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When coupled with a manual transmission, Holden boasts the new 2WD diesel model leads the medium SUV segment as the most fuel efficient - using 7.2-litres per 100km.

The automatic model returns a slightly less impressive figure, using 8.5-litres per 100km.

“For consumers who want all the benefits of a medium SUV but don’t need the performance of an AWD, the 2WD Captiva SX is the perfect solution,”

At $33,990 for the five-speed manual and $35,990 for the five-speed automatic, the 2WD models represent a $2,000 saving over their equivalent all-wheel drive counterparts.

The five-seater 2WD Captiva diesel is available as an SX model, retaining the trim levels of its AWD equivalents which include Traction Control, Active Rollover Protection, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and six airbags.

The 2WD Captiva SX with automatic transmission is on sale now, with the manual transmission variant scheduled to be in dealerships late September.

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The smallest Volvo, the C30 D5 we had on test has had the engine from the S80 D5 and the V50 D5 shoehorned into it. It seems like a reasonable proposition on paper. Plenty of torque locked into a capable chassis, and being a smaller hatch, it should have plenty of get-up-and-go.

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Leg 1 – Birdsville to Alice Springs

Day 1

The group of five journalists and several Land Rover crew, including Managing Director Roger Jory, weren’t sure what to expect of the flight from Brisbane to Birdsville.

Operated by Macair, our mode of transport was a Metro23, 19-seat twin-propeller plane. Located about 1600km west of Brisbane, Birdsville is a small town with a population of approximately 120. Birdsville’s population increases by more than 1000% during the famous Birdsville Races – held each year in September.

Our flight from Brisbane was on the mail run, so that meant making four stops along the way to Birdsville. This stretched the 1600km flight out to six and a half hours. Soon after leaving Brisbane airport, we arrived at a small town called Charleville. It wasn’t long before the mail was offloaded and we were back in the air.

Around an hour later, the second stop had us arriving at Quilpie. With a population of just 747, spread over a shire area of 67,842 square kilometres, there wasn’t all that much going on. After finally offloading mail, we jumped back into the plane, only to find the additional passenger and extra mail would mean a ‘wet takeoff’.

We were reassured that this was standard company procedure when extra weight was taken onboard. The only issue with this standard company procedure was that the plane refused to do the ‘wet takeoff’! We stumbled down a third of the runway before the takeoff was aborted. After trying two more times, we had to go back to the hanger for some bush mechanic style repairs.

After a quick fix, we were in business and on to our next stop – Windorah. We were greeted by some workers who were proud to show off the new building they had just installed at the airport, which included three toilets. It didn’t mean much to us city slickers, but it was a mighty achievement for them! It was back in the air for our final flight leg.

You can imagine our joint relief when we finally arrived to Birdsville.

Luckily the Birdsville Hotel was stocked full of beer and food, so after a bit of a refresh and cleanup, we met with the Land Rover support crew for dinner and drinks.

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The Cayenne was the first SUV to be created on the platform developed jointly between Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche itself back in 2002.

The Touareg followed closely a year later while Audi’s adaption didn’t appear until 2006 with the Q7.

Porsche has apparently succeeded in pushing Volkswagen to streamline the development of joint projects - namely the replacement design for the SUV family.

Germany’s Automobilwoche reports that Porsche boss Wendelin Wiedeking is using his ever increasing control of VW Group to rush projects that would favour Porsche, even if it disadvantages Volkswagen.

Wiedeking had made it clear back in 2006 that he hopes to speed up development of the Cayenne because of fears of the worsening demand for thirsty SUVs and rising oil prices.

However with the flourishing success of the Cayenne in overseas markets, innovative steps are being implemented into the new range including a new hybrid model and diesel in its line-up.

Porsche hopes the launch its next-gen Cayenne by the first half of 2010, while the new Touareg isn’t expected to arrive until late 2010 at the earliest.

Audi meanwhile isn’t in the slightest rush, not expected to refresh its Q7 SUV until 2013.

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To kick things off, let’s tackle the big one, the not too delicate matter of Stavics’ polarising looks. With large headlights and somewhat classy chrome grille the Mercedes influenced front end is almost bearable in isolation, and if you were to see the car solely from the front you could almost be forgiven for thinking it’s quite smart to look at. But start to get a little profile in to the picture, or worse still wander round the back, and everything just becomes a little Pablo Picasso.

And by Picasso I don’t mean that classy little French number either, I mean the having ears where your nose should be kind of Picasso.

The rear window is of particular intrigue, almost seeming like a wedge of glass has been sat atop the curved rear window to form a wagon. It’s a bizarre design but not only does it make for a peculiar exterior, it also deprives the rear passengers from seeing out while at the same time hindering the driver’s blind spot.

So fair enough then, it’s not the prettiest of transport, but unfortunately once inside, things aren’t a great deal better. The ‘pleather’ (plastic leather) trimmed seats have quite a strong odour and the layout whilst seemingly generous lacks headroom in the third row seats.

Luggage space is disappointing considering the overall size of the vehicle too and I think that if you were to head away with seven people and their gear for even a weekend then you’d struggle to find a place for it all.

Driver and passenger seats are rather difficult to get in and out of because there are no grab handles on offer and the seat pad is above the height of an adult’s hip. Short folks, like myself, may find entry and egress quite an aerobic feat. Hardly luxurious.

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Both come with strong credentials from the European market and the Expert, which also masquerades as the Fiat Scudo and the Citroen Despatch, is the 2008 International Van of the Year, a lofty title indeed.

CarAdvice had the opportunity to look over both the new entrants and to take each for a short drive, we wouldn’t be so bold as to say we have a good understanding of the on-road dynamics of either van, but can say they seem to be up to the general standard of other European competitors on our market.

To a certain extent a van, is a van, and driving an unladen box on wheels is always going to be a compromising experience.

What we can say is the both the Expert and the Partner are well equipped with most of the required safety gear, they are reasonably well powered, with, in the case of the Partner, three diesel engines and one petrol and for the Expert three diesel engines and come in a range of short and long wheelbases.

The driving dynamics of both are well-balanced with a reasonable level of refinement given the intended purpose of each vehicle. Both are well designed in the cabin with good ergonomics and plenty of storage options for all those bits and pieces that a van operator seems to end up carrying around.

It is certainly the case that the Partner, being the smaller and more car-like of the two has driving dynamics very much like a car and would be ideally suited to a range of light commercial uses in and around the city.

The Expert, being more of a box-van, has a higher driving position but again the vehicle is light and easy to manoeuvre and can be driven by anyone on a standard car licence.

Both the Partner and the Expert have excellent load carrying capacities and even the Partner can take a standard Australian pallet through the rear barn-doors.

Pricing for the Expert starts at $36,990 fr the SWB and rises to $41,590 for the LWB with the 2.0-litre, 100kW HDi.

The Partner starts at $21,990 for the 1.6-litre petrol and rises to $25,490 for the L2 1.6-litre HDi.

PEUGEOT EXPERT – THE DETAIL

The 2008 Peugeot Expert is an all new model in which comfort, passenger and driver safety, respect for the environment and versatility have all been improved compared to the previous generation vehicle.

Taking its inspiration from its predecessor, the new Expert van maintains the original position of a “Van/MPV”. It now, however, has a more modern style, portraying a strong, durable and dynamic appearance, which will enhance the image of any driver through its bold stylish looks.

Peugeot Australia National Sales Manager Ken Thomas said the design of the sides of the vehicle provides owners with a suitable area for sign writing or promoting their companies etc.

The design of the bodywork, side protection mouldings, bumpers and door handles all create a real sense of quality, strength and durability.

The new Expert van is also equipped with door mirrors containing two individual adjustable mirror glasses - very useful for commercial use.

The Expert van comes in two wheelbases and two heights, and a new pneumatic rear suspension (standard on the L2 Professional), enables the rear load sill and the overall height of the vehicle to be lowered to 1894 mm.

The payload range has also been increased to 1188 kg (from 810kg or 930kg on the previous generation vehicle).

The two hinged, rear doors create a very wide opening space, due to the innovative 90° to 180° opening system which uses an adjustable “check strap” system.

Driver and passenger comfort and functionality remain the watchwords for the interior styling of the new Expert van. The interior of the vehicle has been designed to meet the requirements of a professional user and is both robust and comfortable.

Mr Thomas said active safety measures included on the new Expert van encompassed all the latest technology: Electronic Stability Program (optional), including an anti-roll feature (ROM) and traction control (ASR), while ABS and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) are included as standard.

The new Expert van has a lot of convenience equipment more commonly seen on modern cars which can contribute to driver safety and comfort, such as: front electric windows, central locking, folding electric rear-view mirrors, fog lights, cruise control & speed limiter.

The new Expert van is fitted with electro-hydraulic power assisted steering on all models, which makes a huge contribution to driver comfort.
There are two versions of the 2.0-litre HDi diesel engine available for the new Expert van.

Developed in partnership between PSA Peugeot Citroën and Ford they produce either 88kW or 100kW and 300Nm or 320Nm of torque respectively. Perfectly capable of powering the van when fully laden, they also benefit from a high torque output at a low engine speed.

A significant development in the new Expert van range is the introduction of Peugeot’s ML6C 6-speed manual gearbox, which has a “finned” gearbox casing to help improve cooling.

PEUGEOT PARTNER – THE DETAIL
The Partner van range will go on sale in Australia in September, launched in conjunction with the new Expert. When it is launched it will introduce a number of innovative features not seen before in this market segment.

The new Peugeot Partner van will be manufactured in Vigo (Spain) on Peugeot’s number two platform, which it shares with the new Peugeot 308. It will be available in two body lengths (L1 and L2).

One very well equipped trim level will be offered, with two load volume and two payload options.

The Peugeot Partner van has been very successful over an extended period of time, and has proven itself in the very competitive European market. More than 1.3 million Partner vans have been manufactured since the vehicle was launched in 1996, with 155,000 of those delivered last year.

The new Partner is available in two body styles with a length of 4.38 metres and 4.63 metres, on a single wheelbase of 2.73 metres.

The load capacity of the new Partner van allows an effective load volume ranging from 3.3 m to 4.1 m3 with the Multi-Flex dual passenger seat; a payload of 750 or 850kg; an accessible load length of 1.80 metres (L1) or 2.05 metres (L2) which can be increased to 3.2 metres when the Multi-Flex bench seat is folded down; a maximum loading width of 1.62 metres; an effective load area height of 1.25 metres and a load sill height of 0.609 metres.

A new and unique feature, the innovative Multi-Flex dual passenger seat offers unrivalled modularity and enables the vehicle to carry two passengers, as well as the driver, a feature not previously offered in the small van market segment.

The new Partner van can be equipped with one or two sliding side doors. With an accessible width of 640 mm and an accessible height of 1100 mm, these doors create a wide opening directly into the load space. Sliding side doors are optional on all L1 models while the L2 model benefits from twin sliding side doors as standard.

All new Partner vans feature a driver airbag as standard and a passenger airbag is available as an option. All seats are fitted with three point inertia reel seat belts.
ABS with EBFD is standard, along with cruise control featuring a speed limiter. A passenger airbag as well as ESP (Electronic Stability Program) combined with a traction control system (ASR) are optional.

The four cylinder 1.6-litre, 16v petrol engine is equipped with indirect fuel injection and has a light alloy cylinder head with sixteen valves. It develops a maximum torque of 132Nm at 2500rpm and a maximum power of 66kW at 5800 rpm.

The entry-level offer in the diesel range is the 1.6-litre HDi 55kW engine. This aluminium based, four cylinder sixteen valve engine benefits from a second-generation common rail direct injection system, with a 1600bar high-pressure electronic pump. This engine owes its efficiency to its high torque output, which is available at virtually all engine speeds. Indeed, 90% of the maximum torque is available from 1250rpm. It also remains above 150Nm right up to 3500 rpm, improving overall driveability.

The 1.6-litre HDi 66kW engine is at the heart of the diesel range. Based on the 55kW version, it strengthens and further benefits this engine, namely its high torque output at low engine speeds, good in-gear acceleration, consistent performance when loaded and reduced running costs.

With a maximum torque output of 215Nm at 1750 rpm it offers an even broader operating range, since at 4000 rpm the available torque is still 158Nm. Fuel consumption in the combined cycle is the same as the 55kW version, namely 5.8L/100km, with CO2 emissions of 153 g/km.

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The standard across the range panoramic glass roof is huge and is even bigger than its predecessor’s, and the vehicle’s extra length means there is enough space for a pair of occasional seats in the back.

This optional third row makes the 308 a seven-seater, while the trio of individual seats that make up the second row are identical in size and are all easy to remove.

This provides endless seating combinations, meaning the Touring can be a two seater load-lugger a five seater, a six seater or a seven seater, you decide.

Without the third-row and with the modular second row in place, the 308 Touring can accommodate an impressive 674 litres of cargo under the load-bay cover.

Remove the second-row seats as well, and the spacious Touring can swallow a cavernous 2149 litres all the way up to the roof.

Compared to the 308 hatch, the Touring has its wheelbase stretched 100mm and the rear overhang has been pushed out by an additional 124mm.

Particular attention has been paid to the vehicle’s modularity so that it can be adapted simply and efficiently according to the requirements of its occupants.

Also in the 7-seat configuration two occasional seats are fitted in the third row. These seats, however, when required can be folded and with the second row seats folded as well, create a flat floor which makes loading of bulky items much easier.

Seating is theatre style, meaning each row is a little higher than the one in front, which helps to provide children with a much better travelling experience.

The 308 Touring is available with a range of two petrol and two diesel engines, comprising a 1.6-litre VTi engine that produces 88kW and 160Nm and a 1.6-litre turbo engine that produces 103kW and 240Nm, both coupled to a four-speed automatic gearbox, while the diesels are the 1.6-litre Hdi producing 80kW and 260Nm coupled to the 6-speed manual or the 2.0-litre Hdi producing 100kW and 340Nm coupled to either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox.

Suspension setting and wheel size options are taken from the 308 Hatch but have been revised to suit the greater load carrying requirements of the Touring.
The electro-hydraulic power steering seems to give even better feel and precision than in the hatch, despite being the same.

Driving the Touring is an assured and pleasurable experience and the extra length in the wheelbase may account for a somewhat better feel on the road. In the past we’ve had mixed feelings about the 308 handling but the Touring definitely feels more planted and assured than its Hatch sibling.

At the front braking is taken care of by 283mm ventilated rotors, which are increased to 302mm on the 1.6-litre petrol turbo and the 2.0-litre diesel models.
The 308 Touring is equipped as standard with ABS that includes Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBFD), Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) and automatic activation of the hazard lights during emergency braking.

Peugeot continues to make ESP either standard or optional, at a cost of $450, according to the model, despite the strengthening trend towards this life saving technology being considered an essential safety item.

The 308 Touring is available in two trim levels, XS and XSE, the latter offering a high level of luxury including leather upholstery and satellite navigation.

Prices start at $30,590 for the XS petrol 1.6-litre automatic and rise to $38,390 for the XSE with 2.0-litre diesel and six-speed automatic.

Combine that with the more aggressive styling of the new range and the 308 Touring shapes up to be a compelling package for European buyers looking for some extra versatility without losing the driving dynamics and economy of a conventional small car.

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Now its been joined by the Single Cab-chassis and King-Cab variants, both made a lot closer to home in Thailand, and both benefiting, price-wise, from Australia’s Free Trade Agreement with our Asian neighbour.
The utility market in Australia has been one of the sales strengths of our burgeoning vehicle market, with strong demand from tradesmen, industry and the mining sectors.
Despite essentially have only one model, it is available in 4×2 and 4×4 variants, the Nissan Navara Dual Cab has sold nearly 9000 units already this year and the 4×4 model is the second strongest selling utility in the market.

A trio of King Cab models is now available powered by a muscular 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine delivering 126kW power and a superior 403Nm torque in 4×4 models.
Two transmissions are on offer, the standard six-speed manual and an optional 5-speed automatic. The six-speed manual has a ‘long’ overdrive top gear for better economy and quieter running.

At the same time Nissan is adding a Single Cab Chassis manual transmission model to the family that features a separate two-passenger bench seat and an even longer load bed for those who want the practicality of a tough, modern workhorse with the latest features.

The Nissan Navara King Cab offers seating for four, thanks to a pair of fold-down rear seats which, when folded, allow more than enough room for luggage or tools behind the front seats.

The King Cab allows easy entry to the rear of the cab thanks to a rear-hinged door on either side that opens wide. With no B pillar to impede entry or egress, occupants will find cabin entry and egress comfortably easy. Safety is also a priority with headrests and 3-point seatbelts for all four passengers.

Thanks to the longer load bed, compared with the Navara Dual Cab, the new King Cab ST-X Pick-Up can fit 1855mm long loads into its rear tub.

Three King Cab models are available; the RX King Cab Chassis, which along with the premium specification ST-X King Cab Chassis, can be fitted with a Genuine Nissan aftermarket tray; and the sportiest ST-X King Cab Pick-Up which comes with its own tub and integrated tub liner, sports bar, rear chrome step bumper and remote fuel release.
“The new Navara King Cab is destined to play an important role in tightening Nissan’s grip on the light commercial vehicle market,” said Dan Thompson, CEO of Nissan Australia.

“We see the King Cab models entering a growing market segment, where the need to balance a large load with the ability to carry four in safety and comfort, if only occasionally, will be greatly appreciated by our customers.
“Many Navara customers have something big to tow, and with a 4×4 class-topping 403Nm torque and a 3000kg towing capacity (equalling class-best) across the range, that should be no problem.”

We gave the Navara King Cab 4×4 a reasonably brief but fairly challenging drive across some forest tracks out of Canberra and the overall impression was one of considerable competence.
The vehicle, an automatic, which has a novel but quite useful side shift function between first and second gears, was able to cope with deep ruts, steep descents and some challenging climbs over rough and broke roads.

 It had more than adequate power from the very torquey diesel engine and with the added advantage of being able to carry two occasional passengers in the rear, should prove an appealing option for many tradesman who want to be able to run the kids to a sports event on the weekend, or other less work-like demands.
Equally it will appeal to businesses where the option of being able to carry more than just the two regular passengers is a worthwhile option.
Nissan Navara King Cab Range:
RX King Cab Chassis $38,160
ST-X King Cab Chassis $41,160
ST-X King Cab Ute $42,660
Five-speed automatic $2250
Nissan Navara Single Cab
RX Single Cab Chassis $33,660

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The Super Select four-wheel drive system allows the driver to choose between four driving modes:

• 2H two-wheel drive high range is used for general commuting or highway touring in fine weather and promotes fuel economy.
• 4H full-time four-wheel drive provides added traction in inclement weather, or when the road surface becomes rough.
• 4HLC four-wheel drive high range with locked centre differential delivers power equally to all four wheels.
• 4LLC four-wheel drive low range with locked centre differential is suitable for rough terrain. A rear-diff lock is available as an option.

The new system provides a distinct advantage over its part-time all-wheel drive competitors, offering genuine all-terrain capabilities.

It will be included as standard on all diesel VR, GLX-R and GLS four-wheel drive Mitsubishi Tritons arriving between now and December 2008.

However Mitsubishi’s Easy Select part time 4WD system is retained on GLX 4×4 models.

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Mitsubishi Motors Corporation says the Racing Lance’s mission will be to target victory on next year’s Dakar which breaks new ground in 2009 with a switch from Africa to South America.

For Mitsubishi Motors, not only does the Dakar serve as a platform for the sales and marketing of the Pajero/Montero but it also provides a unique proving ground for powertrains and 4WD transmission systems.

MMC says that in light of the corporate decision to focus the firm’s cross-country rallying activities on the development of a new diesel engine, it is a natural step for the Lancer (known in Japan as Gallant Fortis), a commercially and globally important model powered by the diesel power plant, to take over the competition baton from the Pajero/Montero and the Pajero/Montero Evolution.

It says that the technological expertise accumulated thanks to the firm’s cross-country rally program - which includes the Dakar - will be applied to its diesel engine development, including the new-generation clean diesel that will power the future production cars.

Meanwhile, as was previously the case, the 4WD systems technology will also be carried over to the production versions after their configuration has been optimized as a function of their end-use.

Under its new corporate communication tagline ‘Drive@earth’, Mitsubishi Motors has a commitment to providing the joy of mobility for customers worldwide while at the same time taking a responsible stance on the environment.

Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart will also play an important role as an integral part of the automobile research and development program.

Wondering what MXr09 means? Well MMC says ‘MRX09′ stands for ‘Mitsubishi Rally ‘Cross Country’('X’), plus a suffix for the year in which it competes (’09′ = 2009).

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