New Camaro unveiled

Born in 1966 as General Motors' answer to the Ford Mustang "pony car", the revived Camaro was unveiled this week in the United States in production form to go on sale in North America next year.

At the same time, the Australian-based designers and engineers involved in the new coupe held their own unveiling at GM Holden's headquarters in Melbourne.

The iconic sports car was designed in the US, engineered by GM's global rear-wheel-drive team in Australia, tested and validated on Australian roads and assembled in Canada. It's tipped the Camaro could be imported to Australia, following GM Holden adding the Hummer last year and Cadillac later this year.

However, GM Holden media relations manager John Lindsay said there was "no official confirmation yet from GM on whether it will be produced in right-hand-drive".



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Auto air conditioning 101

This contamination eats away at the inside of the system resulting in rust and scale buildup, corrosion and erosion in vital A/C system parts. Proper A/C system leak tests are necessary to identify the source of a leak.

There are three types of leak inspections: visual, halogen, and dye testing. The visual test includes inspection of all lines and external components (specifically condensers, hi and low pressure lines, compressors, air dryers, and expansion valves). Any indication of refrigerant oil on these components is an indication of a leak and the component must be replaced.

The halogen tester is designed to detect the presence of leaking refrigerant gas, which is odorless and colorless. The tech scans the system with the flexible probe on the tester. If there is a leak, then the tester will howl, light up, or click.


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Do some math before trading in SUV

Local car dealers say there are many like Predmore looking to trade in their lower gas mileage vehicles once unleaded fuel prices starting setting records. Demand for trucks and sport utility vehicles - as well as their market value - has decreased significantly due to rising gas prices, they say.

"SUVs and full-size trucks are flooding the market and driving prices down," said Chris Lewis, the finance manager at Bob's Auto Market. "Though there are a few people buying SUVs and trucks, there are not many as compared to a few years ago."

Steve Stevens, owner of Stevens Auto Sales agrees, but advises people to do some math before they rush out to trade in the gas guzzler for the gas sipper.

"On average, the value of SUVs and full-size trucks has dropped $3,000 - that will buy a lot of gas for a long time for the average person," Stevens said.




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Hyundai's little diesel delight

Hyundai will face interesting times over the coming months as Toyota leads the Japanese into the diesel segment of the new passenger-car market. It's a niche that Hyundai has performed strongly in over recent years, carving out a solid foothold alongside the Europeans that have been playing the diesel game for a decade or more.

Toyota is leading off this month with a diesel Corolla range, which will pitch in as a direct rival to the Hyundai i30 CRDi that is the subject of this test. It is just as well for Hyundai, then, that the i30 is - when judged against top-in-class standards - the Korean company's best vehicle yet.

Starting with the outside, it is possessed of cohesive good looks that are distinctive yet not too quirky. Visual parallels have been drawn with BMW's 1-series, in part because both vehicles use a sloping rear roofline to create a coupe-like look.


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America's love affair fades as the car becomes burden of suburbia

Sales of big cars are plummeting while smaller vehicles, especially fuel-efficient hybrids, are replacing them.

GM has now closed SUV production at four plants. Its Hummer brand is up for sale, or might even be closed. GM is ploughing huge resources into its 2010 launch of the Chevy Volt, a hybrid car that may get up to 150 miles a gallon. It needs to. GM's share price recently hit a 54-year low, prompting one top investment bank to warn that the firm could go bankrupt.

The Volt, and cars like it, could become symbols of a new more conservation-minded car age. As Americans enjoyed the 4 July holiday weekend, increasing numbers of them were staying at home rather than hitting the road. Newspapers were full of tips for 'stay-cations', not weekend breaks away. Customs once scorned, such as car pooling and cutting out trips to the mall, are now commonplace.



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Honda and Porsche have a certain APEAL

The collated facts make up the Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) study.

Now in its 13th year, the 2008 APEAL findings show a significant decrease in ‘owner delight', with fuel economy accounting for 50% of this drop. On a 1,000-point scale, an average APEAL score is 770, a decline of 2% since last year. Considering fuel prices went up by 27% over the same period, car manufacturers seem to be doing a good job of easing the pain.

They're accomplishing this with toys. Only in the audio, entertainment and navigation category have scores improved. “Manufacturers are working to increase customer delight by introducing entertainment and navigation technology that owners find particularly appealing," says David Sargent, VP of automotive research at JDPA.



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