Overdrive

In our panel discussion with Brian Smith and Errol Smith we take a light-hearted look at stories including: 1. How did a road authority appeal to the public at the 1969 Easter Show? 2. Train passenger’s reusable mug refused over ‘risk assessment’ 3. This Boeing 727, stuck in the woods, is actually somebody's house 4. Boy, 12, arrested on solo drive from NSW to Perth 'had crash, took fuel' (and drove 1300km, though it's not clear why) Have a question or comment? Send it to [email protected] You can listen to longer segments of the each of the features by going to our web site at drivenmedia.com.au or podcast the whole program on iTunes or your favourite podcast service. Now to begin the program let’s have the news. Originally aired on6 May 2017. For past programs and individual segments visit www.drivenmedia.com.au

We had barely driven the new car 100 metres when it was obvious that this was a refined piece of equipment. It was the new Hyundai i30. It had a smooth ride and ambience that spoke of comfort and maturity. The i30 is the most critical car for Hyundai in Australia representing 37% of their total sales. The other more staggering figure is that Australia is a huge market for this car. We take 30% of all the i30s sold in the world. It is not surprising then that the local branch of the company wants it to do well Scott Grant Hyundai’s COO in Australia takes up the story Hyundai in general and the i30 in particular started life as a sensible low cost car. This is still a big part of the market but not the only part. Originally aired on 6 May 2017. For past programs and individual segments visit www.drivenmedia.com.au

Kia has launched their latest Picanto compact car only a year after they introduced the first model onto the Australian market. The first model was good but not of the most up to date design. It had been on sale in other markets for about four years. At the launch of the new car Damien Meredith the Chief operating officer for Kia Australia explains the business reasons for dipping their toe in the water 12 months ago with an older product. They have redesigned the latest model both inside and out although the power train (not its strongest point) remains the same. They have produced a more distinctive, more masculine style (their words not mine). But to keep the price down there are no mag wheels. Infotainment with connectivity are some of the buzz words of modern cars and the Picanto joins the fray with a 7 inch screen and Apple and Android smartphone integration. This means you can use the cleverness of your phone with voice commands and maps for example, while driving. They have worked hard on reducing noise levels in the cabin with things like sound proofing, a better engine cover and lowering the windscreen wipers when not in use to reduce wind noise. It’s better but a course grained bitumen road is still quite noticeable but consistent for this class of vehicle. It still has the 1.25 litre petrol engine with a scanty 62 Kw and the automatic is still the meagre four speed variety. Sufficient for urban situations perhaps but not grand touring in the country. It is doing well over 3000 revs at 100 km/hr. This time they have provided an entry level manual gearbox – 5 speed. The clutch and gear level movement are very light which makes it easy to drive but for the purists it is a bit like a computer game consul rather than the traditional feeling of working with a mechanical device. They reckon 10-20% of sales will be manuals but I wonder why it will be this high because they have a funny pricing structure. The manual has a recommended retail price of $14,190. Add on road costs and it has to be at least $15,500. Automatics usually cost about $2,000 more but the Picanto automatic is $15,690 drive away no more to pay. Damien Meredith gave a very clear hint that if you do want a manual you should bargain with the dealer. $13,990 drive away might be an offer worth making but that’s not official. As far as the drive train goes they do have torque vectoring which is a first in this class. This technology helps the wheels get grip on the road especially when starting out and it can help handling. It doesn’t have Automatic Emergency Breaking which is not surprising for this category except that it will become a mandatory feature to get a five-star safety rating in 2018. Kia have put in a passionate request for this to head office. Originally aired on 6 May 2017. For past programs and individual segments visit www.drivenmedia.com.au

Station wagons have been through a considerable number of image changes. It took on a pucker style when it was given the name “shooting brake” in an association with aristocrats driving around the estate blasting away at defenceless animals. The closest it ever got to a youth market was the early 50s and 60s when it was the suffers’ mobile home But it has a number of incarnations that give it a dowdy image. For example, the family holiday vehicle – Chevy Chase in the Vacation series which is part of a 7 film National Lampoon’s string of movies. The Griswold family is not something you wish to be associated with. Then there is the parents’ school run vehicle. And the traveling salespersons office on wheels. With such images, it is not surprising they have ebbed and flowed with sales numbers, some falling by the way. The Camry station wagon is gone but not lamented As is the large, slab sided Ford Falcon which went well before the demise of the sedan. It provided huge room but was surpassed by the trendier SUV. Even the Hyundai i30 wagon dropped off the market. Our roving correspondent Matthew Brown who is in his thirties needed a new car but didn’t think he was quite old enough for a station wagon. More recently there has been a bit of a rival with the marketing expression “Sports Wagon” which infers that you are an adventurer rather than a parent caught in raising the children. Now Holden is talking about the next step in the evolution. The new model will not be called a wagon but a tourer. Where does it all fit in. Holden’s Director – Design, is Richard Ferlazzowhom we have spoken to in the past. He joins us on the line now. Originally aired on 29 April 2017. For past programs and individual segments visit www.drivenmedia.com.au

In our panel discussion with Brian Smith and Errol Smith we take a light-hearted look at stories including: 1. A Chinese car called Trumpchiwhich is eyeing the US market but considering changing its name 2. US judge sentences Volkswagen to three years probation following emissions scandal 3. Not so fast, fast train to Canberra 4. Apple's radical approach to self-driving cars (put a game controller in one) Have a question or comment? Send it to [email protected] You can listen to longer segments of the each of the features by going to our web site at drivenmedia.com.au or podcast the whole program on iTunes or your favourite podcast service. Originally aired on29 April 2017. For past programs and individual segments visit www.drivenmedia.com.au