All About Cars

Alfa Romeo will launch its first SUV in 2010. It will come to compete with Audi Q5 or BMW X3, and will feature sporty ambitions and extravagant design as well as excellent comfort.

It will be based on the Kamal SUV Concept launched in 2003 at the Geneva Motor Show. It will be offered in both three- and five-doors versions and is supposed to be based on the same Premium platform, which is now being used by models 159 and Brera vehicles.

Little under five meters, the future Alfa SUV will inherit the aggressive nature of the Kamal Concept. It will be powered by a 3.2 V6 engine with an output of 250 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque. A diesel engine will also be available. The 2009 CXover will have a top speed of around 140 mph and will make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in 7 seconds.

The Cayenne GTS has been announced in September 2007. But even before it even hits the streets, Porsche is coming with a bad news: the six-speed manual which appears for the first time in a NAR-market Cayenne V8 - may be missing.

Dubspeed Driven tried to post an order for a six-speed GTS with all the trimmings, but was surprised to receive a call from his dealer today informing him that availability of manual-transmission GTS models would be delayed until further notice, or perhaps indefinitely. The only way to retain his spot in the GTS line would be to spend the extra $3,000 and take the Tiptronic transmission.

Porsche has made much hay of the GTS prior to its arrival. The 405-horsepower SUV, which starts at $69,300 but easily reaches to $95,000 or more with the leather dashboard, full-length sunroof, and convenience options, was meant to fill the massive gap between the $57,900, 385-horsepower Cayenne S and the $93,700, 500-horsepower Cayenne Turbo. Mating the aggressive looks of the Turbo with a special steel-spring suspension and available six-speed manual transmission, the GTS was positioned as the enthusiast’s choice in the Cayenne family.

Abarth will launch the Fiat 500 at the Geneva Motor Show in March, while the SS, the top of the class will be launched just before the summer. They are likely to be priced at £13,500 and £15,000 respectively. The 500 SS will deliver enough power to compete against the MINI’s flagship Cooper S.

The standard Abarth 500’s engine produces 135bhp, the SS has an even more powerful version that delivers 155bhp. With a kerbweight of around 1,000kg, the 500 pro­mises to be a sensational performer: it will complete the sprint from 0-60mph in only 7.5 seconds, and reach a top speed of 130mph.

Abarth will also offer a special tuning kit that will deliver 180 hp and will make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in less than 5 seconds.

2007 brought a lot of exciting products and it’s been a great time to be a car buyer with so many great cars available.

And, the market has been soft, so you have been able to negotiate some great deals on what’s out there.

Plus, there are so many great models on the horizon.

The Nissan GT-R, BMW M3, 1-Series, X6, Infiniti EX, Lexus IS-F, GM Hybrid Trucks, will all be in dealerships in 2008.

And if that’s not exciting enough, all the clean German diesels will be hitting lots for the 08 Christmas season.

So tell us what cars/trucks are you most excited to see/drive/buy in 2008?

Feel free to include cars that are coming to the auto shows, rumored to surface or hitting dealerships in 2008.

Australians continue to buy cars in record numbers, with more than one million new vehicles hitting the roads in 2007.

Spoilt for choice with more than 45 brands on offer, buyers shrugged off high petrol prices and rising interest rates and didn’t bat an eyelid at the change of government.

The only problem for the local automotive industry is that Australians much prefer vehicles built overseas to those made here.

And the trend looks set to continue, with imports currently accounting for more than 80 per cent of all sales.

The growing competition from international brands makes the new federal government’s promised review of tariff arrangements in the car industry in 2008 all the more crucial for local producers.

Jobs were lost across the sector in 2007, as car and component makers battled to survive in a climate of growing international competition, fuelled by a persistently strong Australian dollar.

So a further drop in tariffs, from 10 to five per cent, scheduled for 2010, is seen by some as possibly the final nail in the coffin of an Australian car manufacturing industry.

Car unions have already made their feelings known, calling for the tariff cut to be scrapped, a sentiment echoed by the South Australian government, the state with probably the most to lose as the home of both Mitsubishi and Holden’s assembly facilities.

Australia’s four vehicle producers have been generally more circumspect, saying the industry will present a submission to the government to outline the concerns of all stakeholders.

Toyota did warn that its local operations could head offshore if the pressures on local producers were maintained and the tariff cut went ahead.

But the company said it was much too early to speculate on what might happen in the future.

Like its key rivals, Toyota has looked to exports to ensure the viability of its domestic business.

It continues to ship more of its Australian-made cars overseas than it sells locally, something Holden might also manage in 2008, when an estimated 50 per cent of its local production will be destined for export.

Included will be the first versions of the VE Commodore, bound for the US, where they will be badged and sold as the Pontiac G8.

At the same time all four local makers will continue to look at ways of cutting costs after several years of jobs losses and other measures including Ford’s decision to close its Geelong engine plant in 2010.

It’s all in sharp contrast to the buoyant mood in car dealerships across the country as buyers snap up just about anything on offer.

To the end of November the market was running 8.8 per cent ahead compared to the same time last year.

December sales were set to push it past the one million mark for the first time.

Toyota was the dominant player, selling more than 200,000 vehicles for the fourth year in a row.

It will finish the year well head of Holden and Ford although, bucking the move to imports, Holden’s Commodore will again be the nation’s top selling car.

A key feature of the market was the spread of increased demand, with almost every sector from light cars to large four-wheel-drives enjoying an improvement.

Small car sales were up six per cent, medium cars 4.5 per cent and even large cars were up 3.4 per cent.

Australia’s love affair with SUVs (sports utility vehicles) also appears to know no bounds, with demand up 15 per cent.

Toyota’s marketing chief, David Buttner, said while the strength of the economy and the local currency had played a part, improved value for money had been overlooked as a significant factor in the booming market.

“Consumers should know they are benefiting from lower prices in real terms, made possible by the industry’s advancing technology as well as strong competition,” Mr Buttner said.

“We believe too little credit has been given to the car companies and the way they have improved the value of their vehicles over an extended period.”

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) chief executive Andrew McKellar said in historical terms vehicles were very affordable and intense price competition between brands was only making them more so.

“The continued strength of the Australian dollar is underpinning the competitiveness of many models and consumers are responding to the improved value for money that is on offer,” he said.

“The underlying strength of motor vehicle sales is quite clear.

“It appears that fleet buyers and private buyers remain convinced that now is a good time to buy a new vehicle.”