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Nuts & Bolts By Peter Brewer We tipped its likely arrival here some months back but we could never have expected just how pricey Ford’s new German-sourced compact SUV would prove to be. The Kuga is hot property in Europe but you’ll need to be a keen fan of the blue oval badge – or perhaps a few sandwiches short of picnic – to shell out a hefty $38,990 (plus on road costs) for the entry level Trend version. What, once might ask, ever happened to the idea of the Aussie dollar making imports cheaper? Okay, yes, it is the latest thing in this super-trendy segment of the market, and it’s well-proved that the so-called “early adopters” don’t mind paying a premium to be the first on board but nearly $40K for a car which doesn’t even have leather (except on the steering wheel) is asking a bit much. Both the Trend and the Titanium (which costs $44,990 but is probably the better buy) share the Volvo-developed five cylinder 2.5 litre engine (used in the Focus XR series) and a five-speed auto gearbox. Sadly, there’s neither a turbo-diesel nor a manual, mostly to minimise the model-ordering complexity from Europe.  Ford's very trendy Kuga compact SUV is premium priced. Both Kuga models get prestige paint, roof rails, dual exhausts, an infra-red reflecting windscreen, green tinted glass, capless refuelling, a full connectivity package (with Bluetooth and voice control) and a full suite of electronic safety aids. The Trend gets 17-inch alloys while the Titanium has 18-inch. There’s only a space saver spare tyre under the rear floor (but at least it has one). Built at Ford’s Saarlouis plant in Germany alongside the Focus, the Kuga takes a lot of the engineering tech from that car including the Control Blade independent rear suspension. We’ve heard the Kuga is a high quality drive, with excellent stability and performance for its size. Despite its price, the Kuga will cause issues for up-and-comers in this market like the popular VW Tiguan, and Ford will be well-pleased to have a toehold in the market, even if it’s a tenuous one. Like the Mitsubishi ASX, the Kuga would be nearly useless as tow vehicle (750kg maximum) but that’s not the intention; this is a premium city/suburban-focussed compact SUV much like the (outlandishly overpriced) Mini Countryman. For those who budgets can’t stretch to the Kuga, the ageing Ford Escape, which seems to have been around since Methuselah, will soldier on as a sub-$30K entry SUV for the brand. Every petrol engine in the new BMW 3-Series has not just one turbocharger, but two. Every car is lighter than the generation before. And for the first time, the cheapest 3-Series you can buy is a turbo-diesel. It’s a bit sad when these are the three most interesting things to be said about the latest sixth generation 3-Series, BMW’s biggest-selling model worldwide. The two entry level cars – the 318d and the 320i – both come in under the luxury car tax threshold at $56,400 and $57,600 respectively however, if you want any reasonable level of equipment you’ll need the option packages (Modern Line $3100; Sport/Luxury Line $4100). These packages get cheaper as the car to which they are fitted becomes more expensive.  Biggest BMW 3-Series ever is lighter than before. Like the Audi A4, the new 3-Series is a much bigger car than you’d expect and that’s even more noticeable now with its 93mm increase in length (including a 50mm stretch in the wheelbase to add more rear leg room). An auto stop-start is fitted to all 3-Series, as is a new program (Eco Pro) to optimise fuel economy. And that optimisation is now getting very impressive, with the mid-range 320d turbo-diesel (probably the pick of the range, at $60,900) now capable of a very mini-car sized 4.5 litres/100kms economy. BMW’s newest car reeks of quality, of course. It has very clever aerodynamics (a drag co-efficient of 0.26 is outstanding for a sedan of this size and practicality) and excellent safety, as you’d expect. The danger for BMW in growing the physical size of the 3-Series even more (and compared with its first few generations, it’s a giant) is that it pushes the even bigger 5-Series into another category where the potential sales volume is smaller. Cashed-up Baby Boomers will aspire to a 3-Series because of its badge cred and quality but that appeal has a short shelf life; generations to come view these “traditional” sedans as increasingly irrelevant. The ActiveHybrid3 version, which is just about to go into production in Germany and probably won’t reach here for another 12 months, may be the anti-ageing formula the 3-Series needs. To try to head off tradies before they buy a new Ford Ranger or Mazda B-Series, Holden has released more details about its Colorado ute range prior to its launch here in May. No longer sharing much of its engineering with the Isuzu D-Max, the Colorado will have 2.5-litre (110kW, 350Nm) and 2.8-litre (132kW, 440Nm) turbo-diesels with five speed manuals or a six speed automatic.  Hardly pretty but Holden's new Colorado will tow 3.5 tonnes. The 2.8, despite being smaller than the 3-litre it replaces, makes 40 per cent more torque. The final engineering tweaks to the cars for the Australian market are being made now. It’s not an attractive-looking ute, as that double-grilled front end looks awkward and clunky. But if it does the job better than the rest, well... What the tradies want to know – and we can’t yet tell them – is the price, and whether the Colorado will take a full Chep-sized pallet between the rear wheelarches. We don’t know either, but will advise you when we do. That amazing aura of performance and technical prowess which surrounded the infamous quattro rally cars of yesteryear has never deserted Audi. The proof lies in the latest mad scramble by UK buyers for a very limited edition car which, in some ways, rekindles that heritage.  Mad scramble by buyers for the limited edition A1 quattro. Orders don’t start until next month but the push and shove to get on the list started a few weeks ago when the factory announced that the car would be a limited build and quotas were certain. The fact the steering wheel is on the “wrong” side for the UK appears irrelevant. Australia, we’re told, won’t get a single car. Although the quattro is based on the A1, Audi has changed over 600 components for this limited edition 188kW 2.0-litre all-wheel drive coupe. It comes in only one colour – Glacier White – with a six speed manual transmission and a custom black leather interior. To find out more about Peter Brewer click here. 
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