2006 Australian International Motor Show: Darling Harbour

Ranger and drop-top but Ford gets no Bill
Ranger and Focus CC head Ford line-up

Hummer heads Down Under
'Baby' Hummer H3 hits local roads late 2007

Mainstream concepts
Sporty sedans aim to boost the wow factor

Hot 380 but Mitsubishi plots 4WD Revolution
Mitsubishi's hotrod 380 was a surprise but the real focus was on all-wheel drives

BMW goes off with a Bang-le
BMW unveiled three new models but made more of a show of its human capital

Organisers of the Australian International Motor Show say visitors will see an unprecedented line-up of new four-wheel drive vehicles this year. The SUV crowd includes the just-launched Audi Q7, and the V8 and diesel-powered versions of Volvo's XC90.

Mazda's crossover approach to the SUV market will be seen here before many overseas markets in the form of the CX-7 while Mercedes-Benz's new seven-seater GL Class also makes its Australian debut.

Subaru's big Tribeca is also expected to attend and Mitsubishi is showing-off its new-generation Pajero and the latest version of its Dakar rally raid car. Ssangyong will introduce its Actyon Coupe Sports Utility, on sale soon, at the show.

Expect a good turn-out of concept cars. Appearing, in no particular order, will be Hyundai's Arnejs concept which previews the company's upcoming FD-series Elantra hatch and is based on the same underpinnings as the Kia C'eed concept, as seen at the Paris motor show. Alas Kia says the impressive (if poorly named) five-door will not be coming to Sydney.

Nissan says the highlight of its Sydney stand will be the Foria Concept, shown for the first time in Australia. Conceived by Nissan's international design studio, the Foria is a 2+2 sports coupe powered by a mid-sized engine teamed with a paddle-shift auto.

The enviro-conscious concept Aero X will star at Saab's Sydney stand, having wowed crowds at the recent Geneva and New York motor shows. The Aero-X is powered by a 2.8-litre, twin-turbocharged engine based on the General Motors global V6 manufactured by Holden at Port Melbourne and developed by Swedish engineers to run on 100 per cent bio-ethanol.

Honda is bringing its all-wheel drive Sports 4 concept, first seen at the Tokyo motor show last year, and Mazda will show the Kabura coupe concept which uses the MX-5's 2.0-litre MZR engine and was named after the Japanese term "Kabura-ya": an arrow used in historic times to signal the start of a battle.

The "first arrow into battle" depicts Mazda's spirit of pursuing unique and exciting new ventures, says the car maker.

The pipedream-turned-production 8C Competizione will grace Alfa Romeo's stand alongside the company's largest-ever Australian line-up including 147, 159 and Sportwagon, 166, GT, Brera and Spider models. The 8C was shown in prototype form at Sydney's 2004 show but the production version uses a 4.7-litre V8 engine good for 336kW/470Nm and 7500rpm, and mated to a six-speed 'box which can be used in manual or auto modes.

The company says the term 'Competizione' is intended as an homage to the '6C 2500 Competizione', a sports coupé driven in 1950 by Juan-Manuel Fangio and Augusto Zanardi in the Mille Miglia race.

Rounding out the supercar experience will be the 300km/h-plus V12 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano and the Le Mans-inspired Audi R8 equipped with the 4.2-litre FSI V8 from the RS4.

Sportscar shoppers will be pleased to know the new Audi TT, BMW Z4 Coupe and Lotus Europa S Grand Tourer are all making their Asia-Pacific debuts in Sydney, and the Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe will be on display and for sale at the show. Also first time Down Under, BMW's Chris Bangle is making a week-long visit to preview the Z4 Coupe, new X3, V10-powered M6 Convertible and twin-turbo 3 Series Coupé.

Fans of open-top motoring can visit VW's stand for the new Eos, due for sale here early next year, and the Volvo display for the second-generation C70. Both convertibles have folding hardtops and offer seating for four. There's also the new-generation Spider among Alfa Romeo's star cast and the above-mentioned M6 Convertible from BMW.

Large car customers can size up all the latest local options at once with Holden's VE Commodore and WM Statesman, updated Ford Falcon BF MkII and Fairlane, and the Toyota Aurion on show.

Small car stars include the Volvo C30 and Peugeot's 207 and 307 Hybride HDi, air-freighted from France for a special preview in Sydney.

Audi, Citroen and Suzuki will display their on and off-track stars to Sydney showgoers. Audi's diesel-engined R10 prototype deserves an appreciative gaze, having won this year's Le Mans 24 hour race, and Citroen is bringing its latest World Rally Championship candidate in the C4 WRC. Suzuki's first WRC car, initially intended for the 2007 season but now more likely '08, will also be on show.

V8 Supercar fans can meet drivers Sydney including Ford's Bathurst winners Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup (4 November), and Holden's Greg Murphy, Mark Skaife and Paul Dumbrell (27 October). If you're into rally, Aussie champs Simon and Sue Evans will be at the Show 4-5 November, and team-mates Neal Bates and Coral Taylor the weekend of 28-29 October.

Stay tuned for CarPoint's coverage from the Australian International Motor Show