GoAutonews

John Mellor's Australia’s Number One Automotive Industry Journal
GoAuto news
April 16, 2008
50,000 READERS WEEKLY No. 429
GTHO blow
FPV insiders admit a 400kW blown V8 GTHO was part of the FG Falcon plan
EXCLUSIVE
By JAMES STANFORD
FORD’S legendary GTHO nameplate was
meant to have been launched as a halo for the
all-new FG Falcon-based Ford Performance
Vehicles (FPV) range next month, but the
program was aborted due to cost.
GoAuto can exclusively reveal the FPV
GTHO proposal included the development of
a supercharged version of the 5.4-litre Boss V8
that would generate as much as 400kW.
FPV sources have revealed the plan was
scrapped largely because of cost issues, as both
FPV and Ford felt the limited volume could
not justify the development and warranty
coverage costs for the vehicle. The vehicle had
not progressed to the prototype stage before
the bean counters crunched the program.
The failed GTHO Falcon plan has left FPV
without a rival for the 7.0-litre Holden Special
Vehicles W427, which will generate a whopping
370kW of power and 640Nm of torque.
FPV sources have told GoAuto that the
company had considered a GTHO program
for the 2002 BA range, but the plan did not
progress far. The FG GTHO proposal was
far more advanced, but hinged on the use of
a supercharged version of the Boss V8 to give
the car a signifi cant performance advantage
over the standard GT.
When the supercharged V8 business case
fell over, so did plans for the FG GTHO.
“Unless you can do the HO properly, you
don’t do it at all,” said the source. “We needed
380kW or 400kW to be competitive or else
you just wouldn’t bother.”
While Blue Oval fans will be devastated
that accountants have denied them a full-blown
FG GTHO, there is hope for a future version,
complete with iconic Super Roo livery which has
remained in the Blue Oval vault since 1972.
FPV general manager Rod Barrett has told
GoAuto that he is constantly thinking about
building an HO model, but has not formulated
a proposal.
“I have a vision, which hasn’t gone to
concept yet,” he said. “If a GTHO was to come
back it needs to be the right car for the right
moment, and FPV wouldn’t do a GTHO unless
it was the most iconic FPV and Ford ever built.
There is too much heritage in the car.
“The HO is probably the closest thing to
heaven for a Ford fan in religious terms, so it
would be sacrilege to do anything less than the
ultimate.”
GoAuto understands the GTHO would
not use the current 5.4-litre Boss engine,
which combines imported parts with local
components and is pieced together by FPV in
Campbellfi eld. This ageing engine is due to be
phased out around 2010 or 2011.
It will be replaced by a 5.0-litre directinjection
V8 from a new family of Ford engines,
which will also be used by the Mustang in the
US. As well as featuring in FPV vehicles, a
version of the engine is also likely to be used
for Ford XR8 Falcons.
Ford Australia and FPV will be able to take
the new engine straight off the shelf instead of
hand-building them, a change that would cut
production costs signifi cantly.
Continued next page
MOTOR SHOW
SHOWDOWN
- page 4
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GTHO blow
Continued from previous page
A boosted version of this engine, which is
likely to be developed for high-performance
Mustang variants, would provide the perfect
powerplant for a GTHO model.
If the GTHO survives the business case this
time around, it is almost certain to wear the
Super Roo logo, which features a tyre-smoking
kangaroo and was fi rst introduced on the XW
GT 351 of 1969.
GoAuto understands FPV is saving the
Super Roo logo for the GTHO.
“It will be used when the time is right to use
it,” Mr Barrett said.
The FG GTHO project was long dead before
Mr Barrett joined FPV in July last year.
A special-edition Falcon GT released four
months before Mr Barrett arrived at FPV came
close to wearing the Super Roo logo. The 40th
Anniversary GT, which was painted black and
ran gold stripes over the bonnet, roof and boot,
was initially meant to wear Super Roo logos but
cost-related issues saw the decals removed.
While Ford Australia was not prepared to
push through with a supercharged GTHO for
the FG range, Melbourne tuning house Herrod
Motorsport already builds its own versions.
The respected engine tuner offers intercooled
supercharged kits using a Yella Terra Whipple
supercharger that runs at 9 to 10psi boost for
Falcon BA and BF V8s.
The $14,000 upgrade lifts the output of a
standard XR8 Boss 260 to a healthy 390kW
and around 580Nm. Fitting the kit to the Boss
290 V8 yields around 400kW and 600Nm.
Herrod Motorsports even fi ts the upgraded
engines with a special engine badge that reads
GT-HO or XR8-HO, with ‘Herrod’ written
beneath the H and ‘Option’ written bellow the O.
Herrod Motorsports knew Ford and FPV were
considering a boosted HO for the FG program
and put together a proposal to do the engine
work for
the proposed
high-performance
model which did not
materialise.
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 2
Offi cial: New FPV F6 to offer 565Nm of torque
IT IS offi cial: Ford Performance Vehicles’ new
FG Falcon-based range, due to go on sale
in June following its media launch in four
weeks, will be headlined by a 315kW Boss
V8-engined GT.
The FG-series FPV fl agship’s peak power
output now comes 1000rpm higher up the
rev range than the current Boss 302 engine,
indicating a signifi cant hardware upgrade
for the all-new sedan and utility range, while
maximum torque of 551Nm (up from 530Nm)
also occurs 250rpm higher, at 4750rpm.
The Boss 315 engine’s output was revealed
indirectly last week, when the press launch
invitation was issued containing a full-frontal
shot of the new FPV GT, complete with
aggressive new bonnet bulge decals. FPV
says the “Boss 315” logo will also appear on
new engine covers for the GT E, GT-P and GT
sedans, as well as the FG-series Pursuit and
Super Pursuit utes.
The 13kW peak power hike for FPV’s
5.4-litre DOHC V8 may or may not come as
welcome news to Ford faithful, however, given
that HSV announced two weeks ago that all
of its Commodore-based vehicles will come
powered by a 317kW/550Nm 6.2-litre LS3 V8
from this month.
The HSV running change will be
accompanied by relatively small fuel
consumption and price increases, but only
time (and power-to-weight ratios) will tell
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whether the revised HSV V8s will continue to
offer real-world performance advantages over
their opposite numbers at FPV.
Two FPV models that HSV will not have
answers for are the wild new turbocharged F6
sedan and ute stablemates. The F6 twins will
come with an extra 40kW of peak power, with
performance rising from 270kW at 5000rpm to
310kW at 5500rpm – falling just 5kW short of
the FPV V8, but bettering the output of Ford’s
blistering new XR6 Turbo by 40kW.
The biggest news, however, is that peak
torque for FPV’s 4.0-litre DOHC inline turbo
six rises from 550Nm between 2000rpm and
4250rpm – fi gures that saw it produce more
torque than any Australian-made vehicle ever
– to a bullocking 565Nm from just 1900rpm
and extending all the way to 5200rpm.
While full details, including fuel consumption,
are yet to be revealed, FPV claims the I6’s
superior outputs come courtesy of stronger
pistons, more turbo boost pressure and a larger
intercooler mounted in front of the radiator.
Both F6 models will wear “F6 310” badging
on their sides and rear ends, as well as on
their airboxes.
“After two years of testing and development
we have two new engine variants that will
deliver big performance,” said FPV general
manager Rod Barrett.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Duratec to shine: Ford - next page
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 3
Duratec to shine: Ford
2010 Falcon V6 to offer
similar performance and
economy to I6, plus turbo
By MARTON PETTENDY
DESPITE being smaller in capacity, Ford
Australia has promised the imported Duratec
V6 that will replace its homegrown 4.0-litre
straight six in both Falcon and Territory models
in two years “won’t be a backward step”.
As revealed exclusively by GoAuto last
July (and announced by Ford a week later), the
Blue Oval will cease Geelong production of its
trademark inline six rather than invest in the
development required for it to meet tougher new
Euro IV emissions standards, which are due to
apply to all new vehicles from July 1, 2010.
Ford has confi rmed only that the current
inline six – which has undergone signifi cant
upgrades for next month’s redesigned FG
Falcon and which GoAuto understands will
itself be upgraded yet one more time before
its eventual discontinuation after 50 years of
Falcon service – will make way for a global
Duratec V6 manufactured in the US.
Ford Australia president Bill Osborne, who
started his Ford career as the design supervisor
of the Duratec 35 and launched it in the Edge
SUV in his previous capacity as Ford of Canada
president, last month said the “world-class
John Mellor's
GoAutonews
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EDITOR: Terry Martin
MANAGING EDITOR: Marton Pettendy
JOURNALISTS: David Hassall, Philip Lord,
Byron Mathioudakis, James Stanford
PRODUCTION AND GRAPHICS:
Chris Harris, Luc Britten
SUB-EDITORS: Katrina Webb, Georgia O'Connell
NEW MODEL DIARY: Lou Paolino
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Duratec 35” will deliver fuel consumption
gains but “can never duplicate the low-end
torque of the I6”.
Now, however, despite similar concerns
about the new V6 being voiced privately by
senior Ford engineers, one Ford executive has
guaranteed the Duratec engine will at least
match the performance and fuel consumption
of the inline six.
In 2008 FG Falcon guise the long-running
Australian-made straight six produces 195kW
at 6000rpm and 391Nm of torque from
3250rpm, and returns 10.5L/100km in fi vespeed
automatic form.
“The V6 won’t be a backward step,” said
Falcon and Territory vehicle line director
Russell Christophers when asked about the
Falcon’s Duratec future. “The important thing
is we won’t be going backwards in terms of
either performance or fuel economy.”
Mr Christophers would not elaborate on
exactly which performance fi gures will be
at least maintained by the new V6, which is
a modular design that entered production in
late 2006, but he confi rmed it will be an offthe-shelf
engine. “We’ll take a version of the
Duratec that is globally available,” he said.
As previously reported, the Duratec 35 is the
fi rst member of Ford’s new “Cyclone” engine
family, an all-aluminium 60-degree design that
in this case displaces 3.496 litres and features
24 valves operated by double overhead
camshafts with variable intake valve timing.
It also powers the US-market Lincoln MKZ,
Ford Taurus and Taurus X, Ford Flex and
Mercury Stable, but running on standard 87octane
US fuel in the current Ford Edge and
Lincoln MKX SUVs the D35 produces 198kW
at 6250rpm and 339Nm of torque from 4500rpm.
In the MKZ, which is about 150kg lighter than
the new Falcon, it returns about 8.7L/100km.
Set to power 20 per cent of Ford’s North
American vehicles, our D35 should come from
Ford’s Lima plant, Ohio, where production
began in July 2006. The D35 was rated among
the ten best engines available in the US last year
by leading automotive research body Ward’s.
The fi rst Cyclone family member sampled
by Australians is the 3.7-litre Duratec 37 found
in Ford subsidiary Mazda’s large CX-9 SUV,
which offers 204kW at 6250rpm and 366Nm at
a busy 4250rpm. The 3.721-litre’s V6’s 225cc
capacity increase over the Duratec 35 comes
via a 3mm increase in bore diameter, making
the D37 even more oversquare than the D35.
While the Duratec 37 is designed to power
SUV and truck applications, including the Ford
F-150 from 2010, the Duratec 35 is the most
obvious candidate to power both the Falcon
and Territory in a little over two years.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Up Close on Personnel - page 25
vation
Duratec 35 EcoBoost
staff
marketing

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GoAuto news
Custom Fleet
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 4
Motor show showdown
Research reveals new data
about show-goers as AIMS
non-attendance mounts
EXCLUSIVE
By MARTON PETTENDY
and JAMES STANFORD
NEW research obtained exclusively by GoAuto
has highlighted the similarities, rather than the
differences, between Sydney and Melbourne
motor show-goers.
The latest Roy Morgan Research study, which
is due to be released this week, shows that the
Melbourne International Motor Show (MIMS)
has a strong infl uence on sales outcomes in
higher-income brackets in particular, adding
fuel to the debate over whether car companies
can afford to boycott either it or the Australian
International Motor Show (AIMS) in Sydney.
The Morgan survey results revealed striking
similarities in the quality of attendees at both
last year’s Sydney motor show and this year’s
Melbourne show, in terms of the number that
intended to purchase a new vehicle, their income
levels and their reason for attending the show.
According to Roy Morgan Research, the
2008 MIMS “showed little difference from the
2007 Sydney show in the potential value of
attendees for participating manufacturers”.
In terms of the proportion of those that
intended to buy a new vehicle in the next four
years, the survey revealed both Sydney and
Melbourne show-goers to be well above the 13
per cent of general population that does so, at
53 and 50 per cent respectively.
Similarly, 26 per cent of Sydney show
attendees said they planned to buy a new car
within the next 12 months, compared to 21 per
cent of Melbourne show-goers and just four
per cent of all Australians.
Sydney was also slightly ahead of Melbourne
when it came to show attendees who were fulltime
workers with an income of more than
$70,000 per annum, at 42 and 44 per cent
respectively (versus 21 per cent for the general
population).
However, 42 per cent of MIMS attendees
said they attended the show because they were
“looking at which car to buy”, compared to 36
per cent of AIMS goers.
“There is continuing evidence that the
Holden Coupe 60
automotive brand perceptions of these
key consumers are directly infl uenced by
attendance at motor shows,” said Roy Morgan
Research consultant Sak Ryopponen.
“In Melbourne, 30 per cent of respondents
prior to attending identifi ed that “one brand is
the best”, but clearly their views were broadened
during the show as only six per cent agreed with
the comment after attending the show.
“The same numbers in Sydney were 15 per
cent, down to seven per cent. One could argue
that if participation in the shows does nothing
else but put your brand on the consideration
list, it has done its job.
“When you also consider that for both shows,
59 per cent said they didn’t attend last year, the
ability to have fresh, meaningful impact on welltargeted
consumers by putting some thought
and effort into a show stand would seem to be a
well-considered marketing strategy.”
Continued next page
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go to www.gecareers.com

John Mellor's
GoAuto news
Motor show
showdown
Continued from previous page
The latest motor show research comes at a
time when more than a dozen key automotive
brands have indicated they will not be
represented at this year’s Sydney motor show,
led most notably by Mercedes-Benz which also
chose not to attend the 2007 Melbourne show.
In an increasing trend, Mercedes believes it
can more effectively target potential customers
by holding exclusive interactive events, such
as last month’s AMG event at Bathurst’s
Mount Panorama circuit, which was hired
out for an unprecedented four days to launch
the new C63 AMG sedan at a reported cost of
more than $4 million.
“At this point we think we can spend the
money more wisely,” said senior manager for
corporate communications at Mercedes-Benz
Australia/Pacifi c David McCarthy.
“It’s important to connect one on one with our
customers. Motor shows are very expensive,
but other importers who are perhaps less
premium may have a different perspective,”
he said, adding that it received widespread
positive feedback from its Bathurst event, at
which it directly sold at least three cars.
Mr McCarthy reiterated Mercedes-Benz’s
call for MIMS organiser, the Victorian
Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC),
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Population
Sydney Motor Show Audience
Melbourne Motor Show Audience
Income $70K+
(% Full-time workers)
21%
44%
42%
and AIMS organiser, the Federal Chamber
of Automotive Industries (FCAI), to work
together present bi-annual alternating events.
“It is our fi rm belief that there should be
one motor show rotating between Sydney and
Melbourne, and we encourage the FCAI and
VACC to do everything they can to make that
happen,” he said.
GoAuto understands the average motor show
stand costs in excess of $1 million to exhibit, but
sources indicate that if Mercedes was to spend
that amount, less than 12 per cent would go to
event organisers – so it is not the fees but the cost
of the displays themselves that are prohibitive.
Mercedes will not be the only premium brand
to be absent from Darling Harbour this year, with
at least 13 brands expected to pull out despite
calls from the FCAI for them to reconsider.
They include BMW, which has echoed
Intend to buy a new
car within one year
4%
26%
21%
Product Communications Manager.
21%
44% 42%
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Intend to buy a new
car within four years
13%
53%
50%
A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 5
Went to motor show to
‘Look at which car to buy’
Mercedes’ call for a single annual event. “Our
preference is that one show be held each year,
in the middle of the year, alternating between
Melbourne and Sydney, but obviously that
is not going to happen at the moment,” said
spokesman Toni Andreevski.
“There is still a place for the traditional motor
show, but we are becoming more sophisticated
in communicating with our customers,” he
said, adding that BMW is currently conducting
“Fascination3” drive days, at which it runs
potential and existing customers through its
range of 3 Series models.
Audi, which is renowned for staging some of
the most spectacular motor show presentations,
is yet to decide, while former Ford group luxury
brands Jaguar, Aston martin and Land Rover
have confi rmed their Sydney non-attendance.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
Passion and drive to be the best are hallmarks of the BMW Group, a technical pioneer and innovation leader in
the global automotive industry. In Australia, BMW’s success as a leader in the luxury car market is derived from
the professional strength, agility and passion of its employees. If you want to join this dynamic team, an exciting
opportunity exists for a Product Communications Manager, within the Corporate Communications team.
The Product Communications Manager is responsible for developing and implementing a product media
communications strategy resulting in positive media coverage for BMW Group Australia, including the BMW
and MINI brands.
Key tasks include developing product media launch concepts and all product communications targeting media
as well as handling product-related media enquiries. The Product Communications Manager is also responsible
for maximising editorial opportunities arising from the BMW and MINI press fleet with the assistance of the Press
Fleet Coordinator.
This position reports directly to the PR & Corporate Communications Manager and is located at our head office in
Mulgrave, Victoria. A brief outline of the tasks involved is as follows:
• Develop and implement product communications strategy.
• Write product related media releases, press kits, speeches.
• Develop concepts for new product launches, including drive routes.
• Coordinate product photography for distribution to media.
• Handle product-related media enquiries.
• Analyse media coverage and monitor competitor media activities.
• Maximise editorial opportunities arising from the press fleet.
• Brief external agencies as required.
• Ensure all product related information is up to date on relevant BMW websites.
The successful applicant will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and be
ideally tertiary qualified in PR or Marketing. An understanding and working knowledge of PR
and a proven track record with media relations is essential.
Strong writing ability and knowledge or interest of the automotive industry is a pre-requisite of
this position as is the ability to develop communication concepts and implement successfully.
Experience in the automotive industry is highly desirable. The successful applicant will be
able to demonstrate flexibility, creativity and commitment.
Applications will be treated with strict confidence and are directed to:
http:// www.onetest.com.au/bmw/ap18677
4%
26%
21%
13%
53%
50%
36%
36%
42%
42%

John Mellor's
GoAuto news
No tariff free kick
Minister tells car-makers
to expect lower tariffs as
FCAI warns over FTAs
By MARTON PETTENDY
POLITICAL posturing continues to be played
out in the lead-up to the release of a fi nal report
on the Australian automotive industry by Steve
Bracks on July 31.
Federal small business minister Craig
Emerson used the annual general meeting of
the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries
(FCAI) last week to warn local car-makers and
importers to prepare for lower import tariffs.
Speaking at the same event, which was also
attended by deputy prime minister Julia Gillard,
FCAI president John Conomos said the Federal
government needed to be more demanding than
the previous Liberal government when it came
to negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs).
Mr Conomos’ comments came as prime
minister Kevin Rudd prepared to raise the
possibility of signing an FTA with China,
among other discussions with China’s premier
Wen Jiabao the following day.
Mr Conomos said the former Howard
government’s brokering of the FTA with
Thailand in January 2005 had not delivered
“genuine reciprocal sales access” to that
nation, which continues to impose prohibitive
sales taxes on imported large cars, preventing
exports from Australian car-makers.
Meantime, Toyota’s Thai-built HiLux was
the third-biggest-selling vehicle in Australia
(as well as the most popular vehicle in
Queensland) last year, when the country’s most
popular vehicle brand imported some 47,000
examples.
Toyota Motor Corporation, via executive
vice-president Tokuichi Uranishi, made
headlines last October when it said the future of
vehicle manufacturing in Australia was at stake
due to the strength of the Australian dollar and
called for the government to hold the current
import tariff at 10 per cent, instead of dropping
it to fi ve per cent as scheduled in 2010.
Australia’s tariffs are the lowest of any car
manufacturing country and, with 50 different
brands in the market, is generally considered
to be the most competitive.
Now Mr Conomos, who is also Toyota
Australia’s chairman emeritus, has urged the
Rudd government not to enter into new FTAs
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 6
John Conomos (left) with Steve Bracks
that result in “one-way traffi c”.
“The chamber welcomes the initiative of the
new Federal government in investigating the
development of further expansion opportunities
along with the comprehensive review of the
arrangements for the future of our domestic
industry,” he said.
“The outcome is essential to the future
of the industry. We welcome the Green Car
initiative of the Rudd government and we look
forward to hammering out the details of this
milestone opportunity which has the potential
to move Australia onto the front foot of global
development of alternative energies.
“It is impossible to understate the potential
positive impact this can deliver.
“In our submission to the review committee
headed by Steve Bracks, we will be seeking
to articulate a clear vision with long-term
horizons.”
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
RETURN:

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GoAuto news
Bringing it all together
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 7
‘Toybaru’ sportscar pact
‘Affordable’ coupe deal to
hand Toyota a reborn Celica
- with a boxer engine
By DAVID HASSALL
TOYOTA will fi nally get back into the
sportscar business within three years, with
a rear-wheel drive coupe being developed in
conjunction with Subaru that would sell here
for under $50,000.
A Subaru version will be fi rst to market,
though, with its own version set to debut in
Japan by the end of 2010 – while the Toyota is
scheduled for late 2011.
The compact Celica successor will be built
on a new Subaru platform, which is said to be
based on that of the Impreza, but driving only
the rear wheels.
Toyota will handle the styling, so look
no further than the FT-HS concept car that
appeared at this year’s Melbourne International
Motor Show as a possible guide to what it
might look like.
The ‘Toybaru’ will be powered by a Subaru
fl at-four engine – probably a 125kW 2.0-litre
normally aspirated version, at least to begin
with – making it the fi rst Toyota to be powered
by a ‘boxer’ engine.
Further down the track, do not be surprised
if the WRX STi’s 2.5-litre turbo engine is
shoehorned under the bonnet, possibly with
four-wheel drive, to create a successor to the
legendary Celica GT-4 that could even lead
Toyota back to world rallying.
Another long-term option could be a
convertible version that would provide Toyota
with a genuine rival to the Mazda MX-5.
Both versions of the new sportscar will be
built by Subaru at a new plant being constructed
alongside its Gunma Oizumi engine plant in
Japan.
News of the car seems to have caught both
Australian operations by surprise. Subaru
Australia corporate affairs manager David
Rowley said there had been no discussions
locally about the sportscar yet and it was far too
early to say if the car would come to Australia.
If it does come here – and there seems no
logical reason why not – it would mean a
change in Subaru’s long-running AWD-only
model strategy in Australia.
“We have a very long-term commitment to
four-wheel drive with boxer engines, and that
will continue for the foreseeable future, but,
having said that, we used to have front-wheel
drive cars and we would always consider
FT-HS
other combinations down the track,” said Mr
Rowley.
Toyota spokesman Mike Breen said that the
company’s product planning department was
still awaiting more details about the car before
deciding if it would fi t into the local model
line-up.
“We don’t really have any news from TMC
on how it affects us and whether we’ll be
taking the car or not,” Mr Breen said. “All I
can say is there’s no plan at this stage to bring
the car in, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be
in the future.”
Toyota has not had a sportscar globally since
the demise of the mid-engined MR2 series last
year. Toyota discontinued the Celica in 2006
and the big front-engined Supra in 2002.
Toyota president Katsuaki Watanabe
admitted at a press conference that the new
car was “long-awaited”. “We haven’t had a
sportscar for a long time,” he said. “I think
there is high potential for this car.”
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
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ESC mandate ‘unfair’
Volvo takes issue with state push for standard
ESC after NCAP forces revisions to Swedish range
By DAVID HASSALL
VOLVO will fi nally – and belatedly, according
to some pundits – fi t standard electronic
stability control across its entire range in
Australia by the end of September.
Although more expensive Volvos already
have ESC (and all have a mechanical traction
control function), it will not be standard on
entry-level C30, S40, V50 and S60 models
until 2009 model year production commences
in June and reaches Australian showrooms in
August and September.
However, Volvo Cars Australia general
manager Alan Desselss has told GoAuto that the
company may have to raise prices as a result.
“At this stage we’re trying to hold the
price, but we’re going to struggle a bit,” he
said. “Exchange rate is the main thing. If
the currency remains strong, there’s a good
chance we’ll be able to absorb it.”
The Swedish car-maker, which prides itself as
the automotive leader in safety, has been forced
to make the move because the Australian New
Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) announced
last September that it would not award a fi vestar
crash rating without ESC from 2008.
“I think it would have been a natural
progression, but would we have done it right
now? Probably not,” said Mr Desselss.
He said that ESC was a very important safety
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 8
feature, especially for rear-wheel drive cars,
but took issue with the governments pushing
for it to be mandated without any assistance
for consumers.
“If all these cars are going to be that
much safer, there will be less road carnage
and therefore we should see a reduction in
insurance and in our road taxes,” he said.
“I think it is unfair that the motor manufacturers
are the ones who are going to have to absorb the
price or pass it onto the consumer.
Continued next page
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ESC mandate ‘unfair’
Continued from previous page
“Everyone is saying that it is going to make
so much difference to the amount of road
carnage, then let the state premiers, who are all
pushing for this road safety, to come forward
and compensate somehow. Otherwise, the end
user ends up paying.”
Mr Desselss said that the FCAI was taking
that argument to the government but was not
necessarily getting a good hearing.
While Mr Desselss said that Volvo was proud
of its safety record, he indicated a shift in image
for the Swedish brand, with the emphasis on
“good styling and good performance”.
“I think that everybody expects most motor
vehicles to be safe. I think what we’ve got to
do is to continue to pioneer safety features
and that’s what we do. That’s what Volvo is so
good at. The Swedes are very passionate about
safety in motoring and that will continue.
“Our long-term strategy would be to
make sure that we concentrate on where
our core values and our strengths are, and
that means the V range and the XC range.
The heartland for Volvo is in the wagon and
the XC range.
“We do not want to take the Germans on in
their heartland, which is sedans and coupes, but
we want to offer a good European alternative
for people that are tired of the Germans.
“Conquesting away from other manufacturers
is going to be hard at this stage, especially with
the push from Audi, which is on a mission –
buying market share to be up with BMW – but
they’ve got a long way to go if they want to get
there and they’ll have to spend a lot of money.
“We just can’t do that, so I think we’ll be
very happy to maintain our current (share) and
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 9
then look for growth out of new models.”
He is happy with Volvo’s current market
share and sales of around 6000 a year (having
grown from less than 3000 in 2005), but the
expected C10 light car will take Volvo into a
big new market segment.
Asked about the C10, which will use the
new Mazda2/Ford Fiesta platform, he said “if
it gets launched, we’ll defi nitely get it” and it
would add signifi cant volume for Volvo.
“I think there’s an opportunity there. Clearly
we’re seeing a shift away from large cars to
smaller cars, but that is an opportunity that
most manufacturers will be exploring.”
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Cayenne ‘911’
Porsche sets new dynamic
benchmarks for a luxury
SUV with the hi-po GTS
By MARTON PETTENDY
PORSCHE Cars Australia (PCA) claims that
even it was surprised by the success of last
year’s facelifted Cayenne range and the entrylevel
V6 it comprised, but admits this month’s
addition of a fourth SUV variant in the tarmacfocused
GTS will not prevent its overall sales
slowing from record levels this year.
Priced at $153,500 and billed as “the
sportscar of the Cayenne family”, the GTS fi lls
the gaping hole in the range between the V8powered
Cayenne S ($134,500) on which it is
based and the range-topping Cayenne Turbo
($215,200). As such, it is expected to draw
buyers mostly up from the S, which will still
be the most popular Cayenne with almost 40
per cent of sales expected.
Porsche says that, despite its even more
aggressive appearance thanks to a 20mmlower
ride height and specifi c 21x10-inch
alloys (which dwarf the 18x8s of the S and
even the Turbo’s 19 x 8.5s) with larger 295/35section
tyres, the GTS will not steal sales from
the Turbo, buyers of which “will always be
Turbo buyers”.
But with the Turbo and the new entry-level
Cayenne V6 ($94,700) accounting for 17 and
18 per cent of the mix, the GTS should still
attract more than a quarter of all Cayenne
buyers in 2008, when PCA predicts economic
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uncertainty will put a dent in the new-car
market overall.
“This year won’t be a record year unless the
current consumer sentiment disappears rapidly,
but in our view that won’t be the case,” PCA
director of sales and marketing Kevin Nicholls
told GoAuto. “The challenge we see in coming
years is economic uncertainty and the effect
that has on consumer sentiment. We anticipate
a bit of a pause.
“Porsche is the ultimate deferrable purchase.
The foot comes off our accelerator pedal more
quickly than others’, and equally the reverse is
true. We think there will be a slowdown but it
will come back.”
The 997-series version of Porsche’s iconic
911 has been around since October 2004 and
was this month also released in range-topping
GT2 turbo guise, but that did not stop it setting
a new 911 sales record of 522 sales in 2007
(up from just 389 in 2006), when a record 1380
Porsches were sold in Australia.
However, the completion of the model
rollout as the current 911 reaches middle-
age – and popular variants like the GT3
and GT3 RS are no longer available – will
see the popularity of Porsche’s iconic
sportscar decline this year.
Conversely, the GTS is expected to grow
overall Cayenne sales this year, and while
the Cayenne no longer commands almost
50 per cent of Porsche sales as it did in its
second year on sale here (and as it still does
in “mature” markets like the US), PCA
believes it is better prepared for economic
downturn than it was pre-Cayenne.
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 10
“We’re certainly better positioned that we
were fi ve or six years ago, when we didn’t have
the Cayenne,” said Mr Nicholls, further stating
that the waiting list for the 100 examples of the
Cayenne GTS due here in 2008 is standing at
six months.
Porsche’s fi rst SUV continues to account
for 35 per cent of Porsches sales in Australia,
where it remained popular with 495 sales last
year. That is down from a record of 562 in its
fi rst full year on sale – 2004, when the 996series
911 was dated and its previous record of
1264 overall sales was set. PCA describes 2008
as a consolidation year, in which it expects total
sales to be around 1250, despite strong forward
orders and a solid start.
PCA says its next growth phase will not occur
until the Panamera sedan arrives here some time
after its European launch in late 2009 – in V6, V8
and V8 Turbo forms. As with the four-door/fourseat
Panamera, Porsche has promised a hybrid
version of the (most likely next-generation)
Cayenne by the end of this decade, but says its
customers are already showing interest.
“Fuel prices affect Cayenne more than 911.
The facelift brought real-world fuel economy
gains (but) there’s no doubt consumers are
increasingly environmentally conscious. The
debate is becoming more educated,” said Mr
Nicholls.
“Customers are already asking about hybrid.
Hybrid has a bigger share of mind than share
of the market and I think our hybrid solution
will be very good. Sub-9.0L/100km will be a
very good story for a car like the Cayenne.
Continued next page
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Cayenne ‘911’
Continued from previous page
For now, however, for $19,000 more, the
GTS adds a signifi cant deal of performanceenhancing
equipment to the Cayenne S menu
– apart from cosmetic changes like front/rear
bumpers and side skirts from the Turbo, a roof
spoiler and two unique paint colours: GTS Red
and Nordic Gold metallic.
First revealed at the Frankfurt motor show
in September, the GTS also features increased
negative wheel camber at both ends, 14mmwide
plastic wheelarch fl ares to conceal its
substantially wider wheel tracks, as well as
black window surrounds and doorhandles,
unique GTS-badged sill plates, a “satin
aluminium” centre console and sports seats –
the latter featuring part Alcantara trim to match
the fake suede roof lining, 12-way power
adjustment and memory function up front and
more substantial side bolstering both front and
(for the outboard positions) rear.
Turbo-style red brake callipers replace the
silver S items, while the GTS steering wheel
also offers beefi er padding and powered
column reach/rake adjustment.
Unlike in Europe, Australia’s Cayenne
GTS will come standard with adjustable air
suspension (as do all Australian-delivery
Cayennes except the V6), a six-speed automatic
transmission (with more sporting gearshift
points), and the option of Porsche Dynamic
Chassis Control (PDCC), the active stabiliser
bar system that was introduced on the revised
Cayenne range from last year.
The GTS also gains a “Sport” button, which
makes the automatic’s shift points even more
aggressive, improves throttle pedal response
and selects the fi rmest setting from the standard
Porsche Active Suspension Management
(PASM) variable damping system, which is
standard as it is on the S. For the GTS, the
Cayenne’s front anti-roll bar has also been
stiffened while the rear bar has been softened.
As with other Cayenne variants, a six-speed
manual version can be ordered as a no-cost
option for driving enthusiasts prepared to wait
about three months.
Complementing the dynamic and aesthetic
improvements to the GTS is a warmed-over
version of the Cayenne S petrol V8, which was
increased to 4.8 litres in capacity and blessed
with direct fuel-injection from last year.
Benefi ting from a 6mm-larger (82mm)
throttle butterfl y diameter and a variable back-
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 11
pressure exhaust with twin chromed dual
outlets, the tweaked GTS V8 offers 298kW
at 6500rpm – 15kW and 300rpm up on the
Cayenne S (283kW at 6200rpm). Peak torque
is unchanged from 500Nm at 3500rpm.
Driving through a 15 per cent shorter fi nal
drive ratio (4.10:1 versus 3.55:1 for the S), the
result is 0-100km/h acceleration that is threetenths
quicker in auto guise at 6.5 seconds
(6.1 for the manual), as well as 0-160km/h
acceleration that is half a second quicker at
15.2 seconds and 80-120km/h acceleration that
is a second quicker at 7.8 seconds.
Claimed top speed also increases by 1km/h,
to 251km/h (253km/h for the manual), though
we saw an indicated 255km/h in both versions.
Of course, combined average fuel
consumption also rises, from 13.7L/100km
to 13.9L/100km, as do CO2 emissions – from
329g/km to 332g/km.
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 12
Toyota Australia will not introduce another TRD model for at least two years
By DAVID HASSALL
TOYOTA’S new high-performance brand has
undergone a major rethink and will not have
a third model for at least two years to follow
the TRD Aurion launched last August and the
TRD HiLux released this month.
The company has told GoAuto that the next
model has not yet been chosen – although the
Corolla has defi nitely been ruled out – and that
a decision will be made by June, with another
18 to 24 months required for development.
TRD’s fi rst year has been marred by delayed
introductions, a month-long sales freeze
resulting from a blown engine, a $4000-plus
price drop for the TRD Aurion just six months
after launch, and abandonment of its exclusive
dealer regime – but the company puts it all
down to a steep learning curve.
Yaris SR
No doubt there have been painful lessons
for many within Toyota Australia, too, because
two months ago most of the key players were
“locked in a room” for a month to review the
entire operation.
Toyota Australia executive director of sales
and marketing David Buttner told GoAuto that
15 people – including designers, engineers,
sales, marketing and customer service
representatives – were locked away for 20
working days from mid-January.
However, he rejects the suggestion that it was
more a council of war than a regular review.
“It was part of our plan in that we are doing
something (with TRD) we’ve never done
before,” said Mr Buttner. “We’re not just
launching the next generation of an existing
model.
“So it was imperative, and an integral
part of the original plan, to sit down
six months in and rip apart everything
that you’ve done. It was done in a very
genuine way and my simple instructions
were that there are no Holy Grails, so
don’t be frightened to come out of the
process and say perhaps we didn’t take
the right path here or there.”
The results of that meeting include
the March 1 price drop – by $4000
on the TRD Aurion 3500S and $4510 on the
3500SL – and the decision to make the TRD
models available from all Toyota dealerships
rather than a select few.
Mr Buttner said that the changes to the TRD
game plan were not surprising considering it is
moving into a completely new area for Toyota,
with a different market demographic. Australia
is pioneering the concept of TRD as a car
brand rather than just a line of performance
and racing parts.
“Make no mistake, establishing a brand is
not an easy thing to do,” said Mr Buttner, who
believes that TRD is a necessary long-term
investment to expand Toyota’s appeal beyond
quality, reliability and resale value, and bring
some emotion to the purchase decision.
“We’re looking at a totally different
demographic than we’ve looked at historically,
so there’s a whole lot of fi rsts in this for us,”
he said.
“We don’t have any previous experience, and
when you don’t have any previous experience
in something you always do things with the
best intent and the best plans in mind, but then
you have to ensure that your process is robust
enough that you draw a line in the sand every
so often (and) do a check.
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Continued from previous page
“You go back – here’s what we wanted to
achieve in going down this road, here’s what
we’ve achieved versus those objectives, have
we fulfi lled them, are we changing the mindset,
are we starting to be seen as inspirational and
emotional, do people recognise and understand
that Toyota now has a performance brand?
“That’s some of the refl ections we did back
in January when we locked a lot of people up
for quite a long period of time and one of the
decisions we changed, which we thought was an
appropriate decision at the outset, was in relation
to having a limited distribution network.
“One of (Toyota’s) biggest strengths is
our mass marketing capability and, in having
a limited distribution network, we were
inhibiting our ability as the factory, and our
dealers, to benefi t from the mass marketing.
“Now, we can include TRD in any
campaigns we’re having, we can include it in
(advertising) in the paper – you don’t have to
say ‘just available at these select dealers’. So
you can get that mass marketing happening
to help establish and land this brand the same
way we would with a normal Toyota product.”
Toyota has expanded TRD’s presence at
performance-type events to include drag racing,
drifting, sprintcars, stunt cars and Targa Tasmania
this year, whereas last year it was limited to the
successful Australian Rally Championship
program with Simon Evans and Neal Bates.
Mr Buttner confi rmed that the Yaris is a
contender to be the third TRD model.
But the Corolla has been eliminated because
TRD cannot get enough power out of Toyota’s
best-selling model – a scenario fi rst mooted
by GoAuto in November, when TRD was still
evaluating its Corolla options.
He said that engineers working with the
four-cylinder engine had fallen 20-25kW short
of an acceptable target for the competitive ‘Hot
Hatch’ market.
A wild 200kW 3.5-litre V6-engined ‘Blade’
model sold overseas is only made in lefthand
drive (the RHD Japanese market only
gets the 123kW 2.4-litre four-cylinder Blade)
and would therefore be too expensive to reengineer
given the limited numbers for TRD.
However, Mr Buttner left the door open
for the V6 Corolla to come to Australia as
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 13
TRD Aurion
a mainstream Toyota model because the
extra sales potential would cover the cost of
engineering it for RHD.
“We still haven’t locked in on a third (TRD)
model and we’re not hell-bent on whatever
time we go to market by,” he said.
“This is a fl exible program that will be
driven by the circumstances prevailing in
the marketplace at the time and how well the
brand is being established and embedded in the
psyche of the Australian consumer.
“We’re still going through our internal
deliberations and, frankly, we’re not hung up
on timing. Everyone keeps pushing for when
we will announce it and when it will be.
“I can’t see anything (coming out) this year.
I’d like to think we’ll have an announcement
before June.”
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 14
Audi ‘overtakes’ BMW
Engineer claims the A4
beats the 3 Series hands
down in ride and handling
By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS
AUDI has revealed that achieving best-inclass
handling for its eighth-generation A4 was
matched by a desire to “out-ride” all its rivals
as well.
Speaking at the recent B8-series A4 launch
in Sydney, Audi AG’s project manager for
dynamic steering Wolfgang Dick told GoAuto
that Audi did not hold back in its development
of the all-new small-medium prestige car.
He said that having new components and
technology, a dedicated team of engineers
and a directive from the top echelons of Audi
to make the B8 A4 the best all-rounder in a
fi ercely competitive segment all combined
to make the A4 a much better vehicle than
initially imagined.
When development work commenced for
the latest A4 in the latter part of 2004, Audi
started by benchmarking what it believed to be
the “best-in-class” BMW E46 and subsequent
E90 3 Series for handling.
The original Lexus IS and Nissan’s Infi niti
were other yardsticks at the time. However, as
Mr Dick explained, this situation did not last
very long.
“We have not only reached the BMW, I believe
we have overtaken the BMW (in the area of
balance) … so fi rst it was a benchmark, but then
when we saw the potential of our car and were
given the opportunity to overtake it … from this
point on the BMW ‘3’ was not the benchmark but
as a pointer that we were on the right level.”
3 Series
Online Walk-in Phone-in
According to Mr Dick, changing the position
of the clutch and the gearbox in the new A4
was paramount in trying to achieve class-best
handling.
This was necessary as the B8’s Modular
Longitudinal Platform (MLP) includes a front
axle that is pushed signifi cantly further forward
than in previous Audis, a wider front and rear
track, and a longer wheelbase, for more even
weight distribution.
This means that the drivetrain had to be
mounted slightly more to the rear in the name
of balance as well as greater space utilisation
– Audi also claims that the A4 has
class-leading rear legroom and boot
space.
“It was hard work to change
every gearbox we had – manual …
automatic … the DSG that is coming
in the future … and it affected the
manufacturing line, as well as outside
suppliers,” Mr Dick said. “The agility
of the B7 A4 was not so bad, but it
was not as good as it now has to be.”
Mr Dick said the choices Audi made
for the outgoing A4 meant that it was infl icted
with harder suspension components that “were
not good for ride comfort”.
“So the second thing we did
was to design a completely
new front axle – to take the
steering from the back and
upper part of the axle (and
reposition it) down to the front
of the axle and at wheel level,” he said. “Doing
this also provides additional stiffness … as
well as comfort and agility of the car.
“The third thing we did was the rear axle – it
is not a new concept, but every part is new.”
Audi based the multi-link rear suspension on
the set-up employed by the current C6-series
A6 model, but with extensive modifi cation.
“This is good for future cars that come after
– the derivatives of the new A4 … like the
Cabrio and the Avant,” Mr Dick said. “It gives
us the possibilities to tune a completely new
set-up.”
According to Mr Dick, BMW’s
approach with the current (E90)
3 Series’ steering, while “quite
good” suffers from too many
compromises.
“BMW made a conceptual
mistake with the double planetary
gear, which has two main
disadvantages that you have to
prevent when you are designing
a steering system: one is friction,
Wolfgang Dick
which is totally bad for steering
feel and centre-point feel, and the second is
‘backlash’ or play,” he said.
Mr Dick said he and his team had support
from former Audi chairman Martin Winterkorn
– now heading up Volkswagen – who is an
engineer mindful of what needed to be done
for the A4 to become truly competitive with
BMW and others.
Continued next page
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This required the wholesale abandonment
of the previous A4’s architecture, which dates
back to the 1994 B5 model that debuted the
‘A4’ badge (mid-1995 in Australia).
“(Martin Winterkorn) understands that the
concepts of the past have reached their limits,”
Mr Dick said. “He told us, ‘Make it different,
show me how can you do better for the future
– for the next 10 years.’”
Audi did consider rear-wheel drive for the
B8 as well, but only at the very early stages of
development.
“During the concept phase of the project,
yes, we discussed all types of completely
different concepts – shall we do a rear-driven
car, or shall we not? What are the advantages
and disadvantages? Questions regarding other
aspects as well – even down to whether we
should use an electric parking brake (the new
A4 does) … everything was discussed freely
and included everybody’s input.
“We didn’t choose any other concept
because they were not good for our car or the
other cars (based on the MLP architecture) that
are coming in the future.
“To make a car only (for keen drivers) is not
the diffi cult part. What we have done now is …
we’ve kept the sportiness and dynamics at the
same level – this is the level that our customers
want in our cars – but we have found a better
compromise with our concept in comfort,
because riding comfort is also one of the most
important aspects of our cars.
“Building a much sportier car maybe takes
one year and 50 engineers, and you don’t need
(to undertake) a vast development. Finding a
happy ride compromise is the much greater task
… maybe taking (up) 40 times (the resources).
“And our car is the much better riding
compromise.”
Stressing that “I don’t want to sound like an
American”, Mr Dick said that the combined
effort of his team is what he is most proud of.
“Two and a half years of very hard work
from the time work started on the steering and
chassis control systems … six days a week
from 11 in the morning up to 10 or 11 at night,
on Saturdays, no holidays, without burning
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 15
Audi ‘overtakes’ BMW
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The Audi engineer is equally proud of
the exact level of desired handling and ride
comfort tuning achieved with so many all-new
steering and front axle components, which not
only proved to be a mammoth task in itself, but
required a new level of interaction with people
outside of their usual departments, in order to
achieve the same goal.
So what is Mr Dick’s favourite B8 A4
combination?
“If I could order one, it would be a B8 A4
Avant with the (upcoming) 150kW 2.0 TFSI
quattro with manual and, of course, Audi
dynamic drive.”
Eco A4 threat – next page
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GoAuto news
Eco A4 threat
A4 platform to spawn new
models, but Aussie fuel
issue could rule out TDIe
By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS
AUDI will explore a number of A4 derivatives
as it seeks to shrink the sales gap between its
compact luxury range and the Mercedes-Benz
C-class and BMW 3 Series – but has signalled
that fuel quality issues could limit the prospects
of new-generation green diesel engines being
launched in Australia.
At one end of the scale will be the expected
S and RS performance models, while more
fuel-effi cient cars with an environmental slant
dominate the other side.
The all-new B8-series A4 to be released next
month will offer two bodystyles, three diesel
and three petrol engines in both four-cylinder
and V6 confi gurations, and the choice of frontwheel
drive and quattro 4WD by the end of
this year.
A V8-powered S4 version is expected
in 2009, with the BMW M3-rivalling RS4
fl agship to follow. A 2010 international launch
is likely, with Australian customers in line by
about 2011.
But achieving low emissions is of higher
importance to both consumers and car
companies facing increasingly punitive taxation
and legislation, so a 2.0 TDIe powerplant is
also under consideration for Australia.
Distinctively
different
www.bdo.com.au
Over the new 2.0 TDI sedan and Avant, the
TDIe version has a number of engineering
modifi cations, such as stop/start technology, to
achieve 4.9L/100km (down from 5.8L/100km)
and 129g/km of CO2 (down 154g/km).
Aiding these fi gures are aerodynamic
modifi cations to the ride height, alloy wheels
and bootlid.
However, the TDIe’s case in Australia will
ultimately depend on the availability of highquality
diesel fuel, according to Audi Australia
managing director Joerg Hofmann.
“We are investigating at the moment whether
we can bring it to Australia … but we have not
decided yet,” Mr Hofmann told GoAuto last
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 16
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A4 2.0 TDIe
week. “The fuel quality is an issue, and we
may not be able to bring the latest technology
clean diesel here in Australia.
“Which is a shame, as I believe every market
should have the best technology available.”
Nevertheless, Audi will release the “cleanest
diesel in the world” in October, with the
$89,500 A4 3.0 TDI quattro. Besides offering
176kW of power and 500Nm of torque, it
also returns 6.9L/100km and 183g/km, with a
fraction of the nitric oxide pollution normally
associated with V6 diesel powerplants helping
the 3.0 TDI meet 2014 European emissions
requirements.
Continued next page

John Mellor's
GoAuto news
Eco A4 threat
Continued from previous page
Further down the track from now, the new
A4 is likely to receive a hybrid powertrain as
it has been engineered from the beginning to
accept one.
Audi revealed its parallel hybrid system at the
Frankfurt motor show last September. It uses an
adaptation of the 2.0-litre TFSI four-cylinder
petrol engine to deliver 155kW and 300Nm,
while an electric powerplant – described as
“a permanently excited synchronous motor”
– kicks in another 32kW, with peak torque of
230Nm available “virtually from standstill”
according to Audi.
This is possible in the A4 because Audi’s
hybrid system is built on its latest Modular
Longitudinal Platform (MLP).
First unveiled in the A5 coupe last year, it
features, among other
things, a front axle that
is pushed signifi cantly
further forward than in
previous Audi types,
making room for the
drivetrain to be mounted
slightly more rearwards
in the name of greater
space utilisation and
adaptation, as well as weight distribution.
MLP will also be employed under a number
of different sized Audis as well. This reveals
the fl exible nature of the MLP hardware, as the
company strives to create synergies that it can
WHAT’S COMING:
B8-series A4 range May 2008
Q5 SUV 2009
B8-series A4 TDI e 2009
B8-series S4 2009
C7-series A7 4-dr coupe 2010
B8-series RS4 2011
B8-series A4 Hybrid 2011
C7-series A6 2011
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spread throughout its varied model range.
In Beijing this weekend, Audi will fi nally
unveil its long-awaited
answer to the BMW
X3 and Land Rover
Freelander II. Known
as the Q5 crossover,
the compact SUV will
feature a completely
new body and interior,
and the pick of the new
A4’s engine and gearbox
options – most likely the TFSI and TDI fourcylinder
units.
Speculation is rife that MLP can be stretched
to include the next-generation A6 due in 2010,
as well as its Mercedes-Benz CLS-style four-
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 17
At Subaru Melbourne, we value our team members and encourage growth and progression to ensure we retain our Customer First philosophy. Benefits
of working for us include paid parental leave, additional superannuation payments and extra family leave days. We also offer a comprehensive training and
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SERVICE ADVISORS
You should be experienced in large workshop/service centre operations,
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Naturally you will be customer focused and able to establish and develop
ongoing customer relationships.
We offer a 5-day working week, salary packages commensurate with experience including a retainer, choice of vehicle allowance
or company vehicle and commission package.
Please forward your application to Ashleigh Brownfield, our HR Co-Ordinator at:
careers@melbourne.subaru.com.au or call (03) 8698 3685.
A4
door coupe derivative known as the A7, due
around the same time, along with the D4 A8
luxury fl agship sedan expected not long after
that.
With 8.5 million cars and counting since the
A4’s direct predecessor – the B1-series 80 range
– was released in 1972, the model is Audi’s
biggest seller both here and globally, making
up 41 per cent of the company’s worldwide
volume. Last year, 63,469 were produced.
Audi’s stated volume goal for the A4 is 3500
units this year and 4000 in 2009. These are up
from the 2007 results, when 2242 A4s were
sold, compared to 5795 BMW 3 Series and
4232 C-class models.
“This is close to competitor levels,” Mr
Hofmann said. “It is the basis for our growth.”

John Mellor's
GoAuto news
Retail revolution
Lexus will establish 11
new dealers by 2010 as
part of $230m upgrade
By MARTON PETTENDY
AUSTRALIAN Lexus dealers will invest
some $230 million in new and upgraded retail
facilities over the next four years to drive the
next stage of sales growth for the ambitious
Japanese luxury brand.
Eleven new outlets by 2010 will represent
the fi rst half of the extensive growth plan,
beginning with a new dealership at Wodonga,
Victoria, that will follow the same ‘blueprint’
established by Australia’s fi rst Lexus outlet
to be modelled on the new-look model from
Japan – the refurbished Lexus of Perth facility
that opened late last month.
As GoAuto reported back in October, Lexus
Australia plans to almost double the number of
dealers it currently has (22) to 40, but that will
now happen earlier than expected – by 2012.
“Over the next two years, Lexus will add 11
dealers to its network,” said Lexus Australia
chief executive John Roca at this month’s
LX570 launch. “The fi rst of these will be in
Wodonga, in regional Victoria.
“The signifi cance of this step is that Lexus
will begin to expand its footstep regionally
and across Australia. Lexus will concentrate
on regional areas that offer high proportions
of wealth and strategically increase the overall
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BMW WARRANTY ADMINISTRATOR
Bruce Lynton, Australia’s longest serving BMW dealer, currently has an opportunity
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In this role you will dedicate your skills and abilities to:
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This is a unique opportunity to join a team of customer focused, results driven
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Don’t miss out on this role, apply now!
To apply for this position please send your resume and cover letter to:
Anthony Alafaci
Bruce Lynton
PO Box 430, Southport QLD 4215
anthony.alafaci@brucelynton.com
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82-84 Nerang Street, Southport QLD 4215
www.brucelynton.com
service reach for our customers. And this is
signifi cant not just for our SUV owners, but all
of our Lexus customers.
“Furthermore, we’ve just begun a complete
refresh of our corporate identity with all
dealerships undergoing facility upgrades to
bring it into line with our global partners – or
Japanese model, if you like – the fi rst of which
(was) Lexus of Perth.
“This, coupled with our long-term plan to
bring our dealership network to 40 dealerships
by 2012 and forthcoming product, will see Lexus
continue to be a sales success in Australia.
“In fact, this commitment will see Lexus
spend in the order of $230 million over the
next four years on facilities and dealerships,
providing Lexus with a strong backbone to
support our hefty sales goal,” said Mr Roca.
Toyota’s premium vehicle division remains
comfortably ahead of Volkswagen’s equally
determined Audi marque in the local luxury-
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 18
Bruce Lynton has been established on the Gold
Coast since 1974 and is Australia’s longest serving
BMW dealer.
In February 2008 Bruce Lynton was awarded the 2007
BMW Dealer Trophy.
This is your opportunity to join an award winning,
dynamic team.
STOCK CONTROLLER
Bruce Lynton also has an excellent opportunity for an experienced Stock Controller
to support our busy sales teams.
In this diverse role you will assist Sales Managers to complete documentation for
vehicle sales, maintain successful relationships with vehicle manufacturers, liaise
with other dealers to acquire vehicles, maintain accurate vehicle stock levels, and
arrange vehicle transport whilst also providing general administrative support.
Previous experience in a similar role, excellent communication and customer service
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To apply for this position, please send your resume and cover letter to:
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Bruce Lynton
PO Box 430, Southport QLD 4215
bruce.keown@brucelynton.com
Lexus of Perth
car stakes, but well behind Mercedes-Benz and
BMW.
Lexus sales have grown by about 1000 sales
annually for the past four years in Australia and
in 2007 it sold 8200 vehicles. Despite being into
the last year of its model life, sales of the current
RX were 15.7 per cent up on 2006 levels, while
the new IS medium sedan has surpassed the RX
as Lexus’ most popular model, attracting 4096
customers in 2007 (up 21.2 per cent).
Globally, parent compact Toyota says that
with about 850,000 sales this year (25 per cent
up on 2007, when it sold 680,000 vehicles),
Lexus’ total sales volume will approach that of
its German contemporaries.
“In the next two to three years Lexus will
sell more than a million vehicles per annum,
which will bring us the economies of scale and
the ability to develop even more technology,
Mr Roca told GoAuto.
IS-F to match C63 – next page
Bruce Lynton

John Mellor's
GoAuto news
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 19
IS-F to match C63
Repositioned IS supercar and all-new RX series to lead next wave of Lexus growth
By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS
LEXUS will fl ex the muscles of its compact IS
sedan like never before this year, starting with
this month’s important limited-edition IS250X
and ending with the M3-rivalling IS-F, which
will be launched at the Australian International
Motor Show in Sydney in October and will
better even the surprising new Mercedes-Benz
C63 AMG sedan on price or equipment – or
both.
Lexus Australia chief John Roca has told
GoAuto that the aggressively low price
positioning of last month’s new C63, which at
$139,500 fi res a salvo across the bows of both
BMW’s M3 coupe ($157,000) and Audi’s RS4
sedan ($164,500), was perfect timing for Lexus
and its fi rst V8-powered compact sedan.
Prior to that, Lexus Australia had long
IS250X
said its IS-F target price was around $150,000,
which would have undercut its German
V8 competitors from both BMW and Audi
– as well as the $160,490 C55 AMG that was
discontinued in June 2007.
“We start negotiations (with Lexus HQ in
Japan) on the IS-F price in two weeks,” said
Mr Roca. “Previously, the RS4 and M3 were
the benchmarks in the class, but now the C63
changes all that.
“The C63 price was the fi rst thing we
told them ... They’ve launched that car very
aggressively and obviously we’ve got to
take that into account. We haven’t fi nalised
our specifi cations yet, so obviously we’ll be
looking to offer some sort of spec premium – at
the very least,” he said.
Now launched in every major market outside
Australia, the IS-F will receive an interior
facelift in response to overseas criticism its
cabin is not suffi ciently different from that of
the IS250, and Australian deliveries have been
held back until the fresher model is available.
The upgraded IS-F will feature a revised
dashboard with a unique, higher-mounted
satellite-navigation monitor.
“We’ll get the upgraded version with a
bespoke sat-nav screen,” said Mr Roca.
“The difference would only have been a few
months.”
Powered by a 5.0-litre DOHC V8 that
produces at least 300kW of power and 500Nm
of torque, mated exclusively to the LS460
fl agship’s eight-speed automatic transmission
(which in IS-F guise features steering wheel
paddle shifters that are claimed to change gears
in one-tenth of a second), the most rapid reardrive
Lexus sedan ever sprints to 100km/h in
4.9 seconds and an electronically-limited top
speed of 270km/h in pre-production guise. Like
the M3 and C63, it will feature a switchable
three-stage traction/stability control system.
Mr Roca said Lexus hopes to sell at least 10
examples of the IS-F each month, but stressed
that supply will be limited and that the fi rst V8powered
compact Lexus sedan could prove far
more popular than that “if we can price it right”.
Closer to home is yet another limited-edition
X-badged version of the IS250, which is now
on sale. Priced at $64,790 and claimed to offer
$10,000 of extra value, the latest IS250X
follows the launch last August of another Xrated
IS, which also features 18-inch alloys,
sports suspension, Mark Levinson audio, satnav
and a sunroof, among other items.
Continued next page
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John Mellor's
GoAuto news
IS-F to match C63
Continued from previous page
The 260 IS-Xs revealed last year were
sold out in six weeks, and Lexus says the 450
examples of the newest IS250X should prove
just as popular.
The new LX570 SUV fl agship also goes on
sale this month, with more than 100 examples
already pre-sold.
Representing far greater sales potential is
the all-new RX, due on sale here in February
next year. Loosely previewed at the 2007
Tokyo motor show, the redesigned RX will
look smaller and more aggressive than the
current model, which still found more than
4000 buyers last year and is now entering its
sixth year on sale.
Despite the fact that it will offer more space
inside, the new RX will remain strictly a fi veseater.
Australia’s second-generation luxury
crossover will arrive fi rst in RX350 guise,
with a replacement for the current RX400h
hybrid to arrive three months later. An internal
“study tour” of the new RX will take place
in July, prior to the redesigned soft-roader’s
world debut later this year, possibly at the
Paris motor show in September.
Next cab off the rank in Lexus’ quest to
wrest sales dominance from the established
Germans will be the IS250 coupe-convertible,
to match BMW’s folding hard-topped 3
Series CC and both coupe and convertible
versions of the Mercedes-Benz CLK, which
will be renewed next year. The folding metal-
SALES EXECUTIVE
John Roca with the LF-A
roofed IS250 is slated to arrive here in the
fourth quarter of next year, and is currently
undergoing local durability testing.
Mr Roca said an
F-badged IS-CC was
not guaranteed to
eventuate, and that
a GS large sedan
– powered by the IS-
F’s 5.0-litre V8 and
badged as the GS-F
– was more likely to
appear fi rst.
Meantime, Lexus
continues development of a new entry-level
model to be positioned below the IS sedan, as
previously reported. Assuming
the offi cial working title of C-
Premium, the new passenger car
will not be a sub-RX compact
SUV based on the RAV4 as
originally planned, but a hatch
or sedan passenger car that is
expected to become Lexus’
volume-selling model.
“We’ll know more in a
couple of months and they’re
still very coy about it, but I
think they’re leaning towards
a hatch,” said Mr Roca, adding
that the smallest Lexus ever
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LF-Xh
was unlikely to enter production before 2012.
Potentially positioned further upstream
between the IS and GS is an all-new dedicated
hybrid model to appear
WHAT’S COMING: in concept guise at the
IS250X limited edition April 2009 Detroit motor
LX570 SUV redesign April show next January.
IS-F sedan October
A concept version of
RX350 SUV redesign Feb 2009
the new, exclusively
RX400h SUV redesign May 2009
petrol-electric model,
IS250 coupe-convertible 4th qtr 2009
which would essentially
GS-F sedan 2010
be a luxury version
LF-A supercar 2011
of Toyota’s hotly
Small sedan/hatch 2012
anticipated thirdgeneration
Prius, was promised at this year’s
Detroit show.
Finally, development of the fl agship LF-
A supercar, which has been revealed in
numerous concept guises at numerous motor
shows, is now concentrating on wind tunnel
testing in an effort to increase its top speed.
But the wildest Lexus ever is not confi rmed for
Australia because, even if it enters production,
it may not be built in right-hand drive.
“The chief engineer doesn’t want to launch the
car without being faster than a Ferrari and they
can’t do that by increasing power, so they’re now
concentrating on styling and aerodynamics,”
a Lexus insider told GoAuto, adding that the
retarded development program has not likely to
reap production results until 2011.

John Mellor's
GoAuto news
Dodge MPV soon
Chrysler mounts a twin
MPV attack with the
Journey joining Voyager
By BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS
CHRYSLER Group Australia is embarking
on a two-model people-mover assault starting
September with the release of the Dodge
Journey.
Dubbed a CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle),
the Journey is based on Chrysler’s ‘D’ segment
(JS) platform that also underpins the mid-sized
Sebring and Dodge Avenger, as well as the
Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass compact SUVs
and the Dodge Caliber small car.
It will effectively give the company a
sub-$50,000 presence in the seven-seater
SUV segment, and will also allow for the
established Grand Voyager people-mover to
edge upmarket.
Speaking to GoAuto at the recent RT-series
Grand Voyager launch in Melbourne, marketing
and product strategy general manager Craig
Bradshaw outlined the Journey’s positioning
within Chrysler’s people-mover portfolio.
“The strategy for the company is to reduce
the amount of overlap between the segments,
and introducing a product like the Journey
is effectively a short-wheelbase Voyager
replacement,” he said.
Chrysler discontinued the short-wheelbase
Voyager midway through the previousgeneration
RG version’s model life in late 2004,
when it retailed for $53,490. The base-model
RT Grand Voyager kicks off at $56,990. There
will not be a short-wheelbase version of the RT
Grand Voyager, as demand for it was low.
Grand Voyager
“The decision was made to focus only on the
long wheelbase,” Mr Bradshaw explained. “For
most international markets it was the preferred
vehicle, although there was a small market for
the short-wheelbase vehicle in Europe.”
Chrysler hopes the RT Grand Voyager’s
new-found diesel availability and new luxury
features will snag more traditional SUV buyers
who are tired of the expensive running costs
and creeping social stigma.
“I think with the current climate – with fuel
prices and everything else – we’re going to see,
as we have with large 4WDs overall declining
fairly rapidly, that we will pick up some of that
SUV segment as people become more rational
with their buying choices,” Mr Bradshaw said.
Chrysler Australia managing director Gerry
Jenkins added that the introduction of the Kia
Carnival in late 1999 and the price realignment
of the current-generation Honda Odyssey in
the middle of 2004 presented a challenge for
the Voyager.
The Voyager’s market share began to
contract from its 1997/98 high of 105-plus
monthly sales to around 40 per month over the
last two years.
“That’s why we’re really at the high
end of the market. We’re not
really competing against those
vehicles (anymore),” Mr
Jenkins said.
Nevertheless, Chrysler
says there is a healthy level
of interest in a vehicle
Automotive Photography and Inventory Distribution
ph: 1300 11 22 34 email: info@carkey.com.au
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 21
specifi cally like the Grand Voyager.
“My experience has been that people
who have bought the old one have not been
interested in a whole lot of other cars other
than the Voyager,” Mr Jenkins said. “They’re
well researched, well informed, and that’s
what they want.
“They got either US experience, or
experience abroad, and they want something
like this that meets all of their needs and have
certain luxury appointments with all the bells
and whistles. And that market isn’t a very large
market but it’s a very interested market.
“And they seem to be very satisfi ed. A lot of
people who have put in orders for the new one
are existing (Voyager) owners, so there is a fair
amount of loyalty regarding Voyager buyers.”
Mr Jenkins is confi dent that once people
are given the chance to sit inside the Grand
Voyager, they will be more inclined to buy this
sort of people-mover.
“The key is that they got to drive it. A lot of
people ... a lot of my mates don’t want anything
to do with this ... (so) then what I do is that I
force it on them,” he said.
“It’s absolutely great to drive. You’ve got
great visibility, great handling, and you’ve
got the comfort that everybody with you is
enjoying the ride as well. They’re not stuffedin
in any way, not squeezed up against one
another ... they’re very comfortable.
“Of all the ones I’ve personally sold, at least
75 per cent are with families.”
Chrysler’s own Tiida – page 26
A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND “CLICKS”...
automotive photographers
Dodge Journey

John Mellor's
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 22
Fiat, Citroen van attack
Value-packed mid-size
Scudo and Dispatch
vans arrive Down Under
By TERRY MARTIN
THE distributor of Citroen and Fiat vehicles
in Australia, Ateco Automotive, has made a
signifi cant move in the lucrative medium-sized
van market with the introduction of two new
related light commercials for the French and
Italian brands.
The product of a wide-ranging joint-venture
program between Fiat and the PSA Peugeot-
Citroen Group, the French-built Citroen
Dispatch and Fiat Scudo are mechanical
twins but have minor differences in frontend
design and, for Australia, some unique
specifi cation details in order to minimise sales
cannibalisation.
The Peugeot version, the Expert, is under
consideration for sale in Australia but would
be imported and sold through a separate
distributor and retail network.
The Fiat-PSA collaboration will also see the
emergence of at least two new Turkish-built
ultra-compact vans, including the Fiat Fiorino
and Citroen Nemo, both of which are now
expected early in 2009. A third version, the
Peugeot Bipper, remains under consideration
by Peugeot Automobiles Australia.
Known as the Jumpy in non-English-speaking
countries, the Citroen Dispatch is positioned as
a larger alternative to the Berlingo compact van,
and, in an effort to minimise the transition from
the compact to medium segment, is offered in
Scudo
both short- (3000mm) and long-wheelbase
(3122mm) confi gurations.
For the Scudo, Ateco has overlooked shortwheelbase
variants and will stick with the
longer version for the time being, which still
enables it to stand as a smaller alternative to
Fiat’s well-established Ducato range.
Pricing starts from $34,990 for the SWB
Dispatch, while the LWB version and the
Scudo both kick off from $36,990 – a similar
mark to the Hyundai iLoad (diesel) van range
launched last month, which, like the Fiat
and Citroen twins, will compete with a large
number of entrenched European and Japanese
competitors.
Both the Dispatch and Scudo use a PSAderived
2.0-litre common-rail direct-injection
turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine producing
88kW of power at 4000rpm and 300Nm of
torque at 2000rpm. (A 100kW/320Nm version
will be available on the long-wheelbase
Dispatch in the coming months, with
a higher-output Scudo still to be
announced.)
Frugal on fuel consumption and
compliant with the Euro IV emissions
standard, the engine drives the
front wheels through a six-speed
manual gearbox. The Dispatch takes
an unimpressive 15.4 seconds to
accelerate from 0-100km/h – the
Scudo manages it in 12.8 seconds –
while fuel consumption for the Citroen
over the combined urban/extra urban theoretical
benchmark is listed at 7.2L/100km. No fi gures
on the latter have been released for the Scudo.
Chassis hard points include MacPherson struts
at the front and a torsion beam confi guration
at the rear. Self-levelling pneumatic rear
suspension with a deck-lowering feature is also
available on both van ranges.
The steering is a rack-and-pinion system
with electro-hydraulic power assistance,
enabling a turning circle of 12.2m on the SWB
Citroen and 12.6m on LWB models across
both brands.
Disc brakes are used at either end of the
vehicle, with 304mm diameter ventilated discs
up front and 290mm solid rotors at the rear.
ABS electronics (with electronic brake-force
distribution) are also standard across both
ranges. All models have 16-inch steel wheels
with 215/60-section tyres.
The tape measure shows the SWB van runs
to 4805mm in overall length, 1942mm in
height (or 1894mm with air suspension) and
1895mm in width. All models are designated
low roof, meaning the height and width remain
the same on LWB versions but the length
extends to 5135mm.
The payload is 988kg on the SWB Dispatch
and 1188mm on the LWB version. Gross
vehicle weight is 2702kg on the SWB, 2932kg
for LWB, and the maximum braked towing
capacity is 2000kg for all variants.
FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
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Dispatch

John Mellor's
GoAuto
By DAVID HASSALL
A WORLD plastics expert believes that
Australian car-makers and parts manufacturers
will need to embrace new technology in order
to meet future fuel consumption and design
requirements.
Sabic Innovative Plastics, a Saudi Arabian
company that last year took over GE Plastics,
has developed a lightweight alternative to
automotive glass as well as a plastic
material that recycles plastic bottles
but does not possess the reduced properties of
regular recycled plastic.
Sabic’s global technical manager for body
panels and glazing Frank Mooijman has told
GoAuto that these new developments would
revolutionise the design and production of
headlights, front fenders, rear quarter windows,
tailgates and panoramic roofs in particular.
A Dutch-based engineer, Mr Mooijman also
previewed a new style of steering wheel made
entirely without metal that could be moulded
into any shape a designer desired. He expects
such injection-moulded steering wheels will
be in production within two years.
Visiting Australia earlier this month,
Mr Mooijman demonstrated Sabic’s latest
developments to OEMs and suppliers,
underscoring the benefits of plastic in terms
of design flexibility and reduced weight.
Half a century ago, GE invented Lexan,
a bulletproof polycarbonate material that
protects the eyes of racing drivers and
motorcyclists around the world, and one of
Sabic’s new products is Lexan glazing that
Mr Mooijman said has “stormed the market”.
Lexan glazing is half the weight of glass
and, although also twice as expensive, would
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New materials and
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save up to 5kg for a Holden Commodore rear
window.
In the case of a panoramic roof on an SUV
or people-mover, as on the latest Europeanmarket
Opel Zafira, the weight reduces from
about 40kg to 20kg and greatly lowers the
vehicle’s centre of gravity.
“I think fuel consumption pressure will
come here (to Australia), and if that starts
to become a pressure, then look at all the
parts that can save you weight,” said Mr
Mooijman.
“Really, everyone should be looking at
glazing. With the current technology, it’s a
no-brainer. You should look at opportunities
there to take your weight out.”
Sabic has developed defroster technology
to enable Lexan glazing to be used for rear
windows, but it remains too flexible to be
used on wind-up side windows and is not
legally permitted for windscreens, which
must be made of glass.
However, Sabic hopes that legislation will
change in the future and in the meantime is
working on new hard-coating so that plastic
windscreens of the future will be sufficiently
“We listen to your needs.
Then we create tailor-made solutions.”
To find out more, call Custom Fleet, the fleet management experts on 1800 812 681.
Opel Zafira uses lightweight Lexan
material (left) in its modular roof
scratch-resistant to wipers.
Lexan rear glass is being used on four
production models globally, including the
innovative wraparound “extra window” that
brings a unique styling element to the tail of
the British-built Honda Civic hatchback, as
seen on the local-market Civic Type R.
The same material enabled Volkswagenowned
Seat to make its five-door Leon
hatchback look like a two-door coupe by
having a non-glass rear quarter window with a
built-in recessed hand-grip that provides access
to the hidden door handles, so the rear doors
do not have obtrusive handles. The complex
shape exceeded the limitations of glass.
“This is really new,” said Mr Mooijman.
“Trains and trucks are a little further ahead
because the requirements are different to
automotive, where scratch resistance is really
important. So there are only four (cars) on the
market, but many more to come.
“Traditionally, our contact is with
engineers, but we do more and more with
stylists because they drive new developments
in the automotive industry.
Continued next page

John Mellor's
GoAuto
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Green A p r i l 16, 2008 Page 24
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Plastic fantastic
Continued from previous page
“Our customers need to save fuel but they
also want to do designs that previously were
not possible.”
Sabic is also pushing plastic fenders as a
weight-reduction solution and already up to
25 models use them, including the Hummer,
Renault Clio and Laguna, BMW 6 Series and
a forthcoming Ford model.
Why just fenders? Well, mainly because
of the savings associated with pressing dies,
which cost millions of dollars, and the fact that
up to five are required for pressing increasingly
complex fenders whereby only one is needed
to injection-mould a plastic fender.
Mr Mooijman said that plastic fenders are
ideal for production runs of 50,000 to 100,000
units a year.
However, they are not suitable for cars with
fenders more than one metre in length because
the plastic expands too much under the normal
200-degree online painting process.
BMW gets around this by painting the 6
By TERRY MARTIN
MERCEDES-BENZ has announced
that a new generation of four-cylinder
diesel engines – claimed to “outstrip all
previous benchmarks
for performance, torque,
emission properties
and, most notably,
fuel economy in their
segment” – will be
introduced across a
number of model lines,
beginning with the Cclass
later this year.
Compared to the
current 220 CDI 125kW/400Nm 2148cc oilburner,
the range-topping Euro V-compliant
250 CDI 2143cc twin-turbocharged diesel
delivers 150kW and 500Nm but is claimed
Series panels offline, but that can create paintmatching
problems for volume producers.
Sabic is working on new materials capable of
withstanding the baking process.
“Plastic fenders have been done in Europe
for more than 10 years, with real large sales
the last eight years, and for some it’s a nobrainer.
If it’s a new model and it’s a somewhat
smaller car with a good volume, they will do
it,” said Mr Mooijman.
Sabic’s new recycled – or “upcycled”
– plastic is said to overcome the problem of
other recycled plastic losing 40 per cent of
Gutsy, green 250 CDI headlines new Mercedes four-cylinder diesel family
to burn “substantially less” fuel and, as a
consequence, reduce emissions by as
much as 13 per cent.
When installed in the C-class, an
updated version of which
is due in Australia next
year, the 250 CDI returns
5.4L/100km – 0.5 litres less
than the current 220 CDI
– and 143g/km of CO2. It
can also accelerate from
0-100km/h in 7.7 seconds,
and overtake from 60-
250 CDI
100km/h in 9.4 seconds.
Codenamed OM651 and
marking the fourth generation of Mercedes
common-rail diesels (now with 2000 bar
maximum rail pressure, up 400 bar), the new
powerplant can be installed both lengthways
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Lightweight headlamp housing
its properties by extracting the oil from old
bottles and using it to produce what is actually
a fresh material.
“The message is, it’s a new material,” said
Mr Mooijman. “What we do is take a polymer
(back) to its individual bits again and we
rebuild these bits into a new polymer. It’s a
new product, but it’s made out of landfill.
“This polymer is a lot greener and in the
automotive industry you can make body panels
out of it, connectors, a lot of bezels in lighting,
many underhood applications, doorhandles,
parts for the mirror – these are all possible.”
and crossways and is envisaged for AWD
as well as rear-drive vehicles. It can be
supplemented by the BlueTec emissions
control system and is also earmarked for
use in forthcoming diesel-electric hybrid
applications.
Two other variants of the diesel engine,
all of which now have a compression ratio
of 16.2:1 (down from 17.5:1) are planned
for use in passenger cars: an updated
220 CDI (still with 125kW/400Nm) and
a 200 CDI single-turbo unit producing
100kW/330Nm.
“This takes our new four-cylinder unit
into a realm which has so far been the
preserve of three-litre six-cylinder diesel or
large V8 petrol engines – all combined with
exemplary fuel economy,” said Mercedes-
Benz R&D chief Thomas Weber.

John Mellor's
GoAuto news
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Responsibilities include:
• Total dealership operations.
• People development & training.
• Financial performance
of the dealership.
• Manufacturer’s target
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satisfaction benchmarks.
The successful candidate will
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For further information phone
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 25
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FORD STREAMLINES GLOBAL ENGINEERING AND PURCHASING
By TERRY MARTIN
THE Ford Motor Co has outlined its plans
to eliminate duplicate engineering and
purchasing “efforts” in its subsidiaries
worldwide, which looks to be a precursor
to possible changes facing Ford Australia
as the American auto giant decides upon
the location responsible for its forthcoming
global rear-wheel drive platform.
As GoAuto reported last week, Australia
still has a fi ghting chance to win the contract
but it looks increasingly likely that America
will get the nod. The decision could hinge on
talks between Ford Australia management
and global product development group vicepresident
Derrick Kuzak, who visits Australia
early next month.
According to a statement released by Ford
headquarters, global purchasing group vicepresident
Tony Brown has been working with
Mr Kuzak to “more closely integrate the two
organisations and eliminate duplications in how
vehicles are created, engineered and sourced”.
Under this new structure, Ford is
designating global product development
“leads” for different vehicle segments, one
of them being large cars. At the same time,
according to Ford, the company is assembling
joint product development and purchasing
teams around the world with responsibility
for the company’s core engineering and
purchasing functions.
Teams in North America will be responsible
for electrical and body (interior and exterior)
engineering for vehicles worldwide, as well
as select powertrains such as V6 and V8
engines, hybrids and automatic transmissions.
Teams in Europe will be responsible for
chassis engineering, and certain powertrains,
including four-cylinder petrol and diesel
engines, and manual transmissions.
In Asia Pacifi c and Africa, which includes
Australia, “engineering and purchasing
resources will be integrated into Ford’s
global core engineering and purchasing
groups in Europe and the Americas. APA
will remain responsible for specifi c global
Derrick Kuzak
product development programs and all
regional programs”.
What this means for the future of Ford
manufacturing in Australia is still to be
determined. While Dearborn has said that
certain vehicle systems will continue to
be developed on a regional basis – Ford
Australia’s role in the global compact pick-up
truck development program being a case in
point – it has also emphasised that “there will
be closer co-ordination on a core engineering
and commodity purchasing level to improve
effi ciency and eliminate duplication of work”.
With North America moving to RWD for
large cars, there appears to be no room in
this structure for both the US and Australia
developing cars with the same “common
DNA” and each using a large number of unique
components. Product development cycles are
also being dramatically reduced – by 35 per
cent in North America alone by next year.
According to Ford, the organisational
changes supporting the new structure will
begin this month and continue as new vehicle
programs are started. It claims they will not
result in layoffs or large-scale relocations.
“This is a crucial part of the plan that we
started more than a year ago,” said Ford
president and CEO Alan Mulally. “We
need product development and purchasing
organisations that are aligned on a global
scale. This is an important step in fostering
a ‘One Ford’ approach that leverages our
global resources and expertise.”

John Mellor's
GoAuto news
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A PRIL 16, 2008 Page 26
GoAuto’s latest car review www.goauto.com.au
ALL EYES TURN TO BEIJING
AUSTRALIAN attention will be trained on the Beijing auto
show this weekend after GoAuto revealed exclusively last
month that Chery would begin selling cars in this country in
the fi rst quarter of 2009, and that Geely was also preparing
for a tilt at the Australian market in 2009/10.
Details are sketchy at this stage, but both manufacturers
have committed to unveiling a host of new models, some
of which will be aimed at export destinations. Among the Chery cars to be shown will be an
all-new Faira (Five dolls) small-car family comprising a three-door and fi ve-door hatch, sedan,
crossover wagon and sports derivative. Export-oriented “European” family cars, including diesel
and petrol hybrid variants of the A3 will also be shown.
Over at Geely, the independent car-maker is tipped to show no fewer than 18 new models,
including an evocative GT (or Geely Tiger) sports sedan, a new compact car known as the Panda
(or LC-1) that will rival Chery’s QQ2, and a mini-MPV codenamed FC-1.
Other cars of interest at the show will include world debuts of the Audi Q5 and the production
Mercedes-Benz GLK. Nissan will also show its redesigned Maxima – which surfaced on the internet
last week courtesy of a leaked sales brochure – and Ford will “repeat history” with a concept that
heralds a new production car, in a similar vein to the Iosis previewing the Mondeo in Beijing two
years ago. This is expected to be a Chinese version of the new Fiesta, based on the Verve concept
unveiled at the Guangzhou auto show last November.
As previously reported, General Motors will also
use the Beijing show to unveil the next iteration
of its future design direction for Buick. After the
Riviera concept received widespread acclaim in
Shanghai last year, the brand will take the wraps off
Geely GT
SUBARU TURBO UPDATE
THE production and sale of Subaru models
powered by the turbocharged 2.5-litre boxer
engine remains suspended as parent Fuji
Heavy Industries in Japan continues to work
on the problem.
A Subaru Australia spokesperson has told
GoAuto that it expected to get further advice
from Fuji in the next day or two.
Read more: Subaru suspends 2.5 turbo
Nissan X-Trail Ti fi ve-door wagon
IT MAY not look too different, but the second-generation Nissan X-Trail has an interesting
story to tell if you need a comfortable, accommodating, economical and versatile
family SUV. Frankly, we didn’t expect to be impressed after the same-same design
and unremarkable (though extremely functional) cabin presentation, but persistence
with this compact SUV shows it up to be an extremely capable and likeable package.
And we doubt you will fi nd a more frugal petrol-powered ‘auto’ in this class if you
choose the uncannily smooth CVT version either. CAR REVIEW: CLICK HERE
CHRYSLER’S OWN TIIDA
Chery Faira
the Invicta luxury car concept. - TERRY MARTIN
Read more: Chery Geely Invicta
CHRYSLER will begin selling a Nissanproduced
small car in 2010 in countries around
the world, including North America, Europe
and other markets such as Australia. According
to the two manufacturers, which announced
the deal this week, the vehicle will be based on
the Tiida (known as the Versa in the US) and
carry a Chrysler-specifi c design. It will be built
at Nissan’s Oppama plant in Japan.
Launch Pad
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APRIL:
Audi A4 sedan
Audi A5 1.8T coupe
BMW 1 Series coupe
A4
Fiat 500 hatch
Ford FG Falcon sedan
Ford FG Falcon ute
HSV LS3 6.2 V8 sedan/ute
500
Hyundai i30 diesel auto hatch
Jaguar XF sedan
Kia Rondo SUV
Lexus LX570 SUV
Lotus 111 convertible
XF
Lotus Elise SC convertible
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X sedan
Subaru Liberty GT Spec.B
Toyota TRD HiLux ute
TRD HiLux
Volkswagen Caddy Maxi van
New model diary: CLICK HERE
GOLF GAME IMPROVES
VOLKSWAGEN Group Australia has revised
the bottom half of its Golf line-up, reducing the
available variants, changing the model names
and adding considerably more equipment –
including electronic stability control as standard
across the range – without raising prices.
The mid-life upgrade brings to an end the
Trendline and Comfortline specifi cation levels
that have been part of the fi fth-generation Golf
line-up since it was introduced to Australia in
October 2004.
Replacing the dozen Trendline and
Comfortline models that previously sat below
the GT and GTI models are now eight models
bearing the names Golf Edition and Golf
Pacifi c. FULL STORY: CLICK HERE
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