vito.  The enthusiastic Gazzard has “caught and passed more than a few wide-eyed drivers of fancied European marques and we expect the same this year," says Mercedes-Benz Asia-Pacific corporate communications senior manager David McCarthy."We wanted to demonstrate that performance goes hand-in-hand with workplace safety -- it's the only five-star van -- the Vito demonstrated its comfort, driveability and safety in a very competitive environment," he says. "Some competitors disparagingly called it a mobile billboard,” McCarthy says.  Those competitors got ample chance to read the 5-Star ANCAP safety message on the Vito as it passed more than a few of them on some special stages. We wanted to demonstrate that workplace safety has many meanings." "There are also a couple of Aston Martin and Porsche owners who are nursing bruised egos this week, having been overtaken by what is probably Australia's safest and fastest van," he says.The exercise is expected to generate renewed interest in the Vito, according to McCarthy.  "A lot of our competitors would not have the guts to enter their vans, because apart from marginal safety ratings, they have about as much driveability as a forklift on a skating rink - we think the Vito was an ace performer," he says.

The range will be built at the Auto Alliance Thailand plant - which already builds BT-50s for Australia and will build around 50,000 Mazda 2s for Asian markets - and it's expected to arrive in Australia from mid-2010.Mazda Australia managing director Doug Dickson wasn't prepared to talk in more detail about the pricing structure for the Thai-sourced Mazda2.  The AAT plant boasts Mazda's three-layer wet paint system and Mr Dickson said it was a good opportunity for Mazda to bring the sedan - which boasts a 450-litre boot - here."We are delighted to be able to offer Australians the all-new Mazda2 sedan and moving to Thailand production enables us to do this," he says.  "I can confirm one of the year's worst kept secrets - from mid 2010 Australia bound 2s will be built in Thailand.  The second part is we will be able to offer the Mazda2 sedan - it sits on the same wheelbase as the hatch, has the same 1.5-litre engine - we don't have any pricing or volume information yet," he says."It is too early to talk pricing, but we're not backward in coming forward and being competitive," he says.  Mr Dickson says the company was looking forward to 2010 after 2009, which he says should have been a disastrous year for the industry."October 09 was the first year-on-year in crease in 16 months, since July 2008 - for the balance of this year we're expecting a good November and December.  Mr Dickson believes 2009 will end up being between 10 and 11 per cent down.  "But that pales by comparison to the 35 per cent setback between 1985 and 1987, and the 17 per cent setback in 1991 - we have got off lightly this year," he says."We're very proud of what we've achieved, we'll fall back about six per cent in sales, but we've picked 0.6 percentage points since July 2008 - the second best market share improvement in the industry," he says.

The Melbourne-based carmaker is looking at the light at the end of the tunnel with cautious confidence, brought about by solid forward orders of its high-end Falcon range and good signs for the facelifted Territory.  Ford Australia boss Marin Burela said Fiesta has grown its share but the Falcon result — particularly the model mix and private share — was outstanding news for Ford in October."Our desire was to do something special with Falcon sedan, dating back to 2006, we outsold Falcon sedan vs Commodore sedan.  "I can't tell you what great celebration and great delight there was in this — our share on Falcon sedan has grown over the last year from 25 to 35 per cent in sedan.   We're extremely excited by that, I can't tell you how delighted we were with that."Burela is pleased with the Falcon sedan result but the good news is also coming from its imported line-up.  "The biggest challenge we had was maintaining our supply to dealers, we exceeded out targets on Focus, Falcon, Ute, Ranger, Transit, we had our best Ranger 4x4 private sales ever, the second best Ranger sales on record," he says.Burela believes the company has lost Territory sales because the factory was failing to match demand for the facelifted SUV, something the company was rectifying.  "We're focussed to get the car from build to dealer in a streamlined process.  "I think we're losing sales because we don't have enough vehicles in the right locations to meet demand," he says.The company will make a decision before the end of the first quarter of 2010 on the fate of the Falcon wagon based on market demand for long-serving wagon, which faces competition from within from the Mondeo wagon.  "Mondeo wagon has been pleasing, the wagon is now starting to attract some fleet interest, government, small business and the private buyer ... we're seeing a lot of activity on that,"  Burela says.The Ford boss is looking to 2010 with cautious optimism and says the company has no non-production days planned for 2010.  "We believe the industry will kick up from the second quarter, we can re-balance quickly if we need to."The 2010 market, I'm a glass half full guy, my view is that the industry will be soft in the first quarter, but I think it will be 920-950,000, let's wait and see — we think 2009 will finish 915,000-920,000.  "We have to be cautious with the optimism, there's a lot more work to be done to get the industry back to where it needs to be," he says.

More than a few years ago I was earning extra cash delivering pizzas in the Adelaide hills. The trials and tribulations of that career were punctuated with use and abuse of a Suzuki two-door hatch.It was an odd choice given the hilly terrain of the Blackwood/Belair area, but we persisted with its use, which regularly involved service work and more part replacements than was close to ideal, according to our boss.  It was bent, battered, bruised and butchered but it survived despite several major attempts to kill it, with the odd thrum of three-cylinder a key part of the ‘Pizza Burner's’ charm.Fast-forward nearly three decades - there's another grey hair - and we're zipping around the suburbs in Suzuki's new Indian-built Alto and there's a striking similarity in engine noise.  The three-cylinder runs like it's about to stall, but it doesn't - although there's the constant fear that it will and some inattentive SUV driver will use the Alto as a launching ramp.  We're sampling both the GLX auto - which gets the tachometer, among other things - and the GL base-model,which has a speedo only.DrivetrainIt's been quite a while since I've driven a car without a tachometer, but you're never in danger of hitting a rev limiter.  The three-cylinder strains vainly but you just can't get punish it that much - this little car is an honest machine.The automatic needs to be shifted manually for anything other than sedentary pace, but given a bit of welly it gets along without too many issues.  The manual can be stirred along a little easier, as well as not paying a weight penalty - the car with the clutch pedal is easier to punt through traffic and its diminutive size means gaps meant for a motorbike are fair game in an Alto. But you'll need to be good at reading traffic flow to take advantage of them.EconomyIt is economical, claiming around four or five litres per 100km for the combined-cycle fuel economy figure (depending on the gearbox), but the manual returned 3.9 litres per 100km during the recent Global Green Challenge, with a frugal two litres per 100km during the Adelaide city stage at the event's conclusion.EquipmentWhen you're talking sub-$20,000 the features list isn't going to have massaging seats and radar cruise control.  The standard features list includes 14in steel wheels, manually-adjustable exterior mirrors, front power windows, air conditioning, a CD sound system with MP3 auxiliary input, remote central locking, dual front, side and curtain airbags and anti-lock brakes.The GLX gets fog lamps on the front, body-coloured mirrors, 14in alloys, the aforementioned tacho, four extra speakers for the sound system (which doesn't help it much), a height adjuster for the driver's side seat and stability control.Road abilityThe road manners are decent - for a shopping trolley - which means its ride quality is decent but there's not masses of prowess in the handling department.Mind you, it isn't meant to out-corner a Mazda MX-5 - and it won't, just for the record.  It can lean a bit and will run wide, but most city running isn't going to stretch its talents too far.I even picked up a pizza in it, turning for home and almost reverted to the ‘30-minutes or die’ that was the unofficial mantra way back then. Almost.  The light car segment is one that is getting more competitive and Suzuki's reputation for solid machinery should get a decent chunk of the market. 

 Rebounding new vehicle sales have - for the first month in more than a year - exceeded 2008 figures.  Last month's new car and truck sales from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) totalled 80,813, up 1708 sales - a 2.2 per cent rise on October last year.The October total is the first month since June 2008 that there has been an improvement - all segments except heavy trucks contributed to the improvement.Holden's Adelaide-built Commodore remains the number one seller for the year so far with more than 36,000 sedans and wagons sold, but last month ran third to the Toyota Corolla's tally of 3724 - 269 ahead of the Commodore - and the HiLux light-commercial's total of 3707.Holden's results included Captiva topping the SUV sales charts for October and sales and marketing executive director John Elsworth said the Cruze recording its strongest sales month since it arrived in showrooms in June."We continue to be delighted with the public response to the Cruze - from a standing start it's now the third best-selling car in small car segment," he said.The year-to-date 2009 market of 762,787 vehicles is running behind the same period in 2008 by 11.7 per cent or 101,250 vehicle sales.Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) chief executive Andrew McKellar said the market was boosted by sales activity in private, business and rental buyers.  "The industry is looking to round out the year on a positive note and we expect a further surge in sales as businesses move to take advantage of the successful tax break prior to the end of the year," he said.Van sales were up almost 20 per cent last month and Rick Castellan has just bought the top-selling van in the segment, a Toyota HiAce.  The 47-year-old director of Castellan Plumbing Services is on his ninth HiAce and the tax rebate sweetened the deal to buy a new one."The deals are good at the moment, one of my other old vans died after being run into the ground, and with the government tax rebate makes it a bit better financially," he said.  Mr Castellan said many of his colleagues and opposition have also updated vehicles because of the tax rebate.  "One guy I know would normally go to the government auctions and gets a two or three year-old van but he worked it out that he's better off buying the new one with the rebate," he said.TOP 10 BRANDS     Sept         (YTD 2009 +/- on 2008)Toyota                      17,888       160,786    -20.6 per centHolden                     10,737        96,404     -12.2 per centFord                           8240          78,529     -12.7 per centMazda                        5637         63,332     -6.5 per centHyundai                     6281         53,906     42.0 per centMitsubishi                 4775         44,867     -14.3 per centNissan                      4484         42,930     -15.6 per centHonda                       2984         34,771     -25.1 per centSubaru                      3302         30,527     -6.4 per centVolkswagen             2626          25,343     -2.7 per centTOP 20 VEHICLES        Sept 2009    Year to dateToyota Corolla               3724              32,200Toyota Hilux                   3707              30,096Holden Commodore     3455             36,085Ford Falcon                   2841              25,411Mazda3                          2211              29,397Hyundai Getz                2198               17,389Holden Cruze                2183               8327Mitsubishi Lancer        2066                 17,071Hyundai i30                   2041              17,913Toyota Camry              1817               16,529Nissan Navara           1689               15,013Toyota Yaris                 1613               15,990Toyota Aurion                1426               11,289Holden Colorado         1378              12,157Ford Ranger               1284               11,046Holden Captiva          1255                 9133Mitsubishi Triton         1251              14,115Holden Utility             1127                 9411Suzuki Swift               1113                 9602Volkswagen Golf         1055             10,096     

Kia has dropped its 4WD abilities in favour of making its new Sorento an SUV.  Kia has sold almost 900,000 globally since it introduced Sorento in 2002 (9000 in Australia since it started here in January 2003) and Kia Australia president and CEO Terry Im says the new Sorento's arrival is just the start."The company is scheduled to introduce 20 all-new or upgraded models between 2009 and 2012 - this is our fourth new model in Australia just this year," he says.  "The development of the new Sorento clearly demonstrates the depth of Kia's engineering and manufacturing capability."The Korean-built two and four-wheel drive SUV - on sale now - now boasts seven seats but is now a monocoque body with no low range.  The new-look design - which follows the family look of the breed, drawn by design boss Peter Schreyer - has dropped the drag-co-efficient from 0.425 to 0.38. Kia admits it may lose some sales to other ‘proper’ 4WDs, as well as those looking for a heavy-duty tow vehicle, as the braked towing capacity for the lighter new-mode Sorento has also been reduced to 2500kg for the manual and 2000kg for the auto.Seven seats, stability control, dual front, side and full-length curtain airbags for all three rows are all standard range-wide, which will give it a Euro NCAP five-star rating, although an ANCAP rating of the same number will have to wait for the addition of a front passenger seatbelt reminder.The car has grown by 95mm in length but has 10mm from its wheelbase and 15mm from the overall height of the outgoing car.  The company claims it is quieter - with more sound deadening materials and foam injection into keys areas - as well as being lighter and stronger, thanks to the use of 70 per cent high tensile steel.The brand has downsized both the petrol and diesel engines but has improved fuel use without sacrificing outputs.  The 3.3-litre petrol 180kW/309Nm V6 engine has been replaced by the familiar (to Kia and Hyundai buyers) Theta II 2.4-litre four-cylinder, with variable valve timing - the four-cylinder produces 128kW and 226Nm, but with a claim of 16 per cent better fuel economy at 9.2l/100km.The diesel and its own six-speed auto are big news for the company, with the engine down from 2.5 to 2.2 litres but all-alloy in construction with double overhead cams and 16 valves.  The variable-geometry turbo works with third-generation common-rail injection to produce 145kW and 436Nm, while claims of 6.7l/100km for the six-speed manual and 7.4 for the six-speed automatic, more than a litre better than the out-going diesel.The six-speed auto was four years in development - which has yielded more than 300 patent applications by Kia - and is 12kg lighter and more compact than the five-speed.  The Sorento has an on-demand 4WD system that has a manual 50/50 locked mode, which releases above 30km/h; the system as has hillstart assist and downhill assist, which brings the car down a steep slope at 8km/hrThe double-wishbone front suspension has been replaced the lighter, smaller and cheaper MacPherson struts, while the rear end gets a sub-frame mounted multi-link suspension with coil springs; the diesel models also get an automatic self-levelling system.  The new model gets four-wheel discs - front rotors are ventilated - with anti-lock and brakeforce distribution and the aforementioned stability control as standard.The base-model Sorento Si is available from $36,490 for the two-wheel drive petrol model - the 2WD drivetrain is available with the four-cylinder petrol engine (Si only) and offers a slightly lower weight: 50kg less than 4WD models.  The Si gets 17in alloys, front fog lights, remote keyless entry, auto door locks, cloth trim, 60/40 split 2nd and 50/50 3rd split-fold seats and folding power-adjustable side mirrors.A leather-wrapped steering wheel, cruise control (with wheel-mounted controls), trip computer, power windows, reach'n'rake adjustable steering, a six-speaker MP3 compatible single CD sound system with USB/iPod input, dual-zone climate control with CleanAir ioniser and vents for 2nd and 3rd rows.The four-wheel drive manual turbodiesel is $39,990 (the auto adds $2000), with the mid-spec SLi turbodiesel - which Kia believes will represent the biggest slice of its annual sales target of 2000 - is an automatic-only proposition at $45,990. The SLi ups the wheel-size to 18in and adds a rear view camera (with screen within the centre electro-chromatic rear-vision mirror), rear parking sensors, automatic lights, leather trim, roof rails, LED rear taillights, alloy pedals and scuff plates and fan controls for the 3rd row.The Platinum tops the list with a smart key, the panoramic sunroof, an external amplifier, centre speaker and sub-woofer for the sound system.  The Sorento flagship Platinum auto turbodiesel starts from $48,990.   The company has full iPod integration across the range but has no integrated Bluetooth or satellite navigation available yet, although the company is working on the latter.The shift from the 4WD to the SUV genre for Kia's Sorento has done the Sorento no harm.  While the grey nomads might not like the reduction in towing capacity and the transfer case will be missed by the rock-hopper, most people in the market for a medium SUV will like much of this new offering.The first impressions from behind the wheel of the new car is that Kia has toughened up the structure, if not maintaining the rough'n'tumble off-road image.  More svelte, with the longer, more stylish nose, the front of the new Sorento has an attractive edge, unlike the rear which looks a little out of balance and nowhere near as nice.The smaller diesel is smooth and quiet, with a strong bottom-end - once the turbo has wound up a little - and the surge doesn't taper off until well up the rev range.  We didn't sample the six-speed manual but the diesel-six-speed auto combination worked well - as long as the engine revs didn't drop away too far.  The ride is on the firm side but has some compliance and isn't skittish, the body control is similarly good and it is only tyre grip that sees the front wash wide under pressure.The launch drive was far from frugally-minded but both the SLi and Platinum versions had figures in the low 9s on the trip computers.  The third row is more useful than some but there's minimal storage space with it in use for passengers - something not unique to this car - but in five-seater mode there's decent luggage space, without being cavernous.The rear pillar is very thick and there's a solid blind spot at either back corner, which will make sensors and a reversing camera most welcome.  The Sorento has a more solid feel than its predecessor and the new smooth and quiet diesel will put it on plenty of shopping lists.