KEY POINTS:
Throwaway glance at new ford falcon
This is the 2008 Ford Falcon, due here early next year. The unofficial pictures of the car, code-named Orion, were found in a Melbourne rubbish dump. Ford Australia has spent more than A$550 million on the rear-drive model, which gets a new bodyshell over its existing suspension package and inline six-cylinder and V8 engines. There will be further changes in 2010, when the trademark 4-litre straight-six engine will be replaced by a small capacity Duratec V6 unit, built in the US. The new engine has been adopted to meet strict new Australian exhaust emissions laws that come into effect on July 1, 2010.
BMW shows its colours
On show at the Auckland Museum until August 10 is the BMW Art Car Collection. The display comprises four cars, one painted in 1979 by famous American pop artist Andy Warhol. The other three were painted by Americans Frank Stella and Roy Lichtenstein and Australian Ken Done. Meanwhile, BMW is developing a clean-burning front-drive microcar based on the Mini. German magazine Auto Motor und Sport says it will be called the "City" and on sale in Europe in 2011.
Hybrid popularity
Hybrid vehicles are high on the shopping lists of new-car buyers in Australia. A Roy Morgan survey found that 60 per cent of Australians looking to buy small cars are seriously considering the petrol/electric hybrid technology. It also found that 74 per cent of all new-car buyers agree fuel efficiency is more important than high performance. The Toyota Prius is easily the best-selling hybrid in Australia. Other hybrids are the Honda Civic and the Lexus GS450h and RX400h. The same vehicles are available in New Zealand.
Clean-up strategy
South Korean carmaker Hyundai is backing New Zealand Government plans for tougher emissions testing. "How can we say we have a clean green country if we don't all support the proposed new emission rule?" says Philip Eustace, Executive Director of Hyundai Motors NZ. "Why should we spend half a billion dollars in Wellington to upgrade the rail system, two billion dollars in Auckland to upgrade public transport, including electrifying the railway system, yet continue to fill the roads with dirty used imports? Improve public transport and get old cars off the road. If that leads to fewer cars on our roads, we have achieved the objective."
We are the world
Many US college students have no idea where foreign brands come from. A survey found that most thought Land Rover was a US carmaker, Volvo was German and Hyundai was Japanese. Most students picked Lexus as Japanese. But only just - many thought it was American.
alastair.sloane@nzherald.co.nz
