Suzuki Swift News
Suzuki ready to make a Splash
Read the article
By Paul Gover · 29 May 2007
Its new baby car, Splash, is aimed straight at Europe and Asia and will also be coming to Australia in a worldwide move which will see production spread through Hungary, Japan and India.The Splash was previewed as a concept car at the Paris motor show last year and follows the successful introduction of the Euro-style Swift and SX-4 wagon.An SX-4 sedan is coming later in the year and Suzuki is also expected to unveil at least two other all-new models before the end of 2007, including the Camry-sized car, which company executives spoke about to CARSguide in Japan last year.“Over the next three years we will have a half-dozen new models in segments where we don't currently participate,” the general manager of Suzuki Australia, Tony Devers, says.“We'll have the mini-car segment with Splash and further down the track we'll have the mid-sized car. And then other products that I don't want to talk about at present.“It's a big push for Suzuki.”The Splash is based on the same mechanical package as the Swift, a former winner of the CARSguide Car of the Year award, but is significantly smaller. It is only 3.7m long but stands 1.6m tall.The safety package includes six airbags and electronic stability control.The Splash will be sold in Europe with both 1.0-litre and 1.3-litre petrol engines, as well as a 1.3-litre diesel — and Suzuki has forecast sales of some 60,000 cars a year from its factory in Hungary.However, sales will not begin until early in 2008 and the final production car will not be unveiled until Germany's Frankfurt motor show in September.Suzuki will not confirm the Splash for Australia, but senior Japanese executives have already said it will be imported.The only likely change is that local deliveries will be of Japanese-made cars, rather than from the new Splash production line being established in India.“We are evaluating it, but we would only get it out of Japan,” Devers says. “It will probably come in around 18 months to two years.”Devers says there is real potential for the Splash, which would be a sub-$15,000 car and smaller than most of the existing cars in the light-car category, such as the Hyundai Getz and Kia Rio.“It's positioned under Swift and that's a segment that's starting to grow,” Devers says.“The cars are quite small but large inside. For Australia, the whole trend in the industry is towards fuel efficiency and smaller cars.“There has been a trend for five to 10 years. If you look at Corolla ... it is not a small car these days. Swift is the size that Corolla and Civic were five years ago, and the Splash will be in the new mini segment. Our consumers are moving towards where Europe has already gone. The light segment is going to boom and this is probably under that.”Devers says the Splash is also a sign of Suzuki's commitment to its globalisation, moving away from the super-small Japanese Kei-class cars it has built for decades.“Suzuki has made a strategic decision,” he says. “It has been the mini-car leader in Japan for 15 years but is now looking to build bigger cars for a global push.“It's a big, big decision. But it's being done so they can tune the production for larger cars and a worldwide push.“Suzuki already sells more cars than Honda, Mazda and Subaru in Europe. It's only Australia and America where it lags.“There is an American focus, but Australia is important too, because we're now a million-vehicle market.”
Seven top all-round performers
Read the article
By CarsGuide team · 27 Feb 2007
And we've contrived a formula for our picks of sub-$40,000 cars that considers these factors:* Economy — the claimed fuel consumption in combined conditions and likely running costs, based in part on the NRMA's annually compiled data.* Practicality — size, number of seats and doors, and boot space.* Value — purchase price, standard gear and quality.* Image — a bit subjective, but even a practical purchase isn't without an emotional quotient.* Driving — derived from CARSguide's on-road experiences.Each criterion is marked out of five points for a combined score out of 25. Honda Jazz GLi$15,3905.7-litres per 100kmEconomy > 5Practicality > 4Value > 4Image > 3Driving > 3Score > 19/25 WITH a claimed fuel consumption of 5.7 litres per 100km in the manual exceeded by only 0.1 in the CVT auto, there is for once almost no (economic) argument in favour of shifting for yourself.The manual, though, will make the most of the uber-frugal 1.3-litre petrol engine. Hondas are not the cheapest cars to repair, but they offer highly competitive passenger safety levels married to reliability and quality that tops international surveys.The Jazz is a great device that can carry two adults, three kids and luggage. Mazda 6MZR-CD hatch$38,090 MZR-CD5.9 litres per 100kmEconomy > 5Practicality > 4Value > 4Image > 3Driving > 4Score > 20/25 THE mid-size Mazda embarrasses more expensive and supposedly more prestigious European cars.The addition of two (manual only) diesel models adds another dimension to the range.At $35,205, the wagon is the less expensive, but with leather trim and fixtures comparable to the Luxury level Mazda 6 petrol model, the hatch is a stylish and unique departure.The only hatch of this size on the market, it's the preferred 6 shape.And its lusher interior would come to the fore when exploiting the Mazda's posited maximum range of 1250km.Already the best drive in its class, the diesel 6s exert an allure appreciated by Those Who Know while running on a sip from an oily bowser.The obvious sedan alternative is Volkwagen's Jetta. Suzuki Swift Sport$23,9907.5 litres per 100kmEconomy > 3Practicality > 3Value > 4Image > 3Driving > 4Score > 17/25 A GTI model is en route, but for now the 1.6-litre petrol Sport is the one for frugal fun.Standard gear, even in the $15,990 S model, is superb, running to dual front airbags, ABS and steering wheel button activated six-stacker CD and trip computer.If the steering leaves something to be desired, it's hard not to enjoy this two-plus-two hatch, one that punches way above its 1100kg kerb weight. Volkswagen PoloMatch TDI$22,9905.0-litres per 100kmEconomy > 5Practicality > 4Value > 3Image > 4Driving > 3Score > 19/25DESPITE the "handicap" of coming as a manual only, the cheapest diesel available in Australia accounts for some 30 per cent of Polos sold here - something not unrelated to a potential range in the vicinity of 1000km on one tank.A Tardis that can seat four adults, or two adults and three young children, the five-door hatch is a more than respectable performer due to a punchy 1.9-litre turbo diesel that leaves all Polos bar the smart GTI model in its wake.The German badge lends a bit of cachet in a field of Japanese and Korean entrants. Hyundai Santa FeCRDi SLX$43,4907.6 litres per 100kmEconomy > 4.5Practicality > 5Value > 5Image > 1Driving > 2.5Score > 18/25 WE'VE busted the $40K mark here, but what other relatively affordable SUV could fare so well in Overlander magazine's vehicle of the year and carry seven punters in urban comfort?You can get into a petrol V6 five-seater Santa Fe for as little as $35,990, but the doughty diesel seven-seater is the best buy.You won't get a better third row of seats without paying mad money. A tight turning circle enhances every day driving and big towing torque makes for recreational enabled weekends. If the Santa Fe scores low for image, that's because some people still can't get past the badge. That's their loss. Honda CR-Vfrom $31,99010.0 litres per 100kmEconomy > 3.5Practicality > 5Value > 4Image > 3Driving > 3Score > 18.5/25 YES, that is a double digit claimed petrol consumption. Nor is it the cheapest urban shopping trolley.But though heavier and slightly thirstier than its predecessor, the new generation CR-V is just about perfect for its purpose.As with those other Hondas named here, it's suffused with the refinement and quality and the unchallenging nature that make Hondas such a no-brainer buy. Honda Civic Hybrid$32,9905.2 litres per 100kmEconomy > 5Practicality > 3Value > 4Image > 3Driving > 2.5Score > 17.5/25 WHILE not quite as miserly as that other compact petrol-electric car, Toyota's Prius, the hybrid Honda is vastly less expensive and at least looks like a car.The savings with a hybrid are accrued not only when it is running and the electric motor assists, but mainly when the vehicle is stationary and the petrol engine switches off, leaving it all to electricity.If it's an unremarkable drive, it does what it says on the label with the assurance of Honda quality into the bargain.
Australian Motor Show opening day part 2
Read the article
By Stephen Corby · 28 Oct 2006
Alfa Romeo stepped up straight after the Peugeot unveiling of a woman, I mean a car. A 207 apparently.
Small cars with big performance
Read the article
By CarsGuide team · 28 Oct 2006
The question isn’t who 'wants' to be a racing car driver, but who doesn’t?Let’s put aside for a moment the issues of safety and speed limits because this is a boom time for sports cars, and we don’t just mean selfish two-seat coupes.From hot hatches to sports sedans and convertibles, the line between every day road hack and sports car is fading in terms of both looks, equipment and especially performance.The expanding sub-$45,000 turbocharged market is just the thing for those who realise sports and performance does not equate to expensive and impractical.Take Volkswagen’s immensely popular Golf GTI, whose appeal has just been boosted by the announcement of a three-door hatch which joins the existing five-door.The best news is the deletion of rear doors lowers the price $1500 to a very appealing $38,490.Running the same 147kW 2.0-litre turbo through a tight, very right six-speed manual or DSG gearbox, the two-door GTI’s aggressive profile now matches that of its more expensive V6 AWD stablemate, the R32.One of the GTI’s main rivals is HSV’s new Astra VXR Turbo, which aims to put both the VW and the recent Ford Focus XR5 Turbo in their places.The first ever non-V8 HSV thrusts out 177kW from its 2.0-litre turbo, the three-door hatch’s thick equipment list and $42,990 sticker putting it at the top of the price list of the current crop of turbo hot hatches.All too dear? Then Holden’s sporty Astra SRi could be the next best thing from the red lion, with a 2.2-litre good for 110kW, and a practical five-door hot hatch now joining the two-door coupe.Cheaper insurance premiums aren’t the only savings here, with a $29,990 starting price for the SRi five-door hatch.One spider that’s just swallowed a turbo is the new Mitsubishi Colt Cabriolet Turbo.Styled by Ferrari-fettling Pininfarina, the Colt’s hard roof extends in a lazy 22 seconds, but with 110kW from its 1.5-litre MIVEC engine everything else about it is fast, and its $37,990 retail makes it the cheapest way to get into topless turbo motoring – unless the new Peugeot 207 CC takes up the cause next year.There’s also the option of an 80kW non-turbo Cabriolet for $32,990, but our sports performance advisers will quickly slap that skim vanilla latte from your hand and guide you to the more sporty Colt Ralliart.The Cabriolet’s hardtop sibling, the Colt Ralliart, runs the same 1.5 turbo MIVEC engine but squirts out a little more power for 113kW. With its Evolution Lancer bonnet vent, Tupperware bodykit and rev-happy engine, at $29,990 it targets the likes of VW’s $26,990 Polo GTI turbo.All too turbo? If the insurance company answers the turbo request with an engaged signal, the Suzuki Swift Sport could be the answer to the P-plate blues.Reviving the Swift GTi of the 1990s, the new Sport’s 1.6-litre uses variable cam timing to peak out 92kW through its 16-inch alloys, making it a quarter-more powerful than the GTi.Airbags and ABS tick the safety boxes too.At $23,990, the Swift Sport has potentially the strongest sports-to-price ratio of the hot hatch heroes - meaning there are now many more reasons for a hot hatch upheaval. Hurrah.
Suzuki Swift Sports a chance
Read the article
By Chris Riley · 13 Sep 2006
The Swift Sport, unveiled to Australian media in Japan this week, may not carry the famous GTi badge (it no longer has rights to the name) but it has the firepower to outgun its predecessor.
Powered by a high revving 1.6-litre twin cam four cylinder engine, the four-door hatch is quicker from 0 to 100km/h than GTi and runs rings around it when it comes to handling.
What it lacks is the raw edge that made the original GTi so much fun to drive, because like the off road Vitara it didn't have to bow to anyone.
In this critical area, we would have liked to have seen a larger, more powerful engine, but hey . . . the Liana started life with a 1.6 didn't it?
To create the engine, Suzuki engineers have increased the stroke and upped the compression of the donor 1.5-litre unit.
It gets a new block, new inlet and exhaust camshafts, new pistons and rings, connecting rods, crankshaft, larger capacity sports muffler, oil cooler, intake and exhaust manifolds and an electronic throttle body.
The result is a compact engine that delivers 92kW of power at 6800rpm and 148Nm of torque at 4800rpm.
This compares with the standard car's 74kW and 133Nm - a significant increase.
Swift Sport is due to go on sale at the end of September and looks set to build on the momentum of a car that has become a runaway success since launch in 2004.
To go with the extra power, the car's chassis has been strengthened with extra cross members, a close ratio, short throw five-speed manual box has been added, along with firmer damping and of course bigger, beefier brakes.
Cosmetic changes have also been made, with the addition of a deeper front air dam, black WRX-style side skirts and small rear wing plus a new rear bumper that incorporates twin exhaust outlets.
The car sits on 16 inch alloys with 195/50 series rubber, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes and six airbags.
It looks hot, especially in bright yellow and Suzuki claims the Sport is good for 8.29 seconds for the dash from 0 to 100km/h, with a top speed of about 200km/h.
You pay a small penalty for this extra performance as the car takes 98 strength premium unleaded, but it still manages to sip the stuff at the same 7.5 litres/100km, with a 43-litre fuel tank.
We got to put the Swift Sport through its paces at Suzuki's proving ground at Hamamatsu. Weighing in at 1100kg, and with a power to weight ratio of 12.0kg to the kilowatt, it goes hard but lacks torque down low.
This is particularly evident from a standing start as well as when exiting corners, but wind it up and it's a ball to drive.
Our confidence in the Sport's handling grew with each lap of the proving ground as we pushed harder and harder through corners.
Pour it on and the car remains composed and manageable even at the extreme limits of adhesion.
The rasp from the twin exhausts sounds the part and inside there are some nice touches too, including sports seats (we're told they're Recaros), three-spoke leather stitched sports wheel, silver look gear knob and stainless steel pedals.
In terms of performance, the original GTi weighed just 750kg and, with a 74.3kW motor, boasted a power to weight of just 10.1kg/kW (0-100km/h took 8.6 seconds).
It wasn't forced to labour under the additional weight of the safety equipment that is imposed on modern vehicles.
Launched in 1986 the original GTi roared out of the gates, but was plagued by dreadful torque steer and could be a real handful in the wet.
In comparison, the Swift Sport is much more refined and desirable car.
At $23,990 it comes fully equipped with few direct competitors.
Suzuki benchmarked the car against the Mini Cooper and Citroen's C2, while Ford's Fiesta Zetec could also be considered a rival.
None provide the size, interior space and four-door utility of the Swift.
Standard equipment includes air conditioning, power ancillaries, steering wheel audio and fully featured trip computer.
But there's no spare wheel and no room for one either - just a re-inflation kit.
Whether the Swift Sport is indeed the successor to the GTi that Suzuki has been looking for remains to be seen.
The car has not been released in the United States, but like us, the Canadians have expressed interest in bigger engines too.
The Suzuki Sport certainly looks the goods and handles exceptionally well, but the extra $6000 could stretch the budget.
With no turbo, however, it remains within reach of P plate drivers.
Chris Riley is a roadtester on the CARSguide team. His work appears here and in the 96 News Limited Community Newspapers across Australia – including the Cumberland Newspaper Group, Leader Newspaper Group, Quest Newspaper Group, Messenger Newspaper Group, Gold Coast Sun, Townsville Sun.
Small car fuel efficiency rules
Read the article
By Ashlee Pleffer · 09 Sep 2006
Industry figures released this week show the real boom in the market has been in four-cylinder cars valued at less than $25,000.Known as the light car segment, sales in the division are up 22.7 per cent for the year to date on last year, while the large car segment is down the same figure. Last month light cars were up by 31.4 per cent on August last year.Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Peter Sturrock says this trend has increased over the past couple of years, with a recent acceleration put down to high petrol prices."Well, quite simply because they are more fuel efficient, small and less expensive to purchase in the first place and they're less expensive to run," Sturrock says.A total of 10,806 light cars were sold last month and 77,650 sold this year, which is 14,346 more than last year. Leading the line-up is the Toyota Yaris, with a starting price of $14,990, which recorded 2673 sales in August, taking the total to 18,064 for the year to date.Added to this figure are the remaining 304 Echos that Toyota has sold this year, before the nameplate was changed to be consistent with the Yaris badging used in Europe.Hyundai's small Getz, named Australia's Best Small Car for 2005 by Australia's auto clubs, has also achieved an increase in sales, with 1738 models sold last month, and 13,863 for the year, an 18.4 per cent improvement over the same period last year.Getz prices start at $13,990 and stretch to $18,380. The cheapest car on the market, the Holden Barina, starting at $13,490, has the third highest sales for the segment, with 1091 sales in August and 9567 for the year to date.The Barina is followed by the Suzuki Swift, Honda Jazz and Kia Rio, all recording between 5500 and 6800 sales each for the year-to-date and just under 100 sales in August.Sturrock says while fuel prices are contributing to a shift to these cars, good value at a low price is also converting buyers."The small cars now are very well equipped," he says. "Some years ago they were the basic models, but now they're well equipped with safety and anti-theft, occupant protection, airbags and ABS, and they often have Electronic Stability Control."Features in this segment on cars such as the Yaris and Getz include front airbags, an MP3 compatible CD system, airconditioning, power windows, central locking and ABS. Some even come with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and anti-skid technology.Holden's Barina offers airconditioning as standard, a feature that has to be bought as an option in the $34,990 base model VE Commodore Omega. The Hyundai Getz also offers a five-year/130,000km warranty.Toyota spokesman, Mike Breen, says this segment also offers a good alternative to second-hand cars."With the options that you can get on a brand new car, plus the new car warranty, it's quite appealing, especially to younger people," he says. And it seems a wide variety of buyers are purchasing these light cars, from students through to families and retirees.Hyundai spokesman Richard Power says its small cars, the Getz and Accent, are finding a market among a variety of drivers."We get quite a few young people buying it as their first new car and there's loyalty from senior motorists, who don't need a big car any more and are very attracted by the long warranty," he says. Overall, the car market has dropped by 3.4per cent on last year, with 642,383 vehicles sold, a decrease of 22,513 vehicles. August was also down from 2005 by 4516 vehicles.In the small car segment, sales are up 3 per cent year-to-date, with the Toyota Corolla the segment leader with 4147 sales in August and 31,705 Corollas sold this year. But small car sales also experienced a slight drop last month, down 1.3 per cent or 244 vehicles.Sturrock says that although the large car segment is down by 26,461 vehicles, it is still an important part of the market."It has reduced over time from what it was to where it is today," he says. "But it's still about 25 per cent of the passenger car market. You see very strong interest in the new Holden Commodore and the new Toyota Camry, there's been an excellent reaction."WHAT'S SELLINGToyota Yaris 18,368Hyundai Getz 13,863Holden Barina 9567Suzuki Swift 6703Honda Jazz 5936Kia Rio 5579Ford Fiesta 4407Mazda2 3934Hyundai Accent 3593Mitsubishi Colt 1516VW Polo 1337Peugoet 206 1071Citroen C3 486Proton Savvy 357smart fortwo 326Renault Clio 173Citroen C2 139smart forfour 132Fiat Punto 113Daihatsu Sirion 40Proton Satria 9Suzuki Ignis 1*Source: VFacts (light car sales 2006 to end August)Note: Yaris sales includes 304 Echo salesTHE CHEAPIESHolden Barina from $13,490Hyundai Getz from $13,990Proton Savvy from $13,990Toyota Yaris from $14,990Hyundai Accent from $15,990Mitsubishi Colt from $15,990Suzuki Swift from $15,990Ford Fiesta from $15,990Honda Jazz from $15,990Kia Rio from $15,990Mazda2 from $16,335Peugeot 206 from $16,990VW Polo from $16,990
And the winner is? Nifty Thrifty Swift
Read the article
By Kevin Hepworth · 06 Jan 2006
It takes the top spot from Mitsubishi's crucial new 380 which edged out its family car competitor the Hyundai Sonata by the narrowest of margins.Votes were collated from the motoring editors of carsguide newspapers around Australia. They were asked to rate their top six cars of 2005 based on a best to sixth-best point-scoring system of 10,6,4,3,2 and 1.The little Swift is a worthy winner. It brings bags of fun and value to small-car driving at a time when the segment is already vibrant.Comfortable, sprightly and with styling to suit the market, the Swift is a quality return for a long-lamented badge. Keep tuned for the GTi later this year.The Swift won praise from many writers. Mark Hinchliffe (Brisbane's The Courier Mail) says: ``The Swift's Euro styling, top-build quality and high specification levels at an affordable price make this the leader of a fiercely competitive class.''Neil Dowling (Perth's The Sunday Times) says: ``The Swift shows cheap doesn't have to mean suspect build quality and it has high levels of safety, equipment and styling that hits the target market right on the head.''Keith Didham (Hobart's The Mercury) says: ``The real surprise for the year didn't come from any of the big names in the new car game but from often overlooked Suzuki. Its new Swift is affordable, well packaged with standard features, looks good and is fun to drive. What more could you ask for?''But Mitsubishi's new 380 also rated well with some writers, giving it enough points to finish second overall. Bryan Littlely and Stuart Martin (from Adelaide's The Advertiser) say: ``The 380 does check most of the boxes, particularly impressive is the build quality, interior space, and the 3.8-litre, V6 engine which really delivers.''Still, I could not fit the 380 into my top six.The sentiment and hype surrounding Mitsubishi's ``saviour'' has been enormous and there is little argument the Adelaide manufacturer has produced a very competent competitor in the large family sedan category.However, dispassionately considered, the 380 is a good car rather than a great one.The models we have had through the test garage have all had minor build quality issues: the 3.8-litre engine is also thirsty and from the front, the car still has design questions unanswered.Easily the biggest improver in the field came from Hyundai. The new Sonata is the most impressive quantum improvement -- model-to-model -- in memory.Design, style, quality and value are all ticking the right boxes at last. Performance from the V6 is all you could ask and let down only by a little vagueness in the steering. A grand effort from the Korean manufacturer.Another to impress is the Volkswagen Golf GTi. The badge has rarely been affixed to a poor one. Certainly a couple of bland ones in the recent past, but this latest model redresses that in spades. It goes hard and sticks harder and all with a good degree of comfort and luxury. Also impressive is the Nissan Murano, a very different take on the SUV.It is really a comfortable, large sedan with command seating, all-wheel drive and certainly a style all its own.A regular contender, Mazda's MX5, is still the benchmark in affordable drop-top sportscars. The latest model is slightly larger, slightly more spacious and slightly more practical. For all that it remains true to the driving dynamics that have stood it apart for almost two decades.Chrysler's 300C has styling that is instantly recognisable and surprisingly practical. The rest of the package is not too shabby either.You could expect a 5.7-litre V8 to be thirsty -- and it is despite Chrysler's multi-displacement technology. Still, you simply have to love the car. Others to rate well (but without making my top half-dozen) included both the Mitsubishi Evo IX and the Subaru 2.5-litre Impreza STi. Both are stunning in their own realm -- but it's a highly restricted realm.For that reason and that reason alone these two little crackers didn't make the final six.BMW's 3 Series is again a segment leader but lost out because as a step forward over the previous models, it was incremental rather than sensational. Porsche's wonderful 911s fall into the same category. It is certainly one of the best drives of the year but with small improvements over what was already one of the auto world's true objects of desire.There were others that came close -- Ford's Focus, the new Lexus IS, Audi's A4, the Range Rover Sport -- but in what was a vintage year for new cars, the six that gained The Daily Telegraph's nod did so in a tight selection process. The Herald-Sun's Paul Gover, meanwhile, gave VW's Golf GTi his top vote.He says: ``There were plenty of worthy contenders among more than 50 newcomers in 2005, including the make-or-break Mitsubishi 380 and even the impressive new Lexus IS250 and GS430. The Golf GTi took my top spot because it proves Volkswagen can still do a great car, as well providing a single vehicle that can be all things to most people. It has plenty of space, a punchy engine, the brilliant DSG manual-matic gearbox, and a six-month waiting list to prove its success in Australia.''2004 - Ford Territory2003 - Honda Accord Euro2002 - Ford Falcon BA2001 - Holden Monaro2000 - Mercedes-Benz C-Class1999 - Toyota Echo1998 - Holden Astra1997 - Holden Commodore VT carsguide car of the year 2005 1. Suzuki Swift -- 42 points2. Mitsubishi 380 -- 23 points3. Hyundai Sonata -- 22 points4. Volkswagen Golf GTI -- 16 points5. Lexus IS250 -- 16 points6. Ford Falcon BF -- 14 points7. Mazda MX-5 -- 11 points8. Volkswagen Polo TDI -- 10 points9. Chrysler 300C, Saab 9-3 Aero, Audi A4, Nissan Murano -- 3 points Daily Telegraph: Kevin Hepworth1. Suzuki Swift2. Hyundai Sonata3. Volkswagen Golf GTI4. Nissan Murano5. Mazda MX-56. Chrysler 300CHerald Sun: Paul Gover1. Volkswagen Golf GTi2. Suzuki Swift3. Hyundai Sonata4. Ford Falcon BF5. Mitsubishi 3806. Mazda MX-5Adelaide Advertiser:Bryan Littlely/Stuart Martin1. Lexus IS2502. Mitsubishi 3803. Mazda64. Ford Falcon BF5. Hyundai Sonata6. Ford FocusBrisbane Courier Mail:Mark Hinchliffe1. Volkswagen Polo TDI2. Hyundai Sonata3. Ford Falcon BF4. Ford Territory SY5. Suzuki Swift6. Chrysler 300CPerth Sunday Times: Neil Dowling1. Mitsubishi 3802. Volkswagen Golf GTI3. Suzuki Swift4. Saab 9.3 Aero V65. Ford Focus6. Mitsubishi Evo IXHobart Mercury: Keith Didham1. Suzuki Swift2. Lexus IS2503. Hyundai Sonata4. Mitsubishi 3805. Mazda MX56. Mercedes B-ClassTownsville Bulletin: Karla Pincott1. Suzuki Swift2. Mazda MX-53. Ford Falcon BF4. Audi A45. Mitsubishi 3806. Chrysler 300C