Articles by Stuart Scott

The busiest workers at Hyundai must be the ones taking stuff out of their Tucson model.After all, when this mid-size wagon arrived three years ago it was pretty much regular SUV fare.Then someone decided to start stripping it. And what a clever, popular idea that has turned out to be. In 2005 they unscrewed the four-wheel-drive bits, creating a front-drive version with a four-cylinder engine. They called it the Tucson City and, since it weighed less and had less power, it had better fuel economy and cost $4000 less.No wonder it has come to account for most Tucson sales.Hyundai has been at it again, this year introducing a manual gearbox. That has reduced the City's weight and thirst even further, while bringing the price down a further $2000.So while the original-style Tucson with the works (V6 engine, all-wheel-drive, automatic, 10.9 litres per 100km fuel economy) has a list price of $30,990 plus on-road costs, the newest version (four-cylinder engine, front-drive, manual, 8 litres per 100km) is $24,990.It's a tempting price. After all, it is easy to drive, a convenient size yet roomy enough for adults, is well designed and well equipped.Paring down the price seems to have continued. Lately the City manual has been offered at $24,990 drive-away (effectively about $3000 off), with the automatic an option for $1000 more (that's $1000 below the list price).That would make this spacious wagon, which comes with airconditioning, alloy wheels and cruise control, about the same price as many entry-level 2.0 litre hatchbacks. Quite a deal.But let's not overlook that the Tucson City is a budget-minded model with certain shortcomings. As always, saving money has required some belt-tightening. This is a tall, heavy vehicle, almost 250kg more than the Elantra hatchback, which has the same engine, so no use expecting it to be a ball of fire, or to steer with car-like precision. It's adequate in both departments, but nothing exemplary.However, price tempts you to overlook niggles that otherwise would be stumbling blocks. Things like the pretty ordinary seats, the steering, the bargain-basement look of the interior plastic, the vague gear change.As a $24,990 wagon it stands out. Certainly it has no direct competition. All the four-cylinder wagons with similar size and similar stance are all-wheel-drives costing considerably more.The Tucson is a modest size overall, but is genuinely roomy. Back seat space is generous, and the luggage area is excellent.As well, it has been thoughtfully designed, with storage areas and handy shelves everywhere.One flaw in the test car: the poorest AM radio reception I've encountered in years. Maybe someone deleted the aerial to save money. Key PointsHyundai Tucson CityDetails: Medium-size, front-drive SUV with 2.0 litre, four-cylinder engine. Power 104kW. Torque 184Nm.Features: Anti-lock brakes, dual front airbags, alloy wheels, full-size spare tyre, airconditioning, cruise control, power windows, remote central locking.Cost: $24,990 five-speed manual, $26,990 four-speed automatic.Rivals: Toyota RAV4, Toyota Corolla, Mitsubishi Lancer wagon.For: A lot of car for the money.Against: High and heavy.Conclusion: Tempting price.Rate: 3 stars 

New cars as cheap as $10,990 are about to zoom into the Australian market.Chinese models will be leading the way and are expected to shake up the local motoring scene, the way Korean cars did in the 1990s and Japanese makes in the 1970s.Budget-priced vehicles are also coming from India, Italy, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.China has hundreds of car makers with names such as Chery, Geely, Great Wall Motors, Nanjing, Hafei, Zhongxing, Zhonghua, Brilliance China and Shanghai Automotive.However, some of the Chinese models have fared poorly in European crash testing.The Brilliance BS6 sedan got only one star out of a possible five when tested last month, while an SUV Landwind made by Jiangling Motors scored a zero.It was the worst result in 20 years of testing.Details of what Chinese makes will be released here are being kept secret by executives of the companies which will join the invasion.The smaller Chinese cars are expected to start at $10,990.Industry observers agree and expect the Chinese strategy will be for cars to be priced under their Korean equivalents, which have recently been as low as $12,990 in order to get a footing in the crowded market.The arrival of the first Chinese-brand cars is being handled by Ateco Automotive, an independent importer which already brings in Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Citroen, Ferrari and Maserati.The deal is being masterminded by Ric Hull, the executive involved in establishing all the major Korean brands including Hyundai, Daewoo and Kia in Australia.Ateco spokesman Edward Rowe said Chinese cars could reach Australian showrooms by mid-2008. “We're still working on it. We're talking to specific companies but there is a confidentiality agreement in place,” he said.Rowe says the plan was to start Chinese imports with small cars, then increase the range. “Ultimately there will be a full range of cars and commercial vehicles,” he said.Chrysler has made a deal with Chery for a Chinese-made small car to be exported to the US and Canada.An Indian brand Mahindra went on sale in NSW last month and plans to open a Queensland dealer network by September.A spokeswoman said: “Talks are under way with a number of dealers. Queensland will be the next market for Mahindra, it's imminent.”The brand is starting with the Pik-Up utility, diesel-engined “one-tonners” from $23,990 but the spokeswoman said they were 'exploring their options' to sell more models.“There are other opportunities there, but we're concentrating on getting launched first.”Czech-made Skoda cars last sold here 25 years ago and will return in October, with a five-seat mini-people-mover called the Roomster, and the Octavia lift-back.Skoda head Matthew Wiesner said prices would be set against their Japanese equivalents, rather than at traditional European levels.

As usual, everyone is heading to Queensland to escape winter. One contingent last week didn't come in caravans or mobile homes, but with smart new cars.Ford could have chosen anywhere in Australia for the national launch of its updated Focus range, but naturally headed for the Gold Coast hinterland.It's an interesting car. Designed in Europe and built in South Africa, it's steadily increasing in popularity thanks no doubt to a good dose of style, practicality and first-rate dynamics.Things are about to get even better with a new series heading for showrooms, the first should trickle in this week, full stock by the end of the month; featuring a diesel version and a big price cut.Like all the best new-generation diesels, this one feels smooth and runs quietly. It also sips fuel: scooting around the Gold Coast hills, trotting around the back blocks and cruising the highways in several cars during last week's preview showed averages of 5.5-6 litres per 100km.The official rating is 5.6 litres for the diesel, compared with 7.1 litres per 100km for the petrol Focus, whose engine remains unchanged.At $27,990 ($4000 above the equivalent petrol model), the Focus TDCi will be the cheapest 2.0 litre diesel, taking on established models like the Holden Astra 1.9 CDTi ($29,990), VW Golf 2.0 TDi ($32,490), Peugeot 307 2.0 XSE HDi ($32,590), and Dodge Caliber 2.0 ST CRD ($28,990).The Ford diesel, a hatchback equipped like the Focus range's mid-rung LX model with alloy wheels and cruise control as standard. They will lose some buyers because it's unavailable with automatic transmission.To compensate, the manual gearbox is a six-speed unit (compared with five gears in the “normal” Focus models) to maximise both fuel economy and performance. It's precise and firm, easy to use.A good slice of its price advantage over Holden's Astra diesel is because stability control (which limits oversteer/understeer), traction control (which limits wheelspin) and curtain airbags, standard in the Holden, are optional in the Ford.But they're an affordable option: list price is $1300 for the potentially life-saving package, only $650 until September 30.The new TDCi is the attention-grabber of the revamped Focus range, but existing models have had a facelift (new bumpers, turn indicators, interior trim etc), upgraded equipment (anti-lock brakes and dual front airbags in the entry-level CL model, more airbags in dearer versions) and a significant price cut.Most versions have come down $1000, so the series starts at $19,990 for the CL manual. The top-line auto Ghia sedan has dropped $1500 to $29,490.To cover all bases, a Ghia hatchback and sporty-looking Zetec sedan have been added.Ford says the price cuts are thanks to the strong Aussie dollar, and savings by getting the Focus from South Africa.That may sound an unusual source for a European-designed small car, but the ones sampled last week looked and felt first-rate. No squeaks, rattles or blemishes.And putting a heavier diesel engine in the nose adds almost 100kg and seems to have done nothing to upset the Focus's sweet handling.There are strong hints of a diesel option on the way for Ford's strong-selling Territory wagon, but the Focus has won the race to be Ford Australia's first diesel car using an engine made by Volvo, part of the Ford group.

Car companies are struggling with a $1000 problem — buyers want the latest safety technology but don't like to pay for it.In fact, they'd rather have bling rims than a certain, potentially life-saving active safety measure.The issue is over stability control, a hi-tech system that can prevent a skid. Most experts rate it as the single biggest advance in car safety in a generation. However, the Australian car industry has found it is popular only when standard, not when an extra-cost option.So far this year, only one in 100 buyers of the Hyundai Getz, from $13,990, have added the safety pack option including stability control.A “sports pack” of alloy wheels, roof spoiler and bright interior trim has proved twice as popular.In the $21,000-plus Mazda 3, demand for the stability control option has reached five per cent this year, up from two per cent last year.The US intends to make stability control mandatory on all new cars and Europe reportedly has plans to do the same.European research found the move could reduce by 80 per cent the number of crashes caused by skidding, saving 4000 lives a year if fitted to all cars there, according to Germany's University of Cologne.But in Australia, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, representing car makers and importers, is pressing the Federal Government not to make stability control mandatory.“That just tends to lock in old technology,” said FCAI president and Toyota Australia chairman emeritus, John Conomos.He said self-regulation would allow companies to switch to better systems as they were developed.Stability control is expected to be in 40 per cent of new cars by the end of the year.Holden has made it standard in Commodore sedans and Toyota will fit it to all Camry sedans from August. It is an option in most Falcons, standard in top-level versions. But it is not available in the new model Toyota Corolla, the top-selling small car. 

One of life's not-so-little mysteries is Holden's clever “dual-fuel” Commodore, which runs on petrol or LPG.It's a puzzle because Holden doesn't seem to have made much of a fuss about it, and because people haven't exactly stampeded into economy-minded LPG cars, despite all the outcry over high fuel prices.Personally, I loved it. Having two sources of fuel, and being able to use whichever is better value at the time, is mighty appealing. So is being able to go 1100km or so between visits to a service station — that's diesel-like motoring.The Commodore is certainly versatile, able to go from petrol to LPG at the flick of a switch. The changeover is seamless, even when on the move. It starts easily, feels normal, sounds normal.Whichever fuel it is using, this is a modern-looking and modern-feeling car, surefooted and stable.Driving the LPG Commodore is as good as a regular Commodore, you can find reasons potential buyers might be deterred.Some will look in the boot and see that a lot of luggage space has been lost to the whopper cylindrical gas tank.Others will be deterred by the cost of saving money on petrol. The LPG conversion adds $3900 to a standard Omega or Berlina sedan. Even when the Federal Government softens the blow by coughing up its $2000 rebate for having an LPG system fitted, buyers still face a $1900 premium.That's a lot of kilometres on low-priced gas before the extra outlay is recouped.The Commodore's LPG-compatible Alloytec V6 engine delivers 175kW of power and 325Nm of torque or pulling power (not far down from the standard car's 180kW/330Nm).From the driver's seat, it seems just like a regular Commodore: plenty of urge for take-off, smooth when cruising, sounding a bit raspy when asked to get to work.Holden says owners will find little difference in service costs.The only indication this is not a “normal” Commodore is the LPG-petrol switch on the central console and, beside it, a series of lights which show how much gas is in the tank. No matter if you don't watch them closely — the fuel system automatically switches over to petrol if the LPG tank runs low.Running on LPG, the official fuel economy rating is 16 litres per 100km. On petrol, it is 11.7 litres per 100km (compared with a lighter “normal” Commodore's 10.9 litres per 100km).Theoretically, it could go about 450km on gas alone, plus 600km-plus on petrol. Dollar-wise, a lot of any LPG car's desirability depends on the price gap between gas and petrol. The farther you go, the more the sums lean in the LPG car's favour. But it seems not too many normal motorists reckon the maths add up for them, because sales of new LPG cars to private buyers are a mere trickle, while fleets  whose cars travel longer distances tend to buy such cars by the thousand.

Only five years ago, car showrooms were jam-packed with coupes such as the Holden Monaro, Ford Mustang, Toyota Celica, Ford Cougar, Nissan 200SX, Honda Prelude, Dodge Viper and, oh yes, the Hyundai Tiburon. But of that glamorous crowd, almost all have been consigned to that great big car park in the sky, leaving only the comparatively humble Hyundai on sale. It may have had the least sporty pedigree of the bunch, but it certainly is a survivor. Not that today's Tiburon — the name means “shark” in Spanish, and indeed there is something predator-like about the shape of its snout — is exactly the same car as went on sale back in March 2002. It has been dressed up and freshened up this year, featuring a new-look nose and a sizeable wing on its rump. No quibbling about the standard equipment list when a slinky-looking, amply powerful, sub-$35,000 sporty car like this comes with stability control system, anti-lock brakes, front and side airbags, alloy wheels, six-speaker sound system, power windows, cruise control, trip computer, leather and cloth upholstery and dial-a-temperature airconditioning. Apart from high-priced models (the Porsche 911 is as old as Uluru) the Honda Integra is the only coupe which has been around longer than the Tiburon. The Integra these days starts at $38,490 with a 118kW four-cylinder powerplant and five-speed manual gearbox, which shows how well-stocked the Tiburon is - packing a 123kW six-cylinder engine and six-speed gearbox, yet costing just $34,990. So it is a good-value buy, as coupes go, and doesn't feel at all aged. Good looks are top priority here, along with the buzz you get from driving something that stands apart from the crowd.

It was a typical road trip: coffee at Coolum, pancakes at Gin Gin, crab sandwiches at Miriamvale, a steak at Gladstone, roast beef at Rockhampton.So the little European hatchback was stopping frequently to refuel driver and co-driver. No need to fill the car up, however. This was a diesel, seemingly happy to go forever — well, count on about 1000km on a 50-litre tank of fuel.It's compact, but doesn't seem cramped. Light, but doesn't feel flimsy. Reasonably priced (for a chic Euro design, anyway), but is well equipped and extremely comfortable.Peugeot reckons the 207 is not the replacement for its 206 model, which has been here since 1999, and continues on sale. Rather, they say, the 207 is “an alternative” aimed at “new generation of customers”.The 207 is longer, wider, taller, sits on a longer wheelbase, has a larger turning circle and weighs almost 10 per cent more, but is still no heavyweight.Baby Peugeots have always been agile little jiggers. The 207 carries on that excellent tradition, while feeling a whole lot more solid than several of its predecessors.As well as looking sharp, it can boast great seats, a supple ride and roadholding which makes it a pleasure to steer.And its diesel engine may be small, but this one feels like a robust, healthy heart pumping away. It accelerates strongly enough, cruises in a refined fashion and happily pulls up long hills.As in most of the latest well-bred diesels from Europe, the average person would be hard-pressed telling it's not a petrol engine. All yesteryear's clattering and chugging, the not-so-good vibes and the feeble acceleration, have been eliminated.And it's thrifty. The fuel consumption (after a mix of highway cruising plus lots of in-town to-ing and fro-ing) averaged a thrifty 4.8 litres a 100km, the same as the official rating worked out by a complicated formula in a laboratory.The diesel HDi version comes in XT trim, middle of the several levels of 207 which Peugeot imports, and is $3000 dearer than its similarly equipped, petrol-engined sibling (which has more power, much less torque, slightly faster 0-100km/h acceleration, and a greater thirst).Critics of diesel cars will pounce on that $3000 gap to argue it would take years to save enough from the fuel bill to account for the higher purchase price. But diesel owners can expect to get back the initial premium when they sell.The 207's HDi powerplant is quite a high achiever, even among its well-regarded peers. Consider that VW's 1.9 litre diesel, as fitted to the Golf, has 77kW of power and 250Nm of torque. Yet the Peugeot diesel, with only 1.6 litres capacity, manages to out-gun it in power (80kW) and nearly match it in torque (240Nm).Peugeot's stopwatch says the HDi diesel takes 10.1 seconds to go from 0-100km/h (compared with 9.6 seconds for a 1.6 litre petrol-engined 207). Anything near 10 seconds is good going for a small car, especially since the diesel version weighs almost 100kg more.Of course it weighs even more if you stop for pancakes and crab sandwiches on the Brisbane-Rocky run. But you must find some reason to pull up and stretch your legs, since there's no need to refuel.

Nothing abstract about the Citroen C4 Picasso, however, just lots of clever design. For starters, it is the size of a medium sedan, but has seven seats.And while hauling all those people around, it won't break the budget because there is a fuel-saving diesel option.Early people-movers were little more than delivery vans with seats; this one is based on a high-class car — Citroen's C4 hatchback — lengthened, widened, made taller and given a bigger luggage compartment plus a new-design rear axle to cope with greater loads.Its engines and transmissions have come from the dearer, larger C5 sedan, so progress is smooth and refined.But inside and out it looks like nothing else. The shape is avant-garde, but is more practical than a Picasso-like oddity. It provides a panoramic view, loads of room, endless ways to configure the three rows of seats and so many cubbyholes owners may forget where they stowed half the groceries.The massive windscreen — $1100 for a new one — extends so far back, and at such a rakish angle, it ends almost above the driver's head.Sunlight floods in but the designers have provided large two-stage visors that fold down to provide shade, and the glass has a metallic coating to cut down heat.Even if things did become sweaty, there is a perfume dispenser (including a tobacco-neutralising fragrance) as part of the airconditioning system that has controls for each corner of the car. Temperature and air volume can be different in each zone.In the best Citroen tradition, the Picasso is a far-from-everyday design.Its automatic transmission selector is a thin wand on the right-hand side of the steering column; the driver's airconditioning controls also are on the right-hand side of the dashboard; there is no handbrake (engage Park and it figures, correctly, that the parking brake should be applied; press on the accelerator and the brake automatically disengages).A small, high-mounted mirror lets the driver see what children are up to in the back seats.You find a detachable torch in the tailgate, a fridge in the dashboard, picnic tables behind the front seats, storage lockers under the floor, sun blinds on the rear side windows.The instrument panel sits high on the dashboard between driver and passenger; unusual but you soon become used to it. The driver can change the colour of the display, ranging from deep blue to white on black.The third row of seats, two separate buckets, is a place best left for the young, small and agile. If the seats are not needed, a one-handed operation can fold them away, creating a vast luggage area.No wonder Citroen says the Picasso “redefines the family car for the 21st century”, but Australia could prove a tough nut to crack.In Europe, such cars make sense for their convenience and tax advantages; here the competition is tougher because there are reasonably priced multi-seat SUVs with oodles of space inside and relatively uncrowded roads to accommodate them.While sales of compact people-movers have trebled in Europe in the past decade, they have failed to catch on in Australia. For example, Holden has dropped the similar-concept Zafira.However, fuel prices make the diesel Picasso a compelling case.Citroen expects 80 per cent of Picasso buyers will opt for the diesel, though it costs $5000 more than its petrol sibling (a more advanced automatic transmission and high-cost diesel engine explain the higher price).The diesel would reduce fuel bills with its economy rating of 6.1 litres per 100km, compared with 8.9 litres for the petrol engine.The diesel has almost identical acceleration to its petrol counterpart, while its superior transmission and mountain of torque, or pulling power, make it the logical way to go.On the downside, the Picasso's ride-steering package, usually a major plus with French cars, is hardly a work of art. The ride can get bouncy on poor roads and the steering lacks feedback.

With new SUVs, it's a case of four wheels good, but two wheels good enough.They cost less, weigh less, drink less and are more popular — and more such models are on their way to showrooms for buyers who want to look adventurous but have no intention of going off-road.Sales of two-wheel-drive sports utility vehicles such as Ford's Territory (which started the trend locally) and the Korean-made Hyundai Tucson exceed their 4WD equivalents.Toyota will introduce a 2WD version of its Kluger wagon when a second-generation model is released in August. Suzuki will import a 2WD version of its existing SX4 wagon. Presently both models come with an all-wheel-drive function.Because of the success of the Tucson, Hyundai also plans to add another two-wheel-drive SUV to its range, but is tight-lipped about which.Car companies have found the typical macho look of a 4WD is a strong selling point, though the majority of these wagons serve as cars and never use their off-road capability.In the Ford Territory range, 2WD versions are $4800-$5350 less than their all-wheel-drive counterparts, and account for 55 per cent of total Territory sales.In the smaller Hyundai Tucson, the difference is $4000, and the 2WD model, called the City, makes up 60 per cent of sales.Ford Territory Ghia owner Sandra Cameron bought a rear-wheel-drive version of the Ford Territory Ghia (list price $52,090) three weeks ago, and said she was never interested in the all-wheel-drive version.“I totally love it because it's like a car — I'm not about to go off-road,” she says.Sandra has three sons, and said her priority was to get a roomy wagon. “I got a seven-seater because my children will always want to bring friends along,” she said. “In the Territory you're raised a bit, so you can see out better, but getting in and out is no problem at all.”Hyundai spokesman Richard Power said: “People like SUVs for the high-riding stance and the convenience.“In the case of the City, it's popular because it's lighter, with a smaller engine, so it saves fuel. There are plenty of people who like the style of SUVs but have no intention of ever going off-road.”The four-cylinder Tucson City weighs 158kg less than its six-cylinder, all-wheel-drive equivalent, and averages 9.2 litres per 100km, compared with 11 litres per 100km for the all-wheel-drive model. Even the petrol tank has been made smaller in order to cut weight.In the Territory, the weight saving is 80kg and the official fuel economy rating is 12.2 litres per 100km for the 2WD, compared with 12.8 litres per 100km for the all-wheel-drive.

And more "fake 4WDs" are on the way as buyers, who want to look adventurous but have no intention of going off-road, embrace the idea of two-wheel drive sport-utility vehicles (SUVs).Sales are booming for the Australian-made Ford Territory, which started the trend, and the Korean-made Hyundai Tucson that followed.Toyota will introduce a 2WD version of its Kluger wagon when a second-generation model is released in August, and Suzuki will import a 2WD version of its existing SX4 wagon.Both Kluger and SX4 have all-wheel-drive at present. Because of the success of the Tucson, Hyundai also plans to add another two-wheel-drive SUV to its range, but so far is tight-lipped about which model it will be based on.Car companies have found the typical macho look of a 4WD is a strong selling point, though the majority of these wagons serve as cars and never use their off-road capability.In the Ford Territory range, 2WD versions are $4800-$5350 less than their all-wheel-drive counterparts, and account for 55 per cent of total Territory sales.In the smaller Hyundai Tucson, the difference is $4000, and the 2WD model, called the City, makes up 60 per cent of sales.Ford Territory Ghia owner Sandra Cameron, of Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast, bought a rear-wheel-drive version of the Ford Territory Ghia (list price $52,090) three weeks ago, and said she was never interested in the all-wheel-drive version."I totally love it because it's like a car – I'm not about to go off-road," she said. She has three sons, and said her priority was to get a roomy wagon."I got a seven-seater because my children will always want to bring friends along," she said."In the Territory you're raised a bit, so you get good visibility, but getting in and out is no problem whatsoever."Hyundai spokesman Richard Power said: "People like SUVs for the high-riding stance and the convenience. "In the case of the City, it's popular because it is lighter, with a smaller engine, so saves fuel. There are plenty of people who like the style of SUVs, but have no intention of ever going off-road."The four-cylinder Tucson City weighs 158kg less than its six-cylinder, all-wheel-drive equivalent, and averages 9.2 litres per 100km, compared with 11 litres per 100km for the all-wheel-drive model.Even the petrol tank has been made smaller, in order to cut weight. In the Ford Territory, the weight saving is 80kg and the official fuel economy rating is 12.2 litres per 100km for the 2WD, compared with 12.8 litres per 100km for the all-wheel-drive.