Melbourne Motor Show: Preview

28th Feb until 10th March

Seeing as the Melbourne International Motor Show, not to mention the Australian Grand Prix, is just around the corner, we decided to take a look at what is going to be potentially on offer.

While the Sydney Motor Show was the place to be for new Australian models back in October of 2002, the Melbourne event will focus more on imported brands.

Some of the models listed below are definitely coming to the show, while others could be held back until October for the Sydney event.

Subaru

Turbocharged, intercooled 2.5-litre mill

When the new Forester arrived in 2002, boasting the larger 2.5-litre horizontally opposed four-cylinder mill, many - us included - were shocked that the range-topping GT had been left out.

Making one of its first appearances at the Chicago Motor Show recently, the turbocharged Forester will mark the first time that Subaru has used forced induction on its bigger 2.5-litre boxer engine.

Shipping with all-wheel drive, disc brakes all round, plus ABS, the new GT, called the XT in the States, is expected to produce some 156kW of power.

It will also get 16-inch alloy wheels, and power will be diverted to all four wheels via either the standard five-speed manual, or the optional four-speed automatic gearbox.

No word on whether the flashy STi Forester will make it in to Australian showrooms, but it too may appear at the Melbourne Motor Show.

Holden

Will the SSX be renamed the Torana?

While the impressive and thoroughly intriguing SSX concept (full article) has already been unveiled, it is almost certain to appear in Melbourne, along with shouts of "Bring back the Torana!"

Indeed, if Holden does decide to pencil in the SSX for production, the V8-powered hatch would almost certainly be greeted with Monaro-like eagerness.

One model making its Aussie debut will be the eye-opening Astra Turbo. Looking to give the likes of Honda's Integra Type R, and even the new WRX something to think about, the new Astra is looking searingly hot.

Not only does it get lovely 5-spoke 17-inch wheels, a fairly tough body-kit with one very tasty front spoiler, but it comes with a 147kW turbocharged 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder powerplant.

Holden's potent 147kW Turbo Astra

Created by German GM branch, Opel, the turbo has been on sale in Europe for quite some time, but even so - better late than never...

Holden is even claiming a sustained peak torque of 250Nm between 250 Nm 1950rpm and 5600rpm which, if true, would really shake up the entry-level sportscar market.

While the turbo Astra is the same TS-designated model that's been on sale for quite a few years now, Holden will be showing off the brand-new ZC Vectra.

Shipping with either a 2.2-litre four-banger, or a larger quad-cam 3.2-litre V6, the new mid-sized contender from Holden will give the acclaimed Mazda6 a run for its money and will be available as either a hatch or sedan.

Just looking at the new shape and styling cues, it is obvious that the new Vectra is aiming high, bringing with it a stylish, almost BMW-esque look.

ZC Vectra heralds a new Holden look

And with features such as Cornering Braking Control (CBC), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Vectra’s new Electronic Stability Program (ESP Plus), it's highly likely that the new ZC Vectra will be a hit.

Also towing the company line is the new Rodeo, which was first seen at the recent Brisbane Motor Show.

As you can tell from the images, both the new Rodeo and Vectra share similar headlight design, and you can expect the new Astra to offer similar styling cues as it's released in late 2005.

With a muscular new look to match what is arguably the strongest chassis in its class, the new Holden Rodeo offers unmatched diversity of choice.

2003 Rodeo adheres to new look

Indeed, by mid-year, the model line-up will total 56 variants across three body styles – single cab, space cab and crew cab – and three ongoing model grades: DX, LX and top-of-the-range LT.

Last but not least is the new Speedster Turbo. While it has about a zero per cent chance of making it to the Melbourne event, it still warranted copy space - how does 0-100km/h from rest in just 4.9-seconds sound?

Making use of the same 147kW turbo Ecotec unit that will be powering the Astra Turbo, the mid-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive vehicle weighs just 930kg, and is expected to put so-called 'supercars' to shame when it comes to handling dynamics.

Volvo

Volvo's XC90 range is inspired

Head to the Scandinavian stand and instead of prototypes and concepts, you can expect to see a whole slew of models about to launched for sale in Australia.

First and foremost is the BMW X5/Mercedes ML competitor, the XC90 (full article).

Looking for all the world like an X5, it offers two powerplants with fairly good outputs for Volvo: single-turbo 154kW and twin-turbo 200kW inline five and six-cylinder engines respectively.

With more safety gadgets than most SUVs, it could catch on and steal some of the Germanic's market share, and at $69,950 for the five-cylinder, and $82,950 for six-cylinder, they are well-priced for prestige 4WDs, and should return far better fuel efficiency figures, seeing as both have just 2.5-litres of capacity.

220kW Volvo looks seriously hot

Also making its Aussie debut in Melbourne will be the S60 R, with 'R' meaning race, we assume. While few would associate sportiness with Volvo, the new S60 R was designed specifically to challenge this line of thinking.

The Swedish sportcar will be fitted with the same 20-valve, 2.5-litre inline-five from the entry-level XC90, though power has been boosted to an evil grin-inducing 220kW, diverted to all four wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.

From rest, the new Swede will accelerate to 100km/h in just 5.7 seconds. Some Volvo indeed...

With fat wheels, massive brakes and 400Nm of torque @ 2,100rpm in manual form, the new flagship Volvo-mobile could do wonders for the marque's street cred (full article).

Audi

4.2-litre V8 replaces bi-turbo 2.7-litre V6

German automaker Audi will be showing off its BMW M3-rival, the S4 (full article). The sportiest Audi in the A4 range, it is also the only vehicle in the A4 line-up to pack a rather volatile 4.2-litre V8 powerplant.

Putting 253kW of power 410Nm of torque to all four wheels, the 2003-model S4 completes the 0-100km/h dash in 5.6 seconds, which is just one-tenth of a second faster than the aforementioned Volvo S60 R.

The new S4 also comes standard with the seriously impressive new generation of electrically-adjustable Recaro racing seats, which provide firm lateral support and excellent comfort on long journeys.

Also at the Audi exhibit in Melbourne, the A8 limousine and the high-performance RS6 supercar will no doubt raise a few eyebrows.

While it would be great to see the new 3.2-litre V6 Audi TT at this years show, the chances are slim. But still, the new all-paw sportster will offer teriffic acceleration from the six-cylinder engine and together with its innovative sequentially shifting six-speed gearbox (no let up of the throttle required for changes), it's one we're willing to wait for.

Ford

Ford Freestyle FX for USA in 2004

While nothing is set in concrete at the Ford exhibit (at the time of writing), we are all hoping to catch a glimpse of the new Fairlane.

The long wheel-based luxury car will go head-to-head with Holden's upcoming 2003 Statesman, but will get the more sophisticated blade control IRS system of the BA Falcon.

Lifestyle and 4WD/SUVs are expected to show prominently too, with many insiders saying the R7 (full article) may be shown in a closer-to-production guise than the model that was shown back in 2002.

The Freestyle FX that was first seen in Detroit recently could also make the cut. Basically a mid-sized 4WD by local standard, the American-designed concept is in fact already slated for production in 2004. The Ford PR types are suggesting it will be an all-things-to-all-people vehicle - and why not?

Built on the Volvo V70 platform, the Freestyle FX can be configured by users to seat six passengers, MPV-style, plus four passengers with ample boot space, and also has a unique 'utility' mode, whereby four passengers can sit in comfort, with the added cargo space of a fold-out flat tray.

The Freestyle FX is powered by a Euro-sourced 3.0-litre Duratec V6 and linked to a CVT, or continuously variable transmission.

The 2003 Melbourne Motor Show should be a great spectacle, and you can be sure that the likes of Toyota, Mitsubishi and Renault will throw in a few surprises to boot.

With the Motor Show kicking off on Friday the 28th of February, followed by the Australia Grand Prix, it will make for an excellent month in motoring.

Links
Melbourne International Motor Show
Australian Formula One Grand Prix (details, teams, cars)
Australian Formula One Grand Prix (official site)