Skoda at the Australian International Motorshow

[woofy]

You know I don't think the new 6 will do so well, the hatch sold 2 out of 3 sales and without it Mazda Australia aren't predicting so good sales. Mazda 6 sales have also been sliding with the last model, it never quite had the appeal of the original. The discounted and added in pretty good features last year and they still weren't doing so well despite being probably the best value car around, especially the touring versions.

[bobski]

The midsized segment definitely has more competition now, but IMO the new 6 looks absolutely brilliant in the flesh and seems to be a size larger, its appeal is going to be massive on looks alone. With the sky active engines and the usual mazda decent handling its going to be hard to beat. The only mistake they can make is going too high with the price. The koreans have value oozing from every model.

[pologti18t]

T The only mistake they can make is going too high with the price.

Personally I think the sedan is a tad too big... its within cms of a Commodore in length.

A top range Mazda 6 diesel GT will apparently be a 50k+ on road vehicle.

[Jake02]

A top range Mazda 6 diesel GT will apparently be a 50k+ on road vehicle.

Keep going - $56,000 on road for a Mazda6! That's Superb V6 money...

[bluefrog]

How about you look at getting them powder coated. If you look on other car forums you will often find guys getting 4 wheels coats for around or under $200. I am looking at doing exactly that with my Neptunes. Correct me if I'm wring, but powder coating may also prove to be a stronger coating than paint.

are the black neptunes glossy? im tempted to make mine matt black. hides the brake dust as well as giving an aggressive appearance. then coupled with matt black grill, front lip, rear valance and wing top; should look good!

after I install some low......

i desperately want to powdercoat mine gunmetal/anthracite/graphite, but i can't afford to have the wheels off (the car) for 2-3 days, and hence no car while its being done.

gents, this is my half-arsed attempt ... much better results can be achieved with some extra patience and a few extra coats.

.. behold, the spare wheel

btw, this stuff is best applied when wheels are on the car JR.

[Tigger]

Ford aren't importing anymore Fiesta Sedans, I think mazda dropped the Mazda2 sedan. Ford even said that the small sedan market is too niche... Australian want small hatchbacks. So I can see the Rapid doing much business until they release the hatch model.

Its the India/China/US/South American markets that like small sedans.

I am so glad they are not importing any more fiesta sedans or mazda 2 sedans....!!!
Those things make my eyes explode and hurt my brain...they are so ugly!!??

Who signed off on them and said "yes, these will be so well received in the market?"

Even the old echo sedan wasnt that ugly!

[zei20t]

gents, this is my half-arsed attempt ... much better results can be achieved with some extra patience and a few extra coats.

.. behold, the spare wheel

btw, this stuff is best applied when wheels are on the car JR.

looks good!, but I would have removed the centre cap before painting

[brad]

looks good!, but I would have removed the centre cap before painting

I assume it's Plasticote, therefore it just peels off

[BottomScratcher]

Ford aren't importing anymore Fiesta Sedans, I think mazda dropped the Mazda2 sedan. Ford even said that the small sedan market is too niche... Australian want small hatchbacks. So I can see the Rapid doing much business until they release the hatch model.

Its the India/China/US/South American markets that like small sedans.

Without the benefit of any reliable market data I agree with those comments. Particularly that Australia is keener on hatchbacks than small sedans. That said the Holden/Opel Cruze seems to be doing OK.

What I've long found interesting is that every new hatchback on the market immediately gets compared to the Golf. I was gobsmacked watching the French news on SBS the other day and the CEO of Renault was doing it. Not some reporter at a motor show, but the CEO of a rival motor manufacturer was in front of the world motoring media at one of the world's premier motor shows comparing his new offering to the Golf in a manner that suggested the Golf is still the benchmark hatch.

[Tigger]

Without the benefit of any reliable market data I agree with those comments. Particularly that Australia is keener on hatchbacks than small sedans. That said the Holden/Opel Cruze seems to be doing OK.

What I've long found interesting is that every new hatchback on the market immediately gets compared to the Golf. I was gobsmacked watching the French news on SBS the other day and the CEO of Renault was doing it. Not some reporter at a motor show, but the CEO of a rival motor manufacturer was in front of the world motoring media at one of the world's premier motor shows comparing his new offering to the Golf in a manner that suggested the Golf is still the benchmark hatch.

or he had just been influenced by their advertising campaign!?

[STALLED]

Not all too impressed with the Rapid. Also noticed that someone had already put a nice "gouge" in to the dashboard...

Interior felt cheap and the overall look and design of the car felt a bit off the pace. If someone threw me the keys to a Focus or a Rapid, I'd take the Focus any day of the week....and that's without driving it!

It would want to undercut Mazda3/Focus et al in order to make a worthy proposition...

[Mysticality]

gents, this is my half-arsed attempt ... much better results can be achieved with some extra patience and a few extra coats.

.. behold, the spare wheel

btw, this stuff is best applied when wheels are on the car JR.

My turn next... Picked some up today!

As for small sedans, my mother has a 2006 Rio Sedan, and its had zero faults in its 6 years and 250,000km! (and counting)

I liked the Rapid. Me and my mate who I went to the show with could fit in it, side by side, and not be awkwardly close. (He's tall and built like a brick *house, I'm just... Well, you get it. )
Nice and comfortable, too... But how do people drive LHD?! Seriously! Its... Very unnerving!!

Out of all the displays, I'd have to say I was most impressed with Kia and Skoda... And the cars weren't that bad, either.
In all honesty though, the Skoda girls were very nice and seemed to actually know a lot about the products!... So did the Hyundai girl I spoke to, funnily enough. I was discussing the R2.2 in the new Santa Fe vs the R2.2 in the old one.

Those black Neptunes, though...
... Wow.
I'll post some pics later, after I remember to upload them.

[zei20t]

LHD is easy, it helps when you are on the other side of the road. actually im more comfortable in an LHD car.

[Mysticality]

Yeah?
I just find it really awkward - something to do with steering with my right hand, which is my dominant hand... I tried only using my left hand today in traffic, coming onto the M5... Lasted 10sec. :S

[BottomScratcher]

LHD is easy, it helps when you are on the other side of the road. actually im more comfortable in an LHD car.

Couldn't agree more on all counts. Too late now, but I'll bet there was no offset of the steering column to the centre of the drivers body in the LHD. These annoying steering wheel, seat, and floor pedal offsets creep in when a car designed and engineered as a LHD is manufactured as a RHD export. Cars designed LHD are much more comfortable in LHD than in their RHD versions. Proper 4WDs with a transfer case are even worse. One of the most uncomfortable cars to drive that I've ever had was a LHD Range Rover that I had for work.