Ford Falcon 2011 News

Ford is recalling 3256 of its FGII Falcon EcoLPi sedans and utes due to a production error that means they may be missing an o-ring seal between the fuel delivery module and the wiring connector insert of the LPG tank.The carmaker says the missing seal means gas could leak from the LPG tank, posing a potential fire risk.The affected sedans were built in Ford's Victorian facility between August 4, 2011 and July 18, 2012; and the utes between September 15, 2011 and July 18, 2012.Ford is contacting owners of the vehicles, but advises that until the problem is rectified, the cars should not be parked in confined areas.Concerned owners can contact their nearest Ford dealership to have their cars inspected and the fix implemented, or can contact Ford's Customer Relationship Centre on 1800 503 672 for more information.

Despite the worst showroom performance in the car's history during 2011. Sales of the family-sized Ford fell to just 18,741 cars last year, less than a quarter of its all-time high of 81,000 in 1985. The poor performance comes after three years when Falcon sales hovered around 30,000 cars, and is a 36.5 per cent fall over the result for 2010 despite the late arrival of a facelifted FG model towards the end of last year and plans for a four-cylinder model this year. "There is no impact. In fact, we just launched the new FG Series II," the sales and marketing director of Ford Australia, Brad Brownell, told News Limited. "We're putting our money where our mouth is, and investing in the future of this product. I see that the glass is half full. I'm positive." Brownell's comments come despite bad news from India, where Ford's global product chief Derrick Kuzak has cast doubt on the future of the Falcon and Territory beyond the current model cycle at the opening of the Dehli motor show. The Falcon's result came at the announcement of the official VFacts sales figures for 2011, which saw an overall total of 1,008,437 deliveries for the year. The result was a 2.4 per cent drop over 2010 but still only the fourth one-million year on record, with a similar total forecast for 2010. Toyota was confirmed as overall number one for the nighth straight year and the biggest change was the end of the Holden Commodore's 15- year run as Australia's favourite car. It was unseated by the Mazda3, by just 812 sales, as Australians continued to desert big cars in favour of more fuel-efficicient compacts. "While Australians keep buying more cars, the cars they buy are getting smaller. The demand for sport utility vehicles was up again - an increase of 3.8 per cent - which is a phenomenal result suggesting that Australians are embracing SUVs as the new family car," said Ian Chalmers, chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

Ford has taken out three of the six categories in the CarsGuide People’s Choice award.

The cars we know today are heading towards the knacker's yard with no chance of a reprieve. That's just a plain fact that anyone who can read a balance sheet and the latest sales numbers will understand.Big car sales in Australia have been falling for a decade and have dropped dramatically this year, with the Falcon looking critically wounded and even the Holden Commodore - which has been Australia's favourite car for 15 years - suffering a string of showroom defeats at the hands of the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla.But that's not the end of the story. In fact, it could be the start of an all-new one. The Falcon and Commodore nameplates are likely to continue to 2020 and beyond, but fitted to very different cars to the ones in showrooms today.They are going to be smaller, more fuel-efficient, tied more closely to global development programs at General Motors and Ford, and - whisper it - potentially with front-wheel drive. Today's Ford and Holden heroes are dinosaurs by any measurement, including the ones that saw the Chrysler Valiant, Leyland P76 and even the Holden Kingswood overtaken by newer and more efficient arrivals.Basically, people have stopped buying them. It's happening today as Australians parachute out of their traditional 'big six' family cars into something as small as a Mazda3 or Toyota Corolla in one of the biggest mass migrations of recent times.What that means for the futurists at Ford and Holden is finding a formula that works for the Commodore and Falcon beyond 2015, when the hard decisions have to be made on development of cars for showrooms after 2018. A Falcon twinned with the Taurus from America is a no-brainer for Ford.Local development can provide the taste and tweaks that Aussies like, while the basic engineering is handled by a cost-effective crew operating from Detroit, USA. Front-wheel drive is certain for the Taurus, with all-wheel drive likely to keep Aussies happy.Things are less clear at Holden, but it has a range of global cars underway and it would be easy to create a cost-effective local look and then add the sort of Australian engineering excellence that's already working for the compact Cruze in production in Adelaide.

Married with a daughter (who is also a Ford fan), Mr Watson currently has an FPV GT 335 sedan, the latest in a long line of Ford products."We have had around 20 Fords - various models, not just Falcons - after some Holdens. We have had many Fords, one has followed the other ever since and we have no plans to change camps," he says.Mr Watson looks at the red versus blue rivalry as something that is now generational. "When it started it was Moffat versus Brock and has grown since then to have people either red or blue, now we're talking second and third generation fans as children follow their parents," he says.The family has had an FPV GT since April - the supercharged 335kW version - and now wouldn't have anything else. "I absolutely love it, the supercharged V8 has plenty of power - we use it for normal road work, not track days, we don't push it that hard, but it has plenty of poke for overtaking," he says."We're also restoring an old XB Falcon - a full bare-metal restoration - with 393 stroker V8, that will sit proudly next to the new GT," he says.A big shed and a tolerant wife are two key ingredients to Daryl Leaker's impressive stable of Holden product. The 1998 HSV Senator Signature 220i shares garage space with a number of Holden, HSV and HDT machines."I've got a very big shed for them all, I've always liked Holdens because my father was a Holden salesman so it is in the blood I guess," he says.Mr Leaker hasn't always just owned Holdens - a Mitsubishi Pajero replaced a Ford Territory recently, but there balance of power has always been to the General, harking back to his formative years with a Holden salesman for a father."It was great when Dad was selling Holdens, I got to drive GTR XU-1s and 327 Monaros when they were brand new," he says. "When I turned 21 I bought myself an HQ GTS coupe and got some discount through my father, I wish I still had that car as well."The HSV shares shed space with a VN SS Group A and an HSV Statesman, as well as a HDT VK Brock Commodore SS in silver and an HJ Monaro four-door."I'll always be a Holden fan - I think I'd die of shock if the missus came home in an FPV GT," he says.

Rating the big three Aussies comes down so much to personal preferences. And those preferences could be based on anything from the shape of the driver's seat to the boot size or the fuel economy. And there is always the rivalry in the 'rust belt' - as Toyota calls it - between old-time favourites from Ford and Holden.All three locals are close in most ways and Australians are massively spoiled for choice, as well as value, in cars which are so big they are heading inevitably towards extinction. Then again, American cops are only just learning to love the Commodore-based Caprice ...FORD FALCON XR6There is nothing as homegrown as the punch from the Falcon's big six away from the lights, and that same engine-room strength makes the XR6 a fun car on a twisty road. You can cruise it or push it without every worrying. You also feel the same deep-down muscularity of the Falcon package every time you drive, although - for me - the car is a bit more boofy than the Holden. And, on the negatives, I've never felt as comfortable in the Ford because of its higher-set driver's seat. Ford has an update coming and I've yet to drive the new LPi car, but for me it's a close second.HOLDEN COMMODORE SV6 The Holden is a sharper package than the Ford, a little sweeter in most areas from the steering feel to the operation of the transmission. It turns a little nicer and is a tad more enjoyable on a long freeway run. Commodore buyers also get the advantage of the latest cabin update and a very impressive infotainment system, after dramas with the previous package, and the showroom impact from the driver's seat is probably winning sales. It doesn't feel as strong in a straight line, and it doesn't have Ford's latest capped-price servicing deal, but it's my personal choice.TOYOTA AURION This car is efficient and effective, but it's the transport choice and not for people who enjoy driving. I also wonder how the Aurion V6 can be classified as a large car when the Camry, which is identical apart from a four-cylinder engine, manages to run as the best selling medium-class car ... The Aurion has a giant boot, impressive quality, good fuel economy and is quiet on a trip, but it's bland and that is bad when the other locals have so much personality and punch.

Even at a time when fuel economy is top-of-mind with a growing number of Australian drivers there is plenty of space on the roads for Commodores and Falcons with old-fashioned V8 muscle under the bonnet. They burble menacingly at idle. They are the backbone of V8 Supercar racing.Yet V8s in the 21st century are not what they were in the days when they first conquered Mount Panorama and a GTHO Falcon or a Monaro - or even a Valiant V8 - was a dream machine for a generation of Aussie youngsters.Since 1970 the crude oil price has exploded from $20 a barrel to double that amount during the Iran revolution, over $70 during the first Gulf War, broke through the $100 barrier ahead of the Global Financial Crisis and has now settled at just below $100.In Australia, petrol prices have correspondingly risen from about 8c a litre in 1970 to about 50c in 1984 and almost $1.50 today.Despite all this, and despite one attempt at a death sentence by Ford in the 1980s, the V8 has not been wiped from Australian showrooms. Holden and Ford have continued to produce large cars with a V8 alternative and continue to slog it out at Bathurst.But Australian cars, even the ones that now have American V8s imported for local use, are not the only bent-eight blasters on the road.Germans are prolific builders of V8s and produce some of the most powerful engines in the world thanks to AMG-Mercedes, BMW and Audi. English V8s are built by Aston Martin, Land Rover and Jaguar, while the Americans provide V8s in the Chrysler 300C sold here. Even the Japanese luxury brand Lexus has a V8 in its IS F hero and its luxury saloon LS460, as well as the LandCruiser-cloned LX470.Most V8s are powerful enough breathing ordinary air, but there are many forced-induction models with either turbo or supercharging to liberate even more power. Walkinshaw Performance does the job in Australia for Holden, BMW is going down the turbo V8 road for its latest M cars and Benz had a time with a supercharged AMG V8.But V8s are not just about unrestricted power. The push for greater fuel economy has also reached V8 land and so Chrysler and Holden have V8s with multiple displacement technology which shuts down half the cylinders when the car is just cruising to improve fuel economy. Formula One racing engines now do the same thing when they are idling on a grand prix starting grid.Holden's Active Fuel Management (AFM) was introduced on the V8 Commodore and Caprice in 2008 and the red lion brand is committed to the engine - with future technology updates - despite near-record fuel prices."It is incumbent on us to keep it relevant and continue introducing new technology that delivers on our customers' needs," says Holden's Shayna Welsh.Holden has the biggest stake in V8s with more models than any other company selling in Australia. It has a total of 12 models with V8 engines across four nameplates and four body styles, including Commodore SS, SS V, Calais V, Caprice V and the recently introduced Redline range. V8s account for about one quarter of Commodore sedan sales and almost half of Ute sales."We see it as being more than just the V8 engine - it's about the entire car. It's the whole performance package that appeals to people and we want to continue making cars that people are proud to own," Welsh says."The combination of features and technology, great handling and braking and outstanding value is consistent across our V8 model range."Ford fans are also committed to V8s, according to company spokesperson Sinead McAlary, who says a recent Facebook survey was overwhelmingly positive."We asked whether they worry about petrol prices and they say 'No, it's the sound of the V8 we love and we are prepared to pay the price'," she says.Both Ford and Holden also have performance divisions where the V8 was, and still is, king. Ford's is Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) and Holden's is Holden Special Vehicles (HSV).HSV marketing manager Tim Jackson says their sales are "on par" with last year."That's despite the fact that last year we had the limited edition GX-P which is an entry level product for us," he says. "We don't have that model in our range at all this year and you would expect numbers to come off, but we've been able to maintain sales volume."All of HSV's range are powered by a naturally aspirated V8 engine (6200cc 317kW-325kW), while the opposition at FPV has gained the kilowatt advantage with forced induction (supercharged 5000cc 315kW-335kW).Jackson says their LS3 V8 has been "validated" by customers."We're not getting guys screaming at us to go turbocharging. The LS3 is an extraordinary unit. It's a light engine with a good power-to-weight figure. There is not a turbo engine that would do it for us at the right development cost. But I wouldn't rule it (turbo) out or rule it in."Jackson says there have been no repercussions from the rise in petrol prices."Our customers don't have other choices in their repertoire," he says. "A small car doesn't suit them and they're not into an SUV. They're of a certain level where the whole cost of running the car is easy for them to absorb."The top-selling HSV is the ClubSport R8, followed by the Maloo R8, then GTS.However, the greatest HSV in history is debatable, Jackson says.HSV engineering boss Joel Stoddart prefers the all-wheel-drive Coupe4 and sales boss Darren Bowler the SV5000."The Coupe4 is special because of its engineering but I like the W427 because it's the fastest," Jackson says.FPV boss Rod Barrett says they are also experiencing strong sales growth. He says they sold about 500 cars in the first quarter, which is up 32 per cent on the previous year. He also says sales of the F6 have slowed since the launch of the supercharged V8 engine variants late last year, as customers "opt for power". Ford no longer offers a V8 with the demise of the XR8 sedan and ute last year."Our middle name is performance so we have all the V8s," Barrett says. "When we were launching this new supercharged car all the V8s came across here."Barrett says their supercharged engine has changed people's minds about "dinosaur V8s"."The turbocharged F6 was a cult hero car in its day and people thought a V8 was a low-tech dinosaur," he says. "But when we produced a high-tech all-alloy five-litre supercharged V8 built in Australia people started to think that V8s aren't all that bad after all. I'm not seeing the demise of the V8 just yet, but for us, the future is hi-tech."The supercharged 5.0Litre V8 335kW FPV GT continues to be FPV's top-selling vehicle followed closely by the supercharged V8 5.0 litre 315kW GS sedan and GS ute.Barrett believes the current GT is the best FPV car yet with its segment-leading power, light weight and improved fuel economy."However, I think our most iconic car was the 2007 BF Mk II 302kW Cobra in white with blue stripes. That car brought back the passion of '78 with the original Cobra. If you have a look at the second-hand prices, they are still holding up very well" he says.

Holden leads with 12 models plus 10 HSVs, all of which are naturally aspirated. Ford was second, before it deleted all its XR8 models and handed the V8 exclusively keys to FPV which has nine supercharged V8s in its Falcons.So it's now - surprisingly - Mercedes-Benz that is runner-up to Holden in the muscle-car stakes, with 12 models, four different V8 capacities and three turbocharged choices.Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says the number will increase with the introduction of the E 63 AMG estate with twin turbo later this year."And that's in response to customer demand," he says.McCarthy calculates that V8 sales represent about $200 million a year in AMG and $50 million in other models."A quarter of a billion dollars is a pretty sizeable chunk of our business."He says V8s account for about 10 per cent of sales in most classes, except the super-costly CL 500 which is 20 per cent."That will probably change a little when we release the CL 500 bi-turbo."McCarthy says the future looks good for V8s."The reason for that is that technology is delivering lower emissions and better fuel economy without sacrificing power," he says.The ranks of the supercars are surprisingly not dominated by V8s, but by bigger cylinder capacities. For example, all Lamborghinis are either V10 or V12. The most expensive V8 in Australia is the $526,950 Ferrari 458 Italia with a 419kW 4499cc V8. If you can still find one, the cheapest is the Falcon XR8 ute with a 290kW 5408cc V8 starting at $41,690.The most powerful is the 420kW 6208cc V8 in the Mercedes-Benz SLS ($468,820) which has just 1kW more than the 458 Italia. Least powerful V8 is the 250kW 5.7-litre HEMI in the Chrysler 300C ($46,000), although the SRT version is a healthy 317kW.

The good news is that the cars of the future are not boring electric "golf carts" but sleek and sexy machines.Take for example the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, or even the updated Toyota Prius C. Just as smart, but also featuring powertrain technology that is much further down the line, is the Hyundai Blue2 Concept, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, or the Mitsubishi Concept PX-MiEV with a plug-in hybrid system that extends the use of the vehicle in electric mode.Here is a sample of the green vehicles on the stands at this year’s show:BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept: Making its Australian debut, this is the concept for the coming BMW i8. A conventional 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo-diesel mated to a pair of electric motors powers this four-wheel-drive 2+2 sports car. The hybrid combination pumps out 265kW of power and 800Nm of torque, and can run on electric power alone for up to 50km, diesel only for 645km or a combination of both. The lithium-ion battery packs charge in just 2.5 hours from AC mains or 44 minutes on quick charge.Ford: The new Liquefied Phase Injection LPG technology in the Ford Falcon EcoLPi has improved power and torque and decreased fuel consumption (12.5L/100km) and CO2 emissions (203g/km). Ford will also show its long-awaited diesel Territory with a 2.7-litre V6 boasting fuel economy of 8.2L/100km.Holden: The Ecoline Series II Cruze range with a new generation 2.0-litre turbo diesel (5.6L/100km) is Australia’s most fuel-efficient locally-built car. The stand will also feature the Cruze 1.4-litre intelligent turbo induction (1.4 iTi) petrol engine (6.4L/100km manual) and other Ecoline models, including the Commodore E85 flex-fuel and Spark Ignition Direct Injection V6 powered Commodores and Captivas.Honda hybrids: Honda will show the stylish Honda CR-Z coupe petrol-electric hybrid that arrives here later this year, as well as its second-generation Insight hybrid.Hyundai Blue2 Concept: This is the Korean company’s first sedan-style Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) powered by hydrogen. It delivers power of 90kW and fuel economy of 2.8L/100km. Being a concept car, it comes with a host of future electronic aids, such as an automatic opening door system, roof and side cameras to replace mirrors, and a motion sensor-operated infotainment system.Lexus LF-Gh Concept: This concept features the hybrid system already in the Lexus fleet, but is the first time the spindle-shaped grille that will become a feature of future designs will be seen here, and hints at a future grand touring sedan. Lexus Australia chief executive Tony Cramb says the LF-Gh reaffirms that hybrids can be sleek and stylish.Mazda Minagi: This is a crossover concept specifically engineered to be the first with frugal SKYACTIV technology diesel and petrol engines and transmission. The car is an insight into the coming CX-5.Mercedes-Benz C-Class: The range now includes the updated 7G-Tronic Plus seven-speed automatic transmission for improved economy. Diesel models come with the ECO start/stop function as standard, and the C250 diesel coupe boasts economy of 5.1L/100km. At the top end of the Benz range, the S350 diesel BlueTec luxury saloon has economy figures of 7L/100km.Mitsubishi ?i-Miev-based electric vehicle concepts: The i-MiEV is about to hit the showrooms and Mitsubishi already has an SUV variant, which will be on its stand. The Concept PX-MiEV has a plug-in hybrid system with fuel economy better than 2L/100km. It is powered by two permanent magnet synchronous motors and a 1.6-litre MIVEC engine. The PX-MiEV also features Smart Grid technology that allows the battery to power home appliances during a blackout or at peak times when electricity tariffs are high.Nissan Leaf: The all-electric Leaf hits showrooms next year. The World Car of the Year features a satnav system linked to the "Global Data Centre’’ in Japan so you just press a button to find the closest recharging stations.Toyota Prius C concept & Prius V: The latest in the Prius family are a funky coupe concept (C) and a people mover (V). The Prius C concept shows how stylish the Prius can be and the V shows how spacious it can be. The V also features a lightweight-resin panoramic moon roof, weighing about 40 per cent less than a regular glass roof of the same size. It will be the first to feature Toyota’s new Entune multimedia system with mobile internet and Microsoft’s Bing search engine. The system will offer live weather and traffic updates, along with monitoring the best fuel prices in town.Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion: The BlueMotion has the same 1.6-litre engine with the same output at 77kW and 250Nm as the 77TDI, but its fuel use is just 3.8L/100km compared with 5.12L/100km (77TDI) and CO2 of 99g/km (133g/km 77TDI). The gains are made from a lower idle speed, stop/start technology, aerodynamics and low rolling resistance tyres.Volvo V60 diesel plug-in hybrid: The world’s first diesel hybrid plug-in goes into production next year. The driver can choose from three modes: Pure, which is all-electric with a range of up to 50km, Hybrid with an average fuel consumption of 1.9L/100km and CO2 of 49g/km, and Power, which boosts total diesel and electric power to 200kW and 640Nm of torque with acceleration to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds. The turbodiesel drives the front wheels and an electric motor drives the rear axle. It can be recharged via a regular power socket in 4.5 hours on 10A charge.PLUS: There will also be displays by infrastructure companies including Better Place EV, which has announced plans to begin rolling out infrastructure in Canberra this year.

The spiralling petrol prices mean fuelling a family car like a Commodore or Falcon now accounts for 2.6 per cent of average weekly earnings. But you don't have to sit back and take it in the hip pocket. These families have all taken different approaches to reducing their fuel bills.DOWNSIZINGTheir 2000 Falcon was costing the Andrew family of Brisbane a small fortune to keep running, so they decided to downsize.However, instead of buying one vehicle, they went for two Suzukis, the cutesy Swift and the three-cylinder ultra-frugal Alto.Warren, 47, says the Falcon had a 65-litre tank while the combined tanks of the Swift and Alto are 77 litres. "We now get twice as many kilometres from the same expenditure on fuel," he says. Though it has to be noted that the additional cost of registering and maintaining a second car would probably offset any real cost advantage.His wife, Karen, 43, says having two small cars is more versatile for transporting their children Jess, 12, and Emily, 10, to and from primary and secondary schools. We don't miss the Falcon in the least; maybe we will when we go on holidays," she says."It's been great. Having the two cars means we can take a child separately - one to primary and one at high school. The Swift is really cool. The Alto is a good little runabout but I enjoy driving the Swift. We drive whoever's car is at the back. Warren tends to take the Swift. I think he deliberately leaves it at the back."We fill them with petrol every couple of weeks and we can squeeze into smaller parking places. "Jess and Emily love the cars more than the Falcon. They say it's my car'."LPG Retirees John and Lesley Braggs planned to become grey nomads so they bought a 2003 BMW X5 V8 petrol a few years ago. "You wouldn't get much change out of $120 when you filled it up," he says.About eight months ago they converted it to a dual-fuel petrol/LPG system. "We were travelling around a lot going down to Melbourne and back and have plans to travel to Adelaide and Alice Springs," he says."We only put about 20 bucks a month of petrol into it because it starts up on petrol and then a few seconds later the gas kicks in. "The petrol also kicks in if you run low onLPG but we never run low and need to use it. I only ever have about a quarter of a tank of petrol, otherwise it's excess weight we don't need."He says he hasn't noticed any change in performance. "It seems to have the same amount of power as when it's running on petrol I reckon," he says. They had a 70-litre LPG tank installed where the spare tyre was located under the cargo floor so they didn't lose any luggage space. "I carry around a pressure pack in case we have a puncture," he says.The LPG installation cost about $4500 with the government rebate. "I'm really wrapped with it. There is nothing different with the performance and it's cheap," he says."LPG is currently about 70c a litre. When we first got it, it was about 40c a litre, but it's still cheap."HYBRID The Knights have discovered another benefit of their fuel-efficient Toyota Prius with the recent birth of their son, Thomas."Now that we have the baby we don't have the radio on and we can tell how quiet it is," Tanya says. "It's a bit disconcerting sometimes when it kicks into electric." Tanya and husband Stephen bought the Prius two years ago."We were in the market for a new car and wanted to be as fuel efficient and environmentally conscious as possible," she says. "We came from a Falcon with LPG so I didn't want to go to a petrol car and pay X number of hundred dollars to fill it."We found the LPG wasn't particularly fuel efficient. It guzzled the fuel, but it was half the price. "Now I fill up maybe once every three to four weeks on a 60km daily round trip to school and home. "With highway driving, I can get over 1000km on one 40-litre tank of fuel which is amazing. We're really happy with it and wouldn't go to a petrol-only car ever."Mrs Knight says the Prius is a bit quirky in design and function. "But once you get used to it, it's interesting," she says. "People are astonished. They say the car has turned off."She also defends the Prius as a family car. "It's actually a reasonable size car. We get the baby capsule in and there is plenty of space for other people, she says. "My dad used to run taxis and many in the industry are going to hybrid cars."DIESEL The Webbs were a bit skeptical about diesels when they went to test the Hyundai i30cw CRDi wagon. But Adam and Katie Webb of Brisbane were pleasantly surprised. "My only experience of a diesel was my mate's old diesel HiLux which chugs and smokes," says Adam. "I had done some research and knew a bit about the new turbo diesels but my wife was especially concerned about the noise and smoke of them."However, when I took it for a test drive I was surprised. For a 1.6 (litre engine) when you put your foot down it really takes off. "It's really quiet. Especially on the highway you hardly notice you are driving a diesel. "There's still a bit of noise when you start it up. You know it's a diesel, but it's a lot smoother and quieter than we thought."The Webbs traded in their 1996 Magna wagon three months ago. "We pretty much downgraded in size, but there is still plenty of space," he says. "Me, my wife and the two kids all fit in quite well and when you have a couple of kids their stuff takes up a lot of boot space."The burning question is fuel economy. "We bought it just for the fuel efficiency," he says. "I'm not too sure on the actual economy figures but we drove about 600km to Rainbow Beach and back last weekend and there's still about a quarter of a tank left."He rejected concerns about limited and dirty diesel bowsers. "My wife drives it more than I do and she hasn't had any problems finding a boswer," he says. "Hyundai supply 10 disposable gloves with the car to use when filling up, but we've never used them."