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The new transmission has been designed for transverse engine applications in passenger vehicles, and is 12kg lighter with 62 fewer parts compared to the current five-speed automatic transmission which it replaces.

The addition of a sixth gear enables closer spacing between ratios providing a better balance of performance and fuel economy, while the wide overall gear ratio helps deliver strong acceleration.

“The strength of our design is its completely unique layout, which makes it smaller, more compact and lighter than any other six-speed on the market today,” said Hong-Min Kim, the project manager of the transaxle at Hyundai R&D Centre.

The new transmission will be rolled out on selected models in 2009 onwards, making its debut in the Hyundai Grandeur equipped with a 3.3-litre V6 petrol engine.

In this model, it delivers an aforementioned 12.2 percent gain in fuel economy, slashes the zero to 100km/h sprint by 0.2 seconds and offers better overtaking performance.

The transmission is also maintenance-free, needing no top-up of fluids over its lifespan, thereby reducing servicing costs.

A total of 16 petrol and diesel models in the Hyundai line-up will receive the new six-speed transmission, including a redesigned Santa Fe which is due to arrive in late 2009.

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The vehicle, which will be built on the GM global platform know as Delta will be built in the Elizabeth, South Australia, manufacturing plant, alongside the current Commodore.

The plant currently builds the Commodore, including export versions which are sold as Chevrolets in the Middle East predominantly, and in the United States where they are marked as Pontiacs. It previously also built an earlier version of the Vectra.

It would appear that the project will not add jobs to the South Australian workforce as Mr Reuss said the program would require 500 to 600 existing employees at Elizabeth and is estimated to provide 500 to 600 local supplier positions.

The vehicle, based on General Motors’ global Delta small car platform and feature new technologies to increase fuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse emissions.

The new front-wheel-drive vehicle will be built as a sedan and hatch and design and engineering work will take place at the company’s headquarters in Port Melbourne, Victoria.

Mr Reuss said start-stop hybrid technology and capacity to run on alternative fuels such as E85, diesel, LPG and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) are all being considered for the vehicle’s development.

It will be GM Holden’s first locally produced car beyond its current range of larger vehicles since the Asian economic crisis ended Vectra production in 1998.

The vehicle will be built in the south bodyshop of the Elizabeth facility, which was previously used for the Vectra assembly in the late 1990s.

Mr Reuss said the announcement provided an opportunity to take a leading role in developing alternative fuel and fuel saving technologies in Australia for Australians.

Mr Reuss said the program would be a major contributor to the economy, generating an estimated $70 million to $80 million in wages and $30 million in research and development.

“Together with Government, we are extending the scope and consumer appeal of our local manufacturing efforts,” Mr Reuss said.

“We have been building Holden cars to suit the needs of Australian motorists for 60 years and these plans build on that tradition.

“We recognise the needs and desires of motorists are evolving with growing concern around environmental factors and shifting consumer sentiment.

“Such evolution calls for an innovative approach to complement our current offering.

“Just as our leading Commodore range will continue to undergo technological development, this new vehicle will cater for growing demand for smaller cars focused on economy.

“We are planning for the future to produce a wider range of cars in Australia to cater for a variety of driving needs.”

He added that flexible manufacturing infrastructure would be introduced to the Elizabeth plant to make it capable of producing a series of GM global vehicles in years to come.

It also provides opportunity to develop an export program for the vehicle, particularly to other right hand drive markets around the world.

Mr Reuss paid tribute to the Federal and South Australian Governments for their ongoing commitment to the Australian automotive industry.

“The Rudd Government’s Green Car Innovation Fund has provided opportunity to turn our plans into reality,” Mr Reuss said.

“This announcement complements the vision we share with the Government of reducing Australia’s dependence on foreign oil and making motoring better for the environment.

“It demonstrates commitment to an Australian automotive industry which extends beyond manufacturing at GM Holden to thousands of suppliers and dealers across the country.

“That demonstration was clearly seen by our parent company in its decision to support this program.

“The support of the Federal and South Australian Governments in securing this program recognises the fundamental role which automotive manufacturing makes to national and state economies.”

GM Group Vice President and Asia Pacific President, Nick Reilly, today added his support to the program as proof of GM’s capacity to innovate across the region.

“This announcement recognises the ability of GM, GM Holden and the Australian automotive industry to see the future and move in the right direction,” Mr Reilly said.

Holden isn’t giving a lot away about the exact detail of the new vehicle, unlike Ford, which is well advanced with planning to build the next generation Ford Focus in Melbourne from 2011.

The new small, front-wheel-drive, four-cylinder vehicle to be built by GM Holden at Elizabeth will be based on General Motors’ global Delta small car architecture.

Other examples of the architecture will include the next generation Chevrolet Cruze and Opel, Vauxhall and Saturn Astra.

The architecture was primarily developed by GM Europe in Russelsheim, Germany for GM markets around the world.

Local design and engineering work on the Australian vehicle will take place at GM Holden’s Port Melbourne headquarters in Victoria.

Direct injected petrol and diesel variants of the vehicle will be produced with GM Holden considering a range of alternative fuel or fuel saving technologies including E85, LPG, CNG and start-stop hybrid capability.

Further details about the vehicle including its nameplate, design specifications and pricing will be determined closer to the time of production.

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As if that wasn’t enough he made it clear that on the question of diesel power HSV was evaluating two different engines, one from General Motors and the second from an unnamed European car maker.

Mr Harding believes that if HSV is to become a serious exporter then it needs a diesel engine option to sell cars, particularly in Europe, in viable numbers.

The first engine is no secret and the company has been evaluating the 2.9-litre, VM Motori-sourced, V6 diesel that GM will offer in European versions of the Cadillac CTS.

Mr Harding was much more coy about the source of the other engine, preferring to leave it as ‘a European brand’ but it is widely known that HSV has been running a VE Commodore mule with a BMW turbo-diesel inline six cinder engine for some time.

He told CarAdvice that the project had the full support of parent GM-Holden and added that Fishermans Bend had no problem with him choosing a non-GM engine if that was the best solution.

Mr Harding said; “There are reasons why we’re investigating different alternative fuel strategies.

“Diesel started because when we launched VXR8 in the UK, I got a lot of questions about where was the diesel version. Certainly the cars that you’re ‘battling’ with on the roads are diesels.”

“Diesel in Europe is a little more advanced than here. You don’t fill the car up round the corner at the truck pump. You don’t end up smelling of diesel when you get back in the car.

“You look around at what Mercedes and BMW do and they come out with some great product at the top-end of the diesel market.

“So if HSV is going to do a diesel it will do a decent diesel that can replicate the expectation of what a performance car would be like.

“With that in mind we’ve had a look at two diesel engines. The business case is not approved yet, it’s still ongoing, but we think that it is crucial if we’re ever going to export in larger numbers.”

Mr Harding said that while a decision on the diesel engine could be made in the not too distant future it would take some time to engineer into the Commodore based vehicles.

However, he said the option of using LPG fuel was also seriously under consideration and this could come on stream as soon as late 2009.

Joel Stoddart, HSV engineering guru, explained that with LPG the company y was looking at a liquid port injection system.

“It’s a dual fuel system that we feel replicates the performance of petrol in the 6.2-litre V8 engine,” he said.
Mr Stoddart said that the system was duel fuel because at full throttle the engine management system would switch the engine to straight petrol operation, before cutting back to LPG as the engine load reduced.

Mr Harding said there was no approval yet for the business case on LPG and he was watching to see where the general automotive market was going with LPG.

He said HSV would be very careful to avoid the ‘taxi’ stigma attached to LPG and would probably not market LPG as a distinct model but would rather offer the option on its range of vehicles.

He said that the company had done ‘payback’ analysis on the cost of the LPG option when petrol was at $1.50 a litre and LPG was about $0.60 and on this basis the cost was returned in 12 months.

Mr Harding emphasised that a major reason driving HSV to examine all alternative fuel options, and he said E85 was also under consideration but this currently suffered from supply issues, was to ensure that its customers were not looked on in a negative way.

“We as a company should be responsible in ensuring that fuel supplies are used in a responsible way,” he said.

“We also want to ensure that our customers are not looked on in a negative way, we want them to be looked on well by their peer group.”

He added that HSV did not want its customers to be considered socially irresponsible by their purchase of the company’s products.

“I also don’t think anyone will turn away from the chance to run their car at a cheaper price,” he added.

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The concepts are: the BlueZERO E-CELL with battery-electric drive and a range of up to 200 kilometres using electric drive alone; the BlueZERO F-CELL (fuel cell) with a range of well over 400 kilometres using electric drive and the BlueZERO E-CELL PLUS with electric drive and additional internal combustion engine as power generator (range extender). This version has an overall range of up to 600 kilometres and can cover a distance of up to 100 kilometres using electric drive alone.

Mercedes-Benz says the three BlueZERO variants are based on the unique sandwich-floor architecture which Mercedes-Benz introduced some ten years ago, initially for the A-Class and then for the B-Class, one of the aims being to integrate alternative drive systems.

Advantages of the modified construction include the positive effect of the major drive components on the centre of gravity, their space-saving design and the fact that they are extremely well protected within the vehicle underbody.

The five-seater BlueZERO concept cars also set standards in terms of lightweight design, interior layout and body form.

“The flexible BlueZERO concept allows electromobility for every requirement and highlights the fact that Mercedes-Benz is the world’s only car manufacturer to already have in place all the key technologies for electric cars offering full everyday practicality”, said Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

The company says all three BlueZERO variants share the same key technical components, while the design and vehicle dimensions are identical.

Measuring just 4.22 metres in length, the BlueZERO models combine compact exterior dimensions with a generously proportioned and variable interior and luggage compartment.
Five fully-fledged seats, a payload of around 450 kilograms and a luggage compartment capacity of over 500 litres make for outstanding everyday practicality.

Thanks to their sandwich construction with a raised sitting position, the cars also offer an exceptionally high level of crash safety for the passengers and the technology, not to mention excellent all-round visibility.

All three BlueZERO models feature front-wheel drive, which is typical for this class of car.
The Mercedes engineers have put together a modular system comprising several flexibly combinable drive components.

These include state-of-the-art liquid-cooled lithium-ion batteries with a storage capacity of up to 35 kWh and the compact electric motor with a maximum output of 100kW (continuous output 70kW), which develops a peak torque of 320Nm.

All three variants accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in less than 11 seconds. Their top speed is electronically limited to 150km/h in the interests of optimal range and energy efficiency.

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The studies are to be carried out in Spain and the United Kingdom in order to evaluate convenient and safe charging solutions for consumers.

GM and Iberdrola will analyse the requirements for the location of plug sockets in private homes and offices, and public or private parking, and for the installation of electricity meters.

The ultimate outcome is to assess the optimum viability of the electric car and the requirements for future mainstream use, such as electrical network capacity.

If these preliminary results are positive, both GM and Iberdrola will evaluate possible agreements with the different European, national, regional and local governments, to support the implementation of this initiative.

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Despite the impressive acceleration, the BMW 730d returns the lowest fuel consumption yet in a BMW luxury class vehicle of this type, using just 7.2 litres of diesel for each 100km.

Unfortunately that figure means that it misses out by just 0.2L/100km on a $5400 price saving under the Australian Government’s new Luxury Car Tax regime, which rewards cars that return a fuel consumption of less than 7.0L/100km.

We have to agree with BMW that this level of consumption would be considered impressive even in a small vehicle, let alone a five-metre long luxury car.

In addition the BMW 730d complies with the most stringent Euro5 European emissions legislation thus far proposed.

While pricing will be announced closer to the release of the 730d in June/July next year CarAdvice expects the frugal limo could be a price leader for the 7 Series with a tag f around $200,000.

The 730d will join a range of new 7 Series BMWs, the first the get a new model designation as BMW has exhausted its ‘E’ nomenclature and future models will move to ‘F’ with the 7 Series become the F01.

Tom Noble, General Manager, Marketing at BMW Group Australia. Said;” The new generation 7 Series embodies all our latest innovation, and even with its petrol engines reduces as far as possible fuel use. But the 730d takes fuel economy into a new league, with almost 30 percent less fuel required to cover 100 km compared with the 740i.”

At the beginning of 2009 BMW will launch four petrol models, two with 3.0-litre Twin Turbo, straight-six cylinder engines, the 240kW 740i, and long-wheelbase 740Li, and two models powered by the all new Twin Turbo 300kW V8 engine, in the 750i and long-wheelbase 750Li.

These will be the first time BMW has offered a six-cylinder 7 Series in Australia since the demise of the E32 730i and 735i in 1992. The new, advanced high precision direct injection six combines frugal consumption and exhilarating performance in an engine that will charm and excite its drivers.

BMW claims the 740i and 740Li are the fastest accelerating, most frugal and most powerful cars in their class.

The new Twin Turbo V8 is the first such engine ever from BMW and features a host of innovations, such as direct petrol injection and the installation of the turbochargers in the V- section of the engine between the two rows of cylinders.

Performance from the 4.4-litre 750i and 750Li closely shadows that of the previous generation V12 6.0-litre engine of the flagship 760Li.

The F01 model 7 Series will offer unique features include Brake Energy Regeneration, Integral Active Steering, which can steer the rear wheels as well as the front, enhanced Night Vision with its new human recognition and warning system, Lane Change Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Head-Up Display, Runflat Safety Tyres, Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go Function,Variable Light Distribution and adaptive headlight range control.

Increased safety and manoeuvrability also comes courtesy of System Side View with its front bumper mounted cameras. There’s even an on board integrated owners manual, specific to each individual vehicle, that explains all of the features via the new iDrive system display, with its large high-resolution full colour screen and the new iDrive Controller.

“The new BMW 7 Series will quickly be viewed as the premium car in the segment, not just for its appealing styling or its high performance engines or its unmatched range of standard and customer selectable equipment, but because as a complete package, it is unbeatable,” said Guenther Seemann, Managing Director of BMW Group Australia.

BMW 7 Series pricing
BMW 740i $203,000
BMW 740Li $218,000
BMW 750i $274,000
BMW 750Li $291,000

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The camera will utilise the full colour screen on Calais, Calais V-Series and SS V-Series Sportwagon while all other Sportwagon models will feature an integrated rear-view mirror screen.

“This is a significant, competitively priced feature that will enhance safety for passengers and pedestrians,” GM Holden Director of Marketing, Philip Brook said.

“Sportwagon has strong appeal to customers with young children where safety is a key priority in their decision to purchase a new car.”

The factory fitted rear-view camera will be available as an option for the recommended retail price of $500.

This newest addition emphasises the Sportwagon’s position as an alternative to the family SUV, having outsold all SUVs across the compact, medium and large segments in September.

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With power output of 135kW and 392Nm, the 2.0-litre unit eclipses similar offerings from Audi, BMW and Mercedes.

“R proves Hyundai’s Diesel development capabilities really are world-class. With Diesels becoming cleaner and more fuel efficient all the time, there’s a growing demand for Diesel powerplants worldwide and Hyundai is well positioned to supply the market with the very best Diesel technology,” said Dr. Hyun-Soon Lee, president of the Corporate Research and Development Division.

A 2.2-litre version provides even more performance with 147kW and 436Nm, and could find its way into a series of diesel performance cars in the Hyundai range.

The R-Engine benefits from the third generation common rail system developed by Bosch whose piezo-electric injectors deliver fuel at 1800 bar for an unprecedented degree of accuracy and control.

The all-aluminium R-Engine is fitted with a 16 valve dual overhead camshaft which is driven by an internal steel silent timing chain.

For reduced vibration and lower booming noise, the R gets a lower balancer shaft which has been encased in stiffened ladder frame housing for increased rigidity.

The R-Engine line-up is fitted with a lose-coupled Diesel particulate filter plus highly efficient exhaust gas recirculation with by-pass valve to meet strict Euro 5 emissions regulations.

The R-Engine is the result of an investment of over AUD$285million and an engineering team of 150 personnel.

Over 500 prototype engines were built during the 42 month development period where they were subjected to exhaustive testing under all imaginable environmental conditions.

The R-Engine brings Hyundai’s Diesel engine family fully up-to-date as it joins the U-Engine (1.1 litre, 1.4 litre and 1.6 litre), the A-Engine (2.5 litre) and S-Engine (3.0 litre V6).

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The new battery technology developed for Mini E, which was specially engineered for automotive use, has a theoretical range of more than 240 kilometers. Mini E will initially be made available to select private and corporate customers as part of a pilot project in the US states of California, New York and New Jersey with the possibility of the program being extended to European buyers.

Peak torque of 220Nm is available from word go and delivers seamless acceleration to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds (top speed is electronically limited to 152 km/h to save battery life). The suspension system has also been modified to match the weight distribution characteristics offered by a car laden with batteries. Surprisingly though, Mini E is said to lose none of the agility and outstanding handling made famous by the brand.

By introducing the Mini E, the BMW Group has drawn strongly on its unique technological expertise in the field of drive systems to develop a vehicle concept enabling zero emissions without renouncing the joy of driving. Putting the cars on the road under real daily traffic conditions will also make it possible to gain widely applicable hands-on experience.

Evaluating these findings will generate valuable know-how, which will eventually be factored into the engineering of mass-produced vehicles. The BMW Group aims to start series production of all-electric vehicles over the medium term as part of its Number ONE strategy. Mini E will give its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 19 and 20, 2008.

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While BMW have been vague about specifics, we know that every body panel has been reinforced with special ballistic resistant armoured fibre that was developed in the Netherlands, and as you would expect the windows are upgraded to 22mm thick security glass.

Along with ‘Aramid’ fibre mats on the floor pan to resist explosions, an internal camera system with intercom keeps the occupants aware of which underworld gangster is attempting to make you ‘disappear’.

Cars have been tuned to handle the extra weight with engine, suspension and brake upgrades. The BMW 5 series ‘Security’ is offered with either a 274kW, 4.8-litre V8 that can sprint to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds or a 203kW, 3.0-litre inline-six that can do the same in 7.5 seconds.

BMW Security models availability extends to select dealerships through Africa, Latin America, the Middle-East and South-East Asia.

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Picture this scenario, driving along a lonely road - pitch black, somewhere in the Simpson Desert - roo central, at a hundred clicks in over half a million dollars worth of car.

This is the exact situation the CarAdvice team was placed in when it took two Aston Martins to the heart of Australia on another leg of our Full Throttle expedition.

At the time all we had between us and what was sure to be a viral image of a kangaroo-powered DBS was a sacrificial rental driven by Alborz leading the way - tense times.

This new Night Vision system uses a thermal imaging camera which provides a real-time moving video image which allows the driver to recognise people, animals and other objects, beyond the reach of headlights.

“According to official statistics, 43 per cent of fatal Australian accidents occur at night, even though most driving occurs during the day,” says Guenther Seemann, BMW Group Australia Managing Director.

Now this technology already made its debut back in 2006 on the previous 7 Series, however BMW have made significant software enhancements to the point where the system can now detect individual people for the first time.

Rather than constantly glimpsing at the night-time monitor, the system now uses intelligent algorithms to search specifically for pedestrians then highlights the individual in a yellow colour in the video image.

If the system determines a potential risk ahead, it will notify the driver with an additional warning.

To minimise the number of warnings, the system analyses each situation, restricting its warnings to pedestrians in a warning corridor determined as a function of speed, the steering angle, and the yaw rate of the car.

This warning comes in the form of a symbol in both the control display and the head-up display projected onto the windscreen.

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