<TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=text10black width="100%" bgColor=#cddbeb>Fiat Grande Punto</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- END OTHER FEATURE STORIES -->While the US motoring press flocked to Chicago last week and we Europeans continued preparing for Geneva, another motor show took place in Australia.
The Melbourne Motor Show has traditionally played second fiddle to the larger biannual event in Sydney, but this year, there are some important new debuts and interesting concepts on display.
Fiat is a brand new to Australia; Alfa Romeo has long been on offer, and many Alfa dealers are signing up to stock Fiat models, which will be launched in the coming autumn. Fiat says that the new Grande Punto will start from under A$20,000 as it hopes to tap into the growing demand for economical subcompacts as petrol prices continue to rise. Though there are no concrete plans to offer Australians the Sedici 4x4 as yet, the new-generation Stilo small family car (to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in September) will be exported Down Under.
Ford had one of the most important new cars on display: its locally-built Territory Turbo. The Territory, an Asia/Pacific-market 4x4 that shares its platform with the Falcon saloon/station wagon/ute, is the best-selling SUV in Australia. For 2006, it will be offered with a turbocharged 329bhp 4.0-litre engine and six-speed automatic transmission; luxury-spec Ghia versions are also available.
<TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=text10black width="100%" bgColor=#cddbeb>Ford Territory</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Ford claims to be the longest-established car manufacturer in Australia and its Falcon range has been designed, developed and built at its HQ in Broadmeadows, Victoria. The Territory and Territory Turbo are built on the same assembly lines.
Ford also displayed its new-look Escape SUV, which has received a new grille with three horizontal bars, new chrome-effect trim, new bumpers and four chrome-ringed headlamps. It now looks more like the Territory.
<TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=text10black width="100%" bgColor=#cddbeb>The very last Holden Monaro</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- END OTHER FEATURE STORIES -->As expected, Holden (General Motors' Australian subsidiary) put on an extensive display at its home event. While many manufacturers were celebrating new introductions, however, Holden was marking a departure: the Monaro coupe, now out of production. The very last Monaro off the lines was on the show stand and up for auction on ebay.au to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation. The starting bid is $100,000 and the auction closes on February 19. It's no ordinary Monaro, though; it's finished in a custom orange-yellow metallic paint and has unique embossed wheels, leather seats and interior trim. Like the last of the CV8Z models, it has the 5.7-litre, 349bhp V8.
It wasn't all sad farewells, though. Holden showed a compact SUV concept called T2X, essentially a reworked, rebadged version of the GM-Daewoo T2X seen at the Seoul Motor Show last year. This has suicide doors with no B-pillars, a removable glass roof panel and innovative roof-mounted storage boxes. It's not intended for production as it is, but it hints at a future short-wheelbase version of the GM-Daewoo-Chevrolet S3X, also on Holden's stand in Melbourne. The S3X, to be sold as the Chevrolet Captiva in the UK, is GM's successor to the Frontera, and it'll appear under many different brand-names around the world.
Most striking on the Holden stand is the Efijy concept car, first seen at last October's Sydney Motor Show. Created by Holden's Special Vehicles (HSV) division, it is a reinterpretation of the 1958 Holden FJ, built on the Chevrolet Corvette platform. It features the Corvette's 6.0 V8 engine, air-adjustable shock absorbers and technology such as a touch-screen LCD display and fan-cooled LED headlamps, and is finished in Soprano Purple paint. Sadly, it's purely a show car, developed as a collaboration with supplier firms, and is unlikely to go into production.
<TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=text10black width="100%" bgColor=#cddbeb>Holden T2X</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>More familiar to European eyes, the Holden Astra range is gaining revised 1.9-litre diesel engines; and the Barina - the new-generation Corsa, on a platform shared with Fiat's Grande Punto - has made its debut in four-door saloon form. We're unlikely to see a Corsa saloon in the UK. The latest five-door Astra only made it to Australia last year, with estate and three-door versions joining the range there this spring. The Tigra roadster is also new on sale.
Finally, Holden has taken the chance to promote its 6.0-litre V8 engine, the L76, which will feature in the hot SS-brand version of the Commodore, Caprice and Ute - it's an update of the V8 currently fitted in the Corvette and will appear in those home-market models first.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="90%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=text12><TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=text10black width="100%" bgColor=#cddbeb>Mazda Tribute</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The Mazda Tribute has had a similar makeover to its sister model, the Ford Escape, with a bolder front end. New features include a redesigned dashboard and upgraded cabin, with the former column-shift gear lever moved down to the floor, a rear central three-point seatbelt and headrest, improved brakes and tweaked suspension. The 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine has been refined for fuel economy, which has improved by over 10%; the 2.3-litre four-cylinder unit is also said to now be more refined, smoother and capable of better low- and mid-range responses, thanks to the addition of an electronic drive-by-wire throttle. Neither engine meets the Euro IV emissions standards, however, which is why the Tribute (a slow-seller, anyway) has been dropped from the Mazda range over here.
Mazda is the fourth best-selling company in the region and intends to diversify its range beyond its conventional passenger vehicles. The CX-7 crossover, a model launched in the US, will be offered in Australia towards the end of the year, adding to the Mazda2, Mazda3 and Mazda6, all popular choices in Australia and which all posted record sales figures last year.
<TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=text10black width="100%" bgColor=#cddbeb>Mazda CX-7</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Subaru's practical all-wheel-drive station wagons, utes and saloons are popular choices Down Under, but the Japanese brand is also well-respected for its rally-inspired performance cars. The Liberty Blitzen - a tuned version of the model we know as the Legacy - is similar to a model on offer in Japan and features the same 3.0-litre flat-six engine as the 3.0R SpecB model. This develops 241bhp and 219lb-ft of torque and can accelerate 0-60mph in under seven seconds - not bad for blitzen-ing across the outback. It'll come in bright red or black paint, with full body kit, different honeycomb grille and 18-inch wheels; four-door saloon and, appropriately, Outback station wagon models will be available. Equipment will include Bilstein sports suspension, side and curtain airbags, cruise control, climate control, a six-CD 13-speaker sound system and Momo steering wheel. Just 200 will be imported into Australia, however.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=text10black width="100%" bgColor=#cddbeb>Toyota Aurion</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- END OTHER FEATURE STORIES -->Toyota is also big in Australia and its new Aurion saloon was launched this week in Melbourne. The six-cylinder Aurion, specifically styled to suit Australian tastes, will replace the Avalon this summer; a concept called Future Performance Concept hints at a sportier version to follow. The FPV has a supercharged 3.5 V6, developed and tuned in Australia and will come with a full body makeover and modified handling. Australia is Toyota's second-largest market after the US and Toyota has been manufacturing there since 1963. Its state-of-the-art facility at Altona puts out 420 cars a day and can make 100,000 cars a year.
Melbourne show-goers got a sneak peek at a new-generation Yaris T-Sport concept, which we'll see in Geneva. This has a 1.8-litre engine, the biggest yet to be installed in a Yaris and new bumpers, grille, alloy wheels and tuned suspension.
Toyota's most eye-catching display was a further concept called Sportivo, however. This is a coupe with scissor-style doors, futuristic styling and a neat touch to help Australian drivers outwit the growing number of speed camera on their roads - a self-adjusting speedometer. This digital display reads so that the speed limit in the area (known thanks to GPS technology) always displays in the 12 o'clock position of the dial, so it's easy to see if you're over the limit. The dials show red if you're speeding.
<TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=text10black width="100%" bgColor=#cddbeb>Toyota Aurion</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The Sportivo, based on the Australia-built Camry saloon but with added four-wheel drive, is the result of a project involving 14-18-year-old car fans, who gave Toyota engineers and designers plenty of feedback on their priorities, preferences and lifestyle. Toyota expects this generation to pioneer the use of new technologies when they come to the car market. Further details include the replacement of a conventional licence plate with the driver's own ID in a digital display - allowing police or authorities to identify the driver, rather than registered owner - and a new electronic parking brake.
The Sportivo was developed from scratch in less than 30 weeks at Toyota's Style Australia studio and many of its ideas are expected to filter through into a production vehicle. Its four-wheel-drive underpinnings were lifted from the RAV-4 and it is fitted with the RAV 4's manual gearbox, driveshafts and differential. It is powered by the Camry's 2.4-litre petrol engine with added Garrett turbocharger, giving a 60% power upgrade to 241bhp and torque upped 55% to 161lb-ft. Uprated brakes, coil springs and dampers are fitted, along with 21" custom-built six-spoke alloys.
source:http://www.channel4.com/4car/feature/motorshows/2006/melbourne/index.html
<!-- END OTHER FEATURE STORIES -->While the US motoring press flocked to Chicago last week and we Europeans continued preparing for Geneva, another motor show took place in Australia.
The Melbourne Motor Show has traditionally played second fiddle to the larger biannual event in Sydney, but this year, there are some important new debuts and interesting concepts on display.
Fiat is a brand new to Australia; Alfa Romeo has long been on offer, and many Alfa dealers are signing up to stock Fiat models, which will be launched in the coming autumn. Fiat says that the new Grande Punto will start from under A$20,000 as it hopes to tap into the growing demand for economical subcompacts as petrol prices continue to rise. Though there are no concrete plans to offer Australians the Sedici 4x4 as yet, the new-generation Stilo small family car (to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in September) will be exported Down Under.
Ford had one of the most important new cars on display: its locally-built Territory Turbo. The Territory, an Asia/Pacific-market 4x4 that shares its platform with the Falcon saloon/station wagon/ute, is the best-selling SUV in Australia. For 2006, it will be offered with a turbocharged 329bhp 4.0-litre engine and six-speed automatic transmission; luxury-spec Ghia versions are also available.
<TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
Ford also displayed its new-look Escape SUV, which has received a new grille with three horizontal bars, new chrome-effect trim, new bumpers and four chrome-ringed headlamps. It now looks more like the Territory.
<TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
It wasn't all sad farewells, though. Holden showed a compact SUV concept called T2X, essentially a reworked, rebadged version of the GM-Daewoo T2X seen at the Seoul Motor Show last year. This has suicide doors with no B-pillars, a removable glass roof panel and innovative roof-mounted storage boxes. It's not intended for production as it is, but it hints at a future short-wheelbase version of the GM-Daewoo-Chevrolet S3X, also on Holden's stand in Melbourne. The S3X, to be sold as the Chevrolet Captiva in the UK, is GM's successor to the Frontera, and it'll appear under many different brand-names around the world.
Most striking on the Holden stand is the Efijy concept car, first seen at last October's Sydney Motor Show. Created by Holden's Special Vehicles (HSV) division, it is a reinterpretation of the 1958 Holden FJ, built on the Chevrolet Corvette platform. It features the Corvette's 6.0 V8 engine, air-adjustable shock absorbers and technology such as a touch-screen LCD display and fan-cooled LED headlamps, and is finished in Soprano Purple paint. Sadly, it's purely a show car, developed as a collaboration with supplier firms, and is unlikely to go into production.
<TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
Finally, Holden has taken the chance to promote its 6.0-litre V8 engine, the L76, which will feature in the hot SS-brand version of the Commodore, Caprice and Ute - it's an update of the V8 currently fitted in the Corvette and will appear in those home-market models first.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="90%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=text12><TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
Mazda is the fourth best-selling company in the region and intends to diversify its range beyond its conventional passenger vehicles. The CX-7 crossover, a model launched in the US, will be offered in Australia towards the end of the year, adding to the Mazda2, Mazda3 and Mazda6, all popular choices in Australia and which all posted record sales figures last year.
<TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
Melbourne show-goers got a sneak peek at a new-generation Yaris T-Sport concept, which we'll see in Geneva. This has a 1.8-litre engine, the biggest yet to be installed in a Yaris and new bumpers, grille, alloy wheels and tuned suspension.
Toyota's most eye-catching display was a further concept called Sportivo, however. This is a coupe with scissor-style doors, futuristic styling and a neat touch to help Australian drivers outwit the growing number of speed camera on their roads - a self-adjusting speedometer. This digital display reads so that the speed limit in the area (known thanks to GPS technology) always displays in the 12 o'clock position of the dial, so it's easy to see if you're over the limit. The dials show red if you're speeding.
<TABLE class=featuretopimage cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width=175 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=2>
The Sportivo was developed from scratch in less than 30 weeks at Toyota's Style Australia studio and many of its ideas are expected to filter through into a production vehicle. Its four-wheel-drive underpinnings were lifted from the RAV-4 and it is fitted with the RAV 4's manual gearbox, driveshafts and differential. It is powered by the Camry's 2.4-litre petrol engine with added Garrett turbocharger, giving a 60% power upgrade to 241bhp and torque upped 55% to 161lb-ft. Uprated brakes, coil springs and dampers are fitted, along with 21" custom-built six-spoke alloys.
source:http://www.channel4.com/4car/feature/motorshows/2006/melbourne/index.html
