Articles by Stuart Martin

The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) has knocked a star off an imported seven-seater.

Opel Astra OPC and Ford Focus ST go head-to-head in this comparative review. 

Nissan has fired the latest salvo with a record low $18,990 sticker on its Pulsar hatch. In showrooms next month, the five-door is $1000 under not only the sedan but its counterpart of 20 years ago. The razor-sharp price is a response to Holden's $19,490 entry to its revised Cruze range, the lowest price of any Australian-made car since the late 1980s. Most main players in the small car segment, which is expected to tally some 250,000 sales this year, now have a sub-$20,000 starting point, though this is inevitably for the low-volume manual variant. The automatic option adds up to $3000, then there are on-road charges. Even so, most contenders are otherwise fully equipped. Mitsubishi has sharpened its Lancer pricing with $19,990 drive-away on its Special Action Model edition. Based on the entry 2.0-litre ES, it comes with metallic paint in a choice of four colours, 16-inch five-spoke alloys, Ralliart front bumper and grille, VRX high-rise boot spoiler and extra bling. Mitsubishi says its “compact sedan” concept will become the next Lancer but it could be three years away. That's bad news for the Japanese maker as almost every other player has brought in, or is on the verge of, new models. The reintroduction of an old name has boosted Nissan toward the promised it once enjoyed in the small car market. It has not looked back since ditching the derided Tiida name for the old faithful Pulsar earlier this year. The Pulsar hatch range kicks off at less than $19K for the ST but for not much extra the ST-L looks to be the better package. The meat of the range, however begins, with the $24,990 ST-S which runs the same 1.6-turbo four as the long-awaited SSS ($29,240). Opel has not bothered the statisticians to any great extent but its Astra range (excluding the hot GTC and OPC) gets free on-road costs, dealer delivery and three years' scheduled servicing if you buy before the end of June. Its smaller Corsa sibling is $16,990 and the medium Insignia is $39,990, both drive-away and with free on-roads and dealer delivery but not the servicing offer. Suzuki has added the capped price service program and a five-year warranty to its arsenal. The guarantee is for fixed service prices from $199 for the Alto and Swift, although Queensland and northern NSW have different arrangements due to a separate distribution deal. Even Volkswagen has introduced capped-price service on its passenger and commercial vehicles. The Germans brought the program in on the Up late last year. It covers six years or 90,000km on all VW passenger vehicles sold from January 1, 2013. For the Up, maintenance starts from $280, the Polo service prices kick off from $347 and the new Golf 7 service costs start from $272, down from the previous-gen Golf that starts from $357. The small-car sector is virtually static in sales, up 0.9 per cent year-to-date, but the buyer demand for compact, fuel-efficient cars means there are no signs of the sector weakening. It remains the largest individual segment in terms of volume -- more than 22 per cent of the total market with 62,034 sales so far this year, almost twice that of light cars, 4WD utes and large and medium SUVs, the next biggest segments. Small-car prices  

The next step in pedestrian and vehicle safety is taking the weakest link out of the equation - the inattentive driver. Automatic emergency braking (AEB) and pedestrian detection systems automatically slow or stop motor vehicles in an emergency. The aim is to reduce the impact of driver error on the global pedestrian death toll, which tops 270,000 a year - 21 per cent of the overall global road toll. In Australia, pedestrian road-related deaths comprise about 13 per cent of Australia's annual road toll - approximately 180 lives. The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) is applying pressure - as it did for the inclusion of stability control on passenger cars - for the safety features to become mandatory. Chief executive officer Nicholas Clarke is campaigning for manufacturers to keep the technology in cars when selling in the Australian market. Clarke says the death toll, which costs Australia $27 billion a year in road trauma health costs - more than the annual Defence budget - could be halved by 2020 by including these life-saving features in the mainstream vehicle fleet. Real-world data suggests AEB can reduce crashes by up to 27 per cent. “The organisation is advocating this life-saving technology as mandatory for all new vehicles sold in our region,” Clarke says. “The more it's picked up by consumers, the more it’s made available from manufacturers, the cheaper it becomes,” he said. The issue was raised during a demonstration by the University of Adelaide's Centre for Automotive Safety Research of its pedestrian head impact test on a car bonnet. The centre also demonstrated one of the growing number of pedestrian safety systems on the market - Subaru's EyeSight, which identifies and brakes automatically if there is a risk of collision. CASR's deputy director Robert Anderson said the accidents involving pedestrians were not specific to one demographic. “Pedestrian crashes tend to be more average, any driver can be involved as it is more random, sometimes it involves a speeding driver. “If you drive faster you are placing pedestrians at greater risk but it is a more democratic crash than other ones, if you like,” he said. Subaru Australia spokesman David Rowley said automatic braking technology like the Subaru EyeSight system, which is standard in many high-end Subaru models and a $1500 option on selected other vehicles, would become more common over time. “(Subaru Australia managing director) Nick Senior is quoted as saying he can see no reason why this system won't filter down into other vehicles in our range over time, it comes standard in the upper levels of the Liberty, Forester and Outback ranges now.” “ABS is a good example, it took quite some time for it to become mainstream, airbags as well, but the timeframe is shrinking,” he said. • 1.3 million people killed in road trauma every year. • 270,000 of them are pedestrians. • Cost to Australia of road trauma - $27 billion. • Subaru EyeSight system - $1500 option. • Volvo V40 with world-first pedestrian airbag - from $34,990. • Cheapest Subaru with EyeSight - Forester 2.5iS from $43,990.  

No longer is the Prius an only child, now part of a family that includes the Camry and two new Prius siblings - the "v" and the "c".  The "c" is the "city" car hybrid version of the Yaris, which is at least a $2000 price rise over the top spec petrol powered light car from Toyota but there's 30-odd more

Cue cat, assemble the pigeons - the ultra-competitive small car segment is about to get even busier.Nissan is literally hatching a plan to shake up the segment with an $18,990 kick-off price when it throws the Pulsar hatch into an already-crowded marketplace from June 1. The prodigal SSS son will also re-appear in hatch form, slotting into the Nissan pricelist at $29,240, completing the nameplate's return.Nissan is banking on a volume boost from the Pulsar's resurrection - last month they sold 1644 sedans but the segment is dominated by hatchbacks - and has priced the five-door $1000 below the equivalent sedan.The Pulsar ST manual hatch features mirrors the four-door - a 96kW/174Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder, six-speed manual (with the option of a continuously-variable transmission model for $21,240), 16 inch alloys, cruise control, Bluetooth, power windows, cloth trim, stability control, anti-lock brakes and air conditioning among the features.Stepping up to the $22,490 ST-L puts front fog lights, an upgrade to the cloth trim, six speakers and USB/auxiliary inputs for the sound system, a rear spoiler and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.The Ti model has been left out of the hatch range, with the ST-S added as part of a sports-model duo, priced from $24,990 utilising the 140kW/240Nm double-overhead cam turbocharged direct-injection drivetrain from the SSS but sitting on 17in alloy wheels.The SSS squeaks in under $30,000 - $29,240 for the six-speed manual - and has the obligatory sports body kit, a touchscreen infotainment and satnav system, leather trim, Bluetooth phone and audio link, automatic xenon headlights, rear camera, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and ignition.The CVT transmission - $2250 on the mainstream 1.8-litre models - is a $2500 option on the two 1.6-litre models.Introduced into Australia in 1991, Nissan last had the Pulsar SSS on its Australian pricelist in 2000, when it offered a 105kW/179Nm two-litre engine for just under $25,000.But the SSS nameplate has history with Datsun dating back to the 1960s, including the legendary 1600, as well as 180B and 200B models and appearances on the rumps of Bluebird and Stanza sedans.Nissan Australia managing director and CEO Bill Peffer is confident the return of the Pulsar hatch will be seen as a value for money. "My team and I are confident Australian small car buyers will find the all-new Pulsar hatch to be exceptional value, each grade in the model range has a compelling mix of price and standard equipment," he says. 

The new range starting from around $148,000 and is on offer in three body styles (a standard or high-profile roofline among the differences). The Avida Espercance can be driven on a standard car licence, or capacity can be upgraded to a GVM of 5200kg if a Light Rigid licence is in your pocket. It means there's a choice in size, living area and bedding, but all are fully-insulated and sit on a steel frame, as well as being equipped with air-conditioning for cooling and heating, and a ducted furnace heating system. The list of standard features also includes an external awning, entertainment unit, a generator storage locker with slide, an external shower, BBQ fitting and external storage. There's also a 100-litre fresh water tank, twin LPG bottles for cooking, refrigeration and water heating when away from mains power, with on-board self-sufficient power as well. A choice of 13 different interior trims are available in each model, which feature curved furniture and extensive kitchen bench tops. There's also an upgraded Esperance Premium model, with standard features including a built-in 2.3Kva Onan generator, roof-mounted solar panels, an electric motor for the awning, entry steps and leather trim. Most of the Esperance models include a walk-around island bed and an extended living area provided by the power-operated slide-out lounge room, where there are also additional seatbelts for passengers wishing to travel in the back. Also on offer in some models is the space-saving electric roll-down queen size bed, that lowers over the lounge to maximise interior space. The Esperance sits on an Iveco 50C17 chassis, with a 125kW/400Nm three-litre turbodiesel engine with either a six-speed manual or the automated manual transmission, power windows, power steering, air conditioning, cruise control, a reversing camera and satellite navigation among the features. The body has a metal frame, insulated floor, walls and roof, as well as underbody protection; the domed roof is designed for swift water runoff and is covered by a rubber membrane. All Esperance motorhomes are backed by roadside assistance, a two-year/one million km warranty and a five-year structural guarantee.  

Nissan is recalling 40,400 (out of as many as 90,000 4x4 models it sold in the time period) of its Navara D40 series, manufactured in Spain between July 2005 and January 2010, for an inspection.A redesigned Nissan replacement towbar (with additional mounting points) and welded repairs to any chassis cracks - some as wide as 2.5mm according to owners - will be completed for those with faulty genuine Nissan towbars.But Navara owners who opted for an aftermarket set-up with cracks in the chassis rails could face repair bills of $1000 or more.The company said the problem relates to faulty towbar designs specific to the Spanish-built D40 ST-X and RX model Navara and while 40,400 vehicles were being recalled for inspection under this campaign, around 9800 were fitted with the affected Nissan genuine towbars.The D40 Navara starts from around $35,000 and was launched here in late 2005 - all bar one 4x2 model is listed with a towing capacity of 3000kg when towing a trailer fitted with its own brakes, which has made the vehicle popular with tradesman and drivers towing heavy recreational vehicles.The Pathfinder SUV - also built on a ladder-frame chassis and rated to a braked towing capacity of three tonnes - was not impacted by the recall, according to Nissan.Spokesman Peter Fadeyev said the attachment points on the Navara's genuine towbars could cause excessive stress upon the chassis frame rails over time.``As a result, cracks can occur at the ends of the chassis rails,'' he said.``In extreme cases, sections of the chassis rails around the towbar may bend when a heavy tow load is applied,'' he said.Mr Fadeyev said the vehicle's towing capacity was not being altered.``The vehicle can still tow exactly what was identified in the owner's manual - that's the specification of the repair, the vehicle can still tow exactly what is identified as its capability in its manual from the start,'' he said.The company has agreed to inspect customer vehicles fitted with a non-genuine towbar at no charge to the customer, but any chassis repair or replacement to a new revised-design genuine Nissan towbar will be at cost to the customer, Mr Fadeyev said.The company said the inspection takes under 20 minutes to complete or the worst-case-scenario of inspection, repair and towbar replacement would be completed in under two hours.Navara owners looking for more information are being asked to contact their local Nissan dealer or call the Nissan Customer Assistance Centre on 1800 035 035.Nissan said it began recall proceedings following legislated procedures earlier this month, but the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) product recalls website as yet has no mention of the safety campaign.Nissan Navara 4WD utility annual sales:2005 -    9,6272006 - 14,3622007 - 18,2452008 - 16,1922009 - 16,4552010 - 19,424Total - 94,305 

A new spin has been put on fuel-saving energy recovery systems by Volvo. Similar in principle to the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) used in Formula 1, the Volvo set-up uses a flywheel instead of a battery to briefly store kinetic energy before redeploying it to the rear wheels, leaving the front wheels to be conventionally powered. The Chinese-owned Swedish marque recently completed testing of the kinetic flywheel on public roads - and its results suggest the system is financially viable and an "eco-efficient solution." THE BENEFITS Volvo powertrain engineering vice-president Derek Crabb says the system gives an extra 59kW of power and makes a car with a four-cylinder engine accelerate like one with a six-cylinder unit. "The results show that this technology combined with a four-cylinder turbo engine has the potential to reduce fuel consumption by up to 25 per cent compared with a six-cylinder turbo engine at a comparable performance level," he says. THE SYSTEM The experimental Flywheel KERS works within a vacuum and is fitted to the rear axle and - using braking energy - spins at up to 60,000rpm under braking; when the car accelerates, the flywheel's rotation (and quick torque build-up) is transferred to the rear wheels via a system-specific transmission. The front-drive combustion drivetrain shuts down as soon as brakes are applied, leaving the flywheel's energy to accelerate or propel the vehicle once cruising. The system appears to be similar to a petrol-electric hybrid in the way that it can run with the internal combustion engine, but doesn't require a heavy battery to store the energy or an electric motor to re-deploy it. "Our calculations indicate that it will be possible to turn off the combustion engine about half the time when driving according to the official New European Driving Cycle," Crabb says. The flywheel technology test car, an S60, accelerates from 0-100km/h in 5.5 seconds - quicker than even the most powerful turbocharged six-cylinder model. VOLVO FLYWHEEL DEVELOPMENT Volvo says it has been developing flywheel systems as far back as the 1980s on the Volvo 260 sedan but that flywheels made of steel were large and too heavy, whereas the new experimental system is made of 200mm in diameter, is made from carbon fibre and weighs about 6kg. "We are the first manufacturer that has applied flywheel technology to the rear axle of a car fitted with a combustion engine driving the front wheels. "The next step after completing these successful tests is to evaluate how the technology can be implemented in our upcoming car models," he says. RIVAL SYSTEMS Porsche has also engaged in kinetic flywheel development as part of its hybrid drivetrain programs and Mazda recently introduced the i-Eloop system that uses a capacitor (lighter and more efficient than conventional battery systems) to store energy to run ancillary systems in the Mazda6.  

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Survey of Motor Vehicle Use results from last year showed the number of vehicles on Australian roads grew from 16 to 16.6 million. Passenger vehicles made up 76.4 per cent of all registered vehicles. Freight vehicles accounted for 18.8 per cent of all registered vehicles with the remainder (4.8 per cent) comprising buses, motor cycles and non-freight carrying trucks. That vehicle fleet covered 232.4 billion km last year, enough for 5.8 million laps around the Earth's circumference. It's also a 2.6 per cent increase from 226 billion km in the last motor vehicle use survey results from 2010. But the ABS research found the average distance covered per vehicle has dropped slightly to 14,000km a year and assistant director of transport statistics unit Jon Williams said that trend was apparent internationally. “We've had the increase in the distance travelled, but the average distance travelled has continued to decrease, something that's been in our data for a while and is something that has been occurring internationally since 2004,” he said. Vehicles registered in Queensland travelled the furthest, covering an average of 14,900km, ahead of ACT and Victoria-registered vehicles which also covered just over 14,000km, while vehicles in NSW and WA were just under 14,000km. Vehicles in SA covered just over 13,000km while NT-registered vehicles were just under that mark. Tasmanian-registered vehicles recorded the lowest average of 11,600km. Mr William said the increase in vehicle numbers and distances had also seen a two per cent increase in fuel used. “The number of vehicles is up, the fuel consumption is up by 2.1 per cent from 2010, from 31.2 to 31.8 billion litres, which is related to the increase in the number of vehicles,” he said. A lap of Australia's mainland, through each state capital, is a journey of 12,700km. Passenger vehicles made up 76.4 per cent of all registered vehicles. Freight vehicles accounted for 18.8 per cent of all registered vehicles. The remaining 4.8 per cent of registered vehicles are buses, motorcycles and non-freight carrying trucks. Articulated trucks had the highest average fuel consumption with 57.7 litres per 100km and had the highest average distance travelled - 83,000km. Business travel made up one third of all kilometres travelled, while travelling to and from work accounted for just under a quarter; more than half (53%) of all travel was within capital cities.