Articles by Stuart Martin

For the first time in the illustrious badge's history, the M3 is on our shores as a sedan.Coupes, then convertibles have been seen and heard but now the ‘family truckster’ M3 is here.We're sampling the six-speed manual sedan and there's not too many manual drivetrains around that can provide as much entertainment as this one.Sure, the double-clutch seven-speed has more tricks in its bags of electronics for another $7300, but the M3 with a clutch pedal doesn't even have an M-button on the wheel, such is its simplicity.The power button sharpens up the throttle and the DSC button turns stability control on or off.The sedan's options list includes the tricky Electronic Damper Control, for $4000, or M Drive configuration system for $3500 - but none of the high-tech gadgetry of its larger M-siblings is really needed.Just get in, hit the start button, slot it into first gear and you're gone.If desired, you could have hit the state limit and returned to a standstill by the end of this sentence.The sedan claims a 0-100km/h time of 4.9 seconds - 4.7 in the double-clutch automated manual despite a 20kg weight penalty - and the big brakes rip it back to a standstill in about 30 metres and it feels like it could repeat the exercise all day.The four-litre V8's outputs are unchanged from the coupe and the convertible, but the song remains the same, a quick, fit burble at idle that sings as its spins quickly to the redline just north of 8000rpm.It's a flexible unit around town as well, requiring few gear changes but demanding more cog-swaps, so delightful is the gearshift.While the M3 is down on power and torque compared to the C63 sedan (the RS4 had a little more torque but the same power figure) the compact BMW powerhaus is a quicker point-to-point machine thanks to tactile steering and the chassis' ability to put the outputs to ground.The tricky locking rear diff can take some credit too but the overall package has a cohesive feel to it.The new M3 sedan has also benefited from the new-look iDrive, with shortcut buttons around the controller knob. It's generally easier to use and the functions take place much more quickly.Unfortunately, the screen went black twice, normal behaviour if I'd just shut everything down and was getting out but a little disturbing when you're driving.For four average sized occupants the room is more than adequate, but legroom is restricted behind taller front-seat occupants - something afflicting almost all of the compact prestige segment, not just the Beemer.But the cabin is comfortable otherwise, the front seats - with adjustable squabs and side bolsters - are supportive without being too restrictive.It might be a touch slower and use a trickle more fuel than the coupe, or the double-clutch models, but the four-door practicality - for $10,000 less than the coupe and $24,000 less than the convertible - would do me just fine.BMW M3 sedanPrice: from $149,000.Engine: four-litre DOHC variable 32-valve V8.Transmission: six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive with variable M Differential Lock.Power: 309kW @ 8300rpm.Torque: 400Nm @ 3900rpm.Performance: 0-100km/h 4.9 seconds, top speed 250km/h (governed)Fuel consumption: 12.4litres/100km, on test 16.4litres/100km, tank 63litres.Emissions: 295g/km.Rivals:Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG sedan, from $144,365.Lexus IS F, from $129,000.HSV W427, from $155,500.Porsche Cayman S, from $155,300.

But don't think these are just pie-in-the-sky concepts with little connection to reality - much of the gear on these concepts is likely to appear in a future Mopar catalogue.The Mopar Underground design team has shown off some of its tweaked Jeep machines, as well as the Grand Cherokee, to the faithful at the recent 43rd annual Moab Jeep Safari, in Utah.The team, in existence since 2002, has delivered more than a dozen on-the-edge Jeep vehicles and go-better bits, and chief designer Mark Allen says the skunkworks has a passion for off-road machines equal to the enthusiastic crowds at the Moab Jeep Safari."Moab Jeep Safari provides a great venue and works as a proving ground to test Jeep vehicle concepts driven alongside Jeep brand enthusiasts, who can provide immediate feedback at the event."As a result, we use knowledge gained at this off-road event to explore new directions for Jeep platforms and to develop Mopar Performance Parts and Accessories to suit these vehicles," he says.Local Jeep spokesman Jerry Stamoulis says the Mopar team is utilising some Australian aftermarket equipment in the concept cars."A couple of the cars are using ARB accessories … the Wrangler Overland has an ARB roof-mounted tent and a rear-locker; the Grand Cherokee has an ARB bumper as well,” Stamoulis says."It's good to see the Australian stuff getting recognition in the US and being used by Mopar for these vehicles.”Stamoulis says new Grand Cherokee was also shown to the Moab faithful ahead of its 2010 U.S. launch."We don't have a date yet, the U.S. will start selling it mid next year, right-hand drive and diesel have been confirmed but we don't have an exact date, hopefully it will be near the end of 2010, eaarly 2011," he says.Three key Jeep models have been given the Mopar treatment.The Jeep Wrangler Overland - based on a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited four-door - sits on 17in wheels (with chunky off-road rubber) and a 2.5 inch Mopar lift kit and is what the company calls "a mobile self-contained campsite."The cabin is trimmed in water-resistant materials, the rear seats have been replaced with a rear cargo area with a rubber floor, with the roof rack fitted with a ARB two-person Simpson II rooftop-mounted tent and awning.The current Grand Cherokee has been given the Mopar treatment to be re-named Grand Canyon II.The most luxurious Mopar off-roader yet has been given more off-road ability with 285/70R17 tyres and a Superlift 4-inch suspension system. The approach angle has been improved with an ARB high-clearance front bumper and Mopar heavy-duty rock rails.But the hotrod of the Mopar trio is the Jeep Lower Forty, based on the Wrangler platform but with 40in x 13.5in tyres on Mopar 20in forged aluminium wheels.The Mopar team aimed to maintain the Wrangler's centre of gravity with extra ground clearance with the wheel/tyre package without a lift kit, so the body and guards were cut and customised, as was the windscreen, which lost three inches in height and gained 10 degrees of rake.The bonnet is now a one-piece-carbon-fibre panel, the rear has an all-new tailgate and there's also an all-new roll cage, but the best bit lies beneath the new bonnet.The Lower Forty is powered by an all-new 5.7-litre HEMI V8 engine and a Getrag 238 six-speed manual transmission, driving all four wheels via Dana axles and ARB air-locker diffs. 

The MX-5 has always been a favourite, for its classic lightweight sportscar capabilities and affordable bottom-line - I'm a fan.When they gave it a major upgrade we held our breath - had they ruined it? The answer was no.The Mazda decision makers gave in to market trends and offered a folding metal hardtop, but they managed to keep true to the modern classic's strengths - light of weight, nimble and satisfying.The first MX-5 was launched in 1989 at the Chicago Motor Show, tipping the scales at just 940kg with an 85kW/130Nm 1.6-litre engine.Now, the 118kW/188Nm two-litre hardtop weighs in at 1167kg (the soft-top weighs 38kg) but offers better security and noise insulation, but detracts little from the drive experience apart from less than bountiful three-quarter rearward vision.Spark the two-litre engine - which offers unchanged outputs at 118kW and 188Nm but has a higher 7500rpm redline (up 500rpm) and some revised internals - into life and the MX-5 offers fuss-free driving.The variable-valve engine is flexible around town and the only problem in traffic is having to look around other cars rather than through them - you're looking up at people driving shopping trolleys, let alone the SUV brigade.But slot the sensational six-speed manual into gear and point the nose at the hills and a smile is impossible to avoid.Mazda says the 50/50 weight distribution has been retained but the steering response has been improved - it's not like it really needed work.Being closer in dimensions to Top Gear's Clarkson than Hammond, the little roadster looks a little on the small side as I clamber down and drop into the seat.The lack of reach steering adjustment doesn't help with getting an ideal driving position, but I manage.The cabin is snug but the seats feel comfortable, although lacking in lateral support at the top of the backrest.There's not a huge amount of storage space in the cabin but the features list has cruise control, drilled aluminium pedals, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather-trimmed seats, dual front and side airbags.It might only be a two-litre engine but with weight being the enemy of performance, the little roadster doesn't suffer.The engine revs enthusiastically and quickly gets the MX-5 underway, but its perfect weight balance, strong body and well-tuned suspension mean the charismatic little convertible can carry a lot of corner speed.Ride quality doesn't suffer for the cornering ability either, so mid-corner bumps don't unsettle it much and it can be driven daily without re-arranging vertebrae.The MX-5 can also be thrown around and driving enthusiastically, without any of the sting-in-the-tail of some of its far more expensive opposition.Mazda says the ADR fuel economy number has been reduced by 0.4 to 8.1litres/100 km, although if the talents of the car are being explored more fully then low double figures can be expected.Styling wise the little Mazda looks better with the hardtop dropped - the upright rear window tends to spoil the lines - but the benefits of the solid roof outweigh the disadvantages.Phrases like `mid-life crisis’ and `hairdresser's car’ are sometimes unfairly directed at this little beauty - if that's the case then I'm nearly old enough to qualify, maybe I should sign up for scissor school now.

Sales have dropped, so to help stave off a major slump in volume, the company has a revamped C4 coming into showrooms.Citroen Australia general manager Miles Williams says the company is aiming at 2500 cars this year, down from the 2703 tally last year and a level not seen since 2004."Things are tough, we're finding the market extremely hard, our objective is to get 2500 cars this year,” he says."We're hoping that the doom will lift and our sales will lift with it, but probably not for 12 months or so, business is hard," he said.Williams says the company was focussing on volume cars - the C3, and the updated C4, as well as the medium-sized C5, which had suffered from being launched in the middle of the crisis at a low exchange rate."We'd love to see it go a little harder and it's a stunning car that deserves better - but we had to put the price up $3000 before we launched it so that's making it hard for the car to compete," he says.The brand has a good model range in Australia and Mr Williams said the brand would ramp up its marketing from June to back up the new C4 and Berlingo models.Williams believes the market will be tough well into 2010."I think we've probably got the better part of 12 months, to June next year before we start seeing buyers feeling more confident."Having said that there's 800,000 probably going to be sold here this year, that's still a lot of cars - it's a competitive market and we'll fight and grab what share we can," he says.The bulk of the new C4 range has gone up by $1000 due to currency changes, with the exception of the 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol model, which is priced identically to the two-litre model it replaces."We're going to be out there competing and give it our best shot, the aggressiveness in the marketplace is unbelievable," Williams says.The updated C4 has a new-look grille covering the two new petrol powerplants - shared with co-developer BMW - which boast better outputs and lower fuel consumption and emissions.The C4's tachometer has been moved to the central LCD display as part of the cabin's makeover, as well as Citroen's NaviDrive satnav system being added to the options list.The sound system has been upgraded to include a built-in 30GB hard drive and the system also offers a video auxiliary socket and a USB connection.The C4 is now available with two new petrol engines - the 88kW 1.6-litre 16-valve powerplant and the 1.6-litre 16-valve turbocharged unit in 103kW and 110kW variants.The new C4 range is priced from $26,990 for the VTi five-speed manual, or $28,990 for the four-speed automatic versions, while the same trim and equipment level with the 1.6 HDi diesel engine and the EGS six speed automated manual is $31,990, or $30,990 with a conventional five-speed manual.The new turbo 103kW 1.6 petrol model starts at $33,990 in Exclusive model trim with a standard automatic transmission and the high-pressure 110 kW 1.6 litre turbo performance model with a five-speed manual gearbox is priced from $31,990.

The company is showing its i MiEV, or Mitsubishi innovative Electric Vehicle to media, fleet companies and government ministers for evaluation as Japan gears up for the first run of 2000 production vehicles.The i MiEV is the first full certified electric vehicle in Australia, a process Mitsubishi CEO Robert McEniry described as challenging and an exciting day for the company."This is really the start of the future for the car industry, I think we'll see a lot more of these vehicles being introduced into the marketplace,” he says."It's the first fully-certified electric vehicle in the Australian market - that's a real breakthrough for us but it was a long arduous process."The car you see is ready for volume sale, Australia is the first country to get full certification.”McEniry says the company will get a handful more cars later in the year for long-term evaluation, with a view to going on sale in 2010, but refused to comment on a price for the car.While prices were a taboo subject — McEniry was determined not to talk price yet — the company is looking at other technology as a guide to what will develop with electric cars."There's no doubt the technology will improve, we use the mobile phone analogy, where you needed a trailer and a couple of months at the gym to use the phone,” he says."Now we have these microsystems and new battery technology, one would anticipate the same process would follow with electric vehicles as well.”Mitsubishi is also looking to the nation's governments for assistance in encouraging the adoption of new automotive technology."In every other country the vehicle has been tested in, the governments have been very pro-active in assisting the introduction of these electric vehicles into the marketplace. We haven't discussed that with them here yet,” McEniry says.He believes that providing tax relief, infrastructure assistance or subsidies is an opportunity the government should not ignore."I think direct subsidies is probably the way to, initially we're only talking very small numbers and an education process, this is about CO2 reductions and this car can be the sentinel for that," he says.DrivingEerie silence is all that you get with a twist of the switch where a key once went.The i MiEV electric car — the first certified for sale in Australia — is then `READY’ according to the dashboard indicator.Stealthy silence — which could be useful to frighten wayward pedestrians — and a faint whirr is all that is heard as the battery and electric motor — underneath the back seat — drive the rear wheels.As a city commuter car to get from A to B (or should that be AA to D) the i MiEV is simple to steer, light and remarkably swift.A proper push on the accelerator heading up Montefiore Hill kicks the electric car quickly forward, with the instant torque from the electric motor quickly bringing Colonel Light into view.The drivetrain has three models: Drive for full power, Eco mode for lower torque and longer range and Brake mode, which increases the amount of regenerative braking that puts charge back into the battery.Despite a tall body the little four-seater doesn't lean excessively (most of the weight is down low) and there's enough room for four adults.Drivetrain: lithium-ion battery and a compact high-output permanent magnet synchronous electric motor.Power: 47kWTorque: 180NmRange: 160kmTop speed: 130km/h (restricted)Performance: 1.5 seconds faster to 80km/h than petrol equivalent.Consumption and battery stats: 88 batteries in pack, weighs 200kg. One quarter the emissions of a petrol equivalent, half the emissions of equivalent petrol-electric hybrid. Saves one tonne of CO2 emissions per 10,000km travelled. Seven hours for a full battery charge on a home powerpoint; 30 minutes for 80 per cent charge on a fast-charger system. 10-year, 160,000km battery life. A full charge could cost as little as $2.50 on an off-peak tariff.

The Germans have a stranglehold on the market but for those who look for flair not completely at the expense of function probably end up staring into the beautiful face of an Alfa Romeo 159.

The little oil-burner will start at $33,750 and is being spruiked by Mini as the most efficient and cleanest vehicle to go on sale in the Australian market yet.Using stop-start and brake energy regeneration systems, the Cooper D will lay claim to 104 grams of CO2 per kilometre and a thirst of just 3.9 litres per 100km.By comparison, the current number-one is the smart fortwo micro-hybrid, which claims 3.9l/100km and 105g/km of CO2.Toyota's Prius petrol-electric lays claim to a thirst of 4.4l/100km and emissions 106g/km.The company expects the Cooper D won't send the beancounters into a frenzy as it's an unknown segment for diesel.But Mini staffers say the Cooper D will be used as a barometer for diesel variants for other Mini models — but no decision has yet been made on which will be Australia's next Mini diesel model.Make One Degree of difference today by calculating your carbon footprint and finding out what you can do to reduce it.

The smile-inducing droptop version of the upgraded Mini will go on sale later this month boasting lower fuel use, better outputs and lower emissions.The Mini icon — celebrating 50 years this year — is offering the new Cabrio as a Cooper and Cooper S straight off the bat, with the Chilli option pack available in both variants.Starting price for the new droptop is $39,800 for the Cooper, an increase of $2300 over the outgoing model.The top end Cooper S model rises by $1500 to be priced from $48,000; an automatic transmission adds $2350 to the bottom line and the Chilli pack another $3600.Tick a few option boxes and the pricetag quickly rises to more than $60,000 — a lot of money for a little sporty.The Bluetooth/USB connection will add $750, or $1470 if you want it integrated into the armrest.Leather trim, depending on the original model, adds between $1460 and $2950.Mini national manager Justin Hocevar says the new Mini Cabrio is the only premium cabrio in its segment will continue to deliver typical Mini driving pleasure, borrowing a trademark phrase from its BMW parent.“Compared with their predecessors both the new Cooper Cabrio and the new Cooper S Cabrio offer better performance on substantially less fuel and with much lower emissions,” he says.The new Cabrio has attempted to address some of the criticisms levelled at its predecessor, with the rear passengers protected in a rollover by a pop-up roll-hoop system that deploys in 150 milliseconds.The previous model's fixed rollhoops impeded rear vision for the driver, something that has been remedied to some extent by the new set-up, but the large blind spots at the rear corners remain, making car park manoeuvres still something of a mystery.The pop-up roll-hoop system also allows the new Cabrio an extra five litres of boot space, with better access thanks to an Easy-Load expandable aperture for the boot. With the roof down the boot space is 125 litres (up five), rising to 170 litres when the roof is up and 660 litres with the rear seat folded down.Even with the top — which is available in black, brown or a denim colour, depending on paint colour — down, there are still some rearward vision restrictions, as the folded roof can obscure the view of traffic behind, no mean feat given the low ride of the Cabrio.Mini is also claiming an increase in body stiffness — thanks predominantly to reinforced side-sills — of 10 per cent, with a weight reduction of 10kg.Fuel consumption has also been cut — by 16 per cent in the Cooper to 6.1l/100km and 18 per cent in the Cooper S, down to 7.2l/100km, coincidentally the number achieved on the launch drive program south-west of Melbourne.One the sillier gauges — right up there with the economy gauge in an old Commodore or the "accurate" boost pressure gauges on some turbos — is the "Always Open Timer" tacked on to the left-hand side of the tachometer.Supposedly a fun feature and a non-negotiable part of the Chilli pack, it displays how much time you've spent driving with the roof down, but all it really does with any degree of function is block one of the air vents.The roof mechanism takes 15 seconds and can be operated up to 30km/h, with the additional flexibility of lifting the forward section of the roof, offering targa-top style driving without exposing the back seats, but aerodynamics make sure there's plenty of wind in the hair regardless of t-top or fully-dropped roof mode.The company expects the Cooper S to represent around 55 per cent of the new Cabrio's sales, with the Cooper more likely to be bought with a six-speed automatic.The Chilli pack ups the wheel size for either model (16in on the Cooper and 17 on the S), as well as adding cloth/leather trim, upgrading the sound system and adding Xenon headlights on Cooper S — the sales boffins say the take up of Chilli is around 60 per cent. DrivingThe only model driven on the launch was the Cooper S Chilli manual and immediately the turbo powerplant made its presence felt with braps, rumbles, snuffles and pops on the down-change, with an almost immediate surge from just about anywhere in the rev range.Rear seat room behind a 190cm-plus driver and passenger is minimal but tall occupants can accommodate limbs easily for a decent driving position.Rear vision is still an issue but otherwise the fun drive experience of previous BMW-built Minis remains — flat, grippy handling with plenty of driver smiles.The turbocharged powerplant does its best to make the front wheels squirm and will succeed under hard acceleration from slow corners, prompting the (standard range-wide) stability control into action.The gearchange is slick and reasonably sharp, although it's not difficult to push too far across into the realm of reverse — but most of the time the gearbox and well-placed pedals made for an entertaining drive.The pricetag looks impressive but the segment has a few droptops that offer more space and metal for the money, but putting a price on the go-kart handling and the fun drive experience is difficult ... that's what the company will count on.Price: from $39,800.Engine: 1.6-litre 16-valve four-cylinder; S — 1.6-litre 16-valve direct-injection twin-scroll turbocharged four-cylinder.Transmission: six-speed manual or automatic, front-wheel drive.Power: 88kW @ 6000rpm; 128kW @ 5500rpm.Torque: 160Nm @ 4250rpm; 240Nm (260Nm on overboost) from 1600 to 5000rpm.Performance: 0-100km/h 9.8 seconds (S 7.4). Top speed 198km/h (S- 222km/h).Fuel consumption: 6.1litres/100km (S — 7.2), tank 40litres (S — 50).Emissions: 145g/km (S — 171).In its class:Holden Astra Twin Top, from $45,790.Ford Focus Cabriolet, from $45,490.Peugeot 207CC, from $34,990.Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet, from $44,990.

The smallest of the Benz-badged cars is the A-Class and the B is not a massive step up in size, but it's enough to offer that little bit of extra interior space.We're in the B200, which has just been facelifted, offering a re-sculpted bonnet, radiator and altered headlights, new-look mirrors and alloy wheels, but it's a blink-and-miss job.Whereas most of the other Mercedes driven recently require a descent to enter, you step into the B-Class, which Benz rather optimistically markets as a `Sports Tourer’.It's an upright driving position, but despite being a small car it's easy enough to get settled behind the reach'n'rake adjustable wheel.Thankfully, the B-Class hasn't adopted the ridiculous stalk-control for transmission that has infiltrated the S and M-Class cars — a conventional transmission selector for the CVT and a normal handbrake are welcome.Some might miss the extra width of a larger car, but it wasn't a serious issue for us.At 190-odd cm I found a workable driving position, and slipping into the back seat I could sit behind someone of similar stature, which is something not feasible in some larger vehicles.Four adults would be the B200's maximum number of occupants, but they could travel with a surprising amount of room given the car's relatively small coverage of the road.The test car was also fitted with Benz's Metro package option, which adds the continuously variable automatic transmission, the Active Parking Assist parking guidance system (standard in Turbo model) and a 12-volt socket in boot for $4160.Why anyone would need an electronic parking system for such a little car is beyond me — some of the other large vehicles already endowed with the system require it but the little Benz is a doddle to park.This is a town car and it has the skills for it — the engine has decent outputs and could be considered almost peppy, but the edge is taken from it by the CVT, which sometimes feels as though it takes a long time to hook up under full throttle.Forward progress is actually deceptive, particularly on part throttle take-offs — it's no autobahn-stormer — but it's more than adequate for metropolitan work.It will corner as well, but don't expect anything other than a bit of understeer, some stability control warning light flashes and a fair bit of leaning — brisk but civilised pace is best.The test car also had the $5070 Luxury package, which upgrades the airconditioning to dual-zone climate control, adds full-leather trim, myrtle wood/aluminium highlights interior trim, chrome exhaust tailpipe tips, body-coloured door handles, mirrors and side skirts.The infotainment system has an integrated 6CD changer, Bluetooth connectivity and an MP3 facility buried right at the back of the glovebox (which wasn't illuminated due to a faulty light).Both packs quickly shift the B200 upwards by almost $10,000 to just over $55,000.Of course, even the little Mercedes-Benz models have a safety list that compensates to some extent for the price — the B-Class has (now non-switchable) stability control, with front, side and curtain airbags. There's even flashing brake lights (in an emergency stop) as standard, a crash-responsive emergency interior lighting among the standard safety fare.Those who stick with the manual gearbox will enjoy the automatic hill-start assist.The German car maker is also boasting improved fuel use up to seven percent, with an official claim of 7.4 litres per 100km for the two-litre four-cylinder when working with the CVT.After a week in the Carsguide garage the trip computer was showing 9.5 litres per 100km of predominantly metropolitan running, which would suggest a range of just under 600km from the 54-litre tank.As commuter cars go the B-Class was a pleasant surprise in many respects — a decent ride without wallowing through corners, adequate interior room and good safety features. SnapshotMercedes-Benz B-Class Price: from $46,200.Engine: two-litre SOHC 8-valve four-cylinder.Transmission: five-speed manual, optional CVT fitted, front-wheel drive.Power: 100kW @ 5750rpm.Torque: 185Nm between 3500 & 4000rpm.Performance: 0-100km/h 10.2 seconds. Top speed 190km/h (governed).Economy: 7.4litres/100km, on test 9.5litres/100km, tank 54litres.Emissions: 176g/km. 

There's no EcoLine Active Fuel Management badge on this pilot-build Statesman but one of the digital displays within the instruments is telling me it's switching between four and eight cylinders.Holden says it can save at least one litre per 100km on fuel consumption - more if there's a lot of open-road cruising; the feature will be introduced as standard on all auto-V8 Commodore models from next month.My right foot will test that theory – a fuel economy world-record-holder I am not.The 270kW/530Nm V8 Statesman at launch laid claim to a 14.4l/100km combined fuel use figure, which with some mid-life tweaking was down to 13.9, with 330g/km CO2 emissions - there's no official emissions figure yet but the fuel consumption claim drops to 12.9l/100km.The V8 engines Holden have been using in the latter stages of VZ and into VE were capable of running the Active Fuel Management system.Interestingly, the V8 remains in eight-cylinder mode at idle, but drops to four on part throttle cruising, even around town.The change is largely imperceptible, overshadowed in this particular car by a grumpy, sporadic, part-throttle 2nd-3rd up-change that is not typical of other cog-swaps.A 160km loop up the freeway saw the trip computer's metro-average of 16.2 (at 34km/h average speed) drop to 15.5l/100km.The flat-road highway work only requires a fraction of the engine's output to overcome wind resistance, drag and maintain momentum.Instead, a return trip via the hills roads - more corners, less flat bits and lower speeds - did no harm to the numbers, with the trip computer offering 15.1l/100km and the average speed was up to 40km/h.Not quite hybrid or diesel levels of frugality, but try getting four adults and appropriate luggage from A to B with the same level of comfort and space.As the rest alert reminder piped up on the information screen, the comfort of the seats was apparent - two hours without a stop and no numb bum or lower back complaints.The Statesman is not quite the old codger of the Holden range but it's certainly set up to appeal to those empty-nesters who like comfort over cornering.The five-metre pollie favourite still steers nicely but the suspension and the rubber is most certainly set up for comfort, moving around more on its underpinnings.Once settled it corners but the lean is certainly more than the Caprice - a comfortable ride is the trade-off and it soaks bumps up without any issues.The AFM system comes only with the six-speed automatic and there's also a drop in power and torque - down 10kW to 260kW of power and torque has been reduced from 530 to 517Nm.It cruises quietly and even under full throttle there's only the distant sound of V8 thunder.In terms of cabin space and metal for the money, there are not too many passenger cars under $200,000 that will provide similarly cavernous cabins.At a little over 5.1 metres long and 1.9 metres wide, the Statesman is a mammoth vehicle, with a 3009mm-wheelbase and a commanding road presence.The rear seat space is considerable - particularly legroom - so you'd have to get long-wheelbase examples of a Mercedes-Benz S500, Audi A8 4.2 or BMW 750i to match the grunt and the space.The boot is quite sizeable and easily copes with a Christmas day load of presents, strollers and the like - it isn't overly deep but the length is considerable.Of course, the Europeans have the local beaten for fuel economy - even with the AFM - but the $200,000-plus imports are also chock fuel of gear and features.There's no standard satnav, xenon headlights, memory for the power-adjustable driver's seat, TV or DVD player or some of the other high-end features of ze Germans in the Holden.The Statesman does get parking radar front and rear, stability control, 17in alloy wheels, dual front, side and full-length curtain airbags.Given the size of the cabin the ventilation to the rear is a little lack-lustre, and the aircon takes a while to cool the large passenger space.Perhaps the climate control with added grunt that is used in the Middle East export versions needs to be employed in its home market as well.For those who still yearn for space, comfort and the ample torque of a (slightly less thirsty) V8, the long-wheelbase Holden range is a worthy addition to your garage.Price: from $65,990.Engine: six-litre 16-valve OHV Active Fuel Management alloy V8.Transmission: six-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive.Power: 260kW @ 5700rpm.Torque: 517Nm @ 4400rpm.Fuel consumption: 12.9litres/100km