The problem is that it’s not yet in production and won’t hit European showrooms till late this year.

The Opel Mokka is the first sub-compact SUV to be made by Opel and it’s certainly an eye-catching little SUV that’s going to attract a lot of attention in a very competitive part of the market. It might only be 4.28 metres long but Opel says that it will accommodate five people “generously” … although maybe five big Australians might be a bit of a squeeze.

Engine and transmission
In Europe the Mokka will be available with a choice of petrol or diesel engines. If you opt for the petrol version you then get to choose between a 1.6-litre 85kW non-turbo engine or a 103kW 1.4-litre turbo engine that produces 200Nm or torque.

If you choose the diesel option you’ll get a 1.7-litre CDTI turbo that churns out 300Nm of torque.

The 1.6-litre engine is coupled to a six-speed manual transmission while you have the choice of a six-speed manual or auto transmission in the 1.4-litre and diesel versions of the Mokka. Regardless of which transmission you end up with you will also get the Opel Start/Stop system as standard equipment.

Front-wheel or all-wheel drive will be available on all models. The all-wheel drive system is not a fulltime all-wheel drive. Power to the road will normally go through the front wheels with the drive connecting to the rear wheels when added traction is called for. This is a system that has been around for over 10 years on various vehicles produced by a number of car makers so there’s nothing new there.

Standard features
On the Opel Mokka these include electronic stability control, traction control, hill start assist, hill descent control, advanced adaptive forward lighting, high beam assist, reversing camera and what Opel calls Opel Eye. This is a forward facing camera that integrates with several other onboard systems

Interior
Inside the Opel Mokka there’s the “generous” seating for five that I’ve already mentioned, up to 1,372 litres of load space, 19 storage system and a bike carrying system integrated into the rear of the vehicle that functions as a drawer and can carry up to three bikes at once.

While there are some things that aren’t all that exciting about the Opel Mokka … it’s not really an off-road vehicle although Opel is trying to make it sound as though it can handle rough terrain … some of those inclusions sound very interesting and there’s no doubt that the body shape is a bit different to what we might expect to see in the sub-compact SUV niche.

As I said at the start, release date for the Mokka in Europe is late this year so perhaps we won’t see it here in Australia till early 2013 but we can hope and if Opel really wants to make an impression here in Australia the Mokka might be just the vehicle to make that splash that Opel needs to get noticed when they launch here.

The lights turn green … you depress the accelerator … and for a moment nothing happens. Then … WHAM … you’re head snaps back as you’re hurled through the speed limit and into the arms of the first copper with a speed gun!

Fortunately there was no copper around with a speed gun on that occasion … or on a number of other occasions when the same thing happened during our test drive of the Holden Series II Cruze SRi-V … and it was just there to remind us that we were driving one hot little turbo-charged machine … even if it was only powered by a 1.4-litre petrol engine.

Did we enjoy the week we spent in the Series II Cruze Sri-V? Yes we did … but don’t get the wrong idea … we’re not about to say that the car is perfect because it’s not. There are some things that bugged us about this car but overall we think it’s pretty good!

The finish
One the things we rarely comment on in our reviews is the finish of the vehicle under review because press vehicles get a bit of a hammering and we have picked up vehicles in the past that have had bits hanging off them and once or twice we’ve seen body panels that don’t fit all that well … and that’s on overseas built cars.

Let’s face it Australian-made cars haven’t always had the best reputation for finish so I really should say something about the finish of the Series II Cruze … the Cruze that’s assembled in Australia. The finish on the car we drove was as good as you will see anywhere!

The panels fitted, there were no bits hanging off and even in the boot well … a place where poor workmanship is often most apparent the finish was good … all the joins were sealed … and we couldn’t fault it.

Even when we took it over about 20km of average Australian dirt road at a reasonable road speed there were no rattles and no dust got in anywhere. At the end of the trip on the dirt you could wipe your finger over the black dashboard and not see a trace of dust.

The engine
When we booked the car with the Holden press fleet in Brisbane I did wonder what it would be like to drive a car with an engine capacity of just 1.4-litres. Was it going to be a dog … and a very slow dog at that?

The Holden Series II Cruze Sri-V is fitted with a 1.4-litre, four-cylinder, 16 valve DOHC iTi turbo petrol engine. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on this vehicle but the vehicle we drove was fitted with the optional six-speed auto box with Active Select and I can tell you that ‘slow’ and ‘dog’ do not describe the performance you get from that combination.

Instead words such as ‘hot’, ‘sparkling’ and ‘nippy’ spring to mind when I think back on the week we spent in the vehicle.

Cruise control is standard on the auto and it worked well too. There was a little bit of lag when changing down for hills but I was prepared to live with that just to have something to help me keep the car under the speed limit. On the open road it wants to get a move on but I’m in no hurry to add to the Government’s income stream by speeding.

The one niggle that we had about engine/auto box combination was that Holden says that fuel consumption for the auto box with the 1.4-litre engine is 6.9L/100km. That was a figure we couldn’t get close to. The driving style of myself and the other tester here at AussieMotoring.com often seems to produce better fuel consumption figures than what manufacturers suggest but we really couldn’t get close to it with the Series II Cruze we tested.

We also noticed that by the time we returned the vehicle it had developed a slip between second and third gears and that was on a vehicle that had just under 8,000km on the clock.

Ride and handling
The Series II Cruze SRi and Sri-V both come Watts link performance suspension … and we loved it. We pointed our test vehicle into some of our favourite corners and curves at speeds that would normally induce at least some body roll in other vehicles but the test vehicle sat flat and on the dirt it was no different

Small cars on winding corrugated dirt and travelling at 80km/h or more usually don’t make for a good combination. The light weight combined with the poor road surface usually means that the car bounces around all over the place and on curves the rear of the car wants to overtake the front of the car … but not in our test vehicle.

There was never a hint that the rear of the car wanted to break out on curves and even over corrugation the car held its line. That 20 km of dirt road really sealed the deal for us as far as the quality of the car was concerned.

Apart from Watts link suspension there’s a full suite of control and handling programmes fitted as standard throughout the Cruze range.

Interior
I liked the layout of the dashboard and driver’s controls. They were all within easy reach and clearly labeled.

The onboard computer gives you more information than you could ever want and I expect that most drivers will rarely look at the most of the data that is available. The dials were easy to read and neither of us had any problems with glare or reflections in the dial coverings.

The air conditioning worked well and certainly kept the cabin cool in the early stages of another hot Queensland summer. The audio system was good too and it was handy to have the audio controls on the steering wheel.

The front seats were very comfortable and there’s plenty of back support if you need it. In the vehicle we tested the upholstery was black leather and the seats were heated but that’s not something we bothered testing … five minutes parked in the sun and the seats were more than hot enough for our liking.

Legroom for driver and front seat passenger is good too but if you’re tall don’t expect to be able to carry anyone but a dwarf in the back seat … there is just no legroom.

This is a car that would work well for you if you’re kids were still quite small … or had left home … but if they’re starting to grow and need some legroom then the Cruze is probably not the best choice for you or your family.

The Series II Cruze Sri-V comes with a touch-screen satellite navigation system as standard … and we thought that this was probably biggest mark against the Series II Cruze. Sat nav systems are not cheap and when you buy a new car with a system factory fitted you would expect to get the most up-to-date maps that included the most up-to-date data.

Sadly that’s not what came in the Cruze we were testing. The maps were four or five years out of date and were showing rail crossings that had been moved years ago, service stations that burnt down or closed years ago and other information that was just plain wrong or very out of date.

Access to the front and rear seats was quite good but access to the boot as limited. The Series II Cruze was a wonderfully big boot for the size of the car but because of the body shape you really do have to stretch in to get anything out of the back of the boot.

The shape of the rear passenger doors was painful for me too. I don’t know how many times I opened the door only to whack myself in the chest with the top corner of the door because I stood too close to it. By the end of the week I had begun to stand back from the door and so had the other tester.

Safety
Fortunately we can’t attest to the effectiveness of the safety equipment in the new Holden Series II Cruze because we didn’t have an accident but it’s nice to know that you’re protected by front and side-impact airbags as well as side curtain airbags.

The Series II Cruze is also fitted with auto headlights and, while that might be a safety feature that some drivers need, we found the system in the Cruze to be downright annoying for us and probably for some drivers around us too.

On a slightly overcast day the lights would come on every time we drove under a bridge and you can imagine how annoying that can get when there are a number of bridges in quick succession. (I just hope that burly truck driver didn’t think I was insulting him by flashing my lights at him.)

Of course you can turn that feature off … each time you drive the car … but the default setting is to have the auto headlight feature on.

The bottom line
The Holden Series II Cruze Sri-V is not a perfect car by any means but we loved it and we had fun in it … and somehow managed to pass every speed trap at a sedate speed.

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The latest to hybrid to appear made its debut at the North American Motor Show in Detroit last week when Volvo unveiled their new XC60 plug-in hybrid. This is an SUV that can give the driver a range of 45km on straight electric power or deliver an amazing 2.3L/100km when run as a true hybrid.

The engine
Being a hybrid the XC60 plug-in concept has two engines … a 51kW electric engine and a 206kW four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. Volvo have combined these engines with a new eight-speed automatic transmission.

The petrol engine is a completely new engine that Volvo says will deliver performance levels similar to today’s clutch of six-cylinder engines but deliver all the fuel economy people expect from a four-cylinder. And obviously with fuel consumption figures of 2.3L/100km in the XC60 hybrid concept they’re not kidding.

It’s also interesting to note that obviously Volvo considers that the combination of the electric and four-cylinder engines in this hybrid deliver enough power to come close to what their eight-cylinder engines deliver because they given the vehicle a classification that, in the past, has been used for vehicles fitted with eight-cylinder engines.

Driving modes
The driver can choose one of three settings while driving the Volvo XC60 hybrid.

In what Volvo calls ‘Pure’ mode the XC60 runs on the electric motor. In Hybrid mode the electric motor and petrol engine combine as they do in most production hybrids and the vehicle has a total operating range of 960km.

In Power mode the electric motor and petrol engine are combined in a way that delivers the maximum possible power and the electric motor’s ability to deliver instant torque enables this Volvo XC60 to hit 100km/h in jus 6.1 seconds.

The battery
The boot seems to be a popular choice for car makers when it comes to finding somewhere to put the battery and Volvo have put the battery for the XC60 hybrid under the luggage space at the rear.
The battery itself is a 12 KWh lithium-ion battery and charging times at home vary from 3.5 to 7.5 hours depending on the voltage available.

You do have to wonder just how many people will use the plug-in option to charge the battery. Obviously if you are travelling short distances each day then you may be able to run totally in electric mode but how many people do drive that short a distance?

It may be a while before we see a production model of the XC60 plug-in hybrid but the technology that has been included in this car will be hitting the production line later this year when a diesel powered V60 plug-in hybrid goes on sale in Europe.

Hmmm … will we ever see it here … my Korean crystal ball is a bit flaky on that one … as it is on most things … but some experts are suggesting that we will never see it here in Australia. So what are we missing out on because GM thinks that the Holden Cruze is all we really need down here in their unofficial colony?

GM describe the Cadillac ATS as a compact luxury sports sedan designed to take on the likes of BMW in what they also describe as the world’s most significant luxury car segment. Somehow that seems to say it all as far as the Australian market is concerned.

The body
The wheelbase is 2775mm with very short overhangs front and rear and the ATS rides on 17-inch wheels as standard with 18-wheels as an option.

LED lighting is a feature, and aerodynamic drag is reduced by active grill shutters that close once a pre-set highway speed is reached.

Engines and transmission
Weighing in just 1,542kg the Cadillac ATS is certainly not a heavy-weight by any means and it appears that Cadillac intends to offer the ATS in most markets with a choice of just two four-cylinder engines … both with a capacity of 2.0-litres.

One of those four-cylinder engines will be turbo-charged and GM says that it will churn out an impressive 201kW of power.

For the American market the Cadillac ATS will also come with the option of Cadillac’s 3.6-litre V6 and GM estimates that the V6 engine will produce around 237kW of power. Manual and automatic transmissions will be available across the range for both rear-wheel drive versions and a planned all-wheel drive version.

Suspension
GM understands that they need more than just power and fuel economy to compete in the compact luxury market so the ATS will come with five-link rear suspension, multi-link double pivot front suspension, sports suspension that the driver can adjust, variable effort steering gear and four-channel ABS with performance brakes.

The interior
The interior of the new Cadillac ATS features real wood … yes … real wood along with plated metal and carbon fibre trim. The instrument panel and driver’s controls have all been carefully placed to enhance the driving experience.

And perhaps that’s why we Australian’s are almost certainly not going to see the Cadillac ATS down here. It might be a rear-wheel drive compact and lots of Australians want one but GM is talking about a car that will tackle the premium market with a premium price tag … something that most of us would not be prepared to pay for.

So guys you better resign yourselves to years of Holden Cruze and Cruze derivatives because it looks as though that’s what GM has planned for us Vegemite lovers.

Probably not because we’re still seriously lacking in the infrastructure needed to support a move to electric vehicles. Sure anyone can get whatever they might need to charge their car at home … and maybe that can be as simple as buying a long extension lead … but what about those times when you need to charge your car while you’re away from home?

Well for Koreans that’s not all that much of a problem … they already have 500 fast/slow charging stations and the government plans to increase that number to 3,100 by the end of 2012. I guess that’s why Kia was prepared to launch Korea’s first production electric vehicle just before Christmas.

The Kia Ray EV is based on the conventionally powered Kia Ray CUV a 1.0-litre petrol powered front-wheel drive town car that went on sale in Korea in November and because of that it can share the same production line as its petrol powered sibling.

The engine
The Kia Ray EV is driven by a 50kW electric motor that draws its power from a 16.4kW hour lithium ion polymer battery pack that’s designed to last for 10 years. The battery pack that ‘s designed to fit under the rear seat and under the cabin floor does add an extra 187kg to the weight of the Ray EV but the torque supplied by the electric motor is greater than the torque supplied by the petrol engine in the Ray CUV so the extra weight doesn’t hold the EV back.

In fact the EV out accelerates the conventionally powered CUV.

Range
Of course the range of any electric vehicle is limited and the EV is no exception. It has a range of up to 139km before it needs recharging. That recharging can be done at home in just six hours or 25 minutes if you choose the fast-charge option. The driver can also select B mode for the automatic transmission and that adds some charge to the battery by turning braking force into electricity.

Kia have also introduced a new braking system featuring what they call Active Hydraulic Booster. This feature uses the electric motor to create hydraulic pressure in the brake system and this results in a consistent brake pedal force in a wide variety of driving conditions and also recharges the battery.

Simulated engine noise
The lack of engine noise in electric cars is seen as a real problem for pedestrians who simply don’t hear an electric vehicle approaching so Kia have added engine noise to the Ray EV. Kia have fitted a virtual engine sound system to the Ray EV and when the vehicle is travelling at speeds below 20kph this system delivers a mixture of engine noises recorded from conventionally powered c ars.

Imagine that … you can have a puny little town car and fit it with the recorded engine noise of a hairy V8. I wonder how long it will take someone to fit something like that to their Kia Ray EV?

Unique dashboard
The dashboard on the Kia Ray EV is interesting … of course it has the usual speedo and it also has a navigation system designed specifically for electric vehicles. You won’t have to worry about where the next charging station might be because the navigation system in the Ray EV will tell you where the charging stations are that are within range of the whatever charge remains in your battery.

Kia plans on making 2,500 Ray EVs in 2012 but none will be coming to Australia. All of those 2,500 units will be passed to Government departments for their use and Kia will monitor the cars as part of a long-term research and development programme.

Maybe if the Government were to do more to develop the infrastructure for electric vehicles we might see the next version of the Kia Ray … but I won’t be holding my breath waiting for it to happen.

That’s rather sad really because the 2012 Toyota Camry has appeared with a new 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine coupled to a six-speed auto transmission in all models and that’s definitely worth talking about. It’s especially worth talking about when you see the fuel consumption figures that Toyota is promising.

There’s also a blind-spot monitor that’s available in the top of the range Atara SL and that’s going to be a precursor for something similar appearing in cars with more modest price tags. It may be a couple of years but we will begin to see that interesting little gizmo appearing in cars with modest price tags and that’s also worth talking about.

The 2012 Toyota Camry has been in the planning stage since 2006 and Australian engineers have been involved right from the start and anywhere the Camry is sold you’ll find engineers from Toyota Australia working towards making the Camry compatible with the local conditions.

The 2012 Toyota Camry Altise

The range
There are four models in the 2012 Toyota range. For the fleet buyer and the household that just wants a basic vehicle there is the base model … the Camry Altise. It comes with the new engine and transmission combo tuned to provide 133kW of power and 231Nm of torque and to do that the Altise needs just 7.8L/100km of fuel.

The standard fittings include seven airbags, new seat design with greater height adjustment, trip computer and Eco indicator, seat belt warning lights for all occupants, a six-speaker sound system, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, audio controls on the steering wheel, 16-inch alloy wheels and a full-size steel spare.

The new 2.5-litre four-cylinder Toyota Camry engine

A touch-screen display is not standard but can be fitted as an option along with a reverse camera.

Atara S
Next in the range is the Atara S and this is the first time the Atara name has appeared in the Camry range. Toyota have aimed this model at private buyers and those who get to choose their own works cars thanks to salary sacrifice or novated leases.

With the Atara S you get some body-styling changes, more goodies and even a little more power. Toyota have found an extra 2kW of power and more torque simply by fitting a dual exhaust system and there’s keyless entry and start, fog lamps, reverse camera, dual zone air-conditioning, a touch-screen audio display, an electric driver’s seat and more.

Leather interior and moonroof are options for the Camry Atara S

Dashboard of the Camry SX

Atara SX
Above the Atara S is the sports version … the Camry Atara SX … with sports suspension, rear spoiler, some additional body features and leather-accented interior. The only option for the SX is a moonroof.

Atara SL (Grande)
And at the top of the 2012 Toyota Camry range is the Atara SL and it comes with lots of goodies including a premium audio system with 10 speakers, 7-inch touch-screen display that includes sat-nav.

Paddle shifts for the auto transmission in the Camry SL

Digital radio makes its appearance in the Toyota range with its inclusion as standard in the Camry Atara SL and live traffic updates are included. The reversing camera includes a back guide monitor and there’s automatic high beam, rain-sensing wipers, electric rear sunshade, rear parking sensors, exterior mirrors that dip when you select reverse and the blind spot monitor that I mentioned before.

Other good points for the new 2012 Toyota Camry include increased leg room for those stuck in the back seat and the interior has a little more width too. The front pillar has been reshaped to make it a little thinner and that means better vision for the driver and the centre pillar is slimmer too.

The warning light lights when there's a vehicle in the blind spot on either side.

Blind spot monitor
This comes as standard on the 2012 Camry Atara SL and it warns drivers if there’s a vehicle in the blind spot on either side of the car. Sub-millimetre radar is used to detect other vehicles and when a vehicle is detected a light appears in the relevant side mirror and stays illuminated as long as the vehicle remains hidden in the blind spot.

And that’s the new 2012 Toyota Camry … around 100,000 will be built at the Toyota plant in Victoria this year and 70% of them will be exported but that still leaves a lot for us here in Australia.

Toyota has just unveiled its latest sports car – the Toyota 86 – a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive car that is all about what the Japanese call “waku doki” or enough excitement to get your heart racing.

The Toyota 86 is powered by a horizontally opposed D-4S engine that combines Subaru’s boxer engine technology with Toyota’s cutting edge direct injection technology. This is the world’s only horizontally opposed engine with rear-wheel drive.

The D-4S engine comes with separate twin injectors for both direct and port injection and has a high compression ratio of 12.5:1. This compression ratio provides high torque over a wide range of engine speeds.

The engine redlines at 7,500rpm with a maximum output of 147kW of power and will be available with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission

The compact and light-weight platform combined with rear-wheel drive and the mid- positioning of the engine gives the Toyota 86 outstanding handling characteristics.

Inside the Toyota 86 there is seating for four and the rear seats can be folded down to increase the luggage space. The seats themselves are designed to provide support during acceleration and cornering and the front seats have been specially designed to prevent elbows from getting in the way when the driver wants to change gears.

The steering wheel on the Toyota 86 is the smallest in any Toyota and the surface of the steering wheel has been refined to give extra grip for the driver.

The dashboard has been kept nice and simple with easy-to-read markings that are clearly visible … when you’re travelling at high speed you need relevant information delivered fast.

And in a nice touch that is a clear indication that Toyota wants people to understand that the 86 really is a sports car all information dials have been built around the tacho.

There’s no word yet on when we might see the Toyota 86 in Australia but I would expect that this will be a very popular car and demand will probably always exceed supply.

Suzuki Regina
Well if you thought the S Concept looked hot then the Regina is likely to like being on the receiving end of a bucket of cold water. Suzuki claim that they see the Regina as being a next-generation global compact car but let’s hope the exterior goes through a serious re-design before it’s released because at the moment it looks like a throw-back to a 1950s toaster rather than a serious attempt at producing a good looking car.

While the exterior is rather sad looking those lines do a lot to reduce the drag coefficient and when that’s combined with a weight of just 730kg you end up with a petrol powered vehicle that gives you 3.1L/100km and emissions as low as 70g/km.

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The Suzuki Q-Concept
Looking further into the future is the Suzuki Q-Concept. It’s a two-seater that Suzuki sees as being somewhere between a motorcycle and a car … and a lot like a mobility scooter.

Seating in the Q-Concept can be set up for two people riding/driving in tandem or with one seat for the driver and a two-person child seat in the rear. At just 2.5 metres long the Q-Concept is not going to be for everyone and even Suzuki admit that if you want to travel more than 10km at a time you probably won’t want to do it in this car.

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Suzuki EV Hybrid
Another Suzuki that may be for the near future is the Suzuki EV Hybrid. Suzuki knows that in Japan the average distance covered by a Swift is just 20-30km a day and the Swift EV will cover that distance on battery power alone.

However in other countries the average Swift journey is much longer and for that the Swift comes with an engine-driven generator. By adding an engine-driven generator to an electric version of the Swift Suzuki has been able to use a smaller, lighter battery that charges quicker, uses less resources and costs less too.

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If these cars really are Suzuki’s view of what the future holds then the concepts are interesting … but the visual impact may leave something to be desired.

Volkswagen certainly seems to think that the demand for station wagons is anything but dead and now they’re about to launch a wagon that may well appeal to some people who previously went down the SUV path. After all, SUVs are not all they’re cracked up to be and some station wagons have more carrying capacity that a similar sized SUV.

While some car makers lost faith in station wagons Volkswagen has always had a wagon available in the VW Passat range and next month VW will take the Passat wagon to another level with the launch of the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack.

Volkswagen believes that there are many drivers who want a vehicle that is both a light off-road vehicle and a sporty and roomy passenger vehicle for on-road use. So they have taken the basic VW Passat wagon and added new bumpers, side sill and wheel arch flares. They have also given it a higher ground clearance with better off-road ramp angle, approach angle and departure angle.

The new Passat Alltrack will come with two turbo charged and direct injection petrol engines producing 118kW and 155kW of power as well as two turbo diesels producing 103kW and 125kW of power. The most powerful petrol and diesel varants will have all-wheel drive and dual clutch transmission fitted as standard while the smaller diesel variant will have the all-wheel drive and dual clutch transmission as options.

Volkswagen has not yet released the fuel consumption figures for the Passat Alltrack petrol variants but the diesels return a very competitive 5.7L/100km for the smaller 103kW powered version with all-wheel drive and 5.8L/100km for the larger 125kW powered version.

The new VW Passat Alltrack will make its debut at the Tokyo Motor show next month and it will begin to appear in European showrooms in early 2012 and prices are yet to be announced.

This heavy duty off-road SUV is currently making its global debut at the Dubai Motor Show as the Chevrolet Trailblazer. While final details of what we’ll see in the local vehicle are yet to be decided Holden says that what you see here in the Chevy Trailblazer is very close to what you’ll see when it arrives here as the Colorado 7.

The Colorado 7 was designed in Brazil and it will feature body-on-frame construction, accommodation for seven people and a new 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine. Fuel consumption figures have not yet been released by Holden but the promise is that this new engine will have the fuel-efficiency expected by today’s “modern family”.

Particular attention was paid to the design to ensure that it has … what Holden describes as … “excellent” approach and departure angles to ensure that the Colorado 7 really can do more in the rough than just talk the talk. Holden also promises that their new SUV will come with the towing ability of a working vehicle.

On the inside the Trailblazer/Colorado 7 will come with all the creature comforts that you would expect including digital climate control and from the photos that Holden have supplied you will see that the flagship model will certainly feature everything a family could want … and the lighting is interesting too.

I don’t know about you but while this may be a totally new design I can’t help feeling that I’ve seen this vehicle somewhere before. While it does not remind me of a Toyota I think that it does bear some resemblance to something from Korea … perhaps that’s just an indication that we’ve reached the design limits for big SUVs.

Regardless of what it looks like it is good to see that we finally have Holden back in the big SUV market. It’s almost 10 years since we had a Jackeroo on the showroom floor and if this is as good as the Jackeroo was then we just might see some interesting movement in the serious 4×4 SUV market.

It’s just a shame that we have to wait till 2013 to see the Colorado 7 here in Australia.

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Those days have long gone and now we have BMW’s MINI in just about any form and variant that you could hope for … but one form of the MINI has been missing until now … the Roadster.

But now we have it … the MINI Roadster … a true 2-seat roadster that somewhat surprisingly MINI describes as delivering a “full-blooded go-kart feeling …”

The new MINI Roadster comes with a choice of three petrol and one diesel engine with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

The engines
The MINI Cooper Roadster is the entry level version. It comes with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with a variable valve control system that’s based on the Valvetronic technology used in BMW engines. That engine delivers 135kW of power at 5,500 rpm and maqximum torque of 160Nm cuts in at just 4,250 rpm and it will take the MINI Roadster to 100km/h in 9.2 seconds and deliver an average fuel consumption of 5.7L/100km

The MINI Cooper S comes with the addition of MINI TwinPower Turbo technology that allows the 1.6-litre engine to deliver 135kW of power at 5,500rpm and with the benefit of the Overboost function the Cooper S can hit 100km/h in 7.2 seconds. Average fuel consumption is 6L/100km.

If you want even more power then you’ll want the John Cooper Works MINI. It’s also powered by a 1.6-litre engine but this one delivers 155kW of power and peak torque of 260Nm cuts in at a low 1,850 rpm and that hurls the MINI up to 100km/h in just 6.5 seconds. Of course fuel consumption suffers a little but you’re still going to be laughing with an average fuel consumption of just7.3L/100km.

For those who do want economy there’s also a turbo-charge diesel engine available that develops 105kW of power and returns an average of 4.5L/100km. But don’t think that the diesel is something of a snail because it certainly isn’t. At 8.1 seconds to reach 100km/h it’s a whole second faster than the basic petrol model.

The body
Because this MINI is a genuine Roadster there’s no rear seat so that extra space has been added to the boot.

Other features of the new MINI Roadster include stainless steel rollover bars, reinforced windscreen frame, stiffening at the rear of the body shell and an active rear spoiler that deploys automatically at speeds in excess of 80km/h (it can also be manually deployed).

Rather oddly the MINI Roadster … a 2-seater … comes with three cup holders (at least that’s what the press release from BMW here in Australia says)  and surprisingly the soft top can only be deployed manually.

Safety and comfort
The MINI Roadster is fitted with all the safety features that you would expect … ABS brakes, electronic brake force distribution, cornering brake control, dynamic stability control with brake assist with hill start assist. Dynamic traction control and electronic differential lock control are optional on all models.

Head-thorax airbags built into the outer side of the seat backs are also included as is a tyre defect indicator.

To make driving more bearable for the occupants there’s air conditioning, height-adjustable seats, an audio system and electric mirrors as standard. Options include an upgraded audio system with navigation and an app that allows you to connection to all the Google and important social networks. Adaptive headlights, a multi-function steering wheel, heated seats, a rear luggage carrier rack and an on-board computer are also available too.

The interior
There’s a variety of seat and upholstery finishes to choose from and trim stips can be added to further customize the interior.

The price
That is yet to be announced.

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Melbourne’s Yarra Ranges was the scene for the release of the 3^rd generation Toyota Yaris.  Produced in Japan for the Australian Market the vehicle has been a top selling light car in the European market.

Under the earlier banner of the Echo and re-badged as Yaris from 2005, over 206,000 units have been sold into the Australian market to date and that puts the Yaris up among the top sellers in what is a very competitive part of the market.

The Yaris has long laboured under the label of being a “P” platers or “chicks” vehicle.  After today’s launch by Toyota Australia’s  Executive Director of Sales & Marketing, Matthew Callachor, I’m left in no doubt that Toyota has responded well to extensive market testing and consumer feedback.

This latest iteration is attempting to appeal to a broader market audience.  With its bolder exterior styling and a revamped interior I think they’ve gone a long way to achieving this.

Toyota states that ride and handling for the new Yaris was developed by European and Australian engineers to meet the demands of local tastes and conditions.  Cleary they have succeeded as the new Yaris package delivers a more agile car with greater driving enjoyment and stability due to increased body rigidity, a larger footprint and more responsive steering.

By re-designing key body sections and through greater use of high-tensile steel Toyota has increased the body rigidity and durability of the vehicle while reducing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) as well as providing a more stable platform for the suspension.  The new body structure has reduced vehicle weight and improved passive and pedestrian safety.

Certainly first glance at the vehicle exterior reveals a more sporty, edgy look.  Sharper lines give a stronger appearance in line with many competitor offerings in the light vehicle sector.  The front air intake is deeper and wider than the previous model and emphasises the cars wide stance and low centre of gravity.

The panelling retains the distinctive sloping belt line but it is more distinct and sharper. A lengthened wheel base has reduced front and rear overhangs extenuating the look of stability.  Front and rear bumpers have sharp edges that contribute to a more efficient airflow.

Toyota has also introduced a sporty ZR grade for the three door model with a full body kit that includes unique bumpers, grille, auto headlamps with dark surrounds, side skirts, rear roof spoiler and tailpipe diffuser.

Yaris is offered in 10 colours, three of which are new to Yaris – Celestial Blue, Glacier and Green Potion most probably in an attempt to appeal to the younger demographic.  While a certain quirkiness associated with earlier models may have gone, the vehicle is by no means bland and maintains an eye catching appeal.

Interior
The new interior is where the vehicle shines.  The entire cockpit is more driver-orientated with a driver’s side instrument cluster replacing the old centre mounted unit.  The shift away from a centre mount is a good thing in my book improving the ergonomic  comfort and functionality for the driver as well as the overall safety of the vehicle with driver focus drawn directly ahead rather than to the middle of the vehicle.

The Instrument cluster has a 120 mm speedometer incorporating a liquid crystal display with constant display of time and outside temperature.  It also provides the odometer reading for the Multi Information Display (MDI).

The MDI allows the driver to flick between the odometer and dual trip meters, average speed, instantaneous fuel consumption, average fuel consumption and vehicle range.  An eco light on the auto models encourages economical driving.

The cockpit has straight horizontal lines to create an impression of space.  Seating has been redesigned to provide more leg room in the rear, whiplash protection and improved ergonomics through raised edge bolsters which increases body contact area and support.

Sensibly, a centre console has been added to the vehicle to add to the usual assortment of storage areas, cup holders and door panels.  The interior looks and feels stylish and solid … gone is that cheap plastic feel of old.

Forward visibility is excellent through a steeply raked windscreen.  This wide dash area has provided one of the few negatives to the interior layout namely a high level of dash reflection onto the windscreen in sunny conditions.

Placement of anything on the dash area reflects directly onto the glass as brightly as a heads-up display in some cases.  This can be a distraction at best and directly affect visibility at worst.

Safety
The new Yaris has a full suite of passive and active safety equipment that Toyota expects to achieve a 5 star ANCAP safety rating.  Every model has seven “dual-chamber” airbags as standard equipment including a driver’s knee airbag.

Active safety equipment including vehicle stability control and traction control are standard equipment on every Yaris model, as are anti-skid brakes that feature the latest brake assist system and electronic brake-force distribution.  Yaris also has a brake override system that prioritises braking and suppresses engine output if the brake and accelerator pedals are pressed simultaneously.

As a new safety feature Yaris has a buzzer that will sound if the vehicle starts moving while any of the doors are partly open.

Performance
Toyota claims to have significantly reduced noise vibration and harshness through redesign and inclusion of noise suppression materials in the floor panel, transmission tunnel and firewall.  Foam-based sound insulation material has been placed inside the frame channels further reducing external vehicle noise.  Sound-insulation and sound-absorbing materials have been added to the instrument panel and centre console.

Yaris is offered in Australia with the choice of 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre engines and a five-speed manual or four-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. Toyota has refined the two Yaris VVT-i engines and the automatic transmission on the 1.5-litre models for improved driveability and increased fuel efficiency.

While fuel efficiency has been improved by up to six per cent across the full model range, the two VVT-i engine options produce 63Kw and 121 Nm and 80kw and 141 Nm respectively.

Driveability
Out on the road the vehicle impressed me.  Over 130 kilometres of both city and country roads the vehicle proved to be agile and responsive.

The 5 speed manual ZR 3 door was a particular favourite with the zippy 1.5 litre motor providing plenty of power.  Despite its modest on road weight of just over 1100 kgs the Yaris sat firmly on the road.

The suspension system provided great ride comfort and effortlessly soaked up bumps and handling of all road conditions.  On dirt it handled minor corrugations and potholes with ease.  Steering was direct with no feedback.  The electronic assist power steering actually adjusts levels of steering assistance to the speed of the vehicle.

Interior noise levels were extremely low and vehicle occupants could comfortably carry on a conversation even on the unpaved roads.  The 1.3 litre auto options proved more sluggish than their manual counterparts but still acquitted themselves well in the hilly terrain of the Yarra Ranges.

The on-board navigation system performed well and came into its own when we were forced off the Western Ring Road after a 3 car pile-up.

Price
Intense competitive pressure in many sectors of the automotive industry has seen consumers benefiting over recent years.  It comes as no surprise that Toyota have delivered a well priced range of vehicles to attract consumer attention.

Yaris pricing starts at $14,990 for the entry level YR three-door hatch with a 1.3-litre petrol engine and manual transmission – unchanged from the release of the previous YR model in 2005. The five-door YR is available for a further $700 at $15,690

All new Yaris hatches are well equipped and feature upgraded audio systems with controls on the steering wheel spokes, a multi-information display that includes a trip computer, air-conditioning, electric power steering, power windows and mirrors and a 12-Volt accessory socket.

YRS Yaris offers a larger 1.5-litre engine and a higher level of features including cruise control (optional on the YR), touch-screen display audio with six speakers, 15-inch wheels and premium steering wheel and shift lever.

NEW YARIS PRICES

3-door hatch

5-door hatch

Conclusion
Toyota has spent a lot of time and money on delivering a vehicle that will widen its appeal within the tough light vehicle segment.  They have succeeded in producing a high quality compact car that will sit comfortably amongst its rivals.

The Yaris is no longer just a “chick-mobile” but a stylish and credible offering for a wider audience looking to downsize or provide a second vehicle for the family.   With its standard safety features, quality accessories and highly competitive pricing structure it remains just the type of car you’d like to see your teen wrapped in as they begin their solo efforts on the roads and more importantly, I think it’s a car your teen would like to drive as well!

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The 2011 Toyota Yaris is bigger, stronger, better equipped and some variants are even a little cheaper than previous models.

The models
Basically there are two models in the 2011 Yaris lineup … a 3-door hatch and a 5-door hatch that come in several different equipment levels. The entry level in both models is the YR with a choice of 5-speed manual as standard or a 4-speed auto for and extra $1,600.00 coupled to a 1.3-litre engine.

The top of the range Yaris is the YRX that’s only available as a 5-door hatch fitted with a 4-speed auto box

The Yaris YR is available as either a 3-door or 5-door hatch. Even though we’re talking about an entry level mode the YR comes with an extensive range of standard equipment including stability control, anti-skid braking, electric power steering, 7 airbags, whiplash-injury lessening front seats, a 4 speaker audio system with voice control and MP3 input and Bluetooth compatibility, 60/40 split rear seats and the option of cruise control for an additional $650.00.

Prices for YR start at $14,990 (plus dealer and government charges) for the 3-door version and $15,690 (plus dealer and government charges) for the 5-door version.

The Yaris YRS comes as either a 3-door or five door hatch with a 1.5-litre engine. It’s also available as either the standard 5-speed manual or the 4-speed auto for an additional $1,600.00.

In the Yaris YRS you get all the features of the YR plus a premium steering wheel, premium shift lever knob, cruise control, and an upgraded audio system with 6 speakers.

Prices for YRS start at $16,890 (plus dealer and government charges) for the 3-door version and $17,390 (plus dealer and government charges) for the 5-door version

The Yaris YRX is only available as a 5-door hatch with a 1.5-litre engine coupled to a 4-speed auto box. The YRX comes with all the features of the YRS plus 15-inch alloy wheels, auto headlamps, front fog lamps, automatic climate control air conditioning and an even more up-market audio system that features satellite navigation.

Prices for YRX start at $21,390 (plus dealer and government charges).

The Yaris ZR is the top-of-the range variant in the 2011 Toyota Yaris lineup. It’s the sports version of the Yaris so it’s only available as a 3-door hatch with a 1.5-litre engine coupled to a 5-speed manual box.

The Yaris ZR comes with all the features of the YRX plus sports bumpers front and rear, sports grille and headlamps, rear spoiler, side skirts, sports front seats and an exhaust pipe diffuser.

Prices for ZR start at $21,390 (plus dealer and government charges).

The engines
The new Yaris comes with a choice of two engines. The 1.3-litre 2NZ-FE produces 63lW of power at 6,000 rpm and 121Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm. It has a minimum fuel octane rating of 91RON and it meets Euro IV emission standards.

The manual version will return 5.7L/100km on a combined cycle while the automatic version is slightly less economical returning figures of 6.3L/100km.

The 1.5-litre 1NZ-FE engine produces 80kW of power at 6,000 rpm and 141Nm of torque at 4,200 rpm. This engine also runs on 91 RON fuel and meets Euro IV emission standards.

Fuel consumption figures are 5.8L/100km for the manual version and 6.3L/100km for the automatic.

The body
The 2011 Yaris is slightly longer than previous versions and most of that increase in length has been used to improve space in the cabin. The backs of the front seats have been re-shaped to improve leg-room for rear-seat passengers and the spare-tyre has been downsized to increase useable space in the boot.

For the driver
Obviously the dash has been totally re-designed and when our Mick Olsen did the Yaris test drive he thought that improved dash was a major improvement.

But the dash isn’t the only change for the driver … the shape of the steering wheel has also been changed and it shows that not all the quirkiness has gone out of the Yaris. The new steering wheel is D-shaped to allow easier entry and exit for the driver and audio switches have been added to the steering wheel.

Will it sell?
It’s a Toyota … it’s sure to sell in large quantities.

Look here for more images of the new Toyota Yaris and a report on Aussie Motoring’s first test drive