Hatchback Reviews

If you like your gadgets, you're going to love the new baby Lexus. As well as a hybrid powertain, comprising petrol and electric motors, the CT200 has a dazzling array of lights and plenty of buttons to push.We especially like the way the color of the back lighting changes when you switch from economy to performance settings, with a dial that morphs from an Eco meter into a conventional tachometer.  How cool's that?The CT represents a bold attempt to spice up the some might say boring Prius concept on which it is based (there's a Prius under there), with more of everything including power, a brash exterior.Not surprisingly, it's targeted at younger buyers. The car comes in four grades and a total of 80 combinations of colours and trim, including 10 exterior colours with either fabric or genuine leather seat facings. Ours is the F Sport with sports suspension and a body kit, finished in eye-catching blue with smoke-coloured alloys.It certainly attracts plenty of questions. All four grades are powered by a 100kW hybrid powerplant, combined with a continuously variable style auto and the aforementioned drive mode select, with EV, ECO, NORMAL and SPORT modes.All four also have eight airbags and a full active safety package. With fuel economy officiallty rated at 4.1, we have been consistently getting 5.9 litres/100km over the past few weeks.Advanced features include proactive seat heaters, intelligent climate control, LED lighting, smart audio systems and bio-sourced materials. CT's front-seat heaters have been designed to operate in concert with the air-conditioning system, reducing the workload of the air-conditioning heater to aid fuel economy.And then there's the sound system.LED headlamps, combined with the 89 LED bulbs throughout the interior, significantly reduce power consumption and engine loadings. And then there's the computer/sound system - we could devote an entire editon to this one feature.The system won the Technical Innovation Award from Popular Mechanics. It is used to remotely control navigation, audio and telephone via a computer-like mouse controller.It features a digital amplifier and 10 speakers with diaphragms made a charcoal and bamboo fibre compound to make the speaker diaphragms strong and light. Let's just say there's no shortage of things to play with.

ONCE the shining star of the econo-car brigade, Honda has been punched and kicked from everything as diverse as a damning US Consumer Reports review - citing downsides including the quality of the cabin - to a merciless Mother Nature.Both helped make severe dents in global sales. Australia, which despite the views of most Americans is actually a part of the globe, followed suit with Honda car sales down 23.4 per cent year to-date October.Tsunamis in Japan and floods in Thailand and a tidal wave of compact cars from Korea are crippling Honda's style.There are other factors - it is one of the very few car makers without an alliance with another carmaker - but for me it comes down to the Civic five-door hatchback's very ordinary, yes even disappointing, quality.The UK-built Civic looks great and at $29,990, the six-speed manual version is an okay proposition. It is roomy, has a neat fold-down rear seat arrangement, most of the necessary safety credentials and a pleasant drivetrain. But it feels like it is assembled by the ghosts of BMC workers. It's discomforting to wake up in the morning ready to endure the midweek freeway and wrap your fingers around a stiff, ill-fitting door handle. The door closes with a metallic "ting" and the dashboard - clever in design - is mainly shiny hard plastic once used to make "unbreakable" outdoor furniture. Value? Not quite.This still looks so good, despite the years on the market. This is the crux of my grizzle - it looks great but is cheaply built, blowing the illusion. Not only is it edgy and distinctive, it works. There's very good interior room, the rear seats fold dead flat and the boot is big, though the space-saver spare goes against previous Civic trends. Sit in the driver's seat and the car feels comfortable; one you sit in rather than on. Things that work, work well. But though the split-level instru ment panel that places the digital speedo high up on the dash is very clever, there's not much logic in the placement of many of the switches. The push-button starter - in red - is just silly, especially as you still have to insert and twist a key in the steering column barrel.This was once a Honda by-word. The Civic of 2011 is modest in its mechanical technology, being built under the oppressive hand of design conservatism and economic parts utilisation. Yes, it works but the sparkle isn't there. The six-speed manual is nice but no-one's going to buy it. Instead you have to go to the transmission that Civic buyers want - the five-speed automatic that adds $2300. Previous Civic generations had interesting double wishbone and multi-link suspension but now there's conventional MacPhersons at the front and a torsion bar behind.The Civic hatch presents as a safe package - based on its comprehensive suite of equipment such as six airbags, ESC and even things like rear park sensors - but the body rates only as a four star. Many of its rivals have the maximum crash rating of five stars.First impressions - the cheap-feeling door handles and the tinny sound when the door shuts - aren't great. Even fiddling with the ignition key and press-button starter don't raise a hearty chuckle. But the 1.8-litre engine is quite good, keen off the mark while being quiet and fuss-free through the gears. The box is pretty good with short throws and an even spacing between the cogs but the shift action could be less clunky. The steering is electric-assist and while light enough to appease the feeble, is low on feedback for someone that enjoys a corner or two. I did, however, appreciate the ride comfort above 60km/h (a bit jiggly below that) and was happy with the low noise levels. The car seats five people but the rear seat is best for two adults as legroom is good but headroom is limited.This is the automotive equivalent of a young, troubled US actress - and for legal reasons I can't name any of them - which look sensational but which disappoint once you get up close and personal. There's just too many rising stars that can do a better job.

Retired rock band manager Chris Brown lives in Santa Barbara, California and calls himself an "early adopter'' so it was no surprise that his choice of wheels is a Chevy Volt plug in hybrid.Chris says he has owned plenty of vehicles in his 55 years but the Volt takes the cake."I thought it would be pretty good by the spec' sheet and when I moved to Santa Barbara, I decided to fully embrace my new, more relaxed life and go green with the Volt,'' he said. "But the ownership experience has been much better than I expected especially the fuel mileage and performance. I have put petrol in the tank only twice since buying the Volt in February this year and that was only when I was going down to LA for business.''Chris paid only US$34,500 for his car after the Federal Government slipped him a $7500 tax break with the purchase. Then on top of that, he says running costs are so negligible that it doesn't even register."I plug it into a domestic socket at home in the evening and it's ready to go the next morning. And besides, if I forget, the petrol engine will kick in if the charge gets low to recharge the lithium ion battery.''Chris said service costs are minimal basically because there isn't much to service.Volt is what is called a "range extender'' hybrid in which the car runs predominantly on electric power stored in its battery pack with a 1.4-litre petrol engine acting as a generator and acceleration booster if needed. The petrol engine hardly ever starts in general running around and then only for short bursts.Volt actually has two 55kW permanent magnet electric motors that give a range on electricity alone of up to 80km. Total range is well over 600km when the petrol engine generator kicks in. The available range on stored electricity is registered on a bar graph in the instrument console.Volt is no slouch and is capable of attaining a top speed of 160kmh and of accelerating from 0-100kmh in 9.0 seconds. It is the most practical electric vehicle currently available and the most fuel efficient with combined consumption of 2.5-litres/100km. And if you have solar panels on your house, running costs could be zero with minimal greenhouse effect. It looks good too, certainly not like a kooky cockroach as is the case with some other hybrid cars.Chris Brown invited us to take his car for a drive last week in Santa Barbara and it was a real surprise package.Firstly it has excellent acceleration off the mark right up to freeway speeds and there's only one gear which is eerie especially with no noise. There's plenty of kit inside including leather upholstery, Bluetooth, cruise, climate control, voice control to some functions, Bose audio and a 30 gig music register. It has a cyber space style dash with info panels in front of the driver and festooned down the centre console.The ride is comfortable and there's room inside for five at a pinch. It has a five star crash rating.Volt is manufactured in Detroit and has been on sale in the US since December 2010 but won't make it here until the end of 2012 at the earliest.Local pricing is unavailable but the European Volt (Ampera) goes for the equivalent of $58,000 so expect something similar here ... pity because Volt is a game changer given accessible pricing. Hopefully the federal government will start offering ``carbon'' incentives to Volt buyers as they do in all other countries where it's sold.

From its debut in 2004 the 1 Series hatch has copped criticism - for its performance or its looks. Almost eight years on, the 1 Series is still with us and BMW has launched the second generation. We drove a very new and improved 118d for a week see to what it had to offer.VALUEYep, it's a little hatchback, but it's a BMW and it'll cost you at least double the price of a Holden Barina. The base model 1 Series, the 116i turbo petrol, starts at $36,900, the lowest priced BMW. The 118i, its bigger petrol brother, is $42,800, while the 118d turbo diesel tested by Carsguide sells for $43,500. Barinas and Beemers are no threat to each other - it's the Golf GTD that keeps the BMW 118d awake. The GTD has more power and torque than the 118d for less, at $41,790. But BMW beats Volkswagen for cachet.Standard features aren't the 1 Series's strength. For all models, you pay for satnav ($2695), metallic paint ($1310), leather upholstery, auto transmission ($3695), heated and powered seats, alarm, rear-view camera and luggage compartment net. Above the base, you've got the Urban Line and Sport Line trims. Urban Line adds $1600 in the 118d and buys a sport leather steering wheel, 17-inch alloy wheels, cloth leather upholstery and not much else.You can't measure a BMW's value by kit. The value is in its brilliant engineering.TECHNOLOGYThe 118d has a revamped version of the 2.0-litre turbo four it had previously. The changes are good for torque, up 20Nm to 320Nm, but power stays at 105kW -- plenty of oomph for a car weighing only 1320kg.Our car had the eight-speed automated manual transmission. In auto it's super smooth and in manual it's good for fast shifts. Fuel economy in the 118d is excellent at 4.5L/100km thanks in part to the stop-start function, which cuts the engine after it decides you've been idling too long. There's also an energy recovery braking system.I averaged 6.1L/100km, having switched off the stop-start function and left the car in manual mode to keep the revs high for more power, too.DESIGNIt's hot from the front, not bad from the back and I try not to look at it from the side - that beak and bottom shouldn't be on the same car. The 2012 1 Series car is 85mm longer and 17mm wider than the old model and is the same height. It's gained a new, rounded nose and grille with larger triangular headlights, and indicator lights on the wing mirrors.Inside is typical BMW - less Chesterfield couch and more like modern office furniture. There's 21mm more leg room in the back but I still can't sit behind my driving position. Then again, I am tall. Boot size is up to 360 litres.SAFETYIt has five-star Euro crash rating. Front passenger head, body and side airbags, plus ABS and traction control. Seatbelt pretensioners are standard.DRIVINGIt's all about the driving with BMWs, right down to the near perfect seating.Get in any Beemer and it's as if those German technicians have secretly obtained your measurements and fitted the driver's seat while you were sleeping.Even in this entry level car the focus on driving is sharp. You don't want to get out of cars that are this good to drive. When I finish my usual route, instead of turning down my street, I keep going.A tad slow to 100km/h (8.9sec), but rear-wheel drive, big torque, excellent chassis tuning and a turbo that delivers quickly makes the little 118d huge fun.VERDICTIt's a posh hot hatch that comes at a price but in return you get a drive that'll beat almost everything.RATINGBMW 118d URBAN LINEPrice: $45,100Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmResale: 55 %Service: 15,000/12 monthsSafety: 6 airbags, ABS, DSC, CBC, DTCCrash rating: five starsEngine: 2.0-litre four cylinder turbo dieselBody: five door hatchTransmission: 8-speed automaticThirst: 4.5L/100km.

First it came from Japan, then Spain and it's been out of Korea for a while now. The Holden Barina has been around a long time - 26 years in fact and has sold up a storm particularly among young female buyers. Cheap to buy and run, Barina competes in the crowded light car class though it's slightly bigger than its rivals.There's a new one out from this month in one hatchback spec' only but with a choice of five-speed manual (std) or optional six-speed auto with sequential change mode for a couple of grand more than the $15,990 manual.It's a good way to flog cars - no gouging,  just "what you see is what you get" and there's a drive away price deal on the manual right now at $16,990. Still, there are plenty of choices for similar (and less) money. Mazda3 starts at nearly a grand less, Hyundai i20, new Yaris, Swift and Polo spring instantly to mind. Barina offers plenty of kit with cruise, aircon', trip computer, full size spare, Bluetooth 15-inch alloys and other goodies thrown in.The instrument pod looks like it's been lifted from a motorbike and features a LCD speedo read-out. Frontal styling looks intimidating and the truncated rear is cute. Steering wheel controls are for the phone, cruise and audio. OK upholstery and dash.It's powered by a 1.6-litre petrol four pot with 85kW/155Nm output but it's too easy to find a torque hole (dull response) under acceleration if you are not in the right cog - accentuated with the aircon' activated.It is a relatively high-tech engine with dual variable cam timing but no direct injection. The five-speed manual needs another cog to fully capture available power and reduce fuel consumption. And the disc/drum brakes should be upgraded to discs all round. Drum brakes? We though they stopped making them last century.Barina hatch scores a five star crash rating boasting features like six air bags and stability control among an impressive safety inventory this far down the food chain.

The Wankel rotary is turning full circle.

The commercial is the latest to come from Fiat and Chrysler in the US as they try to raise the profile of their brands under the combined Fiat ownership.A previous recent ad with Jennifer Lopez trying to sex up the virtues of the Fiat 500 Gucci edition looks to be easily outdone by the Abarth one with leggy runway star Catrinel Menghia.Lopez’s spot featured her driving around New York in the 500 Gucci, extolling the cars virtues – and charring on about how elegance is hard work – while one of her songs plays in the background. Menghia’s depends on almost stereotyped Italian passion, and a strategically placed drop of latte foam.The loose translation of Menghia’s script is along the lines of: "What are you staring at… are you undressing me with your eyes? Poor man, you can't resist. Is your heart pounding? Is your head spinning?”More to the point would be: “Is your wallet opening … are you buying this?” It remains to be seen whether sex and style sells for the little cars. And whether it sells to women.Fiat USA CEO Olivier Francis said that the advertisement was intended to be a viral advertisement on the internet “but I am considering running it as a TV advertisement too, but I am not sure. It may be too much.”

Toyota Yaris and Skoda Fabia go head-to-head in this comparative review.

AFFORDABLE, practical, value for money and even fun aren't terms you'd aim at the baby end of the car market. Yet those definitions - and more - fit the Hyundai Accent better than a shoebox fits new shoes. Who will buy it? Anyone, it's that useable.The size fits any city carbay, the fuel economy is outstanding and the feature list - particularly handy stuff like Bluetooth and iPod connections - make it easier for us to cope with our fast lifestyles. But it's not just about the city. The inclusion of a full-size spare wheel - a commodity not even standard on Australia's "big six" cars - ensures it will cope with out-of-town adventures.Hyundai offer the Accent in three trim levels: Active ($16,990), Elite ($18,490) and Premium ($20,990) with an extra $2000 for the automatic. That puts it hard up against some equally serious players so Hyundai opens Santa's bag and drops in standard Bluetooth, full-size spare wheel, six airbags, iPod/USB connection, a five-star crash rating and a comprehensive vehicle stability management package.Pricing overlaps Hyundai's own i20 and i30 hatchbacks but the former isn't on par with the Accent's dynamics and the latter is ready for a replacement.Gee guys, how hard was this to design? It looks like a Canon photocopier took on an i30 hatch and set it to a 3 per cent reduction. Don't believe me? Get the calculator and make the comparison yourself. Actually, that's not a bad thing because the i30 has been the darling of the middle-class commuter set since it won Carsguide's Car of the Year in 2007.Accent comes as a hatch or sedan and looks good as either, streets ahead of its pregnant predecessor but not quite up to Elantra status. The shape boasts good cabin room, a very neat and workable dashboard and sensible fittings.The engine is the new-ish Gamma long-stroke 1.6-litre unit with a modest 91kW/156Nm output. Modest because the 91kW is available at 6500rpm - and you're never going to get to 6500rpm and survive with your licence intact - which equates to enduring a prolonged taser attack. But it has a linear torque spread - and needs it because the automatic transmission has only four cogs.Yes, there is a sequential shift mode so you can pick your own gear, but this box competes with the Ford Fiesta's slick six-speed unit. Otherwise, the Accent is beautifully simple to suit its role.The drivetrain may be unstartling but there is a lot to get excited about with the safety gear. The Accent gets a top-notch five-star rating, comes with electronic stability control (which is law from January 1), traction control, electronic brakeforce distribution and the latest anti-lock braking system.The umbrella system for all this is Hyundai's Vehicle Stability Management designed to automatically select the best electronic aids to suit any disaster. Or near disaster. Failing everything, there are als o six airbags.On paper it all looks so good. But the fly in the soup is the electric steering. Yes, it's wonderfully light at parking speeds so the muscle-challenged motorist can ease themselves into any carpark. But send this down a straight road at highway speeds and neighbouring motorists will think you've spent a hard afternoon at the bar. It is prone to wandering because, when the wheel is straight ahead, it has no assistance.A minor adjustment of the hand becomes a knee-jerk reaction from the awaken steering box, and then you have to correct by turning the other way and then back again and so on. That aside, it is comfortable - though there is some low-speed thump - and even enjoyable through winding roads. It is also very economical, surprisingly roomy and a doddle to park.This car makes so much sense it would make a perfect partner to that 4WD you have in the garage. And I know what I'd prefer to drive.

Do you drink your good red out of the nearest jam jar or do you insist on crystal stemware?