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This week I went to the 2011 Australian Motor Show in the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. It had been two years since Melbourne hosted the event.Electricity seemed to be the common thread among the exhibitions. Not only were there electric vehicles on display, most of the cars had iPads on stands showing videos and specs, instead of a paper price tag.
I had the opportunity to test drive two electric vehicles. The test drives were outside the exhibition centre, but you need to enter the show and get a pass first.
The first car, the Nissan Leaf, had to be driven by an instructor because I am under 25 years of age. We drove around the streets of Melbourne. I found the Leaf to be comfortable to sit in and smooth on the road. It also took off quickly at the lights.
The second car was the Mitsubishi i-MiEV which I was able to drive. This car was noticeably smaller inside and had a blind spot because of the a-frame. I sat higher up in this car and the seats were firmer then in the Leaf.
I found the i-MiEV easy to drive. Like the Leaf, the car took off quickly at the lights. The biggest difference I found was that taking my foot off the accelerator had the same effect as putting my foot on the break.
A couple walking in the car park had a surprise when I drove up behind them. Cars kept coming out of their spaces as I was passing.Both the Leaf and the i-MiEV are silent. I had to check twice to make sure I was in the right “gear” before I began to drive. People kept crossing the road without seeing the car.
Mitsubishi also had the PX-MiEV on display. This is a SUV version of the i-MiEV that also has a petrol engine.
Back inside I got to sit in many cars. To my surprise many of the small cars had better leg room then some of the larger cars. Kia and Hyundai have dramatically improved their vehicles.
The hatchback version of the Holden Cruze was on display. It is supposed to be the most fuel efficient locally built car.
Good to see a locally made Cruze but I think it would have been better if there was an AWD version. The car would then make a good competitor to the Subaru Impreza, which was also on display with a new look.
Land Rover also had a new look model called the
Range Rover Evoque. It is more rounded and compact compared to the existing range.
The brand that surprised me was Skoda. The show was my first chance to see the brand. There was the compact AWD Yeti. There was also the Fabia, a competitor to the BMW Mini.
It is good to see that the new rotation between Melbourne and Sydney has allowed the show to continue but this year the ticket queue was noticeably shorter.
There were also less people blocking my photo opportunities. Some of the regular exhibitors were absent this year, most notably Renault.
Hopefully the attendance will increase once nervousness about of the economy is over.
