Australian Car Advice | News Blog

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Model tested: 2008 Ford Falcon G6E Recommended Retail Price: $46,990. Options fitted: None fitted.

Handling; engine and gearbox; rear leg room; price point

Non-flat boot floor; no xenon headlights

CarAdvice rating: (4.25)

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Model tested: 2008 Holden Commodore Calais V6 Recommended Retail Price: $46,190 Options fitted: Metallic paint ($400).

Space, standard ESP, solid ride

No Sat/Nav or reversing camera, ‘poverty’ interior

CarAdvice rating: (3.00)

Model tested: 2008 Honda Accord V6 Luxury Recommended Retail Price: $46,990. Options fitted: None fitted.

Impressive handling; size; features

Sometimes heavy on fuel, too many buttons on centre console

CarAdvice rating: (4.15)

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Model tested: 2008 Toyota Aurion Presara Recommended Retail Price: $49,490. Options fitted: None fitted.

Performance, plenty of luxury items, good safety equipment

Stodgy handling, generic interior styling, pricey

CarAdvice rating: (3.50)

- Review by Paul Maric, David Twomey and Matt Brogan, photography by Paul Maric.

Introduction:

In this day and age it is becoming increasingly difficult for car manufacturers to meet the demands of consumers. With petrol prices continually skyrocketing, pressure is on manufacturers to make fuel efficient cars, while still catering for size and performance.

In the first test of its kind in Australia, CarAdvice has pegged the rear-wheel-drive Falcon and Commodore against their Japanese front-wheel-drive rivals, the Accord V6 and Aurion.

The luxury variants chosen here will be popular amongst professionals and families with a luxury cruiser in mind.

After a week of extensive testing ranging from city driving to performance tests, we have determined a winner. The results are close but paint a clear picture of the current large car market in Australia.

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We all have extremely high expectations for the small hero car from Ford.

The all-important performance figures stand at 220kW - compared to 166kW for the XR5 - and peak torque of 410Nm from its 5-cylinder turbocharged engine.

Early performance testing conducted by Ford place the acceleration to 100km/h at less than 6.0 seconds.

More information  on the Ford Focus RS can be found here.

Click through to the next page for a comprehensive gallery of the Ford Focus RS

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The engines behind the car are built in Dagenham and come in the form of 1.6-litre and 1.4-litre TDCi.

“They will see new Fiesta, with sporty Zetec-S and frugal ECOnetic variants on the stand. Many will pass our wind-powered Dagenham plant on the way, where annual production will top 1,000,000 engines this year in response to the shift to eco friendly models.”said Roelant de Waard, Ford of Britain chairman and managing director.

Ford Europe has stepped up its quest for eco-friendly cars, so much so that their engine building facility is, partially powered by wind!

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It will be available in both three- and five- door variants, with production due to begin in Europe by the end of 2008 however Australian’s may not see it in local showrooms until as late as 2010.

More information on the Fiesta can be found here.

Click through to the next page for a comprehensive gallery of the new Ford Fiesta.

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The exclusive feat undertaken by Melbourne tuning house Mustang Motorsport has converted the Supercar Club’s 2004 Ford GT track car into a road legal, RHD monster.

Having no driver aids will probably scare off some punters, but the true enthusiasts will be enthralled by the GT’s aggressive demeanour and raucous engine note. Sitting on 315-wide tyres at the rear, the supercharged 5.4-litre V8 is good for 550BHP and moves from 0-100km/h in a smidgen over 3.3-seconds.

If that wasn’t enough, this specially tuned Saleen version can be legally driven on the road if you’re a member of the exclusive Supercar Club. CarAdvice went along to the Melbourne launch and the atmosphere associated with this vehicle was enthralling.

Prospective members and current members were itching at the chance to drive it. We have the next best thing though, click here to check out our Facebook page for a listen of the GT’s ground-trembling supercharged V8.

Stay tuned for a full story on the Supercar Club detailing the entire operation, along with how to become a member, in the coming week.

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“More than ever, it’s important to consider not only the car’s ticket price but also its ongoing running and environmental costs,” Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said.

On average, a Holden Commodore will cost $2430 in petrol to run per year and will put out 3.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide doing so. The Ford Falcon does the same distance costing $2272 in fuel and releasing 3.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The most surprising news however, was the Mazda 3, which came third, costing $1845 in petrol. Meanwhile Australia’s most popular car, the Toyota Corolla came fourth with a $1672 yearly petrol cost.

 Out of all the cars tested, the Green Vehicle Guide recommends the Toyota Yaris as the cheapest option for getting around (not including hybrids). The Yaris costs $1350 a year.

The Prius was the cheapest hybrid car to run, with a total bill $990 in fuel each year. CO2 emissions for the ‘revolutionary’ Prius where half of the Commodore’s at 1.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

For more information you can check out the Green Vehicle Guide at www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au (which ironically, is currently off-line with “Server too busy” errors).

CarAdvice recently conducted a fuel economy test with a new VE SS Commodore to find out if the era of big V8s is coming to an end. The results will be released before the end of next week.

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The new XR4/ST variant is expected to carry a powerplant similar to the 2.0-litre engine unit currently available in the XR4, although some sources suggest Ford may go with a smaller capacity but turbocharged engine as part the company’s eco-boost policy.

Click through for more details on the 2009 Ford Fiesta range.

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It will be available in both three- and five- door variants, with production due to begin in Europe by the end of 2008 however Australian’s may not see it in local showrooms until as late as 2010.

The all-new Fiesta is the first product of Ford’s new Global Product Development System (GPDS), designed to be compatible with the differing needs of customers as diverse as Western and Eastern Europe, North America, China, Australia and South Africa.

“It’s an incredibly exciting project,” says Marin Burela, Executive Director of Small Cars, Ford of Europe. “All-new Fiesta is a landmark moment for Ford. It’s our most significant global vehicle project since the Model T and heralds the future for Ford product development.”

For now at least, European buyers are guaranteed a new model in the Fiesta line-up - the new Zetec S featuring an 88kW 1.6-litre Duratec Ti-VCT petrol engine assuming the performance role of the range - covering 0-100km/h in 9.9 seconds.

“We’re also introducing an all-new 1.6-litre Ti-VCT engine and a Zetec S model for driving enthusiasts, while a host of comfort and convenience features you would normally expect to find on our much larger vehicles combine to make new Fiesta truly a compelling choice.”

An ultra-low CO2 producing Fiesta ECOnetic is also available - powered by a 1.6-litre Ford Duratorq TDCi engine, with target emissions of just 99g/km.

Weighing in at almost 40kg less than the previous Fiesta, the next generation promises spirited driving dynamics with a specially-tuned Electric Power Assist Steering system which offers low-speed steering ease with more direct driver feedback at higher speeds.

Safety has also been a priority in its development with over 55 percent of the body structure made from high-strength steel, making the all-new Fiesta approximately 10 percent stiffer torsionally than its predecessor and providing an exceptionally rigid safety cell for all occupants.

It also incorporates Ford’s Intelligent Protection System with standard knee airbags – the first in a Ford small car – as well as head-and-thorax side airbags, with optional safety curtain airbags plus an array of pedestrian protection features.

The new Fiesta will also add various ‘big car’ conveniences such as EasyFuel capless refuelling, keyless entry and a ‘Ford Power’ start button.

The European line-up is comprised of six models - Studio, Style, Style Plus, Zetec, Zetec S and Titanium.

More Australian-specific details to follow as they become available.

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Both Chery and Ford have declined to comment on the issue. Ford states the companyis more focused on building Volvo rather than selling it. Meanwhile analysts indicate that Volvo could cost Chery more than 30 billion yuan ($4.6 billion), it said.

Chery cars will soon be well known in Australia, following Ateco’s announcement that Chinese cars are only months away from our shores. Chery is a state-owned firm set up by the government of Wuhu city in Anhui province in the 1990s.

Recently it was reported that Renault is also in talks to acquire Volvo.

How will Chinese ownership affect the Swedish brand?

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