Geoff Polites

Motoring executive

Born: Melbourne, November 3, 1947

Died: Melbourne, April 20, 2008.

Geoffrey (Geoff) Polites rode the many peaks and troughs as the highest ranking executive of Ford Australia and as a dealer principal for the blue oval company.

At the start of his tenure at the controls of Ford, after selling out of his City Ford dealership in Sydney in 1999, Mr Polites faced the challenge of turning the company around.

At the time no one in the car world wanted to be in his shoes, except for Geoff himself, because he relished a challenge and was fixated on accomplishing a mission many of his contemporaries thought to be impossible.

The ugly duckling AU Falcon was unwanted in the market and the future of Australia's longest running nameplate was in jeopardy.

It took a stroke of genius by Mr Polites to smooth over the ills of the AU, which took a hammering in the showroom.

When the BA Falcon emerged for the first drive and appraisals around the Grampians region in Victoria in 2003, he was roundly applauded for what was critically acclaimed as a damn good fix.

The BA — code-named Barra — was the facelift that could not come quick enough as the droopy and sad rear of the AU was reflected in Ford's decline in market share. More importantly, it was not just any facelift, it was one which had to work otherwise Ford Australia's much loved nameplate was at risk of falling off the automotive chart.

For Mr Polites, the success of the BA was a fair measure of his ability to fix problems and he was duly rewarded by FoMoCo bosses in Detroit.

He became known as the “Mr Fixit” of the Ford world, something which would take him to Europe and Britain, where he weaved more magic, helping to lift Jaguar and Land Rover back to profitability.

Sales of the BA were an endorsement of his Midas touch, with the Falcon beating the Commodore for the first time for six years in September 2003 in a monumental showroom turnaround.

Mr Polites had pulled the company back from one of its darkest periods. But he wasn't finished there — he never was finished really, dedicated to the cause to the end.

He reaffirmed Ford's commitment to the biggest motor racing series in the country — V8 Supercars — and was responsible for the birth of the Falcon-based Territory, which has done swift business for Ford among the SUV crowd.

And that icon of all Falcon derivatives — the GT — made a comeback under his command.

He was passionate and tireless about the car business, which did not diminish, even in his battle with bowel cancer which ultimately claimed his life after a two-year battle.

After being handed the task of running Ford in Europe, based out of Cologne in Germany in 2004, he then became chief executive of Jaguar and Land Rover in the United Kingdom.

He was living in England but had recently returned to Australia for the birth of his first grandchild, Zoe, who was born on April 16, but soon after arriving he became critically ill.

It was his dedication to the profession of the car business and his love of cars which injected a good dose of passion back into Ford Australia, something which filtered down through a born-again product range.

He once said of his Falcon GT company car, “I drive at 60km/h on cruise control and I still feel good.”

Educated at Cheltenham High in Melbourne, he gained a first-class honours degree in economics at Monash University and, after completing an academic career, joined Ford Australia as a product planner in 1970.

In 1975, after training in the US and Europe, he assumed the role of marketing plans and research manager. He was appointed general sales manager in 1985, holding the position until July 1988 when he headed the City Ford dealership, credited as Australia's largest and most successful Ford franchise.

A lifelong supporter of the South Melbourne Football Club, which morphed into the Sydney Swans in the 1980s, Mr Polites had an unwavering love for the club of which he was once a selector.

Family and footy were his great passions outside of cars.

He is survived by Linda, his wife of 36 years, sons Chris and Brent and granddaughter Zoe.

Because sometimes that's all it takes to make a sale, particularly in the highly competitive world of stylish Euros.

In what is being described as a world first, 20 Sydney singles were last month invited to participate in Australia's first “test drive dating” event.

Guests were chauffeur driven to a Volvo dealership (in a Volvo of course) where they were given eight minutes in the front seat of a car to meet their perfect match.

We don't know whether the lusty guys and gals were allowed to keep their hats on or for that matter whether they were asked to keep the top down (our picture shows a convertible?)

But in the end it was an interesting way to get to know like-minded members of the opposite sex, as well as to get up close and personal with some of the company's gorgeous Swedish models.

Staged in conjunction with dating specialists Fast Impressions, it represents something of a break with tradition for Volvo which has built its reputation on making safe but some might say boring family transport.

Volvo has been chasing a younger demographic with the release last year of its decidedly younger (and cheaper) C30 hatchback.

After it was over, participants were transferred to one of Sydney's top bars where they continued to party with hundreds of other singles at an exclusive event hosted by Fast Impressions.

In context, we thought Blacktown drive-in might have been a more appropriate venue?

“To the best of our knowledge this is a world-first,” Volvo Australia's marketing director Matt Braid said.

“It gives us an opportunity to create a buzz around the brand by promoting our cars in an unconventional way.”

Two of the participants in the Volvo dating event were Craig Spence, 32, and Gina Carmody, 29 (pictured).

Carmody didn't know much about cars beforehand, but said her attitude to cars had changed as a result of her unusual dating venture.

“Talking about Volvo was a good way to get the conversation going," Spence said.

Volvo Australia and Fast Impressions are considering whether to expand the Test Drive Dating concept to more locations in and around Sydney and Melbourne in the near future.

Garth Tander validated his switch to the Holden Racing Team by completing a clean sweep as the V8 Supercar championship was turned upside down following the inaugural Hamilton street race in New Zealand on the weekend.

Tander, who claimed the 2007 championship with the HSV Dealer Team, resumed the flawless form he displayed at the non-championship grand prix races in Melbourne last month to guide the No. 1 Commodore to a trifecta of wins in round three of the series.

“I was relieved to get my first round win for HRT because it was playing on my mind a bit,” Tander said as he clasped his hands around the Mark Porter trophy.

The victory continued the unbeaten run of eight consecutive wins by Holden in V8 Supercar rounds in NZ, but it was the first round victory for the Lion badge this season.

Ford had to rely on Steve Richards (Ford Performance Racing) and James Courtney (SBR Jeld-Wen Falcon) to salvage something from a Holden whitewash as the pair filled the podium spots.

For all the hype of the first race around the tight, bumpy and raw 3.4km street course, the racing was mostly processional although there were a few spot battles.

None were more spectacular than Courtney's team mate Shane Van Gisbergen, who put the sword to Mark Skaife and Russell Ingall among others.

Van Gisbergen, who turns 19 at the next round in Perth starting on May 9, pulled off some breath-taking passes, which were sadly lacking at the front of the pack, on his way to 10th position.

The complexion of the championship underwent a major transformation, with leader Jamie Whincup missing in action after crash damage ruled him out of lining up in any of the three heats. He dropped down to fifth in the standings.

Rick Kelly, fourth for the round, assumes the lead on 672 points, 46 ahead of Tander, while Lee Holdsworth remains third on 580.

It was a miserable weekend for DJRs Jim Beam squad and Team Vodafone.

Will Davison was in the wars with a faulty starter motor that caused a pit blockage for his team mate Steve Johnson before his bonnet popped and smashed his windscreen.

The No. 18 DJR Ford ground to a halt after completing just eight laps.

Craig Lowndes managed to guide his No. 888 Ford from 19th after the first heat to 15th before scrambling up to seventh spot in the final race.

Standings

Round positions

1 Garth Tander (Holden)

2 Steve Richards (Ford)

3 James Courtney (Ford)

Championship points

1 Rick Kelly (Holden) 672

2 Garth Tander (Holden) 626

3 Lee Holdsworth (Holden) 580

Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries motorcycle manager Ray Newland said scooter sales were down 3.4 per cent in the first quarter compared with last year's record numbers while Queensland was down 1.3 per cent.

He said the FCAI's new method of reporting sales could explain the drop and that there may have been little or no real decline.

Industry sources said sales also may have been affected by an increase in second-hand scooters on the market.

Major Brisbane scooter retailer Joe D'Ercole said scooter sales had soared for several years as petrol prices, environmental issues, traffic congestion and parking costs escalated.

They would continue to sell strongly as those conditions remained and were joined by the mortgage crisis and a general tightening of the money belt, he said.

Mr D'Ercole said his sales were up about 10 per cent over the 2007 first quarter.

“I had a guy in here recently who got rid of his second car because his parking rates in the city went from $400 to $700,” he said.

“It is now costing him $40 for parking. He said that was $600 towards his mortgage.”

Mr D'Ercole said high-rise apartments were replacing general carparks in the city.

“It's going to make it harder to get a park in the city, which will mean scooter sales will continue to increase.”

Importers remain positive with a host of new models about to hit the market. Honda has just released a 150cc SH150i with 35 litres of luggage for $200 less than their 125cc model.

Vespa has released a 1970s styled 125cc scooter with a 50cc variant to follow next month and its largest model yet with a 300cc engine.

A host of 50cc four-stroke scooters, costing as little as $1690, are also about to arrive

Piaggio has 15.1 per cent market share, Vespa 13 per cent), Yamaha 12 per cent and Honda 7.7 per cent.

He was in his home country for the birth of his grandchild.

The former Ford Australia president became critically ill and died over the weekend with his wife and family by his side, Ford Australia president Bill Osborne said in a statement.

He was 60 years old.

Mr Osborne said Mr Polites would be remembered as a keen Sydney Swans supporter who was dedicated to his family.

His untimely passing had "robbed his family, friends and colleagues of a dedicated, focused and determined man who was an inspiration to everyone he met,” Mr Osborne said.

"Geoff was home in Australia for the birth of his first grandchild and, unfortunately, became critically ill while here.

"He passed away with his wife and family by his side.”

Mr Osborne said Mr Polites had battled ill-health for the past two years, but remained determined to return the Ford-owned Jaguar and Land Rover brands to profitability.

"His energy, enthusiasm and support for our business will be sorely missed.”

Mr Polites, who had worked in the automotive industry for almost 40 years, is credited with steering the British luxury brands through the ongoing sale process to India's Tata Motors Ltd.

He took over the top post with Jaguar and Land Rover in 2005.

Ford, in March, announced it was selling its Jaguar and Land Rover businesses to Tata in a deal that was expected to net the US carmaker $US1.7 billion ($A1.82 billion) - about a third of the price it paid for the brands.

Ford bought Jaguar for $US2.5 billion ($A2.67 billion) in 1989 and Land Rover for $US2.7 billion ($A2.88 billion) in 2000.

A statement from the Detroit-based Ford company also paid tribute to Mr Polites' efforts to turn around the fortunes of the luxury brands.

"He was a trusted colleague and someone who was much respected, not just by his peers but by all who had the privilege to work with him,” Ford Motor Company president and chief executive officer Alan Mulally said in a statement.

"Our sympathies are with his wife and family at this difficult time.”

David Smith, Jaguar Land Rover's chief financial officer, will take over as the acting chief executive officer at Jaguar Land Rover until a successor is appointed.

Mr Polites was born in Melbourne and joined Ford Australia in 1970 as a product planner.

He completed training in the US and Europe before again joining Ford Australia in 1975 as marketing and research manager.

He held several posts with Ford until 1988, when he resigned to work with the City Ford dealership in Sydney.

In 1999, he sold his interests in City Ford and rejoined Ford Australia as its president, presiding over the introduction of the BA Falcon in 2002 and the Ford Territory in 2004.

His car is worth only a fraction of the state-of-the-art Porsche GT2 twin-turbo of runner-up Jim Richards.

But Glenney was on fire aboard his 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer, which had been upgraded to Evo 9 specifications.

The thoroughbred horse breeder and trainer took over the outright lead on The Sideling stage on Thursday morning and never relinquished it, giving Mitsubishi an historic first win in the 17-year-old tarmac rally.

Glenney held a 57s lead over eight times champion Richards and his Tasmanian navigator Barry Oliver going into day five, the final day, yesterday.

By the time the Modern category field had cleared the monster hauls across Strahan and Mt Arrowsmith, and the winding ascent out of Queenstown, Glenney had established a 1m18s buffer.

Then came the cork-screw drop into Tarraleah gorge and out the other side, and Risdon Brook on the outskirts of Hobart, and by the time the field got to the Domain stage Glenney was 1m31s ahead and only had to finish the 1.36km Hobart stage to claim his first Targa Tasmania trophy.

Third was West Australian rally specialist Dean Herridge in a Subaru WRX STi, 2m28s behind Glenney, followed by Queenslander Ray Vandersee in his self-designed and built Skelta G-Force.

Tasmanian Jason White, who damaged his car in a crash on Friday, got back in the rally on Sunday but withdrew at Strahan with a broken gearbox.

Glenney's performance was even more meritorious given his four-wheel-drive Lancer was suited to wet conditions but the event was the first ever rain-free Targa.

“The event was very tough and we probably competed under conditions which didn't suit our car, which has made the win all the more pleasing,” he said.

“I would love to come back and defend the Targa title next year and look forward to it.”

After dominating the first four days of the 2WD Showroom competition, Rick Bates' Mazda3 MPS dropped out of contention because of a broken fan belt on the Mt Arrowsmith stage.

But its twin, driven by his Scottish teammate Alister McRae, won the title by a whopping 26m35s over Phil Buggee (Vic).

Tasmanian Tony Warren had an all-the-way win in the 4WD Showroom class, having set up his win with a super day three.

Victorian Rex Broadbent claimed back-to-back Classic titles, but made it two in a row only with the generosity of a rival driver.

Peter Eames, of Victoria, gave him a tyre, which came with a two-minute penalty from officials, but Broadbent still got home by 1m25s.

“The generosity of Peter Eames was a gesture of fantastic sportsmanship,” Broadbent said.

“We weren't hanging around this morning and we really had to go for it as we were starting the day 24 seconds behind.

“We didn't know if we were making or losing time on the others early on, so had to drive at 10/10ths for a few stages. It all worked out which is just fantastic.”

Final results

Modern

1. Steve Glenney (SA) , Bernie Webb, (ACT) , 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, 7m35s

2. Jim Richards (VIC), Barry Oliver, (TAS), 2008 Porsche 911 GT2, 9:06

3. Dean Herridge (WA), Glenn Macneall (WA), 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti, 9:53

4. Ray Vandersee (QLD), Jahmeil Taylor (SA), 2004 Skelta G-Force, 9:57

5. Jamie Vandenberg ( TAS), Simon Vandenberg (TAS), 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, 10:20

6. Greg Garwood (TAS), John Allen (QLD), 2004 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, 10:25

7. Matt Close (VIC), Casey Close (VIC), 2000 Porsche 911 Turbo, 11:31

8. Klark Quinn (QLD), Natasha Deniese (VIC), 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti, 11:49

9. Tony Quinn (QLD), Keith Wenn (TAS), 2006 Porsche 911 Turbo, 11:53

10. Tony Longhurst (NSW), Jameil Taylor (SA), 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti, 13:07Classic Outright

1. Rex Broadbent (VIC), John Lillyman (VIC), 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS, 17m22s

2. Gavin James (VIC), Neil McLeod, (VIC), 1989 Porsche 944 S2 , 18:46

3. Peter Eames (VIC), Will Logan (TAS), 1974 Porsche Carrera RS, 18:51

4. Steve Coad (VIC), Rachael Coad (VIC), 1971 Holden Monaro GTS; Jon Siddins (QLD), Darren Ferguson (QLD), 1970 Datsun 1600, 21:24

6. Gary Tierney (VIC), David Carra (VIC), 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS, 22:12

7. David Morton (NSW), Malcolm McDonald (NSW), 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo, 23:12

8. John Ireland (NSW), Michael Ribot (NSW), 1977 Porsche 911 Carrera, 23:42

9. Rob Sherrard (QLD), / Roberts (TAS), 1981 Porsche 930, 25:36

10. Barry Faux (ACT), Therezia Mihajlovic (ACT), 1979 Mazda RX7, 28:58Showroom 2WD

1. Alister McRae (SCO), Iain Stewart (QLD), 2007 Mazda3 MPS, 20m0s

2. Philip Buggee (VIC), Paul Freame (VIC), 2006 FIAT Punto Sport, 46:35

3. John Dunkley (NSW), Jon Parker (NSW), 2006 Peugeot 206 Gti 180, 1h3m0sShowroom 4WD

1. Tony Warren (TAS), Rhonda Burrowes, (NSW), 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, 19m30s

2. Scott Millar (QLD), Christopher Dean (QLD), 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, 27:59

3. Malcolm Klopp (SA), Damien Pearce (SA), 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, 31:42

Patrick took on Indy Japan 300 after the top contenders were forced to pit for fuel on the final laps.

Patrick finished 5.8594 seconds ahead of pole-sitter Helio Castroneves after leader Scott Dixon went in for a pit stop with five laps remaining.

“It's a long time coming. Finally,” Patrick said.

“It was a fuel strategy race, but my team called it perfectly for me. I knew I was on the same strategy as Helio and when I passed him for the lead, I couldn't believe it. This is fabulous.”

Patrick took the lead from Castroneves on 198th lap of the 200-lap race.

Castroneves, who was awarded pole position in line with the points standings after qualifying was rained out, said Patrick running a great race.

“With five laps to go, I was saving fuel,” said Castroneves. “When Danica passed me, I realised she was the leader. She did a great job, passed me fair and square and that shows you how competitive our series is.”

New Zealander Dixon, who took the lead from Castroneves on the 93rd lap, finished third, 10.0559 seconds behind Patrick.

Australian Ryan Briscoe finished a lap down in ninth place.

Castroneves continues to lead with 112 points after three races in the 16-round series.

Dixon is second on 100 and Patrick has 98 while Briscoe is 14th with 48 points.

Fellow Aussie Will Power missed the Japan race to compete in a Champ car event in California.

The Grand Prix of Long Beach is the last sanctioned Champ Car race after the recent merger with the Indy Racing League and Power qualified fourth behind English pole-sitter Justin Wilson.

Patrick's win in Japan came in her fourth season in the series. She finished a career-best seventh in the standings last year and was second in the race at Detroit's Belle Isle.

At the 2005 Indy 500, she nearly won the pole and became the first female driver to lead the race, finishing fourth. It was the best finish by a woman at Indy, and helped her take honours as rookie of the year.

Holden's Vectra is a German design and began life in Australia as a full import from Europe, but some models were built in Australia for a while before Holden went back to full importation. Sales were never particularly good and Vectra was deleted from the Holden line-up late in 2006.

Vectra started off as a medium-size car but in its latest format, which went on sale in 2003, is significantly larger. Indeed, it is similar in dimensions to the original Commodores.

These later models can be used as a family car. However, buyers haven't embraced the later model with any enthusiasm. It seems that if they want a large Holden, they will go all the way up to Commodore.

The Opel-built Vectra first reached Australia in June 1997 and was hailed by keen drivers for its dynamic abilities. It appealed to people who enjoy their motoring.

Road grip is impressive and Vectra is happy to change direction promptly during the hardest of cornering. At the same time, it retains its composure pretty well on rough-and-ready country roads and even manages to remain stable on corrugated tracks.

Vectra was initially imported as a four-door sedan or a five-door hatchback from 1997. A five-door station wagon was added to the lineup when local assembly began in August 1998. Wagons were taken off the market at the end of 2000, though some may not have been registered until the first months of the new millennium. Be sure to date the car by its time of manufacture, not its initial registration.

Interior room is good in the front but rear legroom is marginal before the 2003 model if the front seats are set well back. The front seats are well shaped and provide good support for spirited cornering.

The boot volume is good in all versions with the wagon having a nicely shaped load area that can carry reasonably bulky items.

Under the bonnet

Initially the lower-cost Vectra models used a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. Its capacity was increased to 2.2 litres with the change to Australian manufacture in 1998. This unit has good torque output over a large spread of revs, though it is not as refined as some in its class.

The topline Vectra CD (hatchback only) used a 2.5-litre V6. That engine is typically European in its setup and doesn't have a lot of grunt at lower revs. Rather, it's aimed at slow around-town work and high-speed motorway cruising.

The larger-bodied 2003 Holden Vectra offered a choice between a 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine and a 3.2-litre V6, the latter built by Holden.

Most Vectra V6 models came with four-speed automatic transmission only, until the ZC model was introduced in 2003, when it moved up to the extra refinement and performance offered by a five-speed auto. The rest of the Vectra range gives buyers the choice between a four-speed automatic and a five-speed manual.

Vectra is a modern car and therefore relatively complicated in design, so all but basic servicing and repairs are best left to professionals. If you do your own work, make sure you have access to a workshop manual. We recommend that you don't tackle any safety-related work yourself.

Vectra has the advantage of being backed by the huge Holden dealer network. However, some spare parts may not be stocked in remote areas, though they can usually be shipped there in a day or so.

Parts prices are around average for a European car of this type — meaning they are often more expensive than for locally built Holdens, though not excessively so.

Insurance costs are generally on the low-to-medium side in their range. We know of no insurance company that discriminates between four and six-cylinder engines in premiums.

Danger signs

Be sure the engine starts virtually immediately and the four-cylinder idles reasonably smoothly. The six should be all but imperceptible when it's idling.

Engines should pull without hesitation even when cold, run without any rattles and not puff smoke from the exhaust under acceleration.

Manual gearboxes generally hold up well, but be suspicious of one that baulks and/or is noisy during changes. A fast three-two downshift is usually the best way to find out if there is a problem.

Look for signs of body damage or previous repairs. The latter can most easily be spotted by checking for wrinkles in the panels. They are seen more easily if you look along the length of the panel against a good light.

Check for poor quality repairs in hard-to-see areas such as under the bonnet and in the boot.

Paint that isn't an exact match from the old to the new paint indicates a former respray.

Australian car-makers have never quite grasped that many of us no longer live on quarter-acre blocks with white picket palisades in suburbs straight from Neighbours.

But style, luxury, comfort and even performance needn't be sacrificed at the altar of practicality or forsaken in the pursuit of greenness.

Only a decade ago, Volkswagen's Golf was considered a small car, but the current model is quite big enough for a family mobile.

Beneath that, there's an emerging class of diminutive but dynamically pleasing, usefully spacious and (of increasing importance) eco-friendly city cars.

It's the segment that shows less in terms of horsepower really can be more in terms of liveability and sustainability. In terms of luxury, too: you can downsize but up-spec - and cut quite a figure when you do.

When a car weighs not much more than a tonne, low fuel consumption and low emissions are pretty much guaranteed.

The Citroen C2 and C3 won't win any traffic-light derbies, but they do tick both those green boxes and the less tangible - but just as important - one marked “style”.

In terms of reliability, it's said there's no such thing as French without tears, but it's hard not to be enamoured of the chic siblings.

Our selections would be the C2 VTS with 1.6-litre petrol engine or the C3 Hdi with super-frugal, 1.6-litre turbo diesel (both from $23,990).

The latter variant would also be the overwhelmingly popular choice in Paris.

Italy gave the world the original city car, designed to provide affordable personal transport while being able to park on a postage stamp. It was the Fiat 500.

The reborn, and instantly iconic, Fiat 500 fulfils that brief as a chunk of retro chic that's also fun to drive.

Our choice is the top-spec Lounge variant, priced from $25,990 with a perky 1.4-litre petrol engine mated to a six-speed manual. If the 500 doesn't raise a smile, you probably don't like sunny days, either.

There's also the option of a robotised manual transmission with auto-drive mode. It dispenses with both a clutch pedal and the emission spikes that occur when you change ratios in a conventional gearbox.

And, with seven airbags, the ESP-equipped top models in the 500 range have better crash-safety credentials than a Falcodore.

The Honda Jazz has been around longer than any other car mentioned here but, in several respects, it remains the benchmark for city cars.

Honda's build quality is world-leading; the Jazz's space, practicality and economy are class-leading.

Although a small engine combines best with a manual gearbox, it's equally true that changing gears for yourself is a dying art.

So try the range-topping VTi-S with continuously variable transmission and 1.5-litre powerplant at $22,920.

In the next-size-up Civic range, Honda offers a petrol/electric model which has been submerged beneath the decidedly eco-unfriendly mountain of print devoted to Toyota's Prius.

The Civic Hybrid ($32,990) is massively cheaper than the Prius and at least looks like a car rather than a self-conscious eco-statement.

Anyone who equates Hyundai with its old $13,990 drive-away-then-chuck-it-away days is labouring under a mighty misapprehension.

The new Hyundai i30 has won car-of-the-year awards both here and in Europe (where this, the best car ever built in Korea, was designed).

The 1.6-litre diesel-powered models take it up to just about any supposedly more prestigious European equivalent you care to name.

The name of our preferred variant, the SX CRDi (from $21,490, plus $1500 for the safety pack) is the only clunky thing about it.

More Australians spent their own money on a Mazda3 last year than on any other car. It's the fourth-best seller overall but, unlike the top three, there are no fleet sales among them.

Sales-wise, the newer, next-size-down Mazda2 will run its bigger brother close this year. And so it should, being, if anything, an even more convincing package.

Diminutive in stance but capacious within, cute to the eye but perhaps the best-driving car here, tolerably rapid but easy on fuel and easy to park, the Mazda2 Maxx (from $18,710) is the ideal city car. Nor will it fall short when freeway trips are required.

Frankly, it's brilliant - and a cheaper, lighter, more efficient coupe version will arrive in Australia shortly.

Look out also for the Peugeot 107, due mid-year. It will slot under the 207's entry-level ask of $19,990.

If you remember the Top Gear episode in which a game of five-a-side football was played using Toyota Aygos, the 107 is the same car, made in the same factory, but with different badges.

Actually, it's cars like the 107 and the Fiat 500 that make us look askance at Smart's ForTwo (from $19,990).

Yes, it's very clever, but Sydney isn't yet Turin, despite the epic ineptitude of the RTA and our Roads Minister.

Besides, you've got an allocated parking space downstairs. So why go without a boot and back seats?

Toyota's Yaris shows how a small car can fit a family, although you really need to ignore the base models and go straight to the YRX (from $20,790).

Of course, it's the Prius that gets all the attention in Toyota's range; as such, it's the world's most successful automotive marketing exercise.

Granted, the hybrid-powered Prius uses staggeringly little petrol in the city, but on the open road we'd take a diesel such as Volkswagen's Polo Match TDI ($22,990).

New French cars are doing it tough Down Under.

The top-secret prototypes were seen in Townsville this week as they completed a Down Under durability trial, part of a regular test program in Australia for all the French carmaker's new models.

The cars were heavily disguised. All badges had been removed and false panels covered noses and tails, but they were the Laguna Coupe and the successor to the current Megane hatchback.

The two-door Laguna is expected to break cover next month at the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix but the Megane will not be ready for showrooms until late next year.

The delay on local deliveries will probably be 12 to 18 months for both cars.

Renault Australia refused to confirm the identity of the cars, or even any involvement in a program with the Megane and Laguna Coupe, but their escort was a giveaway.

They were pictured leaving a Townsville motel after an overnight stop with the latest Renault Koleos four-wheel drive, undisguised, carrying the support crew for the French engineering team.

“We do not discuss future products,” Renault Australia spokesman Craig Smith says.

But he admits Renault is using Australia to test its future models, for final certification and advanced engineering on hand-built prototypes.

“Every product we bring out in Australia from now on will have an element of local testing,” he says. “The new Laguna did about 30,000km of testing in Australia before it was launched in Europe.”

The five-door Laguna hatch will be in showrooms here in June, first with a diesel engine as the company's local flagship.

It will be followed several months later by a petrol-engined model. The Laguna Estate wagon will go on sale in September.

Testing of the Laguna Coupe is part of the car's durability certification, which includes hot-weather running and trials on rough-road conditions with cars built on the regular production line in the build-up to full capacity.

The Megane will probably be an engineering prototype, hand-built and undergoing much more fundamental test work.

The car is at least 12 months from its European debut, though it could break cover at the Paris Motor Show in October.

Smith was more open about the Koleos, which Renault Australia will introduce to the Australian motoring press in Morocco next month.

“The Koleos will be on sale here in September,” he says. “It will be available in petrol and diesel, starting at just over $30,000.”