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Announcing Trivett KIA City’s $2,000 Towards a Trip to RIO Winner!

Announcing Trivett KIA City’s $2,000 towards a trip to Rio winner!

	Congratulations to Greg Palmer from Storage King Strathfield South, our lucky winner in Trivett KIA City’s $2,000 towards a trip to Rio Promotion. As the lucky winner, Greg will receive a $2,000 Master Card. Congratulations! and thank you to all for entering. Authorised under NSW Permit Number LTPS/12/08006.

New tyre inflates itself on the move

Tired of untangling the air hose at the petrol station?

Or are you among the majority of drivers who check their tyres less than once a year? Goodyear has invented a tyre that inflates itself while on the move – which, it claims, will save drivers money due to more even wear and better fuel economy.

The self-inflating system was unveiled earlier this year, but Goodyear has just announced real-world fleet trials of the technology. The tyre, awarded “best breakthrough” by US magazine Popular Mechanics, maintains the correct pressure via a valve mounted inside the tyre – but which pokes through a gap in the tread.

As the tyre rolls, the deformation of the tyre flattens the tube, pushing air through an inlet valve. Air is released – or sucked in – as required. Although it will be on North American roads in trial conditions next year, it’s not likely to be available in Australia until 2014 at the earliest.

“The concept has been tested and it works, we’re now just looking at bringing it to market,” says James Peate, communications manager at Goodyear Australia.

“There would be a price premium but it’s too early to estimate what it would cost.” Goodyear’s North American division is developing the truck version of the technology, while its Luxembourg facility is developing it for passenger cars.

The self-inflating tyre is just one of many advances in tyre technology in the past decade. In 2000, French tyre maker Michelin introduced “run flat” tyres that can be driven at low speeds, even when punctured.

Other tyre manufacturers followed, but car buyers have been slow to embrace the technology because of their cost (they were initially double the price of regular tyres) and uncomfortably firm ride (because of the thicker rubber used in the sidewalls).

Less than 1 per cent of tyres sold are of the “run flat” variety, Michelin estimates. Meanwhile, Michelin has been working on a "see-through" air-less tyre called the “Tweel”. The tyre has no sidewalls, the tread is held up by thick cross sections of rubber – but it is still in the experimental stage.

Article by Joshua Dowling and courtesy of www.carsguide.com.au

Taigun the high ground

Volkswagen has unveiled another tasty morsel based on the same platform as the recently released Up.

The Volkswagen Taigun sports utility vehicle has been unveiled at the Sao Paulo motor show in Brazil, but is a world wide model. Like the Up the Taigun is small on the outside at just 3.9 metres long and 1.7 metres wide, but surprisingly roomy inside thanks to its generous 2.5 metre wheelbase.

Weighing in at 985kg that makes it 320mm longer than the Up and it has a 60mm longer wheelbase. Powering the four-seat softy is a new 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces 81kW of power at 5000 revs and 175Nm of torque at 1500 revs.

Drive is to the front wheels through the six-speed manual gearbox (no mention of an auto). With the use of direct fuel injection and turbocharging it returns fuel consumption of 4.7 litres/100km.

Painted in Seaside Blue with yellow highlights inside the dash from 0-100km/h takes 9.2 seconds and it has a top speed of 186 km/h. The look is strong and purposeful, with twin tailpipes, chunky side panels, underbody protection and roof rails with LED spotlights sitting on 17 inch wheels and tyres fitted with 205/50 series rubber.

The tailgate is split horizontally, just like station wagons of old, with a window that opens separately. Inside the designers have systematically reduced the number of functions to the most essential.

Similarly, the development team has come up with individual solutions for user controls. They include air nozzles with built-in fan and temperature controls. Taigun is also equipped with an infotainment system that interfaces with all commonly used smart phones.

To the right of the radio-navigation system is the combination on/off/volume control. Centrally located under the infotainment system and finished in fine aluminium are the hazard warning light switch (middle) and the buttons for rear window heating, defrost function, air conditioning system and exterior lights.

Above the radio-navigation system on the dashboard there are three auxiliary instrument dials for oil pressure, coolant temperature and charge pressure. The leather-trimmed three-spoke steering wheel has a sporty flat bottom.

Article by Chris Riley and courtesy of www.carsguide.com.au

Rapid arrives in Sydney

The car Skoda expects to become its biggest seller in Australia made its local debut at the Sydney motor show today.

The Skoda Rapid is a small hatchback powered by a choice of 77kW 1.2-litre and 90kW 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engines, and is aimed at the heart of Australia’s largest new vehicle sales segment and such rivals as the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla.

A 66kW turbo-diesel version is also expected when the model goes on sale here early in Q2 next year (2013). Initially, the diesel-powered version will be available only with a manual transmission, with DSG variants to arrive "later on in the year".

It will go on sale promising typical Skoda assets; value pricing and enough interior space to fit five passengers, as well as their gear in a huge 530-litre boot (that has a full-size spare wheel under the floor). That's bigger than Holden Commodore and Toyota Camry.

Transmission choices are expected to include six-speed manual and seven-speed DSG dual-clutch gearboxes (six-speed likely for turbo-diesel variants).

While pricing will not be officially confirmed at the show, $20,990 is the mooted starting point for a car which will slot between the Fabia and Octavia in terms of price and size.

However, the Rapid’s sales volume aspirations won’t be fully realised until an even more commodious ‘Spaceback’ body style goes on sale here in early 2014.

Skoda Australia wasn’t giving much away about the Rapid’s equipment level at the show, but did admit it will include six airbags, five lap-sash safety belts and such intriguing interior storage features as a refuse bin and double-sided boot floor.

The exterior of the 4.48-metre Rapid presents the VW-owned Czech brand’s new design language for the first time, including a headlight ensemble shaped like a cloverleaf.

VW Passat Alltrack at the motor show

Few carmakers double sales within five years, especially in a hard-fought, overcrowded market like this one.

Volkswagen has come close. It is now the eighth most popular brand in Australia - from a list of 48 players - with almost 5 per cent of the market.

Though the figure seems small, consider that five years ago it had 2.6 per cent of the market and that today it more than doubles the sales of the next most popular European, Mercedes-Benz, which has a 2 per cent share of the market.

Now, Volkswagen spreads its product range wider, poised soon to launch its cute, highly efficient and sub-$15,000 city car, the Up. It is to present its Passat Alltrack - an all-wheel-drive Subaru chaser - and the new-generation Beetle, while trimming its Touareg SUV range back to a diesel-only selection and preparing a new Golf for the world market.

The latest product niche is a wagon that takes on Australia’s crossover darling, Subaru. At the same time, the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack takes a swipe at a similar product from family owned Audi - the yet-to-be released $70,000 A4 Allroad. The Alltrack arrives 40 years after Subaru launched the all-wheel drive wagon and singularly changed the way we drive today.

It is expected to cost around $49,000 - which is a one third discount on the Audi - and its turbo diesel and automatic transmission specifications take on the Subaru Outback (which is yet to launch an auto diesel) and the Volvo XC70 D5, which costs from $64,000. The Alltrack is a different kettle to the Passat V6 4Motion, a $56,000 road-going sports-oriented wagon.

In fact, it gets the same off-road package - electronic drive traction and braking aids, a steel under body and extra 30mm ride height - as the sister Touareg and Tiguan SUVs. Except for the Passat’s extended front and rear overhang, it is as capable off the road as these two. But it is biased towards the street.

Compared with the Touareg and Tiguan, it is more luxury-oriented, more comfortable and handles the bitumen with far more confidence. Driven in Austria and Switzerland at its international launch in March, the Alltrack cleverly melds off-road purpose with on-road convenience.

Its external size offers excellent cabin room, a huge boot and the expected high level of versatility in an SUV. The dashboard escapes much of the all-black plastic of some VW models with contrasting colours and soft-feel plastics. Driven in mud and snow, I commented that though the all-wheel-drive system - Volkswagen calls it 4Motion - has been around for a few years, it remains simple and effective.

It delivers about 10 per cent power to the rear wheels on bitumen but seeks out traction and is flexible enough to put up to 100 per cent to the rear wheels. The sole engine at its launch in Europe was the 125kW/350Nm 2-litre turbo-diesel that’s common to a string of VW, Skoda and Audi product. The box is a six-speed DSG with paddle shifts for manual operation.

Tested in snow, the all-wheel drive system constantly sends power to the wheels with traction. It works very well, but enthusiastic off-road owners will find the car’s flaws are its 165mm ground clearance and its comparatively long 941mm/1120mm front/rear overhangs. The Alltrack will tow up to 2000kg and is appealing to people towing boats, horse floats and caravans.

Article by Stuart Martin and courtesy of www.carsguide.com.au

Production VW Polo R tipped for Geneva show

Volkswagen will unveil the production version of the Polo R WRC Street concept.

A hotted up ‘R’ version of the Volkswagen Polo, essentially a smaller version of the recently launched Golf R, has been rumoured to be in development for close to two years. Volkswagen has previously denied such a model, maintaining it would prove too costly for buyers in the sub-compact segment.

However, at the annual GTI Meeting at Wörthersee earlier this year, Volkswagen rolled out the Polo R WRC Street Concept, essentially a road-going version of its Polo WRC car that will be competing in the World Rally Championship from 2013 onwards.

Now, there are reports claiming the production Polo R will make its official world debut at March’s 2013 Geneva Motor Show, before going on sale shortly afterwards.

Speaking with Autocar, Volkswagen R&D chief Ulrich Hackenberg confirmed the Polo R would debut at the Geneva show, with its launch coinciding with the automaker’s WRC entry. He went on to reveal that the car’s introduction is due to the desire of VW’s motorsport division, which is hoping to draw attention to its WRC efforts, and that originally VW had no plans to launch such a model.

Like the Polo R WRC Street Concept, the production Polo R will get a tuned version of the turbocharged 155kW/280Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine from the outgoing MkVI Golf GTI. Peak output will be tuned up to around 168kW of power, which should give it a nice edge over the 132kW Polo GTI but keep it under the Golf R’s 188kW/330Nm.

To ensure it doesn’t encroach on the performance of its Golf R big brother, the Polo R will remain a front-wheel drive model, though it will still benefit from a mechanical limited-slip differential. Expect a 0-100km/h time of around 6.0 seconds (the Golf GTI does 6.9, while the Golf R dispatches it in 5.9) and a top speed of 242km/h.

Article by Viknesh Vijayenthiran and courtesy of www.carsguide.com.au

Volkswagen CC: review

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the new VW CC with specs, fuel economy and verdict.

Four-door coupes make a lot of sense in today’s world. As the baby boomers get older and their limbs get stiffer they want the convenience of a four-door sedan, but love the idea of driving a sleek, stylish two-door coupe.

Mercedes-Benz began the four-door coupe trend with its CLS in the early years of the 21st century. Volkswagen’s Passat CC was the first of the affordable cars in the class. In an interesting move the German giant has decided not to call the all-new model a Passat, but simply a ‘CC’. Giving it a market niche all to itself within the extensive VW range.

VALUE

The CC range consists of two models in Australia. The 125kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel delivers 125kW/350Nm via the front wheels and is priced from $54,990 while the petrol all-wheel drive 3.6-litre V6 starts from $64,990.

In a cheeky move Volkswagn is aiming the CC at the upper crust German marques, albeit at the lower specced versions of standard sedans, not the coupes. The local importer says it would just love to steal buyers from the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

TECHNOLOGY

Volkswagen CC comes with the choice of two engines – a 3.6-litre V6 FSI petrol putting out 220 kW of power and a 2.0-litre TDI common-rail turbo-diesel delivering 125 kW. Both engines produce 350 Nm of torque, the petrol between 2400 and 5300 rpm, the diesel from a low 1750 revs.

This V6 FSI powertrain can accelerate the big coupe to 100 km/h from rest in just 5.6 seconds, the sort of acceleration that required a gas guzzling V8 engine only half a generation back.

On test we found the VW CC using only eight to ten litres per hundred kilometres around town. Getting petrol consumption below seven litres per hundred when touring was simple with a bit of attention to economy driving.

Both engines sit beside a six-speed DSG double-clutch automatic that has a semi-manual mode using either the gear lever or steering wheel-mounted shift paddles.

DESIGN

New generation Volkswagen CC follows the latest VW design theme at the front with its ultra-neat nose having a slim horizontal shape in the grille and head and foglights. These blend well with the lowset bonnet.

Viewed from the side the CC has sleek lines that pull the shape into a low profile admired by all who commented on the car during our recent week’s review.

The large VW badge in the bootlid acts as the boot handle and also houses the rear-view camera. Thus keeping up the uncluttered look that’s such a feature of the rest of the CC.

Despite the low, sleek exterior, cabin headroom has not been compromised. There’s 955 mm (949 mm with panoramic glass roof) in the front and 922 mm in the rear seats. It comes as no surprise that we found ourselves closer to the roof in the CC than in a conventional four-door sedan, but at no time did we feel cramped. Friends in the back seat for a mid-range trip made similar comments about their seating positions.

Those in the rear compartment greatly appreciated being able to get in and out through normal doors, instead of having to crawl past folded front seats as is the norm in a two-door coupe. They added that you have to be aware of the lower than average door opening, particularly when getting into the CC.

Soft-touch cabin surroundings and leather trimmed seats continue the feel of the exterior quality of the Volkswagen CC. We really loved the optional ambient lighting system that provides a relaxing lounge-like atmosphere at night.

The boot is relatively shallow if you compare it with a four-door sedan of the same size, but that’s to be expected. Cleverly, the boot can be opened by making a kicking movement under the rear of the car making life much simpler when both hands are carrying stuff. You need to have the key in your pocket or bag so that the CC senses you’re authorised to open the bootlid in this manner.

SAFETY

Standard safety features include Driver Fatigue Detection; Side Assist that warns of vehicles in blind spots if you haven’t set the mirrors correctly; Lane Assist that prevents unintended wandering between lanes by intervening in steering; and City Emergency Brake function.

DRIVING

Our test car was the petrol, which not only has the extra smoothness provided by a V6 engine and petrol injection, but also VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system. The latter provides added traction on slippery surfaces or when pulling sharply out of a side street into a small gap in heavy traffic.

Just the thing for helping us make time during the school holiday period on the Gold Coast where we are plagued by dithery drivers slowing us locals up. Apologies to all you folks from down south who do the right thing...

On road handling and comfort are good, with a nice compromise seeing the CC riding well on all but the roughest of sealed surfaces. Even when it did hit near-Outback roads and Australia’s notorious coarse-chip surfaces it wasn’t overly upset.

Handling is neutral at normal driving speeds and remains so even when we started to push our test CC hard on our favourite stretches of hilly roads. Go really hard in a sporting manner and you can feel the heavy front engine location pushing it into marginal understeer. But a lot of that is cancelled by the all-wheel-drive system.

VERDICT

Volkswagen CC’s not really aimed at full-on sporty coupe drivers, but will certainly please those who look at cars as mere providers of transportation.

Volkswagen CC

Price: from $54,990 (petrol), from $64,990 (diesel)

Warranty: Three years/unlimited km

Resale: 47%

Service interval: 15,000km/12 months

Safety: five star

Spare: Full-size

Engines: 2.0-litre turbodiesel, 125kW/350Nm; 3.6-litre petrol V6, 220kW/350Nm

Transmissions: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic, FWD (diesel) AWD (petrol)

Weight: 1526kg -1656kg

Thirst: 5.5 litres/100km diesel, 144g/km CO2; 9.3 litres/100km petrol, 215g/km CO2

Review by Ewan Kennedy and courtesy of www.carsguide.com.au

Batman-inspired Kia Optima

Gotham City's streets are full of villains and the Batman-themed Optima is ready for action

Holy Korean superheroes, Batman. Kia has built a Dark Knight Optima.

Kia has joined forces with DC Entertainment and RIDES magazine to create a brooding, Batman-inspired Optima that goes on display this week at the Time Warner Centre in New York.

The project kicks off a 10-month partnership that will spawn other concepts based on the iconic characters that make up the Justice League. Influenced by the artistry of comic book icon, Jim Lee, the Kia super hero vehicles will become a force for good in the world by raising awareness of DC Entertainment's “We Can Be Heroes'' campaign, a relief effort to fight famine in Africa.

Fitting for the caped crusader's dark and mysterious personality, Kia's range-topping Optima SX Limited wraps cutting-edge technology and premium amenities in a sleek, aggressive design customised with several unique Batman elements.

Working together, Kia, DC Entertainment and RIDES magazine designed and built the Batman-themed Optima, transforming the exterior with a matte- and piano-black paint scheme, a dramatically lowered coilover suspension and muscular ground effects kit, huge Ksport performance brakes for extreme stopping power, custom-designed 20-inch black wheels and a performance exhaust system.

Other exterior modifications include a custom front grille shaped like a batwing that took over 40 hours to create, yellow LED lighting accents throughout the vehicle and the iconic bat signal etched into the HID headlights. Moving beneath the cape, the Optima's seating surfaces are costumed in custom black leather and suede with bold yellow accent stitching.

Gotham City's streets are full of villains and the Batman-themed Optima is ready for action at a moment's notice with a Bat suit and cowl mounted in the trunk and utility throwing stars installed in the center console.

Article by courtesy of www.carsguide.com.au

New Land Rover for 2013

Land Rover will introduce its upgraded Disco 4 for the 2013 model year from January. Key points of the new model year upgrade include a detuned version of the 3.0-litre diesel V6 in lieu of the current 2.7-litre diesel engine, and ZF's new eight-speed automatic for the V6 variants.

In addition, Land Rover will launch the upgraded Discovery with new colour combinations – comprising five new colours – an enhanced audio system and new interior trim materials and colours. New option packs include an extended leather pack and Black Design packs that can be ordered with a choice of 19 or 20-inch alloy wheels finished in black.

"The Discovery 4 continues to win awards for its unrivalled versatility and breadth of capability, accommodating up to seven passengers in comfort whatever the terrain," said John Edwards, Land Rover Global Brand Director, as quoted in a press release. "For 2013, the breadth of choice gets better, with equipment upgrades and our new Black Design Packs enhancing the key design attributes that our customers identify with today. As the ultimate all-purpose vehicle, the Discovery 4 is now more compelling than ever before."

Land Rover has dropped the 2.7-litre turbodiesel V6 for the new model year, its place taken by a detuned version of the 3.0-litre V6. The existing engine continues, developing 183kW and 600Nm, and is joined by the 155kW version that produces 520Nm. Both engines produce peak torque from as low as 2000rpm and the 155kW version emits fewer grams of CO2 than the smaller engine it supplants – 224g/km versus 244g/km for the older V6. The 183kW engine also discharges lower CO2 emissions than the old 2.7 – 230g/km.

Land Rover has adopted the ZF eight-speed automatic (coded 8HP70) for the diesel V6 applications, dropping the six-speed ZF box, which does carry on as the 6HP28 matched to the 5.0-litre petrol V8. A more efficient transmission, the 8HP70 features closer ratios, but a higher top gear for relaxed freeway cruising. The gear cluster aids fuel economy, as do an improved hydraulic pump, a torque converter that locks up at lower speeds and/or operating temperatures, and a revised mechanical layout that the manufacturer claims requires only two internal clutches open simultaneously. Neutral is selected when the car is stationary and automatically runs the engine in lower gears (at higher engine speeds) in hotter conditions to improve airflow and output from the climate control system, or in colder conditions to hasten the warm-up of the engine to reduce emissions and fuel use. An adaptive unit, the ZF 8HP70 monitors driver input and holds gears in corners and bends. Shifting takes place within 200 milliseconds and the transmission does not need to change sequentially; it can skip up to six gears if necessary.

Cosmetically, the updated Discovery offers five new colours: Havana, Barolo Black, Barossa, Mariana Black and Causeway Grey. Discovery HSE now comes with a new seven-spoke design of 19-inch alloy wheel, finished in Bright Silver. Inside, Arabica seats with Nutmeg stitching and Ivory seats with Ivory stitching are both now available in Windsor premium leather. Grand Ivory Lacquer woodgrain veneer is a new trim material complemented by Ebony fascia and door trim pieces. Cosmic Grey is a new, optional colour available and the Grand Black Lacquer veneer is now upgraded with Gloss Black finish for the steering wheel switchgear.

Finally, the audio system is upgraded to the latest generation DAB+ and DMB-A digital formats and a new digital TV tuner receives MPEG4 broadcasts and is available across the range.

VW Golf GTI will bring two models

The upcoming Golf GTI will get two models for the first time.

The hot new hatch doesn't look at all menacing on the Volkswagen stand at the Paris show, where it only wears a 'concept' label, but a big change is coming.

There will be two models of GTI for the first time in 2013. Even the cooking Golf has been upgraded to the level of the outgoing Golf R, with 350 Newton-metres of torque and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.6 seconds.

It also has a handy 162 kiloWatts of power to feed to the front wheels through its six-speed manual and DSG gearboxes. But wait, there's more. Volkswagen has developed a Performance Pack that lifts output from the 2.-litre petrol engine, with turbocharging and direct fuel injection, to 169 kiloWatts. The 0-100km/h time comes down just fractionally to 6.5 seconds.

But the big changes are in the driveline, where the PP GTI gets bigger disc brakes and a mechanical limited-slip differential. “We're looking at both models,” the spokesman for Volkswagen Group Australia, Karl Gehling, confirms to Carsguide. He hints that both are likely to make the trip, although not until the back end of 2013.

“It will be late next year. It's not launched in Europe until the middle of next year.” There is no hint yet on GTI pricing, although the current model is priced from $38,990 as a three-door hatch and $49,490 with five doors. Despite the performance push, Volkswagen says the new GTI will also be the greenest car to wear the tag.

Both GTI versions come with a stop-start system and satisfy the upcoming Euro 6 emissions standard, with fuel economy but by 18 per cent to as good as 9.65 litres/100km and CO2 emissions of 140 grams/kilometres. Both cars also come with variable-ratio steering and a flat-bottomed wheel for the driver.

The package for the new car is slotted into the seventh-generation Golf body, which means reduced weight, anti-collision system and a high-end infotainment system. But it also gets predictable GTI tweaks including red-painted brake callipers, chromed 80-millimetre exhaust tips and smoked LED tail lamps. The Paris show car also has cloth tartan seats and a golf ball gear knob, although these are not likely to be standard in the production model.

As well as causing double trouble for shoppers forced to make a choice, the new GTI has the potential for mayhem in showrooms. The waiting time in Australia for the previous-generation GTI blew out to more than 18 months when the car first arrived and Gehling cannot promise any better in 2013. “We'll have to wait and see. With any new model there is likely to be a waiting list if demand exceeds supply,” he says.

Article by Paul Gover and courtesy of www.carsguide.com.au

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