If you’ve been dreaming of owning one of these rare high-performance cars, the Melbourne-based company has just made the move into performance territory more palatable. 

It has launched two new entry models, the ClubSport GXP and Maloo GXP with driveaway pricing of $61,990 for the six-speed manual sedan and $55,990 for the manual.  The cars are based on the Pontiac GXP, which sold for a brief period in the United States.

HSV says the sedan and ute are ‘limited editions’, meaning just 400 sedans and 350 utes will be built.  However, HSV executives are mindful that as an entry level car, both are expected to sell out quickly.

HSV general manager sales and marketing, Darren Bowler, says it is unlikely the GXP will join the lineup as a new model, beyond the limited edition cars.  “We don’t want too many variants in our model range,” he says.

However, the company has left the door open for a similarly priced entry level model at some time in the future.  “We will learn a lot from this exercise and if they work, we will look at it,” Bowler says.

HSV managing director, Phil Harding, says the cars are designed to bring new customers to the brand.  “Importantly, both cars also adhere to the HSV brand pillars of performance, handling and unique design,” he says.

 Harding says it “was always our objective to find a solution for the model that sat below the ClubSport R8”.  “We received a lot of customer inquiries for a model like that and GXP provided us with that opportunity,” he says.

There are many common parts between the GXP and the ClubSport R8, including the 317kW/550Nm 6.2-litre V8.  The cars also get unique suspension settings, a Brembo brake package, E Series 2 daylight running lights, E Series 2 front bumper and bonnet and mudguard vents.

Harding is quick to point out that the GXP pair were not a result of left over components from the Pontiac parts bin.  “There is a great danger that you might refer to this program as inventory user,” he says.

“It’s absolutely nothing of that sort. And certainly companies these days don’t end up with stuff left over; certainly we don’t.  “In terms of building these cars new parts have had to be ordered.”

Body and appearance

It’s no surprise the GXP looks familiar. It uses the same name as the Pontiac G8 GXP model sold briefly in the United States and phased out early this year.  For Australia both the ute and sedan get a mix of Clubsport R8 interior and exterior tweaks, including the same 6.2-litre V8 developing 317kW and 550Nm.

The ClubSport GXP gets a unique rear bumper on the sedan with a blacked-out diffuser into which the quad exhausts are set.  The ute follows a less is more treatment with the rear end and looks similar to an SS ute. Instead of the Maloo hardcover tonneau, the GXP ute opts for a soft-cover.

Drivetrain

The 6.2-litre V8 is already a well proven beast in the ClubSport and this engine is the one and only choice here.

Prices

Both models will debut with driveaway pricing of $61,990 for the ClubSport GXP sedan manual and $55,990 for the Maloo GXP manual ute. Autos attract another $2000.  Options include satellite navigation, rear park assist, sunroof and roof-mounted DVD player for the sedan.

Interior

ClubSport R8 owners will recognize the cabin. The sedan gets HSV sports seats with cloth trim while the Maloo gets the performance sports seats. 

There is also a dual zone climate control system, 6.5’’ multi-function colour display screen, electric windows and Blaupunkt stereo with six-disc in-dash CD player. There are 11 speakers in the sedan and seven in the ute.

Equipment

Outside there are projector headlights, daytime running lights, bonnet scoops, chrome mirror housings and chrome door handle surrounds, sports tail lights on the sedan, soft tonneau cover with HSV logo on the ute, 19-inch Series I alloys.  Inside there is a leather wrapped HSV multi-function steering wheel, trip computer, alloy faced pedals, tyre pressure monitors, HSV sports instruments and triple centre mounted gauges.

Both models are available in Heron White, Nitrate, Sting Red, Phantom, Voodoo and Karma. The ClubSport GXP is also available in Evoke.

Safety

Dual front, side and curtain airbags with seatbelt load limiters, limited slip differential, four piston Brembo performance brakes, electronic stability control, anti-skid brakes and traction control.

Driving

IF the GTS has too much “bling” for your liking then the GXP sedan is a natural choice.  The car steers, brakes and accelerates just like a HSV should but without the “look at me” styling.  That doesn’t mean it’s not without some nice touches, from the mudguard vents and bonnet vents to the skillfully crafted diffuser treatment on the sedan’s rear bumper.

Inside there are touches of the ClubSport R8 around the cabin, and that’s a good thing. To keep the price down it misses the launch control function.  The sedan is a smooth operator when it comes to the nip and tuck of every day traffic. The V8 will help dispatch slowcoaches easily and without drama.

The most surprising thing about the Maloo GXP is that it is a ute. You have to keep checking the rear view mirrors because until you drive it, you’ll dismiss it as just another ute. It’s not.

And that’s the key to all HSVs. There is some serious under the skin engineering on the suspensions, engines and steering to back up the go-fast looks.  HSV’s general manager sales and marketing Darren Bowler calls the GXP a “sleeper”.  He might be right but if you hang around too long this sleeper will rocket out of showrooms.

At a glance

Engine: 6.2-litre LS3 Gen 4 V8
Price: $61,990 sedan, $55,990 Maloo ute.
Power: 317kW at 6000 revs
Torque: 550Nm at 4600 revs.

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Audi has been accused of having too many variants before, and it wouldn't be the first time that an importer was accused of having too many models in what really is a small market.  But the number of models Audi has on offer now could have some people again wondering how it supports such a broad range on low volumes. But if the buyers are there and the four-ringed brand is making money, who are we to argue?

The A5 range has comprised a two-door coupe and droptop adjunct to the A4 sedan and wagon range. But now we have the A5 Sportback - a four-door four-seat coupe version of the A4, but sleeker and even more elegant than the handsome sedan.  It weighs less than the long-running A4 sedan, but is longer, wider and lower and just 2mm longer in the wheelbase.

Drivetrain and price

We're in the all-wheel drive three-litre turbodiesel V6, certainly the pick of Audi's mainstream engine range - although the 4.2-litre V8 in the old RS4 and the R8 remains a firm personal favourite - but the diesel has some irresistible numbers.

The particle-filtered V6 has common-rail direct-injection and a variable-geometry turbo that produces 176kW and 500Nm, the latter on tap from 1500rpm through to 3000rpm.  The as-tested cost of the test car is $103,070, quite a jump from the list starting price of $89,100 and similar money to roomier and perhaps more versatile machines.

Fit-out and equipment

The cabin is very Teutonic - laid out and finished superbly, with plenty of safety and other equipment, much of it even as standard - eight airbags surround the occupants, who describe the vehicle around them as feeling solid and strong.  The centre screen displays all the infotainment functions including the optional $4550 multi-media satnav system and six-CD changer (for $970), which includes a hard drive for the good-quality sound system.

The front ($850 optional) sport seating is firm but not uncomfortable, with the new Audi centre armrest set-up now not intruding on the elbow room, restricting centre console storage flexibility or impeding the handbrake (which is now a little electronic lever anyway), it's a nice place to be.

Rear room for the two occupants is not cavernous - the elegant roofline restricts headroom a little (a problem felt by several four-door ‘coupes’), and the leg room is limited.  Bootspace area is reasonable but it's not an overly deep or wide load space, so even a folded stroller can take a big chunk of the room.

Driving

The powerplant performs admirably in other Audi product and its track record is certainly not tarnished here - very quiet, smooth, frugal and deceptively rapid, there's precious little wrong with the engine.  It gets the Sportback up and running just a touch quicker than the other A5 and A4 variants with the same powerplant, but all reach 100km/h in around six seconds, which is good going regardless of the fuel being used.

The seven-speed double-clutch auto works well with the torquey powerplant most of the time, with slick and well-timed upshifts in all three drive modes (an option), although some downshifts (even in comfort mode) are a little jerky.

The three-mode system tightens up suspension, steering and alters throttle response and it is noticeable the change in character.  For a family all-rounder there probably needs to be a more cosseting base-line for the comfort mode, as the ride - while more compliant than Dynamic mode - still doesn't fit the definition of ‘comfort’.

But the Sportback has ample in common with the coupe and A4 sedan. It's not anywhere near as nose-heavy as earlier examples of the breed, pointing into corners with plenty of enthusiasm, with heaps of grip and no excuses for the stability control to interfere.

It has the sort of back-road talent that could shame many sportscars, but much of that comes down to the three-mode drive system Audi calls drive select - comprising adaptive dampers, dynamic steering and a sport electronic locking differential. It's a $7600 option, so it would want to be an effective system.

In isolation, the A5 Sportback is a good machine, but the question remains as to whether it’s sure what it wants to be – a practical family car or a peppery sportscar.

Audi A5 Sportback 3.0 TDI quattro

Engine: three-litre common-rail direct injection 24-valve DOHC intercooled turbocharged V6 diesel engine.
Power: 176kW between 4000 & 4400rpm.
Torque: 500Nm between 1500 & 3000rpm.
Transmission: seven-speed double-clutch automatic, permanent all-wheel drive with self-locking centre differential.
Performance: Top speed 250km/h, 0-100km/h 6.1 seconds.
Fuel consumption: combined 6.6 l/100km, on test 11 litres per 100km, tank 64 litres.
Emissions: 174 g/km.

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... a new three wheeled way to get around town and beware of the dangers of high-tech cars and low-tech drivers.

For all this and a lot more, listen to the podcast above.

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According to tests carried out by NRMA Insurance, each glance at the phone while texting takes an average of 1.4 seconds, with the vehicle covering 22m when travelling at 60km/h.

Tests were carried out on a closed road with 10 drivers aged 20 to 54 texting "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog". The driver's faces were filmed with the test revealing participants glancing at their phone an average of 38 times.

All states have penalties for illegal talking or texting on a mobile while driving, but that didn't stop more than 200,000 drivers last year - and those are just the ones who were caught in four states. In New South Wales, almost 40,000 drivers were caught illegally talking or texting on mobile phones in the past year. The NSW fine for illegal mobile phone use is $253 and three demerit points.

Almost 40,000 drivers were caught in Victoria, where the penalty is $234 and three demerit points. About 30,000 Queensland drivers were caught, each one risking a fine of $300 and three demerit points. About the same number of South Australian drivers were also caught, with their penalties being up $218 and or three demerit points.

In Western Australia the fine is $250 with three demerit points and in Tasmania it has recently been increased from $110 to $300 and from two to three points. NRMA Insurance spokesperson Robert McDonald said it was risky doing anything else while driving, such as eating or drinking or smoking. "We clearly have an appetite for mobile phones and the convenience of immediate communication," he said. "But we need to resist the urge of sending or reading a text message while at the wheel. It's not only dangerous for the driver, but also for everyone else in their car or on the road around them."

Young drivers are more likely to illegally use mobile phones while driving. A national online study has found more than half (52 per cent) of drivers aged 30 to 39 admitted using their mobiles while driving, compared with one in three (37 per cent) for those under 30. The figure dropped to one in four (24 per cent) for over 40s. Men (36 per cent) were more likely than women (29 per cent) to chat while driving.

So the question is: are these penalties enough to prevent people texting and talking on their phones illegally while driving? Should they be harsher, or should they be dropped and make it all legal…

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That's the bottom line on the 911 Turbo S convertible, which will be unveiled next month at the Geneva Motor Show before local sales in September.

The force-fed droptop, which also comes as a coupe for $423,300, has had a major power boost from the 'regular' 911 Turbo's 368 kiloWatts to a full-house 390 - with 700 Newton-metres of torque.

Porsche says the extra punch drops the 0-100km/h sprint time to 3.3 seconds and lifts the top speed to 315km/h.  The Turbo S comes standard with Porsche's Sport Chrono package, including launch control, as well as paddles to shift the PDK seven-speed, dual-clutch gearbox.

It's the first new Turbo S model from Porsche in five years and comes with traction management, all-wheel-drive and a mechanical rear differential lock.

Porsche says it has also improved efficiency with fuel economy of 11.4 litres/100km, no more than the regular 911 Turbo.

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It's the Sportswagon, a value-added wagon that first hit the road in Australia in the early 1980s.  This time around it will be a tickle-up on the Impreza hatch with a pricetag just below $30,000.

The Impreza XV, as it is called, will be previewed at the Geneva Motor Show next month and looks basically similar to a car sold in the USA as the Outback Sport - even though it is based on the Impreza.

"The Sportswagon started in the early 1980s with the Leone. It was the original idea to transform a wagon into a lifestyle recreational vehicle.  In those early days we put things on it like white Sunraysia wheels, bullbars and roof racks," says Nick Senior, managing director of Subaru Australia.

"That crossed over with the L-Series in 1983 and went right through until Impreza was launched in 1993. Then we did a few years of Sportswagons on the Impreza hatch in LX all-wheel drive specification.    When the Forester arrived we phased it out."

But times have changed, and Senior says there is a gap in the Subaru line-up for something with a chunkier look to run below the Forester.  "Over time the Forester has obviously grown and we see an opportunity under the Forester for a lifestyle recreational vehicle. It's based on the Impreza hatch, with some extra versatility and extra ground clearance," Senior says.

"The XV is being shown at the Geneva Motor Show and we expect it early in quarter three."  The current car closest to the old Sportswagon is an Impreza in the USA called the Outback Sport - even though it's not an Outback.

It gets the familiar two-tonne paintwork which has been on the Sportswagon from the start, as well as raised suspension, a roof rack and heated front seats.  The XV will look significantly different from the American car, with a different treatment on the grille, sills and bumpers. The exact specification has not been set, but Senior sees a major opportunity.

"I think one of the most exciting things for us is that it will be marketed at a younger audience. It gives us the chance to speak to Gen- Y and do something a little bit different.  "We haven't had that opportunity in the past. We can have a bit of fun with this and learn."

The price will undercut the Forester and the XV is expected to account for around 10 per cent of Impreza sales in Australia.  "I think it's around about 100 a month. That's about 10 per cent of Impreza sales," Senior says.

"I think it will be largely incremental. There is always a bit of crossover, but of the 100 I would hope that 60-70 per cent are incremental."  Senior is expecting a big year for Subaru Australia after a major turnover of models in the second half of last year.

"We've got a full 12 months of Liberty and Outback, as well as diesel and Exiga. We have a Forester diesel to join us in June and the reaction to the Outback diesel has been fantastic."

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Skaife is in favour of everything from a travelling school show with interactive driving simulators to go-kart racing as ways to build skills before youngsters hit the road for the first time in a car.  He is keen to see more pre-license training to prepare for kids and says there is plenty of proof that early education works.

"Driving is a life skill. It's as simple as that. It's essential and kids need all the training they can get," Skaife says.  "There is a reason why country kids are, generally speaking, better drivers. They get more experience at an early age.

"They are out on the farm driving a ute with a load of hay, or a mower, or a quad to do the chores. They understand the basic skills of driving so they have less to worry about when they get a license."  Skaife is a father of three and says he started his eldest, his son Mitch, on go-karts to teach him about driving.

"He's been on karts, well, forever. It's not just about racing, it's about learning to drive," Skaife says.  "I've been at the track and seen kids who couldn't even drive out of the pitlane. They don't understand the basics of turning the wheel to the right to get the kart to move to the right."

The Bathurst winner and V8 Supercar champion wants people to look beyond his speedy past to the life lessons he brings to driving.  "I don't car how many XBoxes or Wiis or computer games there are, because that's not driving. Driving is not a binary process and once you get on the road there are consequences," he says.

Skaife would like to see more driving education in schools and his dream is a travelling roadshow that covers all the basics.  "You could have a mock-up cabin so kids learn how to sit the right way in a car. Then a proper driving simulator, talks from experts, films on the consequences when things go wrong.  All this stuff exists. It's just a matter of pulling it all together." 

What do you think? Is Skaife on the right track, and how do we get official backing? Send in your comments below.

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The company’s local CEO, Edward Lee, has confirmed the snappy-looking little i20 hatch will be here within about two months, and a replacement for the Sonata sedan later in the year..

“It will arrive at the end of April or early in May,” Lee says of the i20.  And this time, it will definitely follow through. Currency and supply issues stalled the arrival of the i20 late last year, but a shipload of them is already on the water – Australia-bound.

However it doesn’t mean the immediate end of the popular Getz - the best-selling nameplate in the Hyundai stable, challenged only by the i30 for a month last year.“We have decided to run the i20 alongside the Getz for this year,” Lee says, adding that it come in somewhere “close to $15,000”.

However he is not concerned about the $13,990 Getz’s eventual departure leaving Hyundai at a price point disadvantage with the arrival of cheaper cars like the $10,990 Proton S16.  “We don’t want to be the ‘cheap car company’ at all,” Lee says.  “Price point is very important but we are focusing on brand.  Even if we discontinue Getz, the i20 will stand on its own.”

And if they do drop the Getz, will we see the i10 arrive in its place?“We have to make our other products successful first,” Lee says.  “From now on we have to make sure every car is a success. But if we think this is the right market for the i10…”

Similarly, Hyundai Australia will not look at bringing the slick Genesis Coupe until it judges the success of the incoming replacement for the Sonata – codenamed the YF, and likely to be called the i50.  “There has been a lot of interest in the Genesis coupe,” Lee says.  “But before we look at it, we have to make the YF successful.”

On reports that the right-hand drive program for the Genesis was on the verge of official confirmation, Lee would only say that Hyundai HQ “has spoken to all markets.  If the factory says yes to right-hand drive, and if we decide to bring the Coupe, it will come after the YF.”

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The decision to run with the alpha-numeric nomenclator is a victory for commercial commonsense and will allow Hyundai to leverage off the huge buyer goodwill already created by the award-winning i30 small car.

"There has been a great deal of discussion with Hyundai head office over how we would market the YF (Hyundai's internal designation of the new model) in Australia and while we don't see this as any sort of victory we are very pleased with the outcome," Hyundai Australia's director of marketing, Oliver Mann, says.

"I can't speak for other markets around the world but I would expect that the i45 name will at least flow to New Zealand."  With the i45 nameplate settled the Sonata replacement will join i20, i30, ix35, iMax and iLoad as the latest member of the new-generation Hyundai family.

"I see the i-cars as the definition of the new Hyundai models, particularly the i45 which shares the fluidic sculpture design language with the ix35," Mann says.  Hyundai hopes to have the i45 in showrooms by June, just weeks after the arrival of the i20 light car.

"It may well work out that the two cars arrive almost together," Mann says. "It is about production and availability. We are very confident of having the i20 here by May but the timing on the i45 is less certain although we would certainly hope to have it here by the middle of this year."

Launched in the US at the end of last year as the Sonata, the car has been enjoying rave reviews and creating huge demand.  The coupe-like sedan was first unveiled for the Korean market in September and then put on show in LA. It is an attractive four-door with high-end European looks that came out of Hyundai's California design studio.

In contrast to most of its competitors the i45 launched in the US and Korea as an all four-cylinder engine range with the most likely choice for Australia the new 2.4-litre Theta II direct-injection unit boasting 150kW, 245Nm and fuel economy of around seven litres per 100km.

Drive will be through a pair of new six-speed gearboxes. To date there is no word on the double-clutch automatic that Hyundai has been developing and highlighted in a concept at the Geneva motor show last year.

By the end of next year there is also expected to be available in the model line-up a two-litre direct-injection turbocharged diesel and a Hybrid Blue Drive -- a conventional parallel hybrid system but using the latest in lithium-ion battery technology from the company's association with LG.

Hyundai Australia is remaining tight-lipped on the possibility of a second stream of the Sonata replacements joining the i45, possibly early next year.  A parallel development program has been running for the European market with a sportswagon-style model which is expected to be badged an i40 when it launches there towards the end of this year.

That i40 badge for the different yet similar model could explain why the Australian YF has been given the i45 naming rather than the i40 which was originally expected.  "I really don't know anything about that," Mann says. "We are just happy at the moment to have the i45 confirmed."

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The potent Porsche 911 is currently a track car only but the technology that gives it a boost comes straight from Formula One and has clear potential for go-faster road use.

The latest GT3 R Hybrid is fitted with the Kinetic Energy Recovery System developed by Porsche for Williams Grand Prix, although it was not used by the F1 team before KERS was outlawed at the end of the 2009 system.

Now Porsche has picked it up for its flagship endurance racer and, if it works well, it could easily go into the next generation of 911s.  "At the moment, nobody knows what is going to happen," admits the head of Porsche Cars Australia, Michael Winkler.

"The intent, truly, is to gain some real experience with that system. That's both in terms of performance, but also reliability, and then" make a determination from that on what's applicable for the road cars.  Porsche's KERS package is a compact, high-speed flywheel that can store and release a massive amount of energy. It spins at up to 40,000 revolutions and is recharged whenever the driver hits the brakes.

It differs from conventional hybrids - like the Toyota Prius and Porsche's upcoming Cayenne SUV - because there is no battery pack.  The hybrid GT3 R can boost the car's 353 kiloWatts with an extra 120 from a pair of electric motors hooked to the front wheels. So, exiting corners the car becomes an all-wheel drive hybrid with a 30 per cent power boost.

The KERS system is charged the same way as most other hybrids including the Prius, storing braking energy in the flywheel as it spins. It also brings a fuel economy benefit as the 911 does not need as much petrol power for acceleration, and the fuel tank can also be smaller.

"This is a different sort of system. Essentially, the hybrid technology as it stands today is suitable for cars that have the space for the components and a large and heavy battery," says Winkler.

"A sports car is more about simplicity and the power-to-weight ratio. This is a first approach to see if it works for a sports car," says Winkler.  He says there is currently only a single GT3 R and it is a full factory car, not for sale.

"There are a few GT3 Rs on order for Australia, but this car is not for sale. It will run in some small events and then the 24-hours at the Nurburgring later this year to test its reliability."

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