February 27th 2009 14:58

Suzuki Australia has unveiled the all-new Alto hatch at the opening of the Melbourne Motor Show this morning.

The fifth and smallest member of the Suzuki family is already on sale in Europe and hits local dealers late this year.

Although prices have not been set, the Alto is expected to come in under the $16,490 Swift hatch.

Suzuki Australia general manager Tony Devers says the Alto will represent “outstanding value for money”.

However, Suzuki spokesman, Andrew Ellis, says exchange rates will play a big part in determining the car's pricepoint.

Suzuki Alto Hatch

The Alto will be available in two specifications.

The entry level gets six airbags, air conditioning, CD stereo system with MP3 auxiliary input, remote central locking, anti-skid brakes and six airbags.

The top specification Alto adds alloy wheels, foglights, a tachometer and electronic stability control.

At 3500mm long, the Alto is almost 200mm shorter than a Mini Cooper.

It is slightly narrower than a Mini but 63mm higher and has a wheelbase of 2360mm, 107mm shorter than the Mini.

Powering the Alto is a three cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine producing 50kW and 90Nm mated to a five-speed manual gearbox.

A four-speed automatic will be optional.

The Euro IV-compliant engine delivers fuel consumption of just 4.5L/100km and produces only 103g/km of CO2 emissions.

Manufactured in Suzuki's Manesar plant in India, the Alto was designed by Suzuki engineers and tuned for European customers based on an extensive test drive program.

Already on sale in Europe, the little hatch has returned fuel economy figures of just 4.4 litres/100 km and CO2 emissions of just 103 grams a kilometre.

“Alto is the answer for people wanting a quality vehicle offering great performance, high levels of safety and outstanding fuel economy,” Devers says.

The front suspension is a MacPherson strut type while the rear is a three-link rigid axle.

Herald Sun

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Paladin - Category: Japanese Cars, Hatchbacks, Suzuki, Melbourne International

Email this Post to a Friend

Lexus LF-A Roadster

February 27th 2009 14:32

The Lexus LF-A roadster could be the car of the future, or a car with no future.

The LF supercar program has been running for close to three years and is a headliner for the whole Toyota group, but has yet to produce a production car.

There have been coupe and convertible show cars, and a hardtop LF-A painted in flat-black camouflage competed at the Nurburgring 24-Hour race in Germany last year, but there is still nothing concrete for showrooms.

But that has not stopped Lexus Australia from landing the signal red LF-A roadster as it show star for Melbourne.

"This car shows us what we are capable of doing, as a brand," says John Roca, head of Lexus Australia.

"It shows we are not boxed into a vanilla future that only has hybrid cars as a point of difference. It shows we can be, and will be, a lot more diverse than we are today."

The LF-A roadster is familiar but different to anyone who knows the coupe.

The lightweight body uses a combination of aluminium and carbon fibre, and the car rolls on 20-inch alloy wheels.

It has the same 5-litre V10 engine, tucked just ahead of the two passenger seats but well behind the front axle line, and rear-wheel drive.

Lexus has given few details of the convertible roof, except that the basic body is just as rigid as the coupe.

And that it will have the same 320 km/h top speed.

There is no chance for anyone at the Melbourne Show to buy the roadster, or even put down a serious deposit, but Roca believes the LF- A project will produce a genuine production car sometime in 2010.

"I think the car has a future. I think we're getting closer to 'when', ahead of 'if'. But we still don't know when that time will be," he says.

"The million-dollar question is when. And, frankly, I cannot answer that.

"But the car for the show is real. It has a real V10 engine that actually works and makes all the right noises.

"The stats we're getting show that the car will hit 300km/h and that was one of the targets. The engine always had the right power but the Japanese wanted 200 miles-an-hour and there have been some improvements to the aerodynamics to get it to 300 kays."

Roca says the global economic meltdown will not affect plans for the LF-A, despite its potential impact on high-priced luxury cars.

"I think there is a market, even in this environment, for that car.

And also for our brand," he says.

"Having it here was too good an opportunity to showcase what Lexus can do. We had to get it. As a brand, we are expanding. It began with the IS-F performance model, and the LF-A will follow it."

And there is other new stuff on the Lexus stand in Melbourne.

The latest RX makes its first public appearance in Australia, and the luxury SUV will be displayed as both a regular petrol model and a hybrid.

"The real story for us ion Melbourne is the RX. And the reaction to that car has been very strong," Roca says.

"We have the regular 350 and the 450 hybrid. The hybrid is only a pre- production car, but that will be available this year so we have the choice of the 350 and 450 by the beginning of the second half of the year.

"The important thing about the RX is that it's a second-generation hybrid for us. It will eventually be followed by the HS hybrid, which was just displayed at the Detroit Motor Show.

"We were originally told the HS was only going to be left-hand drive, but it's now confirmed with right-hand drive so we have put our hand up. We are definitely going to request the car for Australia and it's a car that will slot right between the IS250 and the GS."

Herald Sun

122

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Paladin - Category: Japanese Cars, Roadsters, Lexus, Melbourne International

Email this Post to a Friend

Subaru Stella Plug-in

February 25th 2009 14:08

Subaru has just joined Mitsubishi and Smart in the push to put effective, affordable plug-in electric cars on Australian roads.

It is using its stumpy Stella city car as the teaser, with preview drives and a high-profile appearance at the Melbourne Motor Show so people will know it is serious about effective battery-powered green cars.

Mitsubishi and Smart are pushing hard to have their cars on sale in 2010 but Subaru is taking things slower and there is no firm timetable yet for the Stella, or the plug-in cars to follow it.

"It's very much a long-term project. Subaru will have an electric car on sale in Japan this year but it won't come here in the short to medium term," says the managing director of Subaru Australia, Nick Senior.

"It's a domestic program for Subaru at this stage. They are telling is it is very, very low volume to start."

Even so, Subaru Australia wants people to know it has the technology to compete with the plug-in leaders and that the Stella, even though it looks like a tiny box with a battery, is a genuine runner.

"It's an electric car. It's the future," says Senior.

"We are going to be one of the first companies in the world with an electric car on sale. We have brought the car here to show what is possible. There are challenges involved, but it's here and it's driveable."

Subaru planned a huge test drive program but was reigned-in by the Department of Transport and Road Safety, which ruled the single Stella could not be driven on public roads. Instead, the first drives in Australia were restricted to a go-kart track in Melbourne.

Senior says Subaru is already working on a business plan but is struggling to make the numbers work, at least for the Stella.

"We wouldn't even consider it at this stage. The cost would be prohibitive," he says.

"One of the biggest issues in the short term with these cars is that they are going to be expensive."

But he believes Subaru, which is working on exclusive battery technology, is pushing ahead quickly on plug-in technology.

"We need longer travel times and shorter charge times. This does only 80 kilometres between recharges."

Senior is only admitting to long-term goals with the Stella but believes it will lead to serious Subaru electric cars.

"Basically, if you turn off your fridge in the kitchen you can run the Stella," he says.

"But I wouldn't expect to see anything serious on sale before the middle of the next decade. There is a lot to be done to make it viable, starting with the charging infrastructure as well.

"But the industry is proud of meeting the challenges over the past 10 years on a range of fronts and it is responsive and aware of all the electric car issues. We'll get there."

Herald Sun

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Paladin - Category: Japanese Cars, Electric, Subaru

Email this Post to a Friend

2009 Mazda CX7

February 16th 2009 11:29

At this time of year, Toronto is known mostly for its freezing weather and snow.

Which is perhaps why Mazda chose the relatively small Toronto motor show last week to fly under the global automotive radar with its facelifted CX7.

Apart from the United States, Canada is one of Mazda's biggest export markets.

Along with an exterior freshen, Mazda has added a new front-drive CX7, powered by the same 2.5-litre naturally aspirated engine from the Mazda6 and new Mazda3 SP25.

Mazda Australia spokesman, Glenn Butler, says the company is very keen on the front drive four-cylinder version.

"It's something we're looking at and are very interested in," he says.

"There is obviously some potential for a vehicle under the current price point.

"It's all about price."

The 2.5-litre front wheel drive four produces 125kW at 6000 revs and 226Nm at 4000 revs and is mated to a five-speed automatic.

The 2.3-litre direct-injection turbo CX7 all-wheel drive starts at $41,140.

A front-wheel drive model could be up to $3000 cheaper, although Butler says it is still too early to speculate on prices or specification.

He describes the current two-model CX7 turbo as “top-heavy" with performance and equipment levels, which leaves some room for a lower-specced model.

Apart from a front-drive CX7, Mazda Australia is also believed to be looking at a turbo-diesel CX7, using the same 136kW/400Nm 2.2-litre engine as the Mazda6.

Visually Mazda stylists left the car's overall silhouette alone but tidied up the front grille and rear bumper and tail-lights.

The front gets the five-point `family face’ grille treatment seen on everything from the RX8 and Mazda3 to the MX5.

Apart from the engine and visual updates, there have been improvements to the car's chassis.

Mazda has increased body rigidity and lowered noise, vibration and levels as well as reduced wind noise.

To help improve fuel economy in the 2.3-litre CX-7, the six-speed Activematic gearbox gets an improved shift pattern and torque converter lockup control.

On the inside the soft-roader gets higher quality materials, Bluetooth compatibility and a new design for the gauges including blackout meters that feature three-dimensional dials and a small colour information display unit at the top of the instrument panel.

In some markets, a blind spot monitoring system similar to that fitted to some Volvo models, will be available.

The revised CX7 is due in local showrooms in the second half of the year.

Herald Sun

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Paladin - Category: Japanese Cars, Mazda

Email this Post to a Friend

Mazda3 MPS

February 4th 2009 09:45

Apart from the fact that it’s bright red, Mazda is saving some crucial details about its new MPS until next month’s Geneva Motor Show.

Although it has confirmed the hot turbocharged hatch, performance details are scarce.

The company is saving the best for the car's first official airing at the Geneva show, which opens on March 3.

But Mazda Australia spokesman, Glenn Butler, has confirmed the MPS will hit local showrooms around September.

If exchange rates hold, pricing is expected to be close to the current car, around $40,000.

The MPS makes up a small but important portion of sales of the 3000 Mazda3s sold locally each month but Butler says it has a strong following.

“It's reason for existence is more than just sales,” he says.

“It's the halo car for the Mazda3 and for the brand.”

Visually the new MPS gets the go-fast bits that so characterise the current car, but the letterbox bonnet air intake for the turbo is new.

It gives the car and edgier, more aggressive look that is obviously designed to go head-to-head with its key rivals, the Subaru Impreza WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart.

Apart from the air intake there is low-profile performance rubber, dual exhausts, rear diffuser and sports body kit and a rear roof-mounted spoiler.

Inside buyers can expect comfy sports seats and sports instruments.

Power comes from the carry over turbo-charged direct injection 2.3-litre four cylinder engine, shared with the CX7, mated to six-speed manual gearbox.

The company isn't revealing performance figures but power could be as high as 200kW, just enough to eclipse the WRX and Ralliart.

The current car develops 190kW/380Nm.

Butler says there was no need to upgrade the 2.3-litre to a normally aspirated 2.5-litre, which will power the new Mazda3 SP25.

Apart from power and torque figures, Mazda isn’t telling us whether the car will stick with front-wheel drive or opt for all-wheel drive.

There is also some speculation it could borrow the new “Revoknuckle” front-wheel drive suspension from the Ford Focus RS, as the new Mazda shares much underneath with the Ford.

The Revoknuckle suspension is designed to eliminate torque steer and provide a more connected steering response.

According to the Mazda3 program manager, Yoshiyuki Maeda, the MPS is “is the ultimate sporting expression of our new-generation Mazda3 range”.

“It builds on the already capable new-generation Mazda3 hatch with higher levels of ferocity and exhilaration, and like all new Mazda models with an eye to environmental concerns, powering responsibly into the motoring future.”

Herald Sun

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Paladin - Category: Japanese Cars, Hatchbacks, Mazda, Other Shows

Email this Post to a Friend

Honda S2000 Discontinued

February 2nd 2009 09:20

The chequered flag has come down on the Honda S2000.

The open-topped sports car was created to celebrate the Japanese carmaker's 50th anniversary but, with global sales tanking for most brands, Honda has cut the car to keep its business moving.

Production will end with the last of the 2009 model-year S2000s, which means around the middle of this year.

But Honda Australia is down to just three cars in local stocks and is not expecting to have to re-order.

"It's run its race," says Mark Higgins, spokesman for Honda Australia.

"We've been working on a customer-order basis for the last couple of years. We haven't had too many in stock."

Production of the S2000, which currently lists for $73,590 in Australia, has topped 110,000 cars since the first one was built nine years ago. America topped the S2000 sales charts with 65,000 and Japan was next with 20,000.

"It was introduced in Australia in 1999, which was the biggest year for sales. It did well in 2000 and 2001 but slowed down after that. We have sold 1818," says Higgins.

The S2000 decision comes after Honda confirmed it had canned its planned replacement for the NSX sports car.

It showed a concept at a number of major motor shows but eventually decided it could not justify the spending, or the potentially poor publicity, to put it into full-scale production.

Instead, Honda is looking to hybrids to give it a sporty push for 2010 and beyond. It believes, like Lexus, that a small petrol engine with an electric booster will work best and also give the potential for emission-free electric running in cities.

"We are changing directions and looking more towards hybrids. The CR-Z is slated to be a sports car in the style of the original CR-X," Higgins says.

The production version of the CR-Z is expected at the Tokyo Motor Show in October, although it is unlikely that the two-seater coupe will now be developed into a droptop.

On the S2000 front, Higgins says it's not too late for fans to get a car.

"People can place an order until the end of April. They're looking like collector's items now," he says.

Herald Sun

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Paladin - Category: Japanese Cars, Honda

Email this Post to a Friend

Mitsubishi i MiEV Electric Car

January 29th 2009 08:20

The first plug-in electric car for Australia is the Mitsubishi i MiEV.

The tiny battery-powered city car has been confirmed this week for local trials in February, edging out upcoming electric contenders from Smart, Nissan, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

There is no firm sales plan yet, but Mitsubishi Motors Australia is keen to turn the i MiEV trial into much more than just a dummy run — with genuine local deliveries sometime in 2010.

"We are going to do this. We're the first ones to put it out there," says Rob McEniry, managing director of Mitsubishi Motors Australia.

"There is a lot of talk about electric vehicles, but this will test the true appetite. We'll see whether it is factual or just fluff.

"We are ready to go for 2010, if the price is right and the market is there."

The first i MiEV will be on the Mitsubishi stand at the Melbourne Motor Show from February 27, with a second car setting out soon after for a national tour of politicians, governments and major fleets.

McEniry says there will be an even bigger event before the end of the year before Mitsubishi decides if it will go ahead with sales in 2010.

"This is not a 'might be', this is a 'what is' from Mitsubishi. We'll have a car on the stand at the motor show and another ready for driving," he says.

"Later in the year we want to bring some more cars out for some customer evaluations. That will be fleets and things that can spend a bit of time with the vehicle. This is very much market testing. This will be the real thing that's in the market today in full trial in Japan."

McEniry believes there will be demand for the i MiEV — which can be charged from a regular household power supply — but is not sure yet on the reaction to buying and running a car in the real world.

"We're going to take the car around Australia and allow various groups to see the vehicle and give us some feedback. We're very interested in what they have to say," he says.

The big questions are the price of the car, the warranty back-up and the infrastructure needed to support any sort of serious fleet of electric cars. McEniry is well aware of the challenges and preparing to work through them in time to get the i MiEV into showrooms.

"We know the target price, but we won't talk about that for the moment. Initially it will need some support form the customer base, if it's a government department or fleet," he says.

"It depends on the demand. We might do it on a lease. We're really not sure yet."

While there is uncertainty on the showroom plan for the original i MiEV, a five-door hatchback based on a Japanese city car, Mitsubishi is pushing into the next phase of its electric car program.

It will unveil a second i MiEV, this time an electric sports car, at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

The newcomer — called the i MiEV Sport Air — shows that the electric cars could become a whole new family for Mitsubishi, with the potential for more than just short-haul commuter work.

The Sport Air uses Mitsubishi's latest lithium-ion batteries and a high-torque engine for sports car acceleration.

It says the idea is to go beyond a green car to something people also want to buy for driving, thanks to low weight, strong acceleration and good cornering grip.

But Mitsubishi is keeping quiet on the details, beyond releasing two sketches which show the thinking behind the design of the Geneva Show car.

Herald Sun

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Paladin - Category: Japanese Cars, Electric, Mitsubishi, Melbourne International, Other Shows

Email this Post to a Friend

Toyota New World Number One

January 22nd 2009 08:15

It officially became the global best seller as General Motors’ 2008 figures showed it hit the skids following the American financial collapse.

The result ends 71 years at the top for GM, which had been on top since it overtook Ford during the depths of the Great Depression.

The official GM sales total last year was 8.356 million vehicles, well behind the Toyota tally of 8.972.

The result was announced in Detroit as GM battles for survival, and more US government funding, off the back of the worst sales downturn in recent memory.

GM's sales figure was down 10.8 per cent from its 2007 result of 9.37 million, and at home in the USA its result was down 21.1 per cent to 3.56 million.

But Toyota has not been immune to the global financial crisis and has recorded its first reversal in 10 years, as it also heads towards the first trading loss - although it will still post an overall profit - in company history.

GM shares fell 14 cents, or 4.1 percent, to US$3.36 in afternoon trading in the Unites States, while Toyota's U.S. shares rose 80 cents, or 1.2 percent, to US$66.68

Herald Sun

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Paladin - Category: Japanese Cars, General Motors, Toyota

Email this Post to a Friend

Lexus HS250h Hybrid

January 15th 2009 07:10

The all-new Lexus HS250h hybrid hit motown this week with a nice surprise for Australia. It will be built with right-hand drive.

The car was only confirmed with right-drive a few hours before its world debut at the Detroit Motor Show as it was touted as Lexus' first dedicated hybrid and a new American icon.

It instantly became a top-rated target for local showrooms, where it would sit just above the IS250 starter car with a price in the $60,000 to $70,000 range.

"With that information, it now gets onto our list of cars for consideration," says Peter Evans of Lexus Australia at the show.

"There is no plan for Australia at the moment. Absolutely no plan. Until recently we thought it was only left-hand drive but it's now confirmed with right-hand drive for Japan later this year."

The first pure Lexus hybrid is more than just a petrol-electric green car.

The all-new, mid-sized luxury car is also a hybrid of Toyota hybrids that combines bits and pieces from the existing Prius and Camry with some new mechanical tweaks of its own including an exhaust-gas heat exchanger to speed warm-up and cut emissions.

It has a 2.4-litre petrol engine that is slightly more advanced than today's Prius, promising the performance of a V6 with the economy of a four.

It has a slippery body with a drag co-efficient of 0.27, slightly above the all-new Prius also unveiled in Detroit, with a list of equipment that runs from 10 airbags to a lane-departure warning system, LED tail lights and eco-plastics in the cabin. Lexus says it is 85 per cent recyclable.

The role of the HS in the USA will be to convert owners of Prius who are looking to move upscale, as well as converting some of the 65 per cent of luxury shoppers who Lexus says would have considered a hybrid if one had been available.

The HS250h - for 'hybrid sports' - is the fourth Lexus hybrid but the first with a body that is entirely new, and not a petrol-electric switch of something already in the range. Even the Lexus flagship hybrid, which arrived at the same time as the latest LS, is twinned - like the GS and RX - with a regular petrol-powered model.

"It is the entry-level hybrid in the Lexus range. It has the same role as Prius, which was the first dedicated hybrid in the Toyota range," says Evans.

"It exists as an affordable luxury hybrid sedan. It is a lot less expensive than a GS, or an LS or an RX."

He says the mechanical package - which uses the engine bay and powertrain of the Camry hybrid, underfloor of the new Prius and unique sedan body - stretches the strengths of the existing Prius.

"A couple of things are cutting edge. There is the exhaust-heat recovery system," Evans says.

"It's optimisation technology. With the Lexus hybrid system they are now at the stage of working at the margins. The improvements are one and two per cent with a range of enhancements.

"It's probably not true to say it's a mature technology, but after 10 years it's out of its infancy."

On the sales side, Evans says the HS would give Lexus a unique contender in Australia.

"There is ore room than the IS in the back. It's more suitable for a family than an IS, probably more like a Honda Accord."

And work is already underway in Australia to convert the right-drive announcement into a 2010 on-sale date.

"It has opened a small window for us," says the head of Lexus Australia, John Roca.

"We're looking at every hybrid from launch. It's something that would be nice to have . . . it's a very, very good chance.

"Hybrid sales are now 24 per cent of the volume for Lexus Australia. It started at about eight per cent, and with the introduction of new models it will get to 27 per cent in 2009."

Herald Sun

Vote

Add Comments

[ Link ]

Posted By: Paladin - Category: Japanese Cars, Hybrids, Lexus, Detroit Motor Show

Email this Post to a Friend

[ Wheel Fever Home ] [ Create A New Post ]