digifish
30th December 2008, 10:28 AM
New Cars of 2009: Small cars
Jez Spinks, drive.com.au, December 29, 2008
A new-generation Mazda3, Alfa's new Mini rival, Golf number six, the funkiest Kia yet and Australia's cheapest car yet are among the compact vehicles coming down-under in 2009.
ALFA ROMEO MITO
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/ALFA_ROMEO_MITO_t20081223115836.jpg BMW will no longer have a monopoly on the small-car-with-big-premium market from June 2009 when Alfa Romeo launches its direct rival for the Mini Cooper.
The Mito – pronounced ‘my-toe’ and reflecting the baby Alfa’s place of design (Milan) and production (Turin) – will be priced from low-$30Ks to upper-$30Ks. It will be offered with a choice of 1.4-litre turbo petrol or 1.6-litre turbo diesel, both teamed to a Dual-logic automatic gearbox.
Mito’s styling takes cues from Alfa’s limited edition 8C Competizione sports car but they are wrapped in an appropriately cheeky design aimed at luring young and trendy car buyers away from BMW’s phenomenally successful – and high profitable – Mini. Australia will have to wait until early 2010 for the 170kW GTA version of the Mito, which launches at September’s Frankfurt motor show to take on the circa-$50,000, 155kW Mini John Cooper Works.
CHERY
2009 might well be remembered as the Year of the Chinese Car Brands. No Chinese car maker has ever sold cars in Australia before, but, like a bus, three brands arrive simultaneously.
Chery is one of the two Chinese brands that will sit under the umbrella of vehicle-import specialist Ateco (which also looks after Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat, Ferrari and Maserati). The brand will launch mid-year, though Ateco says the Australian dollar’s recent struggles make it difficult to predict which models will be brought in. The importer has previously said it wants Chery to be a high-volume brand covering every major vehicle segment.
Whichever vehicles are introduced, it’s certain that the likes of Chery will shake up the low-cost end of the Australian car market.
CITROEN C4 (FACELIFT)
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/citroen_c4_t20081223120550.jpg French car maker’s best-selling model, the C4, gains a refresh in February. The small car accounts for nearly half of Citroen’s sales locally, so the update will be welcome considering sales have dropped 25 per cent year on year.
The C4 facelift introduces styling reminiscent of the bigger C5 – particularly the front end with its bigger grille and L-shaped headlights – though there are more notable changes under the bonnet. Citroen’s Mazda3 rival at last receives the highly regarded BMW-PSA 1.6-litre petrol engines (in naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms) that debuted two years ago in the Mini and have since been transplanted into the C4’s sister car, the Peugeot 308.
CITROEN BERLINGO
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/citroen_berlingo_t20081223121143.jpg The next-generation C3 will launch too late in 2009 (September’s Frankfurt motor show) to arrive before the year’s out, but Citroen will have an all-new model in January with the Berlingo commercial van. The new version of the quirkily styled load-carrier will be available in a choice of sizes (L1 or L2), with both powered by a new 1.6-litre turbo diesel. Citroen Australia will also retain the current Berlingo in petrol guise until a new 1.4-litre petrol engine becomes available for the new-generation van.
FIAT 500 CABRIOLET
Fiat’s first open-air motoring experience should arrive in time for summer 2009. A Cabriolet version of the 500 is set to debut at March’s Geneva motor show, though the car is expected to feature a rollback-style canvas roof rather than a fully retractable roof. The 500 is probably too tiny to accommodate a folding roof mechanism, though the cheaper roof system should mean buyers will pay a smaller premium over the regular hatch.
FORD FIESTA
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/FordFiesta_t20081223122014.jpg Ford Australia’s only confirmed all-new model for 2009 is the latest-generation Fiesta. The small hatch will be available in three trim levels and two body styles (three or five doors) when it goes on sale in January.
Pricing starts at $15,750 for Ford’s rival to cars such as the Toyota Yaris and Mazda2, with all models powered by a 88kW 1.6-litre four-cylinder.
FORD FOCUS (FACELIFT)
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/FordFocus_t20081223122246.jpg Mid-life refresh includes styling update that brings Focus into line with Ford’s ‘kinetic’ family design theme.
HONDA CITY
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/HondaCity_t20081223122729.jpg A car that is effectively a sedan version of the Jazz city car launches in February. It’s called the City, though, and reportedly shares only 60 per cent of its parts with the Jazz. The common parts, however, are key mechanical components that include suspension, steering, brakes and the 88kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine (with five-speed manual or auto). The City is set to start from below $20,000.
HONDA CIVIC 5-DOOR
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/HondaCivic5dr_t20081223122958.jpg Honda Australia has sold the Civic sedan since early 2006 with much sales success, and the company will belatedly import the five-door version from June. Don’t expect it to be a simple choice between the Thai-built sedan or British-built hatch for your money, however. The hatch doesn’t benefit from Australia’s free-trade agreement with Thailand, and Honda will therefore pitch the Civic five-door as a low-$30Ks premium hatchback to rival top-spec VW Golfs and Ford Focuses. Honda says the Civic hatch will feature different trim levels to the sedan that starts from $22,000, though it will be powered by the same 103kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder.
HYUNDAI i20
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/Hyundaii20_t20081223123123.jpg Korean car maker Hyundai will be looking for an even larger slice of Australia’s light-car pie in 2009 with the introduction of the new i20.
In Europe the i20 is a direct replacement for the Getz, though Hyundai Australia plans to sell both models concurrently. The Getz is the second-best selling model in the light-car market, but Hyundai wants to pitch the i20 as the larger, more sophisticated light car to compete directly on price with the likes of the Toyota Yaris, Mazda2 and Ford Fiesta, which all start at about $16,000 (Getz starts at $13,990).
The i20, which is visually linked to the bigger i30, is available in Europe with engines that include a 1.2-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel.
HYUNDAI i30 CW
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/Hyundaii30_t20081223124907.jpg The i30’s first variant beyond the hatch body style arrives in March with a choice of petrol or diesel engines.
The i30 CW (for Cross Wagon) is, as the name suggests, an elongated version of Hyundai’s small car, with a 2700mm wheelbase and 4475mm length promising noticeably more interior and cargo space respectively. That extra practicality will cost buyers more than the equivalent hatch, of course.
KIA CERATO
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/KiaCerato_t20081223125004.jpg The Korean brand kicks off the New Year with a new face. The next-generation Cerato launches in January wearing the company’s new ‘corporate face’ front-end design. Kia’s small four-door also receives a new 2.0-litre petrol engine, linked to a range of transmissions including CVT. A coupe variant arrives in August, though Kia has yet to decide whether it will carry the Cerato name.
KIA SOUL
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/KiaSoul_t20081223125050.jpg Kia will add some much-needed funk to its image in March with the new Soul. This “urban crossover” has more in common with funky Japanese concept cars than dowdy mass-market bargains, and comes complete with a radical-looking interior.
The five-seater Soul is effectively a small hatch, and it’s set to be launched with a choice of 1.6-litre engines - petrol or diesel.
Pricing should start from below $20,000 for a vehicle whose rivals include the Suzuki SX4.
MAZDA3
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/Mazda3_t20081223125152.jpg It’s a big year for Australia’s favourite imported brand. The Japanese car maker’s most popular model, the Mazda3, launches in second-generation form in June.
The new 3 uses a modified version of the current model’s platform but you won’t confuse the two. There’s sharper, sportier sheetmetal on the outside and a smarter, higher-quality cabin on the inside. Mazda is also promising improved fuel economy from the choice of two four-cylinder engines: 110kW 2.0-litre (Neo and Maxx models) or 125kW 2.5-litre (SP25). The regular models will be followed a few months later by a new MPS hot-hatch that is set to deliver a more aggressive look and better handling than its predecessor.
RENAULT MEGANE
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/RenaultMegane_t20081223125231.jpg The next-generation Megane has already launched in Europe, though the usual snail-trail between France and Australia means the small car may still only just about sneak in before the end of 2009. If it does, expect the usual mix of hatch, sedan and cabriolet body styles.
SKODA OCTAVIA (FACELIFT)
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/SkodaOctavia_t20081223125319.jpg The brand’s bread-and-butter model, the Octavia, will be refreshed in March with new (more distinctive) styling, revised interior, and new (smaller) engines.
Petrol engines are expected to be 1.4-litre and 1.8-litre four-cylinders featuring turbocharges, while two diesel engines will also be in the mix. The new Octavia will also be the first model to debut the VW Group’s new seven-speed DSG dual-clutch semi-automatic gearbox.
Skoda Australia is also likely to follow its counterparts in Europe by introducing a new, simpler naming system for the different trim levels.
SUZUKI ALTO
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/SuzukiAlto_t20081223125352.jpg Suzuki is set to offer Australia’s cheapest model from May with the Alto micro car. A $12,990 starting point is anticipated for the 855kg car that’s powered by a tiddly 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine – mated either to a five-speed manual or four-speed auto. The Indian-built Alto doesn’t shirk safety, either, with six airbags and the availability of stability control.
TOYOTA COROLLA (UPDATE)
Australia’s best-selling small car at last offers stability control (from January).
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF VI
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/VWGolfVi_t20081223125520.jpg The world’s most popular Volkswagen arrives in March in its sixth iteration. Golf VI is not a generational change underneath, however, with the fifth-generation model’s platform carried over with some modifications.
There is an all-new range of smaller engines, however, which are more fuel efficient – yet also more powerful – than those they replace.
A 1.4-litre turbo replaces the 1.6 in the entry-level Golf, while the 2.0-litre is superseded by a 118kW 1.4-litre ‘Twincharger’ that features both a supercharger and turbocharger. VW Australia sells as many diesel-powered Golfs as those on a petrol diet, so a couple of TDI engines are included in the line-up, including a new 2.0-litre diesel.
VOLVO C30 DRIVe
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/VolvoC30_t20081223125611.jpg In July, Volvo is set to make a nod towards the environment with a greener version of its C30 hatch. The C30 DRIVe uses just 4.4L/100km and emits only 115 grams of CO2 (carbon dioxide) per kilometre – figures that put the new C30 in the ballpark of Toyota’s Prius hybrid.
PROTON SAGA
The Malaysian car maker introduces a new sedan in 2009 called the Saga. This 4.3m-long four-door is based on the Savvy’s platform and will arrive in about July. Proton says it’s too early to confirm engines or pricing. A hatchback version of the Persona will cost $500 more than the current sedan model – priced from $16,990 – when it lands around February, owing to some extra equipment. It will use the same 1.6-litre petrol engine.
Jez Spinks, drive.com.au, December 29, 2008
A new-generation Mazda3, Alfa's new Mini rival, Golf number six, the funkiest Kia yet and Australia's cheapest car yet are among the compact vehicles coming down-under in 2009.
ALFA ROMEO MITO
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/ALFA_ROMEO_MITO_t20081223115836.jpg BMW will no longer have a monopoly on the small-car-with-big-premium market from June 2009 when Alfa Romeo launches its direct rival for the Mini Cooper.
The Mito – pronounced ‘my-toe’ and reflecting the baby Alfa’s place of design (Milan) and production (Turin) – will be priced from low-$30Ks to upper-$30Ks. It will be offered with a choice of 1.4-litre turbo petrol or 1.6-litre turbo diesel, both teamed to a Dual-logic automatic gearbox.
Mito’s styling takes cues from Alfa’s limited edition 8C Competizione sports car but they are wrapped in an appropriately cheeky design aimed at luring young and trendy car buyers away from BMW’s phenomenally successful – and high profitable – Mini. Australia will have to wait until early 2010 for the 170kW GTA version of the Mito, which launches at September’s Frankfurt motor show to take on the circa-$50,000, 155kW Mini John Cooper Works.
CHERY
2009 might well be remembered as the Year of the Chinese Car Brands. No Chinese car maker has ever sold cars in Australia before, but, like a bus, three brands arrive simultaneously.
Chery is one of the two Chinese brands that will sit under the umbrella of vehicle-import specialist Ateco (which also looks after Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Fiat, Ferrari and Maserati). The brand will launch mid-year, though Ateco says the Australian dollar’s recent struggles make it difficult to predict which models will be brought in. The importer has previously said it wants Chery to be a high-volume brand covering every major vehicle segment.
Whichever vehicles are introduced, it’s certain that the likes of Chery will shake up the low-cost end of the Australian car market.
CITROEN C4 (FACELIFT)
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/citroen_c4_t20081223120550.jpg French car maker’s best-selling model, the C4, gains a refresh in February. The small car accounts for nearly half of Citroen’s sales locally, so the update will be welcome considering sales have dropped 25 per cent year on year.
The C4 facelift introduces styling reminiscent of the bigger C5 – particularly the front end with its bigger grille and L-shaped headlights – though there are more notable changes under the bonnet. Citroen’s Mazda3 rival at last receives the highly regarded BMW-PSA 1.6-litre petrol engines (in naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms) that debuted two years ago in the Mini and have since been transplanted into the C4’s sister car, the Peugeot 308.
CITROEN BERLINGO
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/citroen_berlingo_t20081223121143.jpg The next-generation C3 will launch too late in 2009 (September’s Frankfurt motor show) to arrive before the year’s out, but Citroen will have an all-new model in January with the Berlingo commercial van. The new version of the quirkily styled load-carrier will be available in a choice of sizes (L1 or L2), with both powered by a new 1.6-litre turbo diesel. Citroen Australia will also retain the current Berlingo in petrol guise until a new 1.4-litre petrol engine becomes available for the new-generation van.
FIAT 500 CABRIOLET
Fiat’s first open-air motoring experience should arrive in time for summer 2009. A Cabriolet version of the 500 is set to debut at March’s Geneva motor show, though the car is expected to feature a rollback-style canvas roof rather than a fully retractable roof. The 500 is probably too tiny to accommodate a folding roof mechanism, though the cheaper roof system should mean buyers will pay a smaller premium over the regular hatch.
FORD FIESTA
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/FordFiesta_t20081223122014.jpg Ford Australia’s only confirmed all-new model for 2009 is the latest-generation Fiesta. The small hatch will be available in three trim levels and two body styles (three or five doors) when it goes on sale in January.
Pricing starts at $15,750 for Ford’s rival to cars such as the Toyota Yaris and Mazda2, with all models powered by a 88kW 1.6-litre four-cylinder.
FORD FOCUS (FACELIFT)
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/FordFocus_t20081223122246.jpg Mid-life refresh includes styling update that brings Focus into line with Ford’s ‘kinetic’ family design theme.
HONDA CITY
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/HondaCity_t20081223122729.jpg A car that is effectively a sedan version of the Jazz city car launches in February. It’s called the City, though, and reportedly shares only 60 per cent of its parts with the Jazz. The common parts, however, are key mechanical components that include suspension, steering, brakes and the 88kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine (with five-speed manual or auto). The City is set to start from below $20,000.
HONDA CIVIC 5-DOOR
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/HondaCivic5dr_t20081223122958.jpg Honda Australia has sold the Civic sedan since early 2006 with much sales success, and the company will belatedly import the five-door version from June. Don’t expect it to be a simple choice between the Thai-built sedan or British-built hatch for your money, however. The hatch doesn’t benefit from Australia’s free-trade agreement with Thailand, and Honda will therefore pitch the Civic five-door as a low-$30Ks premium hatchback to rival top-spec VW Golfs and Ford Focuses. Honda says the Civic hatch will feature different trim levels to the sedan that starts from $22,000, though it will be powered by the same 103kW 1.8-litre four-cylinder.
HYUNDAI i20
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/Hyundaii20_t20081223123123.jpg Korean car maker Hyundai will be looking for an even larger slice of Australia’s light-car pie in 2009 with the introduction of the new i20.
In Europe the i20 is a direct replacement for the Getz, though Hyundai Australia plans to sell both models concurrently. The Getz is the second-best selling model in the light-car market, but Hyundai wants to pitch the i20 as the larger, more sophisticated light car to compete directly on price with the likes of the Toyota Yaris, Mazda2 and Ford Fiesta, which all start at about $16,000 (Getz starts at $13,990).
The i20, which is visually linked to the bigger i30, is available in Europe with engines that include a 1.2-litre petrol and 1.4-litre diesel.
HYUNDAI i30 CW
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/Hyundaii30_t20081223124907.jpg The i30’s first variant beyond the hatch body style arrives in March with a choice of petrol or diesel engines.
The i30 CW (for Cross Wagon) is, as the name suggests, an elongated version of Hyundai’s small car, with a 2700mm wheelbase and 4475mm length promising noticeably more interior and cargo space respectively. That extra practicality will cost buyers more than the equivalent hatch, of course.
KIA CERATO
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/KiaCerato_t20081223125004.jpg The Korean brand kicks off the New Year with a new face. The next-generation Cerato launches in January wearing the company’s new ‘corporate face’ front-end design. Kia’s small four-door also receives a new 2.0-litre petrol engine, linked to a range of transmissions including CVT. A coupe variant arrives in August, though Kia has yet to decide whether it will carry the Cerato name.
KIA SOUL
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/KiaSoul_t20081223125050.jpg Kia will add some much-needed funk to its image in March with the new Soul. This “urban crossover” has more in common with funky Japanese concept cars than dowdy mass-market bargains, and comes complete with a radical-looking interior.
The five-seater Soul is effectively a small hatch, and it’s set to be launched with a choice of 1.6-litre engines - petrol or diesel.
Pricing should start from below $20,000 for a vehicle whose rivals include the Suzuki SX4.
MAZDA3
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/Mazda3_t20081223125152.jpg It’s a big year for Australia’s favourite imported brand. The Japanese car maker’s most popular model, the Mazda3, launches in second-generation form in June.
The new 3 uses a modified version of the current model’s platform but you won’t confuse the two. There’s sharper, sportier sheetmetal on the outside and a smarter, higher-quality cabin on the inside. Mazda is also promising improved fuel economy from the choice of two four-cylinder engines: 110kW 2.0-litre (Neo and Maxx models) or 125kW 2.5-litre (SP25). The regular models will be followed a few months later by a new MPS hot-hatch that is set to deliver a more aggressive look and better handling than its predecessor.
RENAULT MEGANE
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/RenaultMegane_t20081223125231.jpg The next-generation Megane has already launched in Europe, though the usual snail-trail between France and Australia means the small car may still only just about sneak in before the end of 2009. If it does, expect the usual mix of hatch, sedan and cabriolet body styles.
SKODA OCTAVIA (FACELIFT)
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/SkodaOctavia_t20081223125319.jpg The brand’s bread-and-butter model, the Octavia, will be refreshed in March with new (more distinctive) styling, revised interior, and new (smaller) engines.
Petrol engines are expected to be 1.4-litre and 1.8-litre four-cylinders featuring turbocharges, while two diesel engines will also be in the mix. The new Octavia will also be the first model to debut the VW Group’s new seven-speed DSG dual-clutch semi-automatic gearbox.
Skoda Australia is also likely to follow its counterparts in Europe by introducing a new, simpler naming system for the different trim levels.
SUZUKI ALTO
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/SuzukiAlto_t20081223125352.jpg Suzuki is set to offer Australia’s cheapest model from May with the Alto micro car. A $12,990 starting point is anticipated for the 855kg car that’s powered by a tiddly 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine – mated either to a five-speed manual or four-speed auto. The Indian-built Alto doesn’t shirk safety, either, with six airbags and the availability of stability control.
TOYOTA COROLLA (UPDATE)
Australia’s best-selling small car at last offers stability control (from January).
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF VI
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/VWGolfVi_t20081223125520.jpg The world’s most popular Volkswagen arrives in March in its sixth iteration. Golf VI is not a generational change underneath, however, with the fifth-generation model’s platform carried over with some modifications.
There is an all-new range of smaller engines, however, which are more fuel efficient – yet also more powerful – than those they replace.
A 1.4-litre turbo replaces the 1.6 in the entry-level Golf, while the 2.0-litre is superseded by a 118kW 1.4-litre ‘Twincharger’ that features both a supercharger and turbocharger. VW Australia sells as many diesel-powered Golfs as those on a petrol diet, so a couple of TDI engines are included in the line-up, including a new 2.0-litre diesel.
VOLVO C30 DRIVe
http://images.drive.com.au/drive_images/Editorial/SingleImageUploads/VolvoC30_t20081223125611.jpg In July, Volvo is set to make a nod towards the environment with a greener version of its C30 hatch. The C30 DRIVe uses just 4.4L/100km and emits only 115 grams of CO2 (carbon dioxide) per kilometre – figures that put the new C30 in the ballpark of Toyota’s Prius hybrid.
PROTON SAGA
The Malaysian car maker introduces a new sedan in 2009 called the Saga. This 4.3m-long four-door is based on the Savvy’s platform and will arrive in about July. Proton says it’s too early to confirm engines or pricing. A hatchback version of the Persona will cost $500 more than the current sedan model – priced from $16,990 – when it lands around February, owing to some extra equipment. It will use the same 1.6-litre petrol engine.