Alfa Sprouts Anew

Maybe it was just coincidence that the first car I parked next to was an old Alfa. Or maybe it was a gift from the Patron Saint of Convenient Story Openings.

Chevrolet's Volt From Blue

LARGE-capacity petrol engines as we know them might not be dead, but they are starting to look a weeny bit off-colour, especially with the decision of troubled car-making giant General Motors to go greenish.

The Yeti Cometh ... But Fabia First

SKODA is keeping hopes alive that the Yeti, an all-wheel-drive lifestyle car that is yet to see daylight, will one day make it to Australia.

2010 Chevrolet Volt

REMEMBER the Volt, Chevrolet's blue-aura, futuristic electric car concept that wowed the world at the Detroit Motor Show last year? Well, this is also the Volt. However, this is how it will look in showrooms around the world.

A Lancer For Those Who Aspire

MITSUBISHI has added a new model to the Lancer sedan line-up. It has given its small car a bigger engine - 2.4-litre, four-cylinder - in the hope it will appeal to buyers who are downsizing but don't want to sacrifice performance.

Aspiring To Lur The Big-car Buyers

Mitsubishi is bridging the gap between its Lancer and six-cylinder cars, says Ian Porter.

Proton Persona

This Malaysian-built car is still a work In progress, writes Bruce Newton.

Paris Bright Lights Flash Green For Honda

"GREEN" will be the word de jour for Honda at this year's Paris Motor Show with the Japanese car maker presenting a full house of energy-friendly products.

A Bubble With Wobble

You know how when you approach a tight curve at full tilt in a formula one car, the entire vehicle violently squirms and twists with the immense forces of deceleration and cornering, leaving you on the very cusp of disaster at every point of the way?

The Great Unwanted

Never mind the dearth of buyers, this keenly priced Volvo luxury car has much going for it.

Audi Joins The Wagon Train

A wagon version of the A4 is the latest from Germany's other prestige car company, writes Andrew Heasley.

Style Comes Back In Vogue

The car: Range Rover Vogue Supercharged The price: From $197,840 Vital statistics: 4.2-litre supercharged V8; 291kW/560Nm; six-speed automatic gearbox

Volvo S80 V8 3/5

There is a really good car in here somewhere that is trying to get out, writes Bruce Newton.

Hsv Vxr 4/5

This Euro-flavoured hot hatch is near the top of its class, writes David Morley.

Hyundai Plans Its Next Fuel-miser

THIS car is poised to become Australia's most fuel-efficient vehicle. The new Hyundai i20 is likely to replace the Hyundai Getz in Australia from next year.

I20's A Fuel-shy Hyundai

Hyundai's new i20 light car is tipped to become Australia's most fuel-efficient vehicle, writes Richard Blackburn.

2010 Rolls-royce Rr4

HERE at last is the car that should double luxury saloon maker Rolls-Royce's sales.

Evolution Of The Lancer

SHE This is the car I've been waiting for all year. It starts life as the $20,490 Lancer sedan but Mitsubishi has stuffed a potent 2.0-litre turbocharged engine under the bonnet and put an all-wheel-drive system underneath.

Is This Australia's First Electric Sports Car?

Melbourne's Bolwell considers going for zero emissions, reports Barry Park.

Evolution - Suzuki Swift 2005 Onwards

APART from a five-year hiatus from 2000, the Swift mini-car has been around in Australia since the 1980s.

Insiders Take Car Industry's Distress To Canberra

MICHAEL Stirling has worked at Ford for more than two decades and will lose his job in two years when the company closes its Geelong engine plant. Tansel Mehmet, who works at Ford supplier Venture Industries, said workers were "very nervous" about the effect the job and production cuts at Ford would have on suppliers. He said he pushed for a stronger Government position on entitlements.

Weekends Just Race By

YOU have to admire a car maker that has an active motorsport program and you have to admire that company even more if it is getting its customers involved at the business end of that program.