Evolve #14

99 YEARS YOUNG Evolve reader’s stunning Cadillac V-63

BIGGER THAN BATHURST We visit The Bend Motorsport Park

SKODA OCTAVIA RS Family car with a hot hatch heart

YOUTH PROJECTS hsy steps up to assist youth in need

A UNIQUE VIEW OF THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY FROM HSY | ISSUE #14 - 2021

THE POWER OF INFORMATION FOR AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR The power of information to the automotive repair and service industry is becoming an increasingly important part of our business. It’s a topic that impacts many aspects of our daily operations – and one the Federal Government has recognised as of June 2021.

After nearly a decade of lobbying, the Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme Bill passed through Parliament unopposed, demonstrating a clear message of how critical information sharing is to the Automotive Aftermarket Industry.

The ‘Right to Repair’, as it’s widely known around the world, amends the Australian Competition and Consumer Act to establish a fairer scheme that mandates access to OEM diagnostic, service, and repair information at a fair market value.

In short, it addresses the fact that access to this information is critical to deliver a fair playing field and a choice of repair for Australian consumers.

Information will truly be a powerful part of our industry going forward, and the team at hsy together with our manufacturer-based suppliers are working to do our part.

Worryingly, we’ve found an everincreasing number of technicians telling us they have no central hub to access information, and spend hours scouring non-qualified sources for information on how to fix customer cars… hardly the ideal situation.

Technicians have already adopted the digital age of content consumption, from training to information sharing online, browser-based and accessible on the move. Importantly, the information must come from a trusted source, ideally directly from the manufacturer.

The passing of legislation is an exciting step for our industry and should deliver more solutions driven by information.… at hsy autoparts, we certainty plan to be a part of this.

We know that vehicle complexity is on an exponential curve and the ability to access information related to crucial and complex vehicle systems will be a critical part to our combined success.

Best regards, Sidney Tworowsky & Mark Micic hsy autoparts Directors

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CONTENTS EVOLVE ISSUE #14 - 2021

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NEWS

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THIS ISSUE @ HSY: STEPPING UP TO ASSIST YOUTH IN NEED

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TESTING TIMES: JUDGING THE WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR

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50 FAST YEARS: THE MASERATI BORA

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SKODA OCTAVIA RS: FAMILY CAR WITH A HOT HATCH HEART

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GOIN’ ROUND THE BEND: SA’S NEWEST RACE TRACK

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READER’S RIDE: 1923 CADILLAC V-63 TOURER

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EVOLVE TOP TEN: FEMALE AUTOMOTIVE INVENTORS

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TRAVEL: SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S FABULOUS FLINDERS RANGES

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MADE FOR THE TRADE: MITSUBISHI TRITON

ONTENTS

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NEWS

INDUSTRY:

ALFA ROMEO AXES GIORGIO PLATFORM Alfa Romeo has announced that it will axe its Giorgio large vehicle platform from next year after revealing the billion-dollar architecture was never designed with electrification in mind.

The Giorgio platform – which currently underpins the rear-wheel drive Alfa Romeo Giulia sedan and all-wheel drive Stelvio SUV – was intended to be introduced across FCA’s sister brands in Europe and the United States but has been abandoned in favour of the newer and cheaper STLA Large architecture shared across the Stellantis group.

Stellantis was the name given to the merger of Fiat-Chrysler (FCA) and Peugeot

parent company Groupe PSA in January this year (2021). It encompasses over a dozen car brands and related companies, and already has production-ready plans for large-sized vehicles with hybrid or electric drivelines.

At its annual shareholder meeting earlier this year, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said the group will use just four vehicle platforms across its brands from 2022 and that all will be comprise hybrid or electric powertrains.

The Giorgio platform was designed in 2014 when FCA decided it needed a model range to take on the likes of BMW’s M division and Mercedes-Benz’s AMG. The aggressive and expensive strategy was to have borne between eight to 15 models across the FCA range, but with just two models from one brand seeing the light of day in seven years, the Giorgio platform is dead in the water.

“When you see that Europe imposes a 60 per cent CO2 tax on you in 2030, if you’re not electrified, you’re dead,” said Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato.

“With Stellantis we have the advantage of providing the Tonale with some technological updates, so I decided we have to update the PHEV (plug-in hybrid vehicle) immediately.

“The Tonale is Alfa Romeo’s first electrified car, so we have to do a very high-level job,” Imparato added.

The announcement means the Alfa Romeo line-up will be reduced to just four models: the Giulia and Stelvio using the existing Giorgio platform, and its imminent Tonale and Brennero small SUV models.

Like many vehicle manufacturers, Alfa Romeo is expected to offer a wide range of hybrid and electric models by the end of the decade. The Tonale small SUV will be its first.

TECHNOLOGY:

HIGH-TECH TOOLING SHAPES THE AUDI Q4 E-TRON Audi knows that styling its next exciting model isn’t just a challenge for designers.

The crisp, striking lines of the cars we’ll drive tomorrow require increasingly complex and high-precision tooling to realise, which is where the art of toolmaking comes to the fore.

For Audi’s toolmaking team the process begins long before a prototype model is revealed. Planners meet in the earliest stages of a new model’s development to review the design’s feasibility; and in the case of the new Audi Q4 e-tron that meant pushing the very limits of existing tooling techniques.

converging lines with impossibly tight radii and deep undercuts, all finished with impeccable accuracy.

Precise to a thousandth of a millimetre the pressing tool used to stamp the side panel is the result of tens of thousands of hours of manual work. This cast-iron colossus contains up to 500 individual components, measures 4500mm in length, weighs nearly 43 tonnes and exerts over 1450 tonnes of pressure. Yet, in spite of its enormous bulk, produces an impeccably clean surface finish that is virtually paintready.

In fact, the task of accurately transposing the complex creases and curves from the screen to the press was so involved it took two toolmaking teams to realise.

Toolmakers from Neckarsulm were in charge of the bonnet and tailgate while their colleagues in Ingolstadt were responsible for the doors, roof and side panels (pictured).

In production the press forms part of a six-stage process for the single-piece side panel. Mechanical grippers transfer the ‘blank’ from one tool to the next, drawing it to the desired shape, trimming any excess material, and performing complicated folds and undercuts. The formed panel is then joined to the remainder of the body using robotised spot-welding and adhesive bonding techniques.

And it’s the side panels of the new Audi Q4 e-tron that are a great example of just how intricate modern tooling is. The D-pillar in particular merges diverging and

The all-wheel drive Audi Q4 e-tron is the latest model in the German brand’s electrification strategy. It is expected to arrive in Australian showrooms in 2022.

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WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR:

VOLKSWAGEN ID.4 WINS 2021’S BIGGEST PRIZE Volkswagen has taken out its fifth World Car of the Year award with its first allelectric SUV. The Volkswagen ID.4 was elected the winner by a panel of 93 international motoring journalists from 28 countries, the winning model one of 24 finalists that included the new Toyota Yaris and Honda e.

The ID.4 is the second all-electric model in Volkswagen’s range and is powered by a 150kW/309Nm electric motor drawing power from a 77kWh battery pack. It boasts a WLTP-verified driving range of 520km, comparable to that of the Tesla Model S, and can accelerate to 100km/h in 8.5 seconds.

“We are particularly pleased about the ID.4 being named World Car of the Year, not only because it is one of the most important car awards in the world, but because the jury also honoured a great idea and a great team,” said Volkswagen CEO of Cars, Ralf Brandstatter.

Volkswagen has hinted that the ID.4 “would be an ideal introduction” for its electric range locally but has stopped short of confirming a release date. EVOLVE MAGAZINE understands 2022 would be the earliest conceivable slot for the model’s launch locally.

Vehicles eligible for the World Car of the Year award must be produced in volumes of at least 10,000 units per year, must be priced below the luxury car tax threshold in its primary markets, and must be on sale in at least two major international markets on at least two separate continents.

To find out more about the Volkswagen ID.4 and World Car of the Year process, read of interview with Australian World Car of the Year judge Paul Gover on page 10.

“The first ID. model for the key markets of Europe, China and the US carries our electric offensive around the world. A convincing car, a great idea, and the World Car of the Year award? That goes well together for us.”

A-LIST AUTO:

JUSTIN BIEBER’S CUSTOM ROLLS-ROYCE WRAITH

When you’re a 26-year-old entertainer with a net worth of USD $285 million, your choice of cars in pretty much limitless.

Your choice in cars, on the other hand, is entirely your own.

So is the case with the latest addition to Justin Bieber’s garage – a custom-built Rolls-Royce Wraith that took creators West Coast Customs a staggering three years to complete.

According to its makers, the all-silver “Uriel”, as Bieber has dubbed it, was inspired by the Rolls-Royce 103EX concept, and is “a reimagined RollsRoyce that was designed for the future, built for today” and “probably the biggest project we’ve been a part of”.

The entire build is chronicled on WCC’s YouTube channel, and includes the

handover to an emotional Bieber who admitted being “close to tears” on sighting the finished product.

trimmed upholstery of the cabin speaks perfectly to the personality of the Biebs himself.

WCC said the one-off build required 3D scanning the entire body of the donor car to form moulds for a uniquely-styled body kit. The aerodynamic makeover included enclosing the wheels of the Wraith to make the coupe appear to ‘float’ along the road, an all-new front-end required to meld the complex, redesigned frontal mask into the re-profiled front guards.

Of course, as a musician, the sound system is entirely bespoke. The professionally tuned arrangement by JL Audio includes power-sliding amplifiers in the boot and a speaker profile that helps Bieber “feel like he’s in the studio” while he’s behind the wheel.

In that respect, the WCC build is much more in keeping with traditional coachbuilding techniques than the video would suggest.

Unique, hidden lighting along the sill panels adds to the illusion of the car’s levitating abilities, while the richly-

Alongside the customised Wraith, Justin Bieber’s garage includes (deep breath) a leopard skin-wrapped Audi R8, a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport, a Cadillac CTS-V and a Cadillac Escalade, a Ferrari F430 and 458, a Fisker Karma, a Lamborghini Aventador, a Mercedes-AMG G 65, a pair of Porsche 911 Turbos (one coupe, one convertible), and a matte black Range Rover built by Project Kahn.

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CAPRICORN STATE OF THE NATION 2021 Capricorn is committed to keeping a finger on the pulse of what’s happening within the automotive industry in Australia and New Zealand.

Capricorn State of the Nation 2021 is the first in what will become an annual research project designed to gain an in-depth understanding of what’s happening in our industry and what’s important to Capricorn Members informed by responses from more than 1,500 Members across Australia and New Zealand, this research provides valuable, interesting, and thought-provoking insights to help grow your business.

FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR WORKSHOP OWNERS Work-Life Balance

Succession Planning

Know Your Value

Passive Marketing

New Generation

We struggle to maintain work-life balance, yet it is a crucial first step to long-term success.

Succession planning is a big, gaping hole across the board - alarmingly so in Members moving towards retirement age.

We need to get savvy about what services we charge for and how much we charge.

We are too reliant on passive marketing streams like word-of-mouth referrals and repeat customers.

To attract a new generation, the industry is going to have to show a much more lucrative value proposition to running an auto repair business.

Just under 50 per cent of businesses apply a set markup to parts, with a third matching the recommended retail price.

One in four use their best judgement of decide based on the cost of the part or nature of the job – the latter particularly the case for mobile mechanics.

Setting prices on parts: Add a set % mark-up for all parts:

67%

Diagnostics

35%

Decide the mark-up depending on the cost of the part 27%

41%

Sensor Alignment 27%

Using your best judgement 24%

Other 12%

Decide the mark-up depending on the nature of the job 21%

“Hourly rates for labour need to increase significantly to lower the financial impact on your business when customers supply their own parts,” Mark Cooper, Capricorn Chairman.

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Why are vehicles sent to the dealers?

Software updates

43%

Matching the retail price:

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Technology related issues are an increasingly common reason for vehicles to be sent to dealerships. Over the past year, 67 per cent of vehicles were sent to a dealership for a software update; 41 per cent for diagnostics, 27 per cent for a sensor alignment, and 12 per cent for other technology related services.

EVOLVE

Only a third of workshops always charge customers for use of scan tools and diagnostic software, as well as the time taken for diagnostics.

Do you charge for time taken to diagnose problems?

Always 34%

Sometimes 55%

Never 12%

Do you charge for using scan tools or diagnostic software?

Always 37%

Sometimes

“If members fail to keep up with technology, they will eventually go out of business. Keeping up with technology is critical for our members’ future success,” Mark Cooper, Capricorn Chairman.

48%

Never 16%

“Know your value. Charge more because you’re worth it. No one wins in a race to the bottom,” Brad Gannon, Capricorn CEO of Automotive.

TM

EVOLVE

THIS ISSUE @ HSY

HSY STEPS UP TO ASSIST YOUTH IN NEED The past 18 months has presented a unique set of challenges for businesses, communities, and individuals, and while we continue to take tentative steps towards resuming a business-as-usual approach to post-pandemic life, the needs of the more vulnerable members of our community are once again in the spotlight; perhaps more so than at any time in recent memory.

For the longer-term unemployed, and those from difficult or disadvantaged backgrounds, the attempt to navigate this ‘new normal’ – and find and maintain meaningful employment – can seem overwhelming. A diminished economy can present fewer opportunities for those in need of a helping hand, and for young adults in particular, the challenge

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of knowing where to start often proves hardest of all.

Fortunately, the assistance of altruistic businesses and organisations have given scores of young adults in this very situation the opportunity to thrive in our postCOVID world. In particular, a grassroots organisation in Melbourne’s northwestern suburbs – Youth Projects – is providing opportunities for disadvantaged young adults and early school leavers to be introduced to employment situations where relevant skills and meaningful working relationships can be established and maintained.

“The hsy team at Campbellfield saw the great work Youth Projects was undertaking in our area, and began to discuss ways we

could get involved,” explained Bill Tsimis, hsy National Distribution and Logistics Manager.

“We had a single vacancy available at our Campbellfield warehouse, and decided that by splitting the role, we would be able to offer the experience of working in a warehousing and distribution role to more people.

“The team decided to take on four young adults from Youth Projects and pair them with our existing staff so that they weren’t exposed to only the menial jobs people in this sort of position are often handed.

“We really wanted to make sure that their time with us was as relevant as possible and provided them with as many skills

as we could provide in the hope it would assist them in finding employment after their time with us was over,” Tsimis said.

Youth Projects is an independent, registered charity which provides frontline support to young people and individuals experiencing disadvantage, unemployment, homelessness, and substance abuse issues. The learning and employment initiative it has created recognises the complex and varying needs of young adults aged 15-24 years and works with local businesses to provide what it calls a pathway out of poverty.

By working to break the cycle of disadvantage Youth Projects sees in the community it can provide what it says is a holistic model of care. That includes

ensuring participating businesses are as focussed on contributing to the success of applicants as the charity itself, a point Tsimis and the team at hsy Campbellfield were cognisant of before committing to the program.

“We made four roles available, and we knew we could offer each of the young people from the program between 20 and 25 hours a week for a minimum of six months so that they received enough hours to make the experience worthwhile.

The trouble was we had such a great selection of applicants that we really could have taken more, and it’s so hard to knock good people back,” exclaimed Tsimis.

“The variety of the skills and the display of engagement from the candidates we’ve

taken on is really quite heartening. We all know that the first step to feeling a sense of belonging often comes from having a secure job, and once that’s established, the opportunity to prove your worth can start to shine through. The candidates we have taken on have really proven that.

“They’ve really come out of their shells in the short time they’ve been with us, and we’re already considering making a parttime role for at least two of the candidates here at the Campbellfield warehouse,” he continued.

Continued overleaf...

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THIS ISSUE @ HSY

HSY STEPS UP TO ASSIST YOUTH IN NEED CONTINUED “Another great positive of the program, I think, is that it gives both us as the employer and the candidate as an employee a real chance to get to know each other, and make sure the role is right for each of us. In a lot of ways, it’s like an internship, and to be honest it really is the way we’d like to recruit our staff moving forward.

“We’ve had a lot of discussion – the HR team, the management team, and the mentors who work with the candidates day-to-day – about how well the Youth Projects initiative has benefitted the applicants, of course, but what we’ve also discovered is that it’s also benefitting us, and I don’t know that any of us really expected that,” Tsimis admitted.

The outcome is one of the upsides to the style of onboarding Youth Projects promotes. Working with local businesses, the program can match job-ready young people with employment opportunities that benefit employer and employee alike. It promotes vacancies and scouts for talent it then shortlists to suitable local businesses, and even coordinates interviews and undertakes reference checks to make the induction process as smooth as possible.

“Besides the very tangible outcomes of the program, the employer also needs to demonstrate that it has values closely aligned to our own, to make sure the applicants will take away something meaningful from the experience,” detailed

Hannan Amin, Youth Services Senior Employer Relations Consultant.

“You have an opportunity to have an extraordinary impact on a young person’s life by giving them a meaningful pathway to social and economic participation through a job, changing their life for the better. Bill and the team at hsy in Campbellfield understood this, and the success we’re seeing with the candidates there is exactly what we want from the initiative,” she added.

Amin works with candidates to prepare them for potential job opportunities and says there’s little understanding in the wider business arena of just how valuable programs like Youth Projects are to the

From left to right: Negin Hudson (HR Manager, hsy autoparts), Christian Di Cocco (Warehouse Manager, hsy autoparts), Stephan Gueurrero-Cornish, Matthew Roberts, Maria Yaseen, Nicholas Packovski, Hannan Amin (Senior Employer Relations Consultant, Youth Projects), Bill Tsimis (National Distribution & Logistics Manager, hsy autoparts)

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lives of the young people they take on.

She said that the provision of even a few weeks or months of work is all some candidates require to get their start in a career, as without experience many are overlooked by potential employers.

“It’s a bit of a Catch-22, really. Employers obviously want prospective employees to have experience within a particular role before they look at hiring them.

But many younger people, especially those from culturally diverse, difficult, or disadvantaged backgrounds, often have very little experience to offer which can restrict their opportunities for finding meaningful employment,” explained Amin.

“The other issue we face is that a lot of employers stigmatise younger people in the position of many of our clients as ‘not wanting to work’, or that their past is somehow indicative of who they are as a

person now. What we find in acting as a ‘broker’ between employer and employee is that a lot of this negativity is bypassed, and the success rate we have in getting our candidates into meaningful, ongoing employment shows just how important that part of the process is.”

In joining the Youth Projects initiative hsy has not only benefitted the lives of the young people it employs, but also that of its own staff. The mentoring roles are giving hsy employees valuable management experience they’d otherwise struggle to attain, with Tsimis saying it’s prompted several employees involved in the initiative to challenge themselves and further their own development.

community, but also to our own staff. It’s been one of the ‘side benefits’ we really didn’t expect – or even consider – to be completely honest, but it’s terrific to see the difference this partnership is making.

“I think I speak for everyone involved with the initiative when I say that hsy has shown great leadership in embracing this opportunity. It’s been great for the company, for our staff, and most importantly for the young people who’ve taken to the program with such dedication and enthusiasm,” concluded Tsimis.

“As an established employer I feel we’re really very privileged to be in a position that we can offer this kind of opportunity to not only the candidates from the Youth Projects initiative and the wider

Find out more about the Youth Projects initiative at youthprojects.org.au

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IS ADAS CALIBRATION ON YOUR RADAR? Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) might sound futuristic, but safety features including Adaptive/Automatic Cruise Control (ACC), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Automatic Parking Assist (APA) Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Blind Spot Detection are already common in many of today’s vehicles.

Using combinations of radar, cameras, lasers and / or infra-red and ultra-sonic sensors, ADAS systems monitor the vehicle’s environment, assessing speed and proximity to other road users and structures. Intelligent computing interacts with the vehicle’s braking and steering systems to improve control, manoeuvring and road safety.

To help demystify ADAS technology, this article will focus on the front mounted, long range radar, which is largely used for Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), and will provide guidance on when calibration is required.

When should a Radar Sensor be re-adjusted or re-calibrated?

Are there different types of operating principles?

What equipment is needed for the adjustment/calibration process

Referring to the vehicle manufacturer’s instructions is essential, but as a guide here are some common scenarios requiring radar sensor calibration or adjustment.

Radar signals measure the distance to an object. Carrier signals with different frequencies are used as a “means of transmission” depending on the measuring distances.

A diagnostic device with software supporting radar-based ADAS in the respective vehicle, and a Calibration Tool (Hardware) with supplementary radar sensor adjustment equipment to support radar variants.

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After radar sensor replacement or dismantling / installation

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After post-accident repairs to the body geometry

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After changes to the vehicle level at the front or rear axle

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After a suspected impact on the sensor

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If the ECU detects exceeded tolerance levels for the measuring field

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After the impact carrier has been dismantled

What’s the difference between ‘adjustment’ and ‘calibration’?

Many radar sensors can be manually adjusted vertically and horizontally using two screws, similar to headlamp adjustments.

However, the electronic control unit needs to be taught the new adjusted position, which automatically calibrates the Advanced Driver Assistance System [ADAS].

Other generations of radar sensors are not equipped with mechanical adjustment features.

If the system detects errors after any of the above-mentioned repairs/changes, the measuring field must be re-calculated, and a compensation value configured in the electronic control unit. In this case, calibration via the vehicles software and diagnostic tool takes place.

How can you detect a Radar Sensor?

Some radar sensors don’t have a visible curve. Others can appear as a black, rectangular plastic housing.

The Mega Macs diagnostic tool from HELLA GUTMANN SOLUTIONS can assist in locating the radar sensor’s positions in the vehicle.

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Medium-range radar systems, up to approx. 60m generally operate at 24 GHz (new generation 77GHz), while long-range radar systems, up to approx. 250m use 76 to 77 GHz.

Why do some radar adjustments require a laser attachment?

In some systems, the electronic control unit doesn’t initiate measuring field detection via its own radar signal.

Instead, this is determined by the vehicle manufacturer and the programming of the system controller.

To establish the measuring field, the laser attachment is magnetically fixed to the angle adjustment plate of the Calibration Tool and the laser beam is aimed at the mirror, which is integrated into the radar sensor. The mirror reflects the beam back to the scaling system of the laser attachment.

The radar sensor is adjusted using screws so that the laser dot hits a pre-determined area on the scaling system which has been specified by the mega macs.

Which manufacturers use this system?

Many vehicles require radar sensor adjustment via laser including many models from Volkswagen-Audi Group and Mercedes-Benz.

HELLA is considered a leader in radar technology development and manufacturing with supply to many European and Asian OEM’s. With its 5th generation technology, it continues to push the boundaries to further evolve vehicle safety systems.

Wholly owned by HELLA, HELLA GUTMANN SOLUTIONS has both the know-how and an award-winning, user-friendly, modular camera and radar calibration tool, compatible with most ADAS-equipped vehicle models.

For a no obligation discussion with an ADAS calibration specialist, call 1800 061 729 or email hgscustomersupport@hella.com

Australia

FOR ELECTRONICS, TRUST THE EXPERTS Vehicle technology continues to advance at a rapid pace and, as a major global OE supplier of vehicle electronics and a pioneer of innovative energy management and driver assistance systems, HELLA is leading the charge.

Who better then to trust for replacement parts? HELLA’s comprehensive aftermarket electronics range covers everything from complex body electronics, such as central control units and access systems, to components like sensors and vacuum pumps, manufactured to OE standards.

Trust the experts, trust HELLA.

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INTERVIEW

TESTING TIMES:

JUDGING THE WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR The World Car of the Year award has been run and won, but did you know that an Australian sits on the judging panel?

Paul Gover is one of Australia’s most revered automotive journalists and one of 93 judges from 28 counties tasked with testing and assessing the very best new cars on the global stage. In this interview we learn more about the world’s most coveted car award, and how World Car of the Year judges are evolving the progress of the cars we drive here, and in markets across the globe.

EVOLVE MAGAZINE: What is the World Car of the Year award and why is it so important?

Paul Gover: The World Car of the Year award is the only car of the year award that cuts across the entire globe. There are 93 judges across 28 countries, so we can look at what’s happening across the industry as a whole, and not just in our own backyards.

It is a really good indicator as to what the world is ‘thinking’ about cars, and although this year’s winner isn’t sold in Australia just yet, it shows that the industry is advancing towards electrification. In fact, there have been several electric car winners of the World Car of the Year award.

EM: How did you come to be involved in the World Car of the Year judging process?

PG: The award was started by a group of guys who had a really good idea, and over time they recruited leading journalists from each of the countries they travelled to. I was pretty chuffed one day when they asked me to be a representative for Australia – and interestingly now there are four Australian-born judges on the panel.

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As well as me there’s Joshua Dowling who is also based in Australia, but we also have Michael Taylor who is now based in Italy and Greg Cable who lives in Germany. So, we’re a little bit overrepresented when you consider how small the Australian car market is, but I guess that speaks to the quality of Australian motoring journalists.

EM: When does the process start and end for you?

PG: The process never really starts or ends. Every new car I drive is assessed against a range of objective criteria, as well as whether I like it or not. I’m always thinking about whether a car might be a World Car of the Year contender.

But the actual process starts in earnest each September. There is a long list that is sorted into various categories, and of course the overall category – and there’s also a car person of the year category [more details overleaf]. It’s a really big spread of cars and a really diverse judging panel, but there are rules that help decide which car can win.

For example, a car must be sold in at least two major markets in differing geographical areas to be eligible. Most of the time you are looking at cars that are

sold in Europe and America, or China and America, and these cars are voted on to get to a shortlist of 12, then three, and eventually just one.

EM: What World Car of the Year criteria are most important to Australia buyers?

PG: It is interesting… Australian new car buyers prefer higher-specified cars, but we’re also very sensitive on price; and what’s fascinating about that is that the price of new cars varies wildly across the globe, as does what feature and equipment levels are offered in certain models.

That is important to Australian buyers because we demand equipment that moves the industry forward. It is not just about a car being quieter or roomier, Australian buyers are very savvy when it comes to safety, we want the very best, and that forces the industry to progress.

It also means that Australian World Car of the Year judges are voting for cars that Australian new car buyers want, with safety levels they expect. That is one of the important things about having judges from all over the globe. We each get to

‘push’ for things that are important to our own market.

EM: Are there any criteria that are irrelevant to Australian buyers presently?

PG: As a World Car of the Year judge you’re invited to an annual gathering where you’re able to drive all of these cars over a two or three-day period – back-to-back over the same roads. As an Australian, I think it is fascinating that you get to see what other parts of the world accept as ‘normal’, and just how lucky we are. There are a lot of cars that are not particularly great.

But it is more than specification and quality, and this year’s winner is probably less relevant to Australian buyers than it is to be people in other parts of the world.

Out of the million new cars sold here last year only 7,000 were pure electric vehicles. Electric vehicles simply do not have the relevance here they do, say, in Europe for example where they’re a really big deal.

EM: So does that mean you didn’t vote for the Volkswagen ID.4?

PG: I had not driven it by the time votes were cast, so technically I could not vote for it. You can only vote for cars you have driven. As I said, the Volkswagen ID.4 is not on sale in Australia yet, and with COVID-19 affecting travel last year, it made it harder than usual to drive all the contenders in the setting I spoke of earlier.

But keeping the relevance of the car to Australian buyers in mind, I do not think I would have voted for it anyway. Two of the best cars I drove last year were the new Kia Sorento and the new Land Rover Defender, but the latter is a car that does not meet the eligibility criteria in some countries because it’s too expensive.

to us about things consumers think are worthwhile. It is a way we as judges and consumers can educate designers and engineers, to help them move the industry forward.

That is what I mean about a ‘global context’. In Australia these cars are wonderful, marvelous cars, but in other countries they are seen as a luxury car.

It can be a bit of a balancing act, but it is part of what makes this award so important.

PG: It really is, and when I say ‘my’ audience, I do not just mean people who read what I write or who listen to me on the radio. It is also other journalists. There have been several times where I’ve attended press events and I’ve been able to assist in the background of a particular model because of the information I’ve been privy to as a World Car of the Year judge.

EM: Do you think awards like the World Car of the Year influence a buyer’s decision?

PG: I think it should… I mean it must, to some degree. But I think more importantly the one thing the World Car of the Year award does is it influences car companies. I know that because I have been to a few global briefings where car companies have hosted World Car of the Year judges to showcase their technology.

It is not about currying favour, either. It is about looking at to the future to see where design, style, technology, safety… these sorts of things are headed. As World Car of the Year judges, we are ambassadors for the industry, in a way.

We are the voice of the market we represent, and car companies like to talk

EM: So engaging with your audience is an important part of being a World Car of the Year judge?

And it is not just me… a colleague in India who is a very senior motoring journalist there uses his role to talk to consumers, and to motoring and other journalists to try and improve what goes on in their market.

The Indian market is very cost-driven, and they do not have a lot of the safety equipment (in their cars) that we have in cars here, and he is trying to address that and evolve some of the programming that goes on behind the scenes so that his market is better off. That would not happen without the involvement of the World Car of the Year program.

Continued overleaf...

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INTERVIEW EM: Do you think the World Car of the Year judging panel could become a lobby group of sorts?

PG: I know to a lot of people who buy cars who think car magazines, blogs and newspapers are kind of irrelevant.

But what we as motoring journalists do, and as World Car of the Year judges especially, is more important than simply voting on a bunch of cars – and as time goes on, I think it will become even more important.

In some ways, it could almost become a lobby group, pushing car companies about different things that are important in markets across the globe, especially on items of critical importance like safety.

Take the example of India or Pakistan we just spoke of. You can buy a new car there that is ostensibly the same car that gets a five-star safety rating in Australia but might only get a two-star rating in India or Pakistan because car companies do not put the same emphasis on the safety equipment of cars they sell in those countries. It’s pretty terrible, isn’t it?

EM: What does winning World Car of the Year mean to a manufacturer like Volkswagen?

PG: I think Volkswagen is still recovering from the ‘dieselgate’ scandal, and that really tainted the brand. So, for Volkswagen to be able to win an award like this, it says ‘OK, we are becoming a green car company and we are working hard to be recognised for that’.

It also acknowledges that Volkswagen took a pretty big gamble with its ID (electric vehicle) range, and that they deserve some kudos for that. They are not necessarily one of the companies you would expect to be first in electrification, and the fact that they have brought a car like this to market, when they are recovering from such a large financial hit, is a big tick for them as a company.

But more than anything I think the award helps to bring relevance and recognition to what companies like Volkswagen are doing. The World Car of the Year is an extremely significant award, and it will help VW progress and push innovation and technology so that things keep moving forward – and that benefits all of us, really.

I know Volkswagen keep a close eye on awards programs like this because it really means something to them. It is an incentive that means a lot to car makers, to the motoring industry, and to consumers like you and me. I look forward to seeing what it will mean for all of us by the time the award comes around again next year.

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2021 WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR:

2021 WORLD URBAN CAR

2021 WORLD PERFORMANCE CAR

2021 WORLD LUXURY CAR

2021 CAR DESIGN OF THE YEAR

WINNER: VOLKSWAGEN ID.4

WINNER: HONDA E

WINNER: PORSCHE 911 TURBO

WINNER: MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS

WINNER: LAND-ROVER DEFENDER

FINALIST: HONDA E

FINALIST: HONDA JAZZ

FINALIST: AUDI RS Q8

FINALIST: LAND-ROVER DEFENDER

FINALIST: HONDA E

FINALIST: TOYOTA GR YARIS

FINALIST: POLESTAR 2

FINALIST: MAZDA MX-30

FINALIST: TOYOTA YARIS

FINALIST: TOYOTA YARIS

2021 WORLD CAR PERSON OF THE YEAR: WINNER: AKIO TOYODA

FINALIST PRATAP BOSE

President & CEO

Vice President of Global Design

Toyota Motor Corporation

FINALIST EUISUN CHUNG

FINALIST LUC DONCKERWOLKE

Chairman

MX-30 Program Manager

Chief Creative Officer

Hyundai Motor Group

TATA Motors

FINALIST TOMIKO TAKUCHI

Mazda Motor Corporation

Hyundai Motor Group

2021 WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR JURORS BY COUNTRY

INTERNATIONAL

4

FINLAND

1

ENGLAND

7

CANADA

POLAND

IRELAND

3

1

FRANCE

1

SPAIN PORTUGAL

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

1

19

2

RUSSIA

1

3

GERMANY AUSTRIA

4

1

ITALY

3

SLOVENIA

1

JAPAN

GREECE

1

2

JORDAN

1

2

CHINA

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

1

MEXICO

8

KOREA

INDIA

10

6

COLOMBIA

1

BRAZIL

1

AUSTRALIA SOUTH AFRICA

CHILE

2

4

3

ARGENTINA

1

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POWER PROTECTION PLUS Bosch has further refined and improved its tried-and-tested Aerotwin windshield wiper.

With their PPP (Power Protection Plus) wiper rubber technology featuring a patented coating, Bosch Aerotwin windshield wipers have long been synonymous with quiet, outstanding wiping performance – even in extreme weather conditions.

By admixing a special additive to the blade’s rubber compound, Bosch developers have now succeeded in improving the edge of the windshield wiper even further. This makes the long-life wiper rubber profile considerably more resilient to environmental influences.

The improved compound formula adds even more abrasion protection to the PPP rubber’s already outstanding resistance to environmental influences, such as UV light and ozone.

As such, the redesigned blades truly prove their worth when contamination on the windshield (such as insects, dust, pollen, or ice) has an unfavorable mechanical impact on the rubber blade’s edge. This enables the Bosch Aerotwin to achieve outstanding, long-lasting, and streak-free wiping results thanks to its improved wiper rubber. When compared with conventional blades, Bosch’s quality tests demonstrated that the new wiper rubber lip exhibit less abrasion and thus less wear.

Evodium Spring Strips Furthermore, Aerotwin windshield wipers are equipped with two made-to-measure Evodium spring strips that increase the blade’s contact pressure on the windshield and distribute this pressure evenly along the entire length of the wiper.

This firstly helps to achieve such consistent, streak-free wiping results. Secondly, the even contact pressure provided by the Evodium spring strips combines with the blade’s new and improved rubber compound to improve resilience and reduce degradation on the wiper’s edge.

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Driven by

DOWNPOURS

Power Protection Plus (PPP): Makes all the difference.

Choose Bosch Aerotwin Wiper Blades, the advanced Wiper Blade range from Bosch featuring an innovative adapter system and patented coating. The Aerotwin Wiper Blade range with PPP rubber provides perfect wiper performance, long service life and gentle wiper action.

boschaftermarket.com.au

Clear visibility for your safety

5O F as t Y ea r s THE MASERATI BORA The early ‘70s might best be remembered for bell-bottom trousers and cask wine, but in the high-end world of Italian supercar production, a change was in the air.

At Maserati, the first mid-mounted rear engine road car was readying to hit the streets, changing the brand’s history, and ending its reputation for producing fast but technologically out-of-date cars.

By 1971 Lamborghini had introduced the now-legendary Miura and De Tomaso its stunning Mangusta.

Ferrari was working on its own midengined contender, the Berlinetta Boxer, and under the controlling interest of Citroën, Maserati sought to make its own mark.

Wind of change The Tipo 117, later christened Bora after the wind of Trieste, shared the exclusiveness, sportiness and uniqueness that always characterised the Modenese constructor; but introduced coil-sprung four-wheel independent suspension, a world-first adjustable and hydraulically assisted pedal cluster, and mechanical tilt-andreach adjustable steering.

Changes to the practicality and comfort of the sporting marque also saw the Bora adopt a full-size luggage compartment, dual-pane glass separating the cabin from the engine bay, and a carpeted aluminium engine cover to greatly reduce noise.

The longitudinally set engine and ZFsourced five-speed transaxle were mounted on their own sub-frame and attached to the monocoque body using four flexible mounts.

This design further reduced the transmission of mechanical noise into the passenger compartment and, according to Maserati, aided ride quality.

At its release at the 1971 Geneva International Motor Show, the Maserati Bora was offered with a high-revving 4.7-litre unit making 310hp (231kW) at 6000rpm.

It was joined two years later by a stroked version of the same engine displacing 4.9 litres and developing 320hp (239kW) at a lower 5500 revs.

Both engines traced their lineage to the famous 450S race car. As such they featured all-aluminium alloy construction, hemispherical combustion chambers, and chaindriven four-cam heads operating two valves per cylinder. Induction came courtesy of four 42 DCNF/14 downdraught Weber carburettors and spark from a Bosch-sourced electronic ignition system.

The Bora adopted Citroën’s advanced high-pressure LHM (Liquide Hydraulique Minéral) system to operate the ventilated four-wheel disc brakes, the dry-mounted single disc clutch, the aforementioned adjustable pedal box, driver’s seat-height adjustment and iconic retractable headlights.

Campagnolo light alloy-type wheels measuring 15 x 7.5 inches featured distinctive polished stainlesssteel hubcaps and were shod with Michelin’s high performance XWX tyres front and rear (and later Pirelli Cinturato CN12s).

Despite its hefty kerb weight of 1535kg the Maserati Bora boasted a top speed of 270km/h and 285km/h for the 4.7 and 4.9-litre variants respectively. A remarkable and somewhat terrifying figure considering the tyre and braking technology of the time.

Trend-setting style Engineered under the guidance of Giulio Alfieri and styled by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro (of Italdesign), the two-seat Bora centred its design around improved aerodynamics. High-speed stability was a priority for Maserati, and with pop-up headlights and a truncated Kamm-style rear-end, the sleek coupé took to the road with an ultralow drag coefficient of 0.30Cd. Although futuristic, the Bora’s simple and elegant profile maintained a balanced appearance. Low, slender lines and a tapered front-end helped the Bora cut through the air, its sleek flanks defined by a thin section of rubber trim extending from the front to the rear bumper.

Up front, a pair of tapered, black and chrome-framed grilles sat either side of the Trident badge, a theme repeated on the bonnet and boot-lid vents (which were again finished in contrasting black).

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The Bora featured a brushed stainlesssteel roof and windscreen pillars, the ultimate nod to ‘70s excess.

Compared to many other supercars of the era, the Maserati Bora was civilised, even practical. The lowslung leather-clad buckets seats were easier to get in and out of thanks to the adjustable steering column and pedal box, and matched the opulentlyupholstered centre console, door cards and rear bulkhead – all finished in rich, black Italian leather.

The Bora boasted electric windows and air-conditioning as standard equipment, a full-complement of instruments, and a push-button AM radio set discreetly between the steering wheel and driver’s door.

The three-spoke steering wheel, again bound in beautiful leather, presented a hand-stitched rim and stainless-steel spokes tying it neatly to materials used elsewhere on the car.

Globally, Maserati sold 564 examples of the Bora – 289 with the 4.7-litre powerplant and 275 with the 4.9-litre V8) before the model was discontinued in 1978.

Maserati’s mid-engine masterpiece sold for the equivalent of AUD $34,800 when new (or AUD $197,400 in today’s money), making it almost six times dearer than the most expensive locally produced sportscar of the day. Today, well-preserved and concourse-restored examples of the Bora are fetching up to AUD $339,500 at auction, its value tipped to continue rising.

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MAHLE

FILLING QUANTITY TOOL

NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

MAHLE is resolutely pursuing its digital strategy and adding a new online filling quantity tool to its range of thermal management services.

The favorites function allows you to flag your most popular vehicle types and quickly call them up again when needed.

with its customers—offering support on numerous topics from identifying a component to providing installation information and troubleshooting.

The tool provides information in seven languages on the correct refrigerant and oil quantities for passenger cars and commercial vehicles, and it works on PC, tablet, and smartphone, so it can be accessed at any time.

The new filling quantity tool is a further addition to the range of digital products available from MAHLE, which also includes the TechTool, the knowledge database for air conditioning technology, MAHLE Insider, and the digital customer magazine MPULSE.

With the continually updated digital RMI (repair and maintenance information) on MAHLE service equipment, the company guides workshop technicians through the entire maintenance process.

The digital CustomerCare Portal puts MAHLE Aftermarket in direct contact

This is complemented by a comprehensive digital training program and a growing e-commerce portfolio for filters, thermal management products, service equipment, and vintage car parts.

GREAT WORK! Supported by MAHLE.

Your performance is great!

It’s you who make sure that millions of people around the world are able to get to where they’re going every day. You keep your head on straight even when things get tricky. You keep abreast of the latest in the field of the mobility of tomorrow—and you aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty to make the impossible possible.

To sum it all up, you achieve great things.

We, on the other hand, stay behind the scenes—but we’ve got your back! So that everything goes just as smoothly as you imagine when it comes to repairs. So that, in the end, only what really counts is at the forefront: your GREAT WORK!

With this extensive product range, MAHLE keeps your back free—from engine cooling and air conditioning, engine parts, turbochargers and filters to workshop equipment and diagnostics.

mahle-aftermarket.com

CARS

SKODA OCTAVIA RS

T HE FA M ILY CAR W IT H TH E H E A RT O F A H O T H A T C H :

THE ALL-NEW SKODA OCTAVIA RS Skoda recently released its fourthgeneration Octavia range to the Australian market, a trio of variants showcasing the Czech brand’s cutting-edge technology, safety, and style over two distinctly different body-styles.

The 2021 Skoda Octavia sedan (technically a liftback) and wagon line-up now includes the entry-level Ambition, mid-range Style and flagship RS, the latter the brand’s performance-oriented model and a strong seller locally.

Pricing for the Octavia range ($30,390 $49,090) has increased over the outgoing line-up, but so too has the level of standard equipment on offer. Automatic transmissions are now standard issue across the range, as are Matrix LED headlights and LED taillights, and Skoda’s Virtual Cockpit instrument panel – to name just a few.

Sporty style, sporty substance Sitting on the top shelf of the Octavia range, the RS features trim and equipment levels commensurate with its price tag – a kit-list far too extensive to publish here.

Altair 19-inch brushed anthracite alloy wheels and red-painted brake calipers are unique to the RS range, joining 15mmlower sports suspension, progressive power steering and a model-specific body kit. The wing mirrors, window frames, grille, roof rails (wagon variants) and tailgate badging are all finished in black, visually differentiating the sportiest variant from the remainder of the range.

Inside, the Octavia RS includes RSbadged sports seats, RS leather and

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fabric upholstery, carbon-fibre-look dashboard garnish, Alcantara door cards, and RS-specific logos and sport displays for the 10.25-inch instrument cluster.

There are five USB-C ports (including a dedicated port for your dashcam), digital radio, front and rear parking sensors, and an impressive list of standard safety equipment that includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, and ten airbags.

by single-piston disc brakes all-round.

Skoda lists the turning circle at 11.1m.

Options are bundled conveniently within the $6,500 RS Premium Pack which includes adaptive dampers, heated front and rear sets, head-up display, tri-zone climate control and a premium 12-speaker Canton sound system. A panoramic sunroof is available for $1,900.

The Octavia RS is also an impressive performer when it comes to practicality.

Skoda’s Simply Clever mantra means the cabin feels a lot larger than it looks.

Storage cubbies are plentiful with practical touches like key and mobile phone holders, and even umbrella holsters built into the doors.

All Skoda passenger cars are backed by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty.

Mechanically efficient Powering the new Octavia RS is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine shared with the new eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI. Developing 180kW at 6,500rpm and 370Nm from 1,600-4,300rpm it’s capable of sprinting to 100km/h in 6.7 seconds and on to an electronically capped top speed of 250km/h.

Fuel economy is a highpoint of the latest Octavia range, and the RS variant is no exception. Though slightly thirstier than the outgoing model (up 0.3L/100km to 6.8), it’s still impressively lean considering the performance at hand. We managed 7.7L/100km on test. CO2 emissions increase marginally (up 6g/km to 155).

The boot is enormous offering 600 litres of space in sedan format and 640 in the wagon (which also scores a powered tailgate). By way of comparison, that’s over 100 litres more boot space than the last Holden Commodore sedan!

Impeccable manners

The front-wheel drive Octavia RS features a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with wheel-slip regulated by a sophisticated electronically locking sports differential.

We tested the 2021 Skoda Octavia RS in Melbourne recently, the wagon variant finished in Velvet Red Metallic paint ($1,100) and fitted with both the RS Premium Pack ($6,500) and Panoramic Roof ($1,900). The total recommended retail price of the model on test was $58,590 which places it close to rivals that include the Mazda 6 Atenza or Volvo V60 T5 Momentum.

The chassis is suspended by MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link arrangement at the rear with stopping duties performed

The quality feel of the cabin is immediately perceptible. The solid ‘thunk’ of the door behind you and the supportive cushioning

g Seven-speed dual-clutch o 180kW @ 6,500rpm / 370Nm @ 1,600 - 4,300rpm Quoted: 6.8L/100km / Tested: 7.7L/100km c Quoted: 155g/km s Five-star ANCAP $ $58,590 (as tested, excl. on-road costs)

e 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol

p

of the sporty driver’s seat bolster a feeling that the Octavia RS is indeed the flagship of the range.

Skoda works hard to ensure cabin touchpoints feel as good as they look, the choice of materials a key driver in differentiating the Octavia from other VAG products. It has eliminated the traditional lever-style gearshift from the console with this iteration of the Octavia RS, adding to a sense of minimalism throughout the cabin.

There are classy touches like LED mood lighting on the doors, contrasting stitching on the upholstery and steering wheel, and ‘floating’ chrome door handles. The dashboard flows smoothly from one surface to the next, and with punchy RS-specific graphics on the centre stack and instrument panel, the interior of the Octavia RS looks appropriately sporty, without being garish.

Skoda is renowned for making practical and spacious interiors and the latest Octavia RS is no exception. Seating is generously proportioned, giving the Octavia a large-car-feel for four adults, five at a pinch. The adjustment and bolstering of the front seats are a particular highlight and getting comfortable is a breeze. The seat and driving position of the Octavia RS feels natural and genuinely comfortable – especially over long distances.

revving performer with adequate torque for accelerating quickly to highway speeds. Roll-on acceleration is likewise impressive, the dual-clutch transmission responding instantly to a prod of the right foot.

The transmission is a highlight of the Octavia RS and will convert anyone who hasn’t experienced a dual-clutch transmission in recent years. It’s a cooperative unit that shifts swiftly, and in Sport mode is very intuitive. Although Skoda fits the Octavia RS with paddle shifters the gearbox is intelligent enough to make the right decision for you, making the paddles largely redundant.

We drove the Octavia RS optioned with adaptive dampers, which add a little more personalisation to the 15mm lower suspension setup. The four-mode dampers complement the stiffer springs perfectly, and soak up even the harshest road imperfections to keep the car on line.

The ride is taut, but not terse; and really if you need a more comfortable ride, the mid-spec Octavia Style is probably the car for you.

Total control

Body control is exceptional. There’s virtually no pitching or rolling during hard directional changes, the Octavia RS calm and controlled throughout. The steering is progressive and communicative at higher road speeds but lightens when parking, spinning from straight ahead to full lock in just a single revolution.

Most buyers will choose the Octavia RS for the additional punch it offers over lower-spec models, and they won’t be disappointed. The Octavia RS is a clean-

Issues? Well, there is a hint of tyre noise from the 40 series Goodyear rubber. It’s only really noticeable over coarse chip surfaces, and to be fair is a trait common

to many rivals with wide, low profile tyres.

In truth, it is probably more pronounced in the Octavia RS because the cabin is just so quiet… excusing Skoda’s synthesised engine warble, of course.

We also found the infotainment array took a little time to get used to, the variety of menus which replace many of the car’s hard buttons quite intuitive once familiar.

The position of the screen, however, means the central vents on the dashboard sit lower than the outboard vents, creating mismatched air flow across the face and torso of the front seat passengers.

The last word You feel a little guilty driving the Skoda Octavia RS. It’s like you’ve somehow cheated the dealer and nabbed a car that’s worth a lot more than the sticker price suggests. The quality of the drive, the performance on tap, and the sheer level of equipment included for the price make the value proposition of this sporty European wagon hard to ignore.

It’s more exciting to drive than its nearest contemporaries, but at the same time equally comfortable and well equipped.

There’s no compromise to living with it day-to-day, either; but on those occasions where you get to explore its abilities, the Octavia RS simply sparkles. It really is a family car with the heart of a hot hatch

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26 | you're passionate about your business.

When EVOLVE

A NEW GENERATION OF OIL BY LIQUI MOLY A lot is changing with engine oil specifications in 2021, and there are more changes to come.

The majority of new formulations are centred around emissions reduction and new emissions devices across current model petrol and diesel vehicles.

In some cases, manufactures are also making retrospective changes that create additional challenges for repairers.

This change is focused around lowering fuel consumption and managing Low Speed Pre-Ignition which is a significant consideration for modern turbocharged applications.

0W-20 or 0W-30 oil grades are here to stay!

Oil recommendations for late model engines have become non-negotiable and ultra-low viscosity, low-SAPS engine oils are here to stay.

LIQUI MOLY is known for having a large range of modern oils, and has expanded its local range to include at least two new oil formulas for modern European engines, specifically for select current model BMWs, Mercedes-Benzs and Volkswagens.

before the ignition spark.

TOP TEC 6600

Top Tec 6200 0W-20 carries the latest Volkswagen approval VW 508 00 and VW 509 00.

Top Tec 6600 0W-20 carries the latest BMW approval: Longlife-17 FE+.

This type of oil is suitable for the latest petrol engine BMWs, with the exception of the M series.

Also included in this formulation is Mercedes approval MB 229.71, and it meets the requirements for Volvo approval VCC RBS0-2AE and API SN Plus + RC. The BMW Longlife-17 FE+ approval is recommended specifically to reduce the risk of LSPI (low-speed pre-ignition) and means that the mixture ignites spontaneously in the combustion chamber at low speeds

This can lead to motor knocking and therefore serious motor damage.

This phenomenon is not entirely understood yet, but this risk can be reduced by using the right motor oil.

TOP TEC 6200

This formula is a particularly low viscosity oil developed for the Euro 6 emissions standard. Also included in this formulation is ACEA C5 and Porsche C20.

For workshops interested in stocking LIQUI MOLY products, or to learn more about these new grades, contact your HSY account manager on 1300 133 129. HSY can also connect you with a LIQUI MOLY specialist.

GOING ‘ROUND THE BEND EUROPE’S FINEST RACETRACKS INSPIRE WORLD-CLASS AUSSIE CIRCUIT Australia’s newest motorsport facility, and our first all-new racing circuit in 25 years, is already making a name for itself both here and abroad. Recognised as the 2019 International Motorsport Facility of the Year, The Bend Motorsport Park is worldclass facility that has grown exponentially since its opening in April 2018.

The former Mitsubishi Australia Proving Ground prides itself on supporting a variety of motorsport disciplines, and currently offers circuit racing for cars and motorcycles; Australia’s only purposebuilt drift circuit; a rally-cross circuit; driver-training facility; 4WD adventure park and rally/off-road course; and the internationally certified Kartdrome karting circuit.

Soon, The Bend – named after the nearby town of Tailem Bend – will also boast a world-class drag strip and an airstrip for light planes, growing the appeal of this motorsport Mecca even further.

Bigger than Bathurst The Bend is the only racetrack in Australia to comply with the latest FIA Grade 2 and FIM Category A standards.

The main circuit design was inspired by some of the world’s most iconic circuits, and combines technical corners, fast and flowing sections, and even a kilometrelong main straight. There are up to eight circuit configurations available ranging from 3.4 to 7.7 kilometres in length – 1.5km longer than Bathurst’s Mount Panorama.

“We’ve taken inspiration from the world’s finest racetracks, including Spa, [the] Red Bull Ring, Paul Ricard, Nurburgring, Suzuka, and Silverstone,” explained The Bend Managing Director, Dr Sam Shahin.

“It’s 15 metres wide on the main straight,

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and that width continues into turns two and three for fantastic side-by-side racing action and passing opportunities – at speeds up to 300km/h!

largest private company, The Bend encourages its visitors to adopt a motorsport lifestyle from the moment they enter the gates.

“The best part is that, while the circuit can host top-level racing, it is open to the public for a driving experience like no other, either in their own cars or our specially-prepared track cars. Drivers are already comparing it to circuits in Dubai, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain, and here we are just an hour from Adelaide,” he concluded.

The centrally located Welcome Centre features the impressive (and free) Auto Gallery comprising unique cars and motorcycles that include a rare scissordoor 2004 Enzo Ferrari, Peter Brock’s own VK-series Holden Commodore, and even a 1934 Hudson Terraplane.

The primary GT Circuit is the secondlongest permanent circuit in the world after the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany. With 35 corners the 7.7km format is suitable for GT and Endurance racing and is almost twice the length of The Bend’s 4.9km/18-corner International Circuit favoured by V8 Supercars, Superbikes, national and state series, and even club and private events.

Investors have supercharged the oncedeteriorating 750-hectare Tailem Bend site to resemble a small city. It has already hosted V8 Supercar rounds, the Australian Superbikes Championship, and a round of the Asian Le Mans series; and is even suitable for Formula 1 racing should the series ever return to the state.

Feed your Motorsport Lifestyle Coupled with extensive accommodation options ranging from caravan and camping at BIG4 The Bend to five-star hotel rooms at the 100-room Rydges Pit Lane – and even luxury trackside villas with their own pit garage – The Bend is like no other motorsport facility in Australia and offers unprecedented opportunities for spectators and participants alike.

Developed and primarily funded by the Peregrine Corporation, South Australia’s

It opens to the stylish Fuel restaurant and its unrivalled views over pit lane and the starting grid where Rydges Pit Lane Executive Chef, Paul Senter, delivers satisfying, seasonally focussed meals that combine ingredients from the Murray River Lakes and Coorong region.

The Apex Bar pours a captivating selection of locally produced wines and spirits, as well as beers from South Australia’s iconic Cooper’s Brewery, perfect for unwinding after a long day on the track.

Getting There All major domestic airlines operate frequent flights between Melbourne and Sydney to Adelaide with connections available from most other centres. The Bend Motorsport Park is located 100km from Adelaide at 543 Duke’s Highway, Tailem Bend with car rental available from Adelaide Airport.

The Bend offers race-car storage and leasing options, short and long-term villa leasing, corporate event hire, and even wedding packages for motorsport-mad couples – and no matter what discipline you follow or compete in, guarantees an experience unlike any other motorsport circuit in Australia.

For more information, visit www.thebend.com.au

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DOWNLOAD THE NEW SCHAEFFLER REPXPERT APP FOR NEW FEATURES Schaeffler has bundled all its garage services under REPXPERT, an app* that offers workshops all the services that come with its products and repair solutions in a single place.

Schaeffler offers this complete range of services – which have proven to be successful, including an online portal and the numerous training seminars held each year – at even more places around the globe. Whether it’s the online portal, service hotline, installation instructions and videos, training seminars or events – workshops profit from 40 years of Schaeffler experience in the automotive aftermarket.

Constantly updated information and direct contact to a REPXPERT specialist mean truly comprehensive service.

“Whenever we are in direct contact with our garage customers, personally or digitally, we promise it will be a meeting of equals – from expert to expert,” says Dr. Robert Felger, Management Board for Product and Marketing, Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket. “And with our service brand REPXPERT, we keep this promise every time.”

The online portal continues to be successful. REPXPERT has been online in Germany for almost five years now and is now available in 17 individual country versions in total. Since launch, over 40,000 repair professionals have actively been using REPXPERT and each month 2,000 new users are added.

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Core element of the online platform is the TecDoc-based online catalogue with all vehicle manufacturers. Schaeffler is the only company in the Automotive Aftermarket to offer the entire catalogue as an electronic version.

REPXPERT users can find the right replacement part fast and easily and get optimal assistance for conducting professional repairs. In addition, users have access to all material available for each Schaeffler product like installation videos, technical brochures, and service information. A further plus is the link to the TecRMI information system, which means REPXPERT offers a wide spectrum of vehicle-specific repair and maintenance information, adjustment data and labour values.

This is a reaction to rising demand for information and advanced training about increasingly complex vehicle applications and the repair solutions for them. Many of these training centres are equipped with passenger-car lifts which allow our trainers to demonstrate repair steps directly on a vehicle.

REPXPERT trainers also employ mobile training equipment which they use directly at a customer location to demonstrate removal and installation situations, to teach the correct way to handle special tools and to give valuable tips about damage diagnosis and repair. Schaeffler continues to develop its training package for the Automotive Aftermarket parallel to product portfolio development.

Features of the REPXPERT APP include:

These are now available, effective immediately, to our customers for products from the Schaeffler portfolio at no cost. Knowledge transfer on a global level. Another main service offered by REPXPERT are technical training seminars with theoretical and practical handson parts about the products and repair solutions of the LuK, INA, FAG and Ruville brands.

• REPXPERT on catalogue (powered by TecDoc)

Just last year our 65 technical trainers schooled over 40,000 people in 22 different languages.

• Barcode scanning

Besides training seminars held onsite at distributor and repair garage facilities, Schaeffler is also adding to the number of its own training centres.

• Vehicle searching • Part number searching • Media library • Brochures • Failure diagnosis • Helpline access *REPXPERT is now available with the app store and play store

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Make your repair work easier with the Schaeffler REPXPERT App available for iOS and Android.

This essential ‘go to’ tool offers mechanics access to: • Schaeffler product catalogue and full TecDoc database featuring all manufacturers • Product search by part, OE or barcode numbers • Vehicle and VIN/engine code search • Barcode scanner to check a box in your workshop • Dual mass flywheel torque tightening and other values • Media Library with installation videos • Information on Schaeffler products for transmission, engine and chassis Download the REPXPERT App for free today.

P 1300 585 462 I schaeffler.com.au/aftermarket Technical info: repxpert.com.au

READER’S RIDE

1923 CADILLAC V-63 TOURER

YEARS YOUNG CADILLAC V-63 TOURER

It’s been almost 100 years since Craig Emmerson’s Cadillac Type V-63 Tourer arrived in Australia. In this issue of EVOLVE MAGAZINE, we discover the history behind this very special car; a car that survived a perilous ocean crossing, life on a sheep station, a hole in its engine block, and even a decade sitting abandoned beneath a gumtree.

Importing a luxury car from the other side of the world seems commonplace today.

We visit a dealership, order a vehicle of our choosing, and wait a few weeks for it to arrive. But in the early 1920s the process was a little more convoluted.

Surviving a journey from the Motor City of Detroit to a sheep station in Victorian’s western district was a feat in itself. The specially ordered Cadillac V-63 Tourer was craned on and off multiple trucks, trains and steamships ahead of its perilous ocean crossing, then craned once more on to the dock at Melbourne’s Station Pier.

After an inspection from the local importer, the brand-new Cadillac was then driven 370km to its patient new owner – pastoralist Henry Gladigau – in the township of Nhill. End to end, the process took a little longer than six months.

Gladigau’s Cadillac was one of four imported to Victoria in April 1924, and cost ten times more than a standard Ford Model T. The current co-owner of

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the V-63 Tourer, Craig Emmerson, still proudly holds the car’s original owner’s certificate which shows the model was not registered until 1931. Emmerson says the vehicle was driven unregistered for its first seven years, the original owner eventually trading the car back to its importer in 1938.

Registration records show that the V-63 Tourer then passed through as many as five sets of hands over the next nine years and managed to survive both the Great Depression and World War II (scrap metal was a prized commodity in these times).

It then found its way to a farm in Moe in the Gippsland region of Victoria and was driven for another decade before being ‘retired’ under a tree.

The car languished untouched until 1958 when it was purchased by Drouin local, Henry Formby. Formby used the V-63 Tourer as his everyday car for the next 30 years (!). It survived a hole in the block and a fall from a tray truck before being retired once again in the back of a shed upon Formby’s passing, and it was here

the once-prized automobile would wait out its next 10 years.

Reduced to a whimpering mess In 1998, Formby’s grandsons (including current co-owner Craig Emmerson) took an interest in the Cadillac and set about restoring it. By their own admission, the job at times had them reduced to a ‘whimpering mess’. The vehicle’s entire wooden body frame was duplicated from its original patterns and period-correct paint applied to closely mimic DuPont’s famous Duco brand of nitrocellulose lacquer.

The original mudguards and valence panels were painstakingly restored and their ‘countless’ aluminium strips polished and renewed. Emmerson had plating restored and new leather gaiters produced, and even used the carcass of an original sixvolt battery to house modern internals for that of-the-era look.

Emmerson said that only six V-63s were fitted with 23-inch wire wheels, and that all six were shipped to Australia. The rare

option made the restoration tricky, but both Emmerson brothers were insistent that the car look as close to its build sheet as possible and persisted with the expensive process.

With the body and frame restored, and the paintwork gleaming, the next step of the restoration of the V-63 Tourer was its opulent interior. Six hides of leather were used to upholster the Cadillac’s seven seats, the work revealing original calico and seat springs Made for Cadillac and date-stamped December 1923.

A mechanical overhaul, including new brakes and wheel hubs, finalised the restoration, and in 2016 the Cadillac was back on the road… again.

“I think the complexity of restoring the Cadillac took us by surprise,” said current co-owner of the V-63 Tourer, Craig Emmerson.

“This most recent restoration will add a new lease of life and should hopefully see this incredible car continue on for another century.

“Seeing it fully completed fills me with pride, and every time I sit behind that walnut steering wheel I’m consumed with nostalgia. I think about the men who designed the car, and those who worked on the assembly line. I think of old Mr. Gladigau and how grand that car must have been in a place like Nhill.

“But mostly I think of my grandfather and the adventures he had in this car – if only it could talk,” Emmerson reminisced.

About the Cadillac Type V-63 Designed in 1922 and introduced in September 1923 by Cadillac as a 1924 model, the Type V-63 range replaced the previous Type 61, carrying over only the engine of the preceding car. That engine, an L-head V8 displacing 5.1, 5.6 and 5.8 litres in its various guises (and making approximately 59kW @ 3,000rpm), was mated to a three-speed all synchromesh gearbox and drove the rear wheels via a choice of three final drive ratios.

Cadillac offered 14 different bodies (including ambulances and hearses) over the lifespan the Type V-63, the closedbody design helping the manufacturer appeal to a female audience. Seven-seat iterations of the Type V-63 weighed over 1,900kg and front brakes were now an available option. Uniquely, Cadillac offered 24 colours, 10 upholstery patterns and three wheel types on the Type V-63 range.

Before the Type V-63 was discontinued, it introduced equipment that included electric windscreen wipers, Security-Plate safety glass, two-tone paint schemes, heater, rear folding trunk, and the famous Goddess hood ornament.

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SAFETY We use more than 150 compounds to manufacture our brake pads, while our competitors use approximately ten. Anyone replacing wearing parts and who sets store by the manufacturer’s original quality therefore reaches for products of the ATE brand.

That’s why we also hold a leading position in the aftermarket.

QUALITY As a specialist in braking systems, ATE has been setting standards in quality, innovation, and system compatibility for more than 100 years.

Our expertise in research, manufacture and supply has made us the original equipment supplier of the world’s leading automobile suppliers. The same expertise makes as the favourite of the aftermarket too.

CLEAN We actively contribute to the protection of the environment and resources through innovative products. Thus, some years ago we added re-manufactured brake calipers to our range. ATE Ceramic brake pads release hardly any dust into the environment, and the coating of brake discs and brake drums extends their service life noticeably

The secreT of clean rims ATE Ceramic Brake Pads Low dust technology for European vehicles

Ceramic brake pads produce an absolute minimum of brake dust.

Less dust means less strain on the environment. As tests have proven, ATE Ceramic brake pads last significantly longer and reduce wear and tear on the brake discs.

TOP TEN

EVOLVE TOP TEN FEMALE AUTOMOTIVE INVENTORS There’s no polite way to say it: the automotive industry is dominated by men. But there are many important automotive inventions we still use today that wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for women. Here we look at the top 10 female automotive inventors to see how their ingenuity shaped the way we drive.

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DOROTHY LEVITT Rear-View Mirror Dorothy Levitt may be the first person in history to use a rear-view mirror. In 1909, her book “The Woman and the Car” stated that women should always have a little mirror fixed in a convenient spot so that things behind were visible while driving. Coincidentally, rear-view mirrors appeared in cars just a few years later (1914).

JUNE McCARROL Dividing Lines Necessity is often the, um, mother of invention. But in the case of Jane McCarrol it was a nasty road accident. After swerving to avoid a truck travelling on the wrong side of the road and coming to grief, McCarrol was struck with the idea of painting a diving line down the centre of the road. By 1924 her idea was commonplace.

HEDY LAMARR Wi-Fi & Bluetooth In 1941, Hedy Lamarr invented a radio guidance system that used frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology to help guide Allied torpedoes. It sounds a little convoluted, but Lamarr’s work formed the framework of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology we use in cars to this very day.

DR. GLADYS WEST Satellite Navigation For 1956 Dr. Gladys West was truly ahead of her time. Working as a mathematician for the US Naval Weapons Lab, her programming of inter-ballistic missiles formed the basis of the modern global positioning system (GPS) or satellite navigation, as we now know it. Dr. West is also the only African-American woman in our list.

KATHARINE BURR BLODGETT Non-Reflective Glass As well as being the first woman to work as a scientist for General Electric, Katharine Burr Blodgett was also a gifted physicist whose work in surface chemistry pioneered non-reflective glass. The benefits to the automotive industry were immediately obvious, and by the late 1930s non-reflective glass was in use the world over.

MARGARET WILCOX In-Car Heater The car heater dates back to 1893 and is the invention of Margaret Wilcox. Like car heaters today, Wilcox’s invention drew warmed water from the engine through pipes and into the cabin of the car. Her system warmed the toes of front-seat passengers and as a bonus, kept the windscreen from icing up.

MARY ANDERSON Windscreen Wiper When Mary Anderson invented the hand-operated windscreen wiper in 1903 she was told the device had no commercial value and was a distraction to drivers. Nineteen years later the idea was motorised by another female inventor, Charlotte Bridgwood, and soon became standard equipment on Cadillac models.

HELEN BLAIR BARTLETT Insulated Spark Plug During the 1930s, while working for the AC Spark Plug company, geologist Helen Blair Bartlett invented the ceramic compound used to insulate spark plugs. Her invention not only made the spark plug safer and more reliable (especially in wet weather), but also more efficient.

We still use ceramic spark plug insulation today.

BERTHA BENZ Brake Pads We all know Bertha Benz undertook the first long-distance road trip in 1888, but few people know the journey sparked the idea of the modern brake pad. After completing the drive, Benz told husband Karl (of Mercedes-Benz fame) that brake linings would improve the car’s stopping performance and, of course, she was right.

FLORENCE LAWRENCE Indicators and Brake Lights Lawrence really was a female automotive inventor ahead of her time. In the early 1900s she recognised the need for drivers to be able to signal one another and invented both the auto-signalling arm – an early take on the modern indicator – and the rear-mounted stop sign – a forerunner to the modern brake light.

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RHEINMETALL:

A LEADER IN ELECTRIFICATION & FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY

The Rheinmetall Group continues to widen its international technical lead in the field of electrification and fuel cell technology. Via its subsidiary Pierburg, the group plans to supply hydrogen recirculation blowers to Daimler Truck Fuel Cell, the company which bundles all of Daimler AG’s activities in the field of fuel cell technology. The deal represents sales volume in the two-digit euro-million range.

As Rene Gansauge, head of Rheinmetall’s Mechatronics division, explains, “In the future, fuel cells will gain increasing importance”. Sustainably produced “green” hydrogen will contribute to replace the resource-intensive technology of battery electric powertrains in private and commercial long-distance transport, and thereby further relieve the environment. The latter also applies to stationary energy production.

The prime task of the components ordered is to recycle hydrogen not used in the fuel cell reaction back to the stack. This way, the blowers enhance the efficiency of the fuel cells while extending their service

life. They also improve cold start behavior.

In the meantime, the Rheinmetall Group has developed a comprehensive range of products for the regulated supply of hydrogen and oxygen. As a technology enterprise and development partner of top international auto¬makers, the Group cooperates with its customers on new technologies at the earliest possible stage.

Rheinmetall has been working on fuel cell technology in its research and development activities ever since 2004, accumulating extensive experience in the process.

According to Dr. Andreas Gorbach, Managing Director and CEO of Daimler Truck Fuel Cell, “The fuel cell is a crucial CO2-neutral solution for long-haul heavy-duty trucks”.

Daimler Truck AG intends to market serially produced fuel cell-powered heavy commercial vehicles for longdistance operations in the second half of the decade.

Cooperation between Rheinmetall and Daimler Truck Fuel Cell will give a further boost to technical advances in the aforementioned fields of long-haul commercial transport and stationary energy production, contributing in turn to a sustained reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

PUMPEXPERTISE PREMIUM-QUALITY VACUUM, WATER AND OIL PUMPS. FROM THE SPECIALIST FOR INNOVATIVE AND FORWARD-LOOKING PUMP TECHNOLOGIES – PIERBURG.

www.ms-motorservice.com/pumps

PASSION FOR TECHNOLOGY.

T R AV E L

South Australia’s Fab u l o u s Flinders Ranges The folded, faulted rises of the Flinders Ranges rise spectacularly from an expansive outback horizon; its contrasting rugged peaks and sheltered gorges offering an iconic and uniquely Australian holiday destination.

As South Australia’s largest mountain range the Flinders Ranges stretch northward some 430km from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna. The area is abundant in natural beauty with photo opportunities at every turn – and sight-seeing or adventure vacations for a wide variety of age groups and abilities.

A picturesque five-hour drive or 55-minute flight from Adelaide, the Flinders Ranges is an ancient landscape boasting a treasure trove of rare flora and fauna. It’s home to bird, reptile and marsupial species found nowhere else in the world, including rare dunnarts and planigales, and the elusive yellow-footed rock wallaby.

Perhaps best-known for the onehundred-kilometre-wide Wilpena Pound amphitheatre, the Flinders Ranges comprises dozens of peaks and gorges, the latter home to examples of indigenous

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cave paintings and rock engravings over 49,000 years old.

Aboriginal cultural walks and 4WD tours are available throughout the Ranges providing a fascinating insight into the history of the local Adnyamathanha and Ngadjuri people. There’s also scenic flights and organised hikes, and even camel tours for the not-so faint of heart.

Accommodation options range from camping and glamping under the stars through to comfortable motel-style rooms, and even luxury eco-villas. There’s also the option to stay at former sheep stations like Rawnsley Park or Arkaba Station to get a taste of outback life as it was in the 1850s.

Dining options in the Flinders Ranges are as diverse as the landscape itself.

The famous Prairie Hotel serves local delicacies including camel, emu, goat and kangaroo. The pub – which once served the original Ghan Railway – also offers an innovative twist on indigenous bush foods, including the house speciality of quandong (or native peach) pie.

Across the range, you can enjoy a meal prepared by Arkaba Station’s private in-house chef, or head to the Woolshed Restaurant at Rawnsley Park to sample station-sourced saltbush lamb paired with local sparkling wine. Restaurant-style dining is also available at the Wilpena Pound Resort, the historic North Blinman Hotel or at the Old Ghan Restaurant in Hawker, to name but a few.

At the northern tip of the Flinders Ranges is the expansive and awardwinning Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary.

A must-see for visitors to the region the 610-square kilometre sanctuary offers camping and motel-style accommodation, its own restaurant and both guided and self-drive 4WD tours.

The family-owned resort is nestled deep within soaring granite peaks whose geological history reaches back over two billion years and is flanked by magnificent gorges and waterholes, including the captivating Paralana Hot Springs.

A visit to the Flinders Ranges is guaranteed to etch itself in your memory. It’s a destination that offers all the wonders and warmth of the Aussie Outback paired with most of the comforts of home – and is the perfect introduction to a life less urban.

Image Credits: South Australian Tourism Commission

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CARS

MITSUBISHI TRITON GLS

MA D E FOR T HE T R ADE :

MITSUBISHI TRITON GLS DUAL-CAB 4X4 Mitsubishi is enjoying a great deal of success with its fifth-and-a-half generation Triton. The stylish workhorse is Australia’s third best-selling utility behind the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux; its popularity in part due to an impressive value and warranty offering, but also generous equipment levels and payload provisions.

For 2021, the Mitsubishi Triton range offers six variants across three body styles (single, club and double-cab). The Triton GLS on test sits one tier below the top-shelf Triton GSR in the current line-up and is offered only in dual-cab format.

That says a lot about the types of utes Aussies buy. Increasingly our utes are high-grade, four-wheel drive models with four doors. Utes like the Triton are the ‘jack of all trades’ as far as buyers are concerned, now as popular with trade buyers as they are with recreational fourwheel drivers, the agricultural sector, and even adventure-seeking inner-urban families.

Value packed The Mitsubishi Triton has always managed to undercut its rivals on price – and the 2021 range is no different. Ranging from $23,490 - $53,490 the Triton tops out $24,200 cheaper than Ford’s dearest Ranger variant and $16,500 less than the most expensive Toyota HiLux. On test, the Triton GLS 4x4 ($48,290) includes most features found in its competitors, and even a few that aren’t.

Mitsubishi’s celebrated Super Select II

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four-wheel drive system offers shift-onthe-fly selection between two and fourwheel drive at up to 100km/h, centre and rear differential locks, multiple terrain modes, and hill-descent control: a real point of difference considering the price.

manual gearbox, assists Mitsubishi’s 4N15 MIVEC 2.4-litre turbocharged fourcylinder diesel engine in delivering its torque more smoothly, eliminating the ‘hunting’ action and hard shifts earlier fivespeed automatic models were known for.

Highlights of the Triton GLS include biLED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and push-button start, blindspot monitoring, and lane change assist.

A Deluxe Option ($3,250) adds leather upholstery with front seat heaters, power driver’s seat adjustment, and Mitsubishi’s impressive Multi Around Monitor 360-camera system.

Developing 133kW at 3,500rpm and 430Nm @ 2,500rpm the Triton’s engine sips 8.6L/100km (claimed) which equates to a range of over 870km from the 75-litre fuel tank. CO2 emissions are comparable to most dual-cab rivals at 225g/km.

The Triton GLS is differentiated from its lower-grade siblings by chrome garnishes on the grille and mirror scalps, larger 18inch alloy wheels, power folding door mirrors with built-in LED indicators, and premium cloth upholstery throughout the cabin. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity is also included, as is a 7.0-inch touchscreen audio system with reversing camera, digital radio, and sixspeaker sound.

Mitsubishi Motors backs the Triton with a 10-year warranty and capped-price servicing plan.

Smooth and sturdy When Mitsubishi updated the Triton in 2019, it bestowed the range with a new Aisin-sourced six-speed automatic transmission. The transmission, which is a $2,250 option over the standard six-speed

Importantly, the Triton GLS is also a match to its contemporaries where hauling and towing are concerned. Payload is rated at 910kg while braked towing capacity is listed at 3100kg (with a tow-ball download of 310kg).

The Triton’s shorter wheelbase gives it a tight 11.8m turning circle, adding to its off-road talents. The model tested boasts 220mm of ground clearance – perfect for navigating those gnarly four-wheel drive tracks – and a 500mm wading depth, which although lower than some competitors is still adequate for most offroad work.

Work horse or show pony There’s a sense that everything inside the cabin of the Triton is built to last. The upholstery material is durable, the plastics are tough, and the grab handles well placed. Storage is adequate front and rear with ample cubbies and compartments for phones, keys, wallets, and just about everything else we seem to cart around.

g Six-speed automatic o 133kW @ 3,500rpm / 430Nm @ 2,200rpm Quoted: 8.6L/100km / Tested: 9.1L/100km c Quoted: 225g/km s Five-star ANCAP $ $48,290 (RRP) / $51,134 (As tested)

e 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel

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That said, there is no storage under or behind the back seat, so larger items will need to go in the tray.

Outward visibility is excellent from the driver’s seat with a large glass area offering an excellent view out in all directions. The wing mirrors are a great size, and make backing a trailer easy, while the rear-view camera and guidance lines mean manoeuvrability is a lot easier than it should be considering the Triton’s size.

The instrument panel of the Triton is concise and easy to navigate and read, however it does not feature a digital speedometer, which is a bit of a letdown.

The centre stack offers an easy to operate dual-zone climate control panel and a large, high-set touchscreen audio system that is easy to operate on the hop.

Bluetooth audio quality is good, and the system is easy to connect to. It really is one of the better systems in the dual-cab ute category in terms of user-friendliness.

One of the other positives of the GLS grade is the bi-LED headlights. In some rivals the LED option means losing a little range from your view, but not so in the Triton. The volume of light is powerful with a great spread of clear, white light, especially on high beam. The auto high beam function works exceptionally well and is a handy assistant when tackling busy highways at night, especially in inclement weather.

On the downside, the Triton does not offer

proprietary satellite navigation meaning you’ll need to use your mobile data to get to where you’re going. It also does not feature radar (adaptive) cruise control.

Road trippin’ There’s no getting around the fact that the design age of the current Mitsubishi Triton places it behind some of its peers.

In some respects, it is a little more agricultural than some of its competitors, the ride quality and driving position two criticisms often noted when comparing the Triton with more recently released models. It’s just how much emphasis you place on these criticisms with respect to the Triton’s price…

Those points aside, the Triton holds its own. The MIVEC engine offers solid midrange performance and is well paired to the six-speed automatic transmission, even when driven in stop-start traffic. We found there is a little step-off lag in the Triton, and light shift shock when stepping off the throttle in a hurry. But realistically both points are easy to drive around and become more an issue of familiarity than fault.

Despite its narrow footprint the Triton handles reasonably well. Its electronic driver aids are well calibrated, and the damping properly suited to the vehicle whether loaded or not. The Triton could, however, benefit from softer compound tyres if used as a full-time family hauler as braking performance is not as sharp as some in this class.

Quietness inside the cabin is about average for a vehicle in this class. The cabin is reasonably well insulated from wind noise, but some mechanical and road noise does seep in over coarse chip and unsealed surfaces.

The last word The current Triton is a solid performer, regardless of how you intend using it. It’s also tipped to be the last ‘true’ Mitsubishi Triton as next year’s model becomes part of an alliance product produced between Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Renault. This will give Triton access to hybrid engine and autonomous driving technologies. It will also see the next Pajero and Patrol (and also Pajero Sport and Pathfinder) share platforms… but that’s a story for another day.

Until then the current Triton remains a terrific option. It’s a smooth and sturdy operator with a far better four-wheel drive system than its rivals, an efficient engine, and a comfortable cabin. It also offers a lot of in-cabin technology for the price and delivers towing and hauling abilities that are more than adequate for a vehicle of this size.

Mitsubishi has extracted a lot from the current-generation Triton, and the real winners are you and I. In terms of value the Triton is very hard to beat and is a polished all-rounder we’d thoroughly recommend test driving.

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