More than one in three cars is stolen during the morning in New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia, according to the data from car insurance company Budget Direct.

The exception is Victoria, where 30 per cent of cars are stolen during midweek evenings.  Budget Direct spokesperson Richelle Ward says it is surprising to see how many vehicles were stolen in broad daylight.

"One might think thieves would prefer to operate through the night, which is simply not the case," Ward says.  The data shows that thieves also like the cold weather with most thefts occurring in the winter months around the nation, except for Queensland where summer is the most popular with thieves.

Tasmania's crime peak is in September which accounts for almost one in three car thefts. The same month accounts for 25 per cent of thefts in South Australia, while Western Australia’s peak month is April with 20 per cent of thefts.

Throughout the nation the most popular vehicle for thieves is the Holden Commodore which has also been the top seller for the past decade and most vehicles are stolen on a Monday.

However, in Western Australia, the Ford Falcon is twice as popular among thieves as the second biggest target, the Toyota Camry.  Budget Direct data also show almost half of all accidents across the nation occur between noon and 6pm on a Friday.  Ward says the accident data indicates a trend for drivers to switch off after a long week's work.

Parents and concerned drivers are calling for changes and improvements on all fronts to cut the carnage.  Many have asked about the safety systems in cars, with the emphasis on airbags, anti-skid brakes and ESP stability control, but there are also questions about driver training. Have your say in our poll at left.

"The idea of handing complete control of a complex machine like a motor car to a poorly trained operator is patently absurd, and obviously highly dangerous – yet that is what is happening every day. Young people have major car accidents, alone or with groups, with sickening regularity, and there is no evidence of the trend diminishing," says Bob Watson, who is more than just another Carsguide reader. He is a former champion in race and rally driving, a Holden engineer and an experienced driver trainer who says Australia needs a comprehensive re-think on driving licenses.

"We need a top level re-think about the wellbeing of our young drivers, a program to train them properly, and a licence test that truly proves their ability to drive a car," Watson says.  "The time may not be far away when heartbroken parents who have lost their child in a typical young-driver crash take the government to court for giving their child a licence to drive a car when, clearly, the child was not capable of doing so.

"When an authority such as VicRoads assumes the responsibility of checking whether a driver is capable of driving safely, through the Drive Test, and does not do so adequately, the authority has clearly failed to discharge its responsibility properly. It is called culpability."

But readers are also concerned about the attitudes of hoons and other aggressive 'Type A' drivers on the road.  "It may be worth telling your readers of the consequences of bad road manners in other countries," says Frank Hennessy, referring to an incident in Dubai when an Australia gave 'the finger' to an Arab driver.

"Locked up for 28 days. Then deported. That's not all - had to give up the home, two cars, and made the wife move back to Australia."  His verdict is straightforward and he wants the same sort of no-nonsense penalties in Australia.  "A pity we don't have the same sort of punishment here," says Hennessy.

For Watson, a bad attitude is still the result of poor training.  "Despite the many recent crashes causing loss of teenage lives, all the authorities seem to do is bemoan the fact that young people are driving stupidly, and discuss increasing penalties for irresponsible driving.  They overlook the fact that many of the young drivers who are killing themselves and their friends should not be driving," he says.

To prove his point, he has done an in-depth analysis of the requirements for obtaining a license, from training through to the actual Drive Test.  "The government puts the onus fairly and squarely on learner drivers or their families to obtain adequate driver training the best way they can before applying for their P plates. Nothing is available from the government in the way of formal training.

"Courses are offered by organizations such as Murcotts Driving Excellence or AAMI, but many families cannot afford them. Professional lessons from a driving school are another option, but they are also expensive, and in most cases this type of instruction is confined to teaching the finer points of passing the licence test rather than teaching basic skills."

Watson also worries about the current requirements for a minimum number of driving hours.  "Does the student get 120 hours of experience, or one hour of experience 120 times?," he asks.  What is Watson's solution? He wants proper training, but is not convinced it will happen.

"Cost is presumably the reason that there is no official procedure for formally training pre- P plate drivers. Revenue wise, it is far more attractive to gather traffic fines from motorists than to spend funds on the expensive infrastructure for young driver training.

Politically such training may also be a negative, because anything that delays the licencing  process or makes it more costly or difficult will be unpopular with young voters."

Hot on the heels of the LFA supercar the company once defined by its oh-so refined yet oh-so restrained philosophy has snuck a stunning rendition of its IS-F sportscar into the Tokyo Auto Salon to stand alongside some of the wildest after-market makeovers in the world.

The Circuit Club Sports Concept — or CCS — is an in-house project from Lexus that concentrates on lifting the IS-F to a new level of visual graphics without changing the core mechanical package that already marked the V8 IS-F as a watershed in the Lexus philosophy.

"IS-F kicked off Lexus' entire sports and performance portfolio and we are looking forward to how the mindset behind it and LFA will shape our vehicles in the future," says Lexus Australia's new chief executive Tony Cramb.  "The IS-F CCS Concept is a great-looking vehicle and should Lexus ever consider such a vehicle for production, it would definitely be on our list."

It is surely no accident that the bright orange and carbon fibre treatment of the CCS almost mirrors what BMW did with its track-only M3 GTS which was unveiled in Germany late last year.  While the CCS is designated as a ‘reference vehicle’ the show car is only a few simple steps away from at least a limited production run.

It sits on exactly the same rear-wheel drive sports platform as the IS-F and boasts the same 311kW and 505Nm 5-litre V8 powerplant driving through an eight-speed transmission.  With a highlighted carbon fibre bonnet, roof, boot and rear wing along with much of the interior the CCS tips the scales around 25kg lighter than the donor car's 1715kg  not a lot in the world of racetrack trimming but importantly, the carbon fibre boot, bonnet and roof all work to lower the centre of gravity.

There is also a stiffer track-tuned suspension package, huge carbon ceramic brakes, lightweight 19-inch forged magnesium wheels, a mechanical limited slip differential and a titanium sports exhaust system.  Lexus proudly points out that the CCS draws heavily on processes pioneered in the development of the LFA supercar, although the company doesn't specify just what has trickled down to the track baby.

Cramb says the IS-F CCS is an exciting but logical extension of the marque's inclusion of sports philosophy in the more mainstream models.  "I've joined Lexus at a time when it is gearing up for some of the most exciting product in the brand's history — headlined by the LFA supercar," Cramb says.

"Lexus' commitment to performance inspired product is already evident in vehicles such as the IS250 F Sport and the LS460 Sports. Looking ahead, performance and hybrid vehicles offer a real opportunity for Lexus in Australia."  The first half of 2010 is expected to be a quiet time for Lexus with only minor product upgrading, including the refresh of the LX570 this month and a facelift for the luxury long-wheelbase LS 600hL hybrid in March.

Lexus will have to wait until 2011 before the next round of halo cars arrive, the LFA and the Prius-based hatchback based on the LF-Ch Frankfurt concept.

Mitsubishi Australia wants feedback from potential buyers on what to christen its entry crossover.  In its home market of Japan the small wagon will be known as the RVR but Europe has just opted for ASX.

There is also a third possibility, which Mitsubishi Australia spokesperson, Lenore Fletcher, declines to discuss.  The choice of names will be presented in clinics planned by the company ahead of the car's arrival around June.

Fletcher says consumer feedback will be critical.  "Apart from finalising specifications and pricing, we'll also be looking at the name," she says.  "We need to understand what the audience want from this car, including the name."

Although guided by the buyer feedback, senior Mitsubishi Australia executives, including Mitsubishi chief Rob McEniry, will make the final decision.  The different names challenge the company's previously held global naming policy for all its vehicles.

Fletcher recognised that if ASX was chosen the car will share its name with the Australian Securities Exchange.  "Obviously both are on the up and up and there's real room for growth," she says.

With an entry price well under $30,000, the RVR/ASX will challenge the Nissan Dualis, Suzuki Grand Vitara and the next-generation Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.  Mitsubishi sees the RVR/ASX as an important feeder into the Outlander, Challenger and Pajero family and give the company some bottom-end strength in its all-wheel drive portfolio.

Until now it has not had a small off-roader in its lineup, which starts with the $33,240 Outlander.  The RVR moniker already has some history with the company.  It was the name given to a small multi-purpose wagon in the 1990s.

Fletcher says the unlike many concepts, the final production design of the little off-roader has not been compromised.  "It is a good looking vehicle," she says.  The ASX differs slightly from the RVR with its black plastic sills and under-bumper protection.

The wagon will also miss out on the concept's split folding tailgate like the Outlander.  Australia will get both petrol and turbo-diesel powerplants, including an all-new Euro 5-compliant 1.8-litre turbocharged direct-injection diesel as well as a 2.0-litre petrol four cylinder shared with the Lancer.

In Europe it will get automatic stop and go technology.  A six-speed manual will be available, along with a five-speed sequential automatic.

New research from Germany proves that the ultra-bright lamps are a major road-safety bonus, with a reduction of up to 50 per cent in the after-dark crash rate.  Only two Australian-made cars are fitted with Xenon lamps — the Holden Caprice and Statesman — but a growing number of European and Japanese imports have the high-intensity lamps, the majority using them for both high and low beams.

Despite criticisms from some Carsguide readers about excessive glare for oncoming cars, the ADAC in Germany — the equivalent of the Australian Automobile Association — is a strong supporter after detailed research over several years.  "If all vehicles were equipped with Xenon headlights, the number of serious accidents at night would be reduced by up to 50 percent, and the number of traffic fatalities by at least 18 percent," ADAC says after research in the Rheinland region.

The advantage of Xenon lamps — which get their name from the gas used in the globes — is that they provide two to three times more light than halogen types. They can provide a longer range, although this is limited by law in Europe to reduce dazzling, and do a better job of illuminating at the side of a vehicle.

“About half of all car drivers feel stressed by poor visibility, with serious accidents occurring particularly often in such circumstances. By illuminating the road better, Xenon can be proved to increase the feeling of safety,” says Tomas Plessinger, spokesman for Hella Australia.
But they are not a universal or perfect solution to after-dark driving.

"The halogen headlamps used in Australian cars actually give better distance, but not the same precision as Xenon," says Plessinger.  "Also, they are expensive. If you look at typical European brands, such as Audi and Volkswagen and BMW, you will pay between $2000 and $3000 extra for a bi-Xenon light system."

Plessinger says a factory-fitted Xenon lamp system must also be fitted with a self-leveling device and washers. This is to keep the light in the right space and prevent dirt from diffusing or re-directing the beam.  So he warns against retro-fitting Xenon, despite the proven advantages.

"The issue in Australia is to educate road users about the fact that the Xenon headlamp is build specifically for a Xenon application. It is illegal to retrofit any Xenon application into the existing halogen headlamp because they do not have the important cleaning and leveling systems. That's why Hella does not offer to its customers xenon retrofit kit," he says.

Even so, Plessinger sees a growing number of Xenon systems coming in future.  "It has clear advantages. The research in Germany proves this.  "Hella and the car companies have developed a number of systems including dynamic bend lighting and an adaptive cut-off that automatically dips the high beam when a camera detects an oncoming vehicle."

However, it is still unclear how Fiat's control of Chrysler will affect Chrysler Australia's local operations.  Fiat chief executive, Sergio Marchionne, has just outlined an extensive product-sharing strategy.

Fiat engines are destined for Chryslers and there is even a possibility of Chrysler-branded Lancias arriving in Australia.  Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy last June when Fiat took a 20 percent stake in the ailing company.

Marchionne sees 2010 as a year of rebuilding confidence in Chrysler in North America and other markets.  He is also laying foundations for the reintroduction of Fiat and Alfa Romeo brands to the US.

Marchionne told journalists at the recent Detroit Motor Show that there is an opportunity to rebadge Italy's premium Lancia brand as Chryslers.
He recently unveiled a Lancia Delta hatch wearing a Chrysler grille and badge at the recent Detroit Motor Show.

However, Ateco Automotive currently holds the rights to distribute Lancia in Australia but would not cover Lancia cars built and sold as Chryslers.  Ateco is already the country's largest distributor with a portfolio that includes Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Fiat and Ferrari - all Fiat brands - as well as Citroen and Great Wall Motors.

Changes are already occurring at Chrysler Australia.  It is about to move in with Fiat-owned truck brand Iveco in Dandenong from its current headquarters in the Mercedes-Benz compound at Mulgrave.

In Europe, Lancia is considered an up-market brand but it has not been sold here in any form since the 1970s.  The Delta uses four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines for the European market ranging in size from 1.4-litres to 2.0-litres.  It, like the smaller Ypsilon, are both engineered for right-hand drive.

The Ypsilon shares its mechanical package with the Fiat 500 and Punto.  Apart from the Delta and Ypsilon, Lancia also builts the Musa MPV and seven-seat Phedra.

The Fiat chief is already streamlining expensive powertrains and platforms across the Fiat-Chrysler group.  The US-carmaker has already announced that it will take some of the latest-generation four-cylinder engines from Fiat.

"Many new Chrysler cars will soon be built on Fiat platforms," he says.  "Fiat engines will appear in many Chrysler vehicles too."

Chrysler is about to start building Fiat's 1.4-litre FIRE engine in Michigan to go into smaller Chryslers.  It will also use Fiat's new six-speed dual clutch transmission in its mid-size cars.

"We are combining Fiat's expertise in the smaller car segments with Chryslers in the medium and large segments. And most important, we are achieving economies of scale that will generate substantial benefits for us both," Marchionne says.  Chrysler Australia managing director, Gerry Jenkins, was unavailable for comment.

It's the topless cutie that Fiat Australia is hoping will give its stagnating 500 a swift kick in the class.  Deliveries of the soft-top Fiat 500C began last week and with more than 100 customer orders in the wings Fiat Australia is hoping the renewed interest in the re-born Fifties icon will help arrest a slide that saw the car's sales tumble from 584 in 2008 to just 342 last year.

Over the same period class competitors like the Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Getz increased sales while other light passenger rivals like the Honda Jazz, Mazda 2 and Smart held their ground significantly better.  "When you are selling a car like this it is very important that there is something fresh and new (on a regular basis)," Fiat Australia spokesman Edward Rowe says.

"Unfortunately for us, while Fiat has recognised this on a global basis and there has been something fresh and new for the 500 every year (since the retro model was launched in Europe in 2007) we have missed out on one of those steps ... the Abarth version.

"As luck would have it the cars have come out of order for us. We are still hoping to have the Abarth later this year. It is definitely not off the future planning menu."

While the Abarth model may yet make it to Australia, Rowe wouldn't comment on suggestions that the next stage of Fiat's global plans to keep the 500 fresh and exciting is a wagon version which could make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show in October and pay tribute to the tiny 500 Giardiniera wagon from the early 1960s.

In a bid to re-ignite interest in the 500 Fiat Australia set pricing for the 500C ($28,990 manual and $30,990 DuaLogic automatic) last year and started taking orders at the same time.

"We started forward selling it last year because we knew the numbers were going to be limited and we wanted to make sure the first cars that arrived were going to be the colours and trims that customers wanted," Rowe says. "Those orders are already well into three figures and we will probably be able to get two or three hundred this year."

The 500C has the same 74kW engine featured in the 3-door hatch version coupled to either the five-speed manual or five-speed DuaLogic automatic. The electric soft-top is a dual stage affair with the cloth roof folding back between the fixed rails to be either partially or totally open.

Seven airbags are standard, including a driver's kneebag, along with anti-lock brakes and electronic brakeforce distribution. Electronic stability program and traction control along with a hill hold function are also standard.

"The Fiat 500C has to be the car to be seen in this summer," says Andrei Zaitzev, General Manager of Fiat in Australia. "But the 500C is much more than a stylish body. It shares the same technology as the 500 and that means it is as economical as it is cute, it has a five star EuroNCAP safety rating.

"Like the 500, the 500C is as clever as it is beautiful and fun to drive."  Rowe also downplayed suggestions that Fiat's distributorship arrangements in Australia currently held by Ateco Automotive, importers of Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Citroen and Great Wall could be up for reassessment following the Fiat and Chrysler amalgamation. That joint venture is aimed giving Fiat greater distribution reach within the United States while Chrysler will win through access to Fiat's small car platforms.

"It is not an issue of any sort," Rowe says. "Nothing is going to change here. Neville (Ateco owner Neville Crichton) has the contract to import Fiat to Australia ... that's that."  Rowe says that news reports out of the United States that Chrysler Australia will import the Lancia Delta into Australia has fired the latest round of speculation.

"I think that where people have become confused is that they do not understand that it is not uncommon around the world for the same car to be sold as a different brand, even within the same market. Lancia, as a brand, will not come back to Australia ... rather the plan will likely be for a Lancia product to come to Australia as a Chrysler-badged product."

Fiat 500C

Price: $28,990 (manual), $30,990 (automatic)
Engine: 1.4L/4-cylinder 74kW/131Nm
Transmission: 5-speed manual, 5-speed DuaLogic automated manual
Economy: 6.3l/100km combined (supplied)
Performance: 0-100km/h 10.5 seconds, top speed 182km/h

The price fight is being sparked by Proton, which has taken the lead from Suzuki as both brands - and a bunch of others - brace for the first Chinese passenger car imports later this year.

Suzuki dived first into the sub-$12,000 range with an $11,790 showroom sticker for its baby Alto, as well as a drive-away deal that runs through January at $12,490. On-road costs are generally set around $1500.

But Proton is now ready to go with a $10,990 price fighter.  It is a 1.3-litre version of its S16 sedan and, even though it will only have a single airbag for the driver, the Malaysian make is expecting a solid response.

"We'll have the car in showrooms on June 1. We're finalising the plan at the moment," says John Startari, managing director of Proton Cars Australia.  We're still working on the specification and assessing the market situation. We need to determine which strategy we use going forward."

But he confirms the $10,990 starting price - before on-road costs - and says it is a follow-up to the current 1.6-litre S16 at $11,990.  "The S16 is already a winner. We only got the car into showrooms in December and, of the 334 cars we sold last month, 228 were S16s. It's certainly had the impact we were after."

Proton has taken over from Korean cars - Hyundai led the way - as Australia's price fighter and Startari makes no excuses for trying to drive the brand forward. Proton came to Australia in 1995 and, despite some successes with a GTi and its Jumbuck ute, has never made a real breakthrough onto shopping lists.

"The price thing is more about establishing the brand. It's about time we established Proton as a contender and built the sort of carpark we need to allow us to expand," Startari says.  "We need a minimum of 25,000 cars in the carpark and at the moment we're around 15,000. We have a five-year plan in place to grow that.

"We'll be very aggressive in the initial stages. So there has never been a better time to buy a Proton."

The born-again British bombshell has already grown from a city- friendly hatchback to a convertible and a Mini Clubman wagon _ with the all-wheel drive Countryman finally going public this week _ but the man driving Mini says there are more models to come.

"It's three at the moment and it will be six in the next two years, and it doesn't stop there," says Ian Robertson, the sales and marketing chief for BMW Group, which includes Mini.  "We've got lots of ideas, some of which won't come to production, but I think there is a lot more potential within a small-size car."

One of those ideas is the Beachcomber concept displayed at the Detroit Motor Show, where Robertson talks about the success of a car that has become a brand."In this case size really does matter," he says.  "Four metres is about the bandwidth. But there are some interesting concepts that could be there if you look at the Beachcomber.

"If you look back in Mini history, there were even more concepts of mini around. There were tuners, but there were other concepts done by the company.  Now, we're not going to make a Mini-van, but I think there are enough ideas to keep the brand moving forward and continue growing, which is what we want."

Robertson will not talk about the potential for a Mini coupe, one idea floated in the past six months, but he is happy to chat about the Beachcomber.  "This is the first time it's been seen. The reception has been very positive . . . but, like all things, we need to create a business case for it," he says.

"At the end of the day there are a number of factors on that car that are not easy to resolve. There is side crash, for example. The fact is that Mini Mokes of the past were not burdened by any of this, so if you look at actual crash situations you have to do some very smart stuff to make that a viable proposition. It's not a matter of whipping the doors out and saying that's ok."

Robertson is convinced Mini has a big future because of its widespread appeal.  "It's huge. Seventy-year-olds buy Minis, with big smiles on their faces.

"From the young kids through to the aging pensioners, it is a car for all ages and all social sets as well. So for people who have a lot of money, and people who are scrambling to get money, it's appropriate for all of them.

"It's a really unique proposition. And when I talk to some potential competitors of Mini they all say 'Yes, but Mini is really different and really special'. Because it is different and characterful.

"We've taken a car that was small and cute and had a nice history, and turned it into a brand. And I think that's a major achievement. And in a relatively short period of time.

"Here we are in Detroit, and if you'd asked me three or four years ago if America would be the largest market for Mini I'd have said 'Unlikely, with a small car and a small engine' . . . but for the second year running it's the biggest market in the world.  "And it came from a standing start in America as well. There was no real history of Mini here in America."

Ford Australia chief, Marin Burela, fresh from the Detroit motor show, says the Falcon will remain a part of the local scene despite speculation that it was facing the end of the road as Ford moves to a global strategy.

Ford has confirmed that the next-generation Falcon has a role in the "One Ford" global structure and could share its underbody architecture with other cars like the rear-drive Mustang.  Arriving back in Australia early this week Burela attacked speculation that the Falcon was dead in the water.

"It was completely unwarranted," he says.  "We have been very vocal about our `One Ford' policy and the great things it has done for Australia to date.  There was nothing new that was said in Detroit that deserved the attention, particularly the negative attention that it received."  Burela says Ford Australia continues to take a lead role in engineering and design in the region and this will not change.

The Broadmeadows team are in the final development phase of a global medium pickup, called the T6, which will be sold in more than 100 countries.  "We're the engineering and design and development for that here in Australia and for the Figo hatch," he says.  "Our position on Falcon and the future it has in Australia really hasn't changed at all."

Burela says reports that the company will drop its four and five-speed gearboxes — and move to a six-speed automatic only — are premature.  "Sometimes I think that people read too much into things that are taking place around us," he says.  "We have had nothing but great feedback about the four-speed and five-speed. We have no immediate change in mind right now."

However, the four-speed could be phased out towards the end of the year when the Falcon gets a high-tech liquid-injection LPG system for its six-cylinder.  Burela says like all carmakers, Ford Australia would continue to make "any tweaks or changes to our lineup that are necessary".

"You continue to evolve your lineup to deliver the best possible combination of driving and finesse," he says.  After the car industry's global battering last year, Burela is optimistic about 2010.  "Coming off 2009 it gives us confidence," he says.

He says the Federal Government's stimulus package was timely "just as the global financial crisis was shaking confidence".  For 2010, the Ford executive sees the local market quiet in the first quarter but then pick up for the rest of the year.

"Our view is that the industry will be as strong, if not stronger," he says.  It will be a busy year for the blue oval brand with Falcon and Ford Performance Vehicle products getting mechanical and engine updates.

Falcon prototype mules are up and running with the new Ecoboost four-cylinder engine and Territory turbo-diesel, both of which arrive next year to compete against newer rivals.  Ford has used the Falcon nameplate on its large car since 1960.