Toyota Land Cruiser 2007 News

New Honda Jazz sets new benchmark for rear view cameras: $14,990.

This year it celebrates being beaten around the harshest corners of the world for 60 years. More than five million vehicles have worn its name in 188 countries.Toyota started down the 4WD path in response to a contract from the US Army for a Jeep vehicle for duty in the Korean War. It developed its BJ prototype in early 1951 with the intention of expanding the army contract into civil sales. Within six months of first turning its wheels, the truck-derived all-wheel drive Jeep became the first vehicle to be driven to the sixth hill station, 2500m up Mount Fuji. The feat won it a contract with the Japanese police fleet and success began with the first production model, the Type 25 BJ. In 1954, it was given the generic LandCruiser name.Though popular in Japan, Toyota found difficulty in exporting to major markets that were already served by US and European 4WD vehicles. So it looked at - and found success in - Australia and the Middle East, South America and South-East Asia.Toyota's LandCruiser concept was refined in the mid-1960s to follow the US trend for more refined vehicles.In 1966 it launched the first LandCruiser Station Wagon series - forerunner of the 200-Series - for family and commercial markets, and ran this model alongside the more rugged FJ-Series. The LandCruiser split in 1996 becoming (in Australia) the Prado that was a smaller 4WD than the 90-Series. It continued alongside the 70-Series FJ models.In its 60 years LandCruiser ancestors have travelled the world, seen the highlights and lowlights of man and nature and endured as the globe's most popular 4WD.In Australia, one of the first LandCruiser customers was construction magnate Sir Leslie Theiss, who bought several for use on the rugged construction trails of the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme. Its ability to cope with Australian conditions led to Australia being LandCruiser's largest single market, accounting for more than one in 10 of all LandCruisers ever built.TIMELINE1951 - Toyota "Jeep" BJ prototype was developed from demand for  military-type utility vehicles. It had a 63kW/215Nm 3.4-l six-cyl OHV petrol engine and part-time 4WD without a low-range transfer case. It became the first vehicle to reach Mount Fuji's sixth station.1953 - Regular production starts.1954 - The name LandCruiser was created by the technical director Hanji Umehara.1955 - The second generation, 20-Series is introduced. It had a 93kW 3.9-l six-cyl engine, longer leaf springs but retains the part-time 4WD system and three-speed gearbox.1957 - The first station wagon FJ35 is introduced with a 2650mm wheelbase. LandCruisers are imported into Aus. and used on the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme by Theiss Constructions.1958 - The FJ25 starts production in Brazil, the first factory outside Japan.1960 - The 20-Series was upgraded to the FJ40.1965 - Global production passes 50,000 vehicles. The LandCruiser is the best selling Toyota in the US.1967 - Production of the FJ55 station wagon begins, replacing the FJ45, with a 2710mm wheelbase.1968 - The 100,000th LandCruiser is sold.1972 - The 200,000th LandCruiser is sold.1973 - The 300,000th LandCruiser is sold.1974 - A four-cyl 3-l diesel is offered.1975 - The 3.9-l petrol engine is replaced by a 4.2-l unit. The FJ55 gets front disc brakes. The F engine is replaced by the 2F engine.1978 - The first BJ / FJ40 and FJ55 models were sold in West Germany.1979 - Power steering and airconditioning become options in the FJ40. The diesel engine grows to 3.2 litres (initially Japan) and optional 3.6 litres.1980 - The 60-Series is introduced.1981 - LandCruiser sales pass 1 million.1984 - Final year for the FJ40. The LandCruiser 70-Series is introduced with a 4-l 3F engine. A light-duty model - Bundera - has Hilux components including a 2.4-l petrol engine.1985 - The direct-injection 12H-T and 13B-T turbo-diesel engines are introduced.1988 - The petrol engine is upgraded to a 4-l 3F-E EFI engine. The FJ62G VX-Series is introduced.1990 - The 80-Series station wagon is introduced, replacing the 60. It has three engines (3F-E six-cyl petrol; a six-cyl 1HZ diesel; and 1HD-T direct-injection turbo-diesel). All 80s sold in North America and Europe have full-time 4WD while Aus. has a part-time system. Sales reach two-million.1993 - An advanced 24-valve, 4.5-l six-cyl petrol engine is introduced.1994 - The 500-only limited edition LandCruiser Blue Marlin series is introduced.1995 - Driver and passenger airbags, adjustable shoulder-belt anchors and ABS are introduced. The "TOYOTA" badge is replaced with the new logo, sometimes described as a "bean with a hat".1996 - The 90-Series Prado three and five-door is added to the LandCruiser range.1997 - The LandCruiser Collector's Edition is sold. The US sells the "40th Anniversary Limited Edition".1998 - The 100-Series LandCruiser is introduced to replace the 8-year-old 80-Series. It gets independent front suspension, rack and pinion steering and optional V8 petrol engine. The 100-Series formed the basis for the Lexus LX470.2000 - The 50th anniversary of the LandCruiser. Global production is 3.72 million vehicles.2002 - The HDJ79 is introduced to Aus. with the 1HD-FTE 4.2-l six-cyl 24-valve turbo-diesel EFI engine.2007 - The 100-Series is replaced by the 200-Series. It gets advanced "CRAWL" (a 4WD speed control system); Downhill Assist Control; multi-terrain ABS brakes; Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System; six-speed automatic sequential transmission; and optional 4.5-l V8 bi-turbo turbo-diesel engine. Toyota's first turbo-diesel V8 engine is released in the 70-Series.

A sought-after Holy Grail it came so tantalisingly close to reaching last year.For the industry, it will be a moment of triumph — but even more so for one manufacturer than any other.Toyota, which entered the local market with its quirky little cars taking on the might of General Motors and Ford, will have sold around 70,000 more cars than any other manufacturer.For Toyota's divisional manager of national marketing, Peter Webster, the most satisfying element of all was that in October Toyota outsold Ford and Holden combined for the first time.You could forgive Webster for leaping in the air and shouting “Oh What a Feeling”.Dominating 23 per cent of the market does not happen by accident and Webster says that marketing, more than any other factor, is the reason.“Our job is to create the optimum environment for a sale to take place,” he says.“So the brand image and the way consumers see Toyota is very much drawn by the marketing messages we put in the marketplace.“This is a sales-focused company and I absolutely see the marketing department's role is to pave the way.”Webster believes that consistency has been central to the success of the Toyota brand in the local market — not just at an umbrella brand level, but throughout its range of vehicles.“Unlike many of the other brands, we have stuck with one key marketing slogan if you like, or marketing undertone which has been `Oh What a Feeling',” he said.“That was a campaign that was launched back in about 1988 and is still relevant today, and I think the thing that put us in such good stead is that `Oh What a Feeling' is supposed to represent the overwhelming sense of satisfaction you have when you own and drive a Toyota.”It is a message that has become a part of the vernacular — the elusive desire of any great marketing message.“I still remember when Australia won the 2000 Olympics bid that photo that I think was on the front page of every newspaper the next day was John Fahey jumping out of his seat and the headline said `Oh What a Feeling', so it's in the landscape, it's in the spoken word.“I think if you look at any other brand, that consistency of message has made a big impact on the way Toyota has come to market since the early 1990s.”But beneath the banner the company has also made sure there have been single stand-out statements to represent each of its models. Hilux is presented as unbreakable, LandCruiser as king of the road.“Our strength from a marketing perspective is our range. Our weakness from a marketing perspective is how do you present a broad range to individual consumers?“So we have fundamentally worked on a philosophy that you demonstrate to customers the single-word attribute of that car. While the Hilux is unbreakable, the reason it gives that `Oh What a Feeling' was that `unbreakable' was the particular key thought we believed was applicable when the car was launched. So each vehicle has its own individual key thought.”While most consumers would see the marketing messages aimed squarely at them, Webster admits that more than half of it is in fact aimed at talking to Toyota's own people. “Every single person who has worked in the Toyota marketing department for the 17 years that I have been here, every single advertising agency that we employ regardless of what sort of marketing discipline they are focused on, understands one statement we have made to everybody and that is 52 per cent of our advertising is directed at the dealer network,” he says.“What the dealers see in the marketing sometimes reflects how they need to act in terms of representing the brand. You can't even explain the difference a motivated dealer makes to the success of a car franchise and we spend an inordinate amount of time communicating our messages with our dealer network.“We often see advertising and marketing departments who are focused on the work that they are doing but not on actually communicating it to their relevant supplier base or their retail base.“Every person in the Toyota marketing department has a little card that sits on their desk that says `I'm in the communications business' and that's really a reminder to them to say `I know what I'm doing but how do I make other people both internally and also the dealer network know what we are doing?”'By the close of play on New Year's Eve, Webster expects to have sold around 238,000 vehicles under the Toyota banner as well as a further 8000 Lexus vehicles. It's a figure that gives what has become a very Australian company — key sponsor of the AFL — almost a quarter of the entire market.

If you haven’t guessed, it’s the Toyota LandCruiser, which is now making a special appearance on a series of postage stamps now on sale.This is not just any old LandCruiser; it’s the FJ60 first released in 1985, which is part of Australia Post’s ‘Driving through the years’ pre-stamped envelopes.Since the first LandCruiser went on sale in the late 1950s it has sold over 540,000 units and continues to be a popular 4x4 choice.Other Aussie motoring icons to be found on stamps include the 1917 Model TT Ford Truck, 1956 Holden FE, 1961 Morris 850 and the 1976 Holden Sandman HX.The pre-stamped envelopes come in a set of five for three dollars, which is definitely cheaper than purchasing the real thing. 

For the first time, Toyota has outsold the combined totals of its two main competitors with a record 20,212 sales last month compared with Holden's 11,415 and Ford's 8206.Yet Holden's Commodore remains the top-selling vehicle with 4440 sales last month and 49,081 so far this year, up 5.8 per cent on last year.Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries figures show a whopping 89,289 vehicles were sold in October, or more than 3307 a day, up 6.9 per cent on September and 11.7 per cent on the previous October. So far this year, 871,651 vehicles have been sold, up 8.6 per cent or 69,345 vehicles on the same time last year.The chamber said the sales rate was on target to hit 1,046,000 for the year. It would be the first time more than a million vehicles a year had been sold.Passenger vehicle sales were up 2804 or 5.5 per cent over the same month last year and sports utility vehicles were up 3827 (27.5 per cent).But the biggest growth was in work vehicles, with light trucks up 1877 or 14.8 per cent and heavy commercial vehicles up 851 (30.2 per cent).So far this year, Toyota has lifted its market share to 22.4 per cent compared with 21.9 per cent at the same time last year. Toyota's 10-month sales total of 195,078 vehicles this year is more than 19,000 higher than for the same period in 2006.The boost in sales comes as Toyota has launched its 20 Series LandCruiser into the large SUV sector which is struggling against a 22 per cent downturn in sales.As vehicle sales head for a record one million, the motorcycle market is also on course to grow for the fifth consecutive year.FCAI figures show 91,663 motorcycles, scooters and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were sold to the end of September, a 10 per cent increase over the same period last year.Road bike sales to September were 20.8 per cent higher.FCAI chief executive Andrew McKellar said scooters and cruisers were contributing strongly.The highest-selling cruiser to September was Harley-Davidson's FLSTF Fat Boy, with 722 sold.In the Road Bike segment, Honda leads the market with 7171, followed by Harley-Davidson with 5102 and Suzuki with 4938.Yamaha, with 11,388, leads the Off-Road segment ahead of Honda (10,177) and Suzuki (4467). ATV sales increased 9.2 per cent to September with Honda as market leader (4284) ahead of Yamaha (3954) and Suzuki (2376).Bolwell leads the scooter market with 1724 ahead of Yamaha with 1322 and VMoto with 1107.The combined motorcycle market is on track to again to break sales records this year.The FCAI predicts unit sales to exceed 130,000 for the first time on the back of a traditionally forecast seasonal sales spike in the fourth quarter.Meet the new LandCruiser in Saturday's Carsguide.

The market is the ultimate judge, and its verdict on the Toyota LandCruiser is clear. Go to carsguide or any other classifieds website and you'll find that 20-year-old LandCruisers are still commanding prices of up to $8000, while many vehicles from the same era are throwaways, worth twice as much if their petrol tanks are full.An old LandCruiser is reckoned to be good for one last trip round Australia when its contemporaries are only good for a one-way journey to the scrapyard.Toughness is the core of the LandCruiser legend. Documented examples of the type's durability include one which was blown up for a Hollywood movie stunt, landed on all four wheels, and was able to be started and driven away.In New Zealand two thieves drove a LandCruiser over a cliff, leaping out at the last minute. To their amazement it landed at the bottom of the 60m drop with the engine still running. With the police in pursuit, the villains scrambled down, pushed the vehicle upright and drove off.And a Swiss couple, Emil and Liliana Schmid, have covered 617,359km in their 60 Series LandCruiser since October 1984, crossing 156 countries and territories in the process.A new chapter in the LandCruiser story is being opened at the Australian International Motor Show, where the new 200 Series LandCruiser wagon makes its world debut - not at Frankfurt last month, not at the Tokyo Motor Show in two weeks - here in Sydney.The launch is recognition that while it may be made in Aichi prefecture, Japan, the Toyota LandCruiser is an honorary Australian vehicle. Australia is the second-largest market for the vehicle after the Middle East and they are found all over the continent from Cape York to Coober Pedy and since the 80 series of 1990 have had considerable Australian design input and testing in the crucible of the outback.The 200 Series joined this tradition with more than two years of secret outback testing.It also incorporates new Australian-developed technology in its Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System. This hydraulic system, developed by Kinetic in Dunsborough, Western Australia decouples the vehicle's suspension rollbars in off-road conditions to allow extreme wheel articulation. Articulation means keeping the wheels on the ground, even over extreme terrain, and by allowing that, the Kinetic suspension keeps the 200 Series LandCruiser going in the most difficult off road conditions. Back on the road it recouples the rollbars making the suspension tighter, for more assured cornering with less body roll.The other significant change in the 200 Series is the adoption of coil springs, rather than torsion bars for the front suspension. But at the back the five-link coil-sprung rear axle remains, redesigned for the new ladder frame chassis but unaltered in principle, it has proved itself.Engines are a mix of the thoroughly overhauled and brand new. The 4.7-litre petrol V8 gains Toyota's VVT-I variable valve timing and comes joined to a five-speed automatic transmission. There is no longer a manual transmission in the 200 Series. The 4.5-litre V8 diesel is a twin-turbo version of the engine that made its debut on the industrial-strength 70 Series LandCruiser.A strong new six-speed auto has probably allowed Toyota's engineers to turn up the wick on the diesel for even more torque than in the 70 Series. At the same time fuel consumption is reduced, Toyota says.The LandCruiser's full-time four-wheel drive system continues with a newly developed heavy duty version of the venerable Torsen limited slip centre differential.The Torsen, short for torque sensing differential, is an elegant all-mechanical device. During normal cruising, it distributes drive power 40/60 front/rear, but seamlessly and without the need for sensors or electronic control it can also instantaneously select a 50/50 or 30/70 torque split to match road - or off-road - conditions.As Audi Quattro drivers know, the Torsen delivers outstanding vehicle stability as well as smooth starting, acceleration and cornering on all road surfaces. Its simplicity and inherent toughness make it a most appropriate addition to the new model.While making its reputation with conservative, tried and true engineering the LandCruiser also introduces new technology when it brings a distinct performance or safety advantage.The 200 Series brings in a crawl control system for technical off-road driving. Crawl control is in essence an ultra-low speed traction control system. When driving on surfaces that require delicate speed control such as rocks, sand or steep hills, the engine and brakes are automatically controlled to maintain speeds of walking pace or less, minimising wheel spin, and maximising control and safety. The system is engaged by turning a dial in the cabin, leaving the intrepid driver to focus on steering out of trouble.Computing power and sophisticated control algorithms are behind the multi-terrain ABS brakes that sense whether the vehicle is on dirt, gravel or sand and modulates hydraulic pressure for maximum stopping power.Hill-start Assist Control minimises roll-back when starting on steep hills or climbing slippery surfaces by controlling brake fluid pressure; as the driver's foot goes from the brake to the accelerator.All models in the 200 Series have electronic stability control (known by Toyota as VSC) as standard.The 200 Series can also be specified with up to 10 airbags including driver and front passenger kneebags. The already cavernous interior of the existing model is 175mm longer in the new LandCruiser wagon, thanks mainly to moving the windscreen forward, a move that also aids the vehicle's aerodynamic profile and cruising speed stability.What lies ahead for the 200 Series LandCruiser? Undoubtedly a tough life. Examples will find their way to the uttermost parts of the Earth and will be baked, flooded and frozen. And when the ordeal is over, it's a fair guess, based on past record, that more often than not they will shrug it off by starting and driving away. 

The outback vehicle will be renewed this year and will pick up a package of wheel-control systems developed by Kinetic Suspension in Western Australia.Kinetic has developed a range of patented suspension systems including a fully hydraulic set-up that uses computer-controlled rams in place of conventional springs and dampers.Its products were used by the factory Citroen team to win a World Rally Championship with Frenchman Sebastian Loeb.Toyota has taken a lower-tech approach to the new LandCruiser, the 200 Series, but will still use Kinetic anti-roll bars to give the best possible combination of off-road grip and on-road comfort.The locally designed and developed system allows huge wheel articulation in the bush without sloppy cornering or excess body movement on bitumen roads.Full details of the Kinetic involvement in the new LandCruiser are secret, together with the rest of the car's mechanical package.But it is known to have an all-new V8 turbodiesel engine that will produce 650Nm.The petrol engines will be carried over from the existing 100-Series, but the new turbodiesel is expected to be the most popular choice.“We cannot confirm anything about the new LandCruiser ahead of its launch,” Toyota Australia spokesman Mike Breen says.But the Australian involvement in the 200-Series project is extensive.Apart from the Kinetic connection, test vehicles have been in Australia for more than two years as part of the LandCruiser's development process.They have been logging hundreds of thousands of kilometres in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. But those were early prototypes and fully disguised test vehicles, unlike the latest LandCruiser visitors.A crew of left-hand drive Cruisers were shipped to the red centre to star in the television commercial and brochure pictures that will be used to sell the 200 Series in the US.The new LandCruiser is the first total change for the vehicle since 1997 and is expected in Australian showrooms in November.It will spark a range of other updates, including a new Lexus LX570 about March. 

As Australia's new car juggernaut rolls on towards the magic million sales mark, the number of available models continues to swell. Already recognised as one of the most diverse and competitive car markets in the world, Australian importers continue to add to the mix.With half the year nearly gone, buyers have taken almost 500,000 new vehicles into their garages with some of the traditional biggest selling months still to come.At least three new marques will arrive in Australian showrooms in the second half of  the year; Hummer, Mahindra and Skoda,  testament to the vibrancy of what is, in world terms, a minor market.However, it is the expanding model range within existing brands that will drive the Aussie market over the million mark for the first time.Over the next six months more than 50 new or revised models will arrive in Australian new car showrooms. Here's a look at what's coming soon:ASTON MARTINDip your lid in style in September with the V8 Roadster, a gorgeous extension of the Vantage. AUDI Audi starts its end-of-year program in September with the R8, the biggest, baddest Audi in the garage The Supercar looks with enough performance to keep most on their toes. Also on the cards for October is the A5, Audi's first coupe since the TT. An all-new platform which comes as a front-wheel-drive and quattro. In November the V8 4.2 TDi may answer some questions for the Q7, including on fuel economy. BMW You'll have to wait until October for the new M3, but the latest offering from the M garage has something special. It's the first V8 for an M3. CHRYSLER A Sebring convertible, topless cousin of the sedan launched in early 2007, arrives in December. DODGE The Nitro SUV joins the Caliber for Dodge next month and the US marque backs that up with its Avenger sedan in August. FIAT The baby Ritmo, sold as the Bravo in Europe, will be Fiat's second passenger offering in Australia when it lands in October. Expect petrol and diesel. FORD The rush to oil-burners continues with the Focus getting the honour of being Ford's first passenger diesel next month before the Focus CC, the drop-top concept that set hearts aflutter at Frankfurt two years ago lands in October. The other big news for Ford is the return in November of the Mondeo for a third tilt at Australia. HOLDEN The key second-half model from the General is the VE Ute, bringing all the developments in the VE sedan to the working man's Holden. HONDA The Civic Type-R is razor-sharp styling built around a high-revving fun package. Next month. HUMMER The iconic offroader from the land of the large truck opens its Aussie account in October, a couple of months later than anticipated as a result of production delays for the H3. Surprisingly agile with real offroad ability. HYUNDAI An important second-half for the Korean marque. It starts with the popular Santa Fe SUV finally getting the 3.3-litre V6 from the Sonata to give it some extra punch. In October, the new Elantra hatch joins the sedan in the Aussie line-up after a wait of almost 12 months. JAGUAR An October styling refresh for the marque's luxury sedan, the XJ, is all from the Big Cat this year before a big 2008. JEEP The second of Jeep's non-Rubicon Trail-rated soft-roaders arrives in August to join the Compass for duty around town. KIA The Carens compact people mover has never really taken off here. The new generation is a little bigger and more stylish. It will be powered by a four-cylinder petrol or diesel engine with five- or seven-seat capacity. On sale in October. LAND ROVERThe baby Freelander gets a complete makeover for this generational change. New engines and a new family look all go on show in July. MAHINDRAIndia's workhorse ute, the Pik-Up, starts to roll out to Australia in July. MAZDA A new generation and a new look for the little Mazda2. Sharper styling is the key to this one's October debut. At the same time Mazda will add a diesel option to its top-selling Mazda3 range. MERCEDES-BENZThe key model for Mercedes this year is the meat-and-potatoes C-Class. Bigger, brighter and ready to meet the masses it is available from July. Also on Mercedes' new-model list is an upgraded ML500 and R-Class in September, both getting the 285kW V8 engine. October is a big month for the three-pointed star with the crackingCL65 AMG (a bi-turbo V12 with 450kW and 1000Nm) and the more sociable S320 CDi, which marries diesel with uber-luxury. MITSUBISHI You have to love a fighter. Australia's “other” family car, the 380, wins a minor refresh with some interior updates from next month. In August the automatic turbo diesel, traditionally the model's top seller, completes the Triton range while in October the point guard for the red-hot Evo X (due late in the year), the new Lancer, promises look-at-me-styling and more punch than the current model. NISSANThe baby Micra finally gets the green light for Australia with an October date with sales. In November the X-Trail, a core model for Nissan and the compact SUV that set the benchmark for those who actually can go off-road, gets a full generational change. The Dualis arrives in December. A softer option to the X-Trail, it sits on a similar platform but is more plush. PEUGEOT It's all about size for the French manufacturer. In July the 207CC, the previous generation of which set the standard for accessorising small cars, is back and promising to reclaim the crown. Its far more focused and athletic sibling, the GTi arrives in August with its turbocharged 1.6-litre engine. The station wagon derivative of the base 207 goes on sale in October. PORSCHEThe 911 turbo cabriolet proves Porsche's belief that if you can go fast in a sedan you should be able to go just as fast in a cabriolet. In September you can prove it for yourself. RENAULT August sees the Megane diesel join the Renault fleet, while the Clio Sport returns in November in an all-new guise. SAAB The new 9-3 will highlight Saab's first all-wheel-drive system in a completely renewed model range. All models arrive in November. SKODA Launches into Australia with a two-pronged attack in October. The Octavia medium-sized hatch and the quaintly named Roomster compact MPV will carry the flag initially. SMARTIn September the next next-generation smart ForTwo arrives, a little bigger and a little smarter. SUBARU The new Impreza is one of the most polarising styling departures of the year. In basic and WRX fettle the hatch arrives in September. A cult car heads mainstream and the jury is out. SUZUKIIf it ain't broke ... A freshen-up for the car that put punch back in Suzuki's local range, the brilliant Swift is in showrooms in October with the sedan version of the SX4 “tall hatch” joining the stable in September. TOYOTA The first product from Toyota's new “hot shop”, the Aurion TRD, arrives in August with a 3.5-litre supercharged V6 with sports manners and a load of plastic kit. Also in August is the generational change for Kluger with the SUV getting a substantial facelift and the 3.5-litre V6 from the Aurion. November brings the Landcruiser 200 Series and a TRD version of the HiLux. VOLVO The highlight for the Swedes in the second half of the year is the all-new generation of the XC70 due in November. About the same time the C30 will get the in-line five-cylinder diesel. VW A hot version of the Passat, the R36, is heading Down Under in November. 

The Royal Automobile Club of Victoria has just completed its annual cost of ownership survey of a range of current models.The survey looks at total running cost and is based on vehicles travelling 15,000km a year, which is the Australian average.It factors in the cost of a typical car loan, depreciation, registration, club membership, comprehensive insurance plus servicing, fuel and tyre costs.Fuel costs were calculated on an unleaded petrol pump price of $1.26 a litre, $1.31 for diesel and 47c for LPG.Fuel prices have risen significantly since the survey was finished so true running costs will be even higher.The survey results show the cheapest car costs about $6000 a year to run, compared to $18,500 for the most expensive.The most affordable car was Hyundai's Getz at $116.54 a week, followed by Holden's Barina ($120.85) and the Toyota Yaris ($125.88).Go up a size and Toyota's Corolla was the winner at $154.49, followed by the Ford Focus ($156.49) and Holden Astra ($158.12).The medium class sector was won by Toyota's Camry at $193.05, followed by the Mazda6 at $197.85, and Honda Accord Euro ($218.07).Large cars are, as expected, more expensive to run but, surprisingly not that much more.The best was Mitsubishi's 380 at $200.44, so it is cheaper than the Honda Accord. Toyota's Aurion was next best ($217.60), followed by Ford's Falcon ($229.13).For large families, the Kia Carnival people mover at $216.68 beat the Honda Odyssey ($228) and Toyota Tarago ($267.61).Diesel and hybrid cars were cheaper to run but don't forget diesel cars initially cost more and replacement batteries for hybrids are hellishly expensive and have a short lifespan.The cheapest was the Honda Civic hybrid at $175.29, beating the Toyota Prius at $200.63. A VW Golf diesel was better than the Prius on the wallet at $187.93.A Ford Falcon running on LPG cost $211.43 a week, while the dual-fuel Commodore came in at $225.10.The popular compact SUV market was headed by Honda's CRV at $203.86, followed by Nissan's Xtrail ($207.36) and Subaru's Forester ($208.52).Medium SUVs had the Holden Captiva out in front at $225.16, followed by the Ford Territory ($234.47) and Toyota Prado ($286.16).At the expensive end of the running cost spreadsheet were the big four-wheel-drives.The cheapest was Nissan's Patrol at $269.53, while the Toyota LandCruiser cost $357.51 a week.

Unleaded petrol costs have risen 5.6 per cent since this time last year, but hidden costs are the main culprits responsible for pumping up motoring budgets, the survey found.The RACV 2007 Vehicle Operating Costs survey said hidden costs such as servicing, insurance and loan interest rates on average rose up to 7 per cent compared to last year's survey.At the same time, depreciation figures show vehicles' value falling faster.After examining the 37 top-selling vehicles across 10 categories, the survey found the cheapest car to own and run was the Hyundai Getz at $116.54 a week.This was $5.34 more than last year's cheapest vehicle, the Kia Rio.The most expensive was still the Toyota Landcruiser GXL turbo-diesel, at $357.51.The Mitsubishi 380 ES was the most affordable family car at $200.44 a week, a weekly increase of $4.46.Meanwhile, lower price and service costs helped Ford Falcon outperform its rival Holden Commodore, costing $229.13 a week compared with $233.40.RACV Chief Engineer of vehicles Michael Case said the Federal Government's $1000 grant to LPG car purchases helped ease the overall running costs of these models.Although eight vehicles across the 10 categories managed to retain last year's rank as cheapest in their class, there were still some significant cost increases.For example, the Kia Carnival rose 14.7 per cent to $216.68, while the Honda CR-V cost $203.86 a week, a 7.4 per cent jump from last year's survey results.Mr Case said the survey showed the cost benefits of diesel and hybrid vehicles, which more motorists were considering investing in as fuel prices continued to skyrocket."A diesel Volkswagen Golf will save you around $2.95 a week - nearly $770 over five years," he said.""That's also a saving of around 11kg of greenhouse gas each week," he said."The Honda Civic hybrid meanwhile, provides a fuel saving of $9.46 a week and can save 17.9kg of greenhouse emissions."The survey data was collected in March and April.RACV calculations are over a five-year ownership period and are based on the average operating conditions for the private motorist, including travel of 15,000 km a year.