The 2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R is the six-cylinder flagship variant of the fifth-generation Outback line-up, which majors on improved quality and new technology.

WHAT IS IT? Subaru’s Outback is the original all-wheel-drive crossover wagon. Based on Subaru’s sixth-generation Liberty, it adds raised suspension, semi-off-road tyres and, newly for the MY15 model, an off-road-specific X-Mode system. Prices fall and quality and features rise across the range, which starts at a reasonable $35,990 for the 2.5i CVT (down $3K) and works its way into the midrange via the $41,490 2.5i Premium CVT (down $2K) and $35,490 manual and $37,490 CVT 2.0D (down $5000 and $5500 respectively). The $41,490 2.0D Premium manual and $43,490 auto are down $2500 and the loaded flagship 3.6R drops a full $10K to $47,990.

WHY WE’RE TESTING IT The MY15 Subaru Outback, which we first laid eyes on at the New York motor show earlier this year is fresh off the boat, and Wheels was given the opportunity for a first drive ahead of the official local launch.

MAIN RIVALS Volvo’s XC70 crossover, conventional wagons such as the Ford Mondeo, Mazda 6, Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Passat and Subaru’s own Forester and its compact SUV classmates.

THE WHEELS VERDICT

Subaru’s Outback is now 20 years old and the market has changed a lot in two decades. The new model has the wide ranging talent to please most, including a smart cabin, excellent equipment and new technology. However, the crossover wagon that was once the default choice in preference to a soggy soft-roader now works hard to tempt buyers from the genuinely talented among the current SUV crop.

PLUS: Richer cabin; decently equipped; new safety and off-roading tech; roomy and refinedMINUS: Low-speed ride quality; semi-off road tyres hurt on-road handling; a tad thirsty in 3.6R spec

THE WHEELS REVIEW WHEN Subaru’s original Outback hit our ’burbs (and bush) in 1996, it was a welcome alternative to a lacklustre SUV, which almost all of them were at the time.

But two decades on, SUVs are more polished, more desirable and more popular. Meanwhile, it’s clear from the upgrades wrought by Subaru for its fifth-generation Outback that it sets out to fight today’s SUVs by being more like them.

While compact soft-roaders broaden their buyer base with front-drive entry-level models, Subaru’s jacked-up, genre-defining wagon goes on the hunt for SUVs at the other end of line-ups, with its raised seating position, premium equipment, richer cabin and off-roading tech.

The Outback’s seat height makes it spot-on for kid-loading, while its trademark ground-clearance (compared with a donor Liberty) means a new X-Mode off-roading system is there for more than showroom cred.

Soft-touch plastics and more sumptuous leather headline a cleanly designed, broad, roomy cabin in the flagship 3.6R which, like most of the range, comes at a significantly more attractive price – it’s down $10K compared with the outgoing model, at $47,990.

High-tech proliferates, including new and upgraded systems such as Subaru’s Eye-sight, which now brings a pre-collision steering assist and brake light detection functions as well as braking assist and adaptive cruise, and a lane departure warning system.

In Subaru style, much of the technology is focussed on safety, which the seven airbag count and ANCAP five star-safety rating build on.

But there’s also the powered tailgate (with programmable height setting), a big, clear colour touchscreen, voice recognition infotainment control and a 160 degree rear camera.

The oily bits, like the 10 percent slipperier styling, tell the story of an evolutionary redesign. Subaru’s EZ flat six-cylinder comes in revised form, now backed by a continuously variable transmission rather than a five-speed auto, but the 191kW and 350Nm outputs are unchanged.

The new 3.6R, at 9.9L/100km on the official combined cycle, is 3.9 percent thriftier than the old one, but misses out on the auto stop-start system introduced for 2.5-litre variants.

The Outback gets the Liberty sedan’s quicker 14.0:1 steering ratio rather than the 16.0:1 rack formerly used on the wagon. The sculpted leather wheel feels good, and the electromechanical steering is smooth, but it keeps the driver at arm’s length with its ultimate lack of feel and accuracy. For the latter, we blame the dirt-spec Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport tyres that squeal in protest relatively early.

Comfort should improve compared with the fifth-gen Liberty on the chunky 225/60R18s, but low-speed ride remains a bit niggly and the damping of bigger hits isn’t completely resolved either. At least the cabin is quiet.

The Outback takes to twisty tarmac with a slightly understeery attitude, tempering the driver with its lack of front-end feel and letting mid-corner lumps upset its poise.

The X-Mode, hill descent control buttons and the compass in the information display suggest compromise in the on-road manners for the sake of heightened off-roadability.

The big boxer is potent, but some of its punch is lost in the torque converter, and the increasingly rare atmo six sound could be sweeter. While the CVT does a fine impression of one, it doesn’t actually work as decisively as a good conventional auto, despite Subaru’s successful efforts to eliminate rev flare using six artificial ratio steps.

The trip indicated 15.1L/100km we saw over a mix of urban and semi-rural roads suggests the 6.3L/100km 2.0D or even the 7.3L/100km 2.5i (official auto figures) will be far more miserly options.

In today’s fierce market, the original anti-SUV is no longer the automatic choice. But the Outback, small (mostly ride) flaws and all, has the breadth of ability to tempt buyers away from an SUV, whether it’s of the refined, spacious, classily trimmed and impressively appointed kind, or the genuinely off-road-capable variety, because it’s both.

Subaru Outback 3.6R Engine 3630cc flat 6cyl, dohc, 24v Max power 191kW @ 6000rpm Max torque 350Nm @ 4400rpm Transmission Continuously variable transmission Weight 1702kg 0-100km/h 7.6sec (estimated) Fuel economy 9.9L/100km Price $47,990

Bigger, quieter, more efficient and cheaper, the Outback is set to step up when Commodore Sportwagon and Ford Territory disappear

WHAT IS IT? Subaru refines a successful formula for its sixth-gen crossover SUV with space, driveability and efficiency improvements, while adding a big dose of design, quality and technology into the mix. While the bad news is the Liberty wagon is dead, all Outback models are now considerably cheaper.

WHY WE’RE TESTING IT

With prices falling by up to $10,000, the sixth-gen Outback (based on the Mk6 Liberty) comes in from the cold to tempt both SUV and medium/large passenger-car buyers alike. Adding to the allure is a big jump in standard specification (up to $3500), underlining Subaru’s desire to arrest a long-term market share slide for the 19-year-old series.

MAIN RIVALS Ford Territory, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota Kluger, Holden Captiva, Mazda 6, Holden Commodore Sportwagon

THE WHEELS VERDICT Cheaper, roomier, quieter, stronger and better looking, the latest Outback is back in contention, but even the slick and speedy 3.6R is no driver’s car while the 2.5i needs more grunt. The 2.0D remains the sweet spot, though the excellent EyeSight system is unavailable on diesel.

PLUS: Value; design; space; comfort; versatility; smoothness; ease; off-road capability MINUS: No EyeSight on 2.0D; numb steering; jittery ride; Toyota-esque dash; 2.5i’s lethargy

THE WHEELS REVIEW OUTBACK? Lately, the Japanese crossover has been about as Australian as American Pie, and just as gross to behold. With a cheap interior, ordinary dynamics and ferocious SUV rivalry, means the Subaru has been outpaced.

No longer. Enter the sixth-generation revamp of the Liberty-based wagon with more palatable styling, a stronger and quieter body, and headline price drops of about 10 percent, yet with important specification upgrades.

The volume-selling 2.5i brings improved EyeSight driver-assist wizardry (including radar-based cruise control and lane-departure alert), along with idle-stop, a reversing camera, roof rails, 18-inch alloys and an X-Mode off-road setting with hill descent.

Hardly sounding like a boxer engine at all, the 2.5i’s CVT is programmed to feel lively off the mark, but don’t count on neck-snapping acceleration. Only when wound out at speed does it really pick up pace heartily. At least the auto isn’t prone to flaring as much, while refinement levels are considerably better.

The revised boxer turbo-diesel in the 2.0D has stronger performance across the spectrum and is our pick, even if the newly added CVT’s initial pick-up remains languid.

Oz-bound Outbacks employ a unique local suspension tune, resulting in more measured and progressive – if somewhat numb – steering that remains too light despite major modifications. The helm feels meatier in the 2.0D and racy 3.6R range-topper, which is now $10K cheaper at $47,990.

With 213mm ground clearance and higher than ever seating, no Outback feels especially agile, but they are easy to control, reactive on the brakes, grip like crazy and – aided by the 50:50 front-rear mechanical AWD with Active Torque Vectoring tech – stick to the chosen line with pleasing precision, even on gravel.

Except on smooth roads, the bigger 18-inch wheels wearing 225/60R18 Desert Duelers usher in a busy and often vocal ride; we prefer the mildly more compliant 225/65R17 tyres on the base 2.0D.

Thinner pillars, comfier seating and higher-grade materials (across a dispiritingly generic dash layout) are the standout cabin changes, with top marks for the new intuitive central touchscreen, modern multimedia interface, attractive instrumentation and excellent ventilation. There are now properly large-car levels of space in both rows, with the rear backrest reclinable, while a full-size spare lives beneath a cavernous 512-litre cargo area.

So Subaru has really truly turned the old sow’s ear into a spacious, safe and silky purse of a crossover, and all for less coin. Family wagon and SUV buyers alike ought to like what they see, and that’s something we haven’t said about an Outback for years.

SPECS: Model Subaru Outback 2.5i Engine 2498cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v Max power 129kW @ 5800rpm Max torque 235Nm @ 4000rpm Transmission CVT Weight 1557kg 0-100km/h 10.2sec (claimed) Fuel economy 7.3L/100km Price $35,990 On sale January 1

“This thing is hilarious! It’s just mental”.

To say Chris Harris, the YouTube celebrity and murderer of rear tyres, likes the HSV GTS Maloo is an understatement. Harris was in Australia on holiday last month, so when Wheels asked him if he wanted to steer Australia’s fastest ute, he leapt at the chance.

Needless to say there was smoke, lots of smoke. Watch the video to get his thoughts and see why Harris is gutted it could be the last proper HSV.

SPEED kills, right? If you disagree, and have for a long time, now is your chance to put up or shut up.The Australian Government has asked for your say on how you think we should be keeping drivers safe on our roads. It is holding an inquiry into road safety in Australia, with an open-ended brief on what will become a series of recommendations due to be tabled by September 2015.The inquiry will look at everything from speed limits to crash trauma, the different needs between city and country commuters, and quirky Australian Design Rules that force overseas car makers to make costly tweaks to their products before they can be sold here. Submissions to the inquiry close on February 27.Mercedes-Benz Australia wants to have its voice heard and plans to focus on the role advances in vehicle safety, and not a blind focus on speed, has played in reducing road trauma.David McCarthy, a spokesman for the autobahn-devouring luxury marque, says Mercedes wants to ensure that standards set by the ADRs, which mandate everything from a vehicle’s crashworthiness to ride heights and even indicator colours, are not watered down to meet more lax global standards.“The Australian Design Rules have actually delivered a significant reduction in the road toll,” McCarthy says. “If they are harmonised with other markets that perhaps don’t have such rules, then that can’t be a good thing, because it means the bar for safety will be lowered.”He says technology such as ESC, ABS and airbags have all made a “very significant contribution” to road safety over time.“There are many factors at play here,” he says, “but if they want to have an inquiry about road safety, I hope they discover that the overwhelming majority of the reduction in trauma and death has been because of the safety equipment in cars; it has not been because of speed cameras.”Another area of focus flagged is the roads on which we drive. The Australian Automobile Association, which claims to represent up to seven million motorists nationwide, says we already have safe road users and cars, but now need the infrastructure to match.It’s expected to call on the inquiry to tip revenue from motorists via measures such as the fuel excise (which this financial year snares $180 million) into improving the road network.“Our research … shows the sort of gains that can be made [in terms of improving road infrastructure],” AAA chief executive Andrew McKellar said. “You’ve got to look at how to spend smarter on roads – in some cases we are over-engineering, and that’s not necessarily efficient.”A recent NRMA report showed improvements to a section of the Princes Highway between Dapto, New South Wales, and the Victorian border has reduced the risk of collisions by 90 percent over the past five years. McKellar says speed limits also need attention.“My view is we’ve got to be safe and responsible, but what I do reject is that the only solution [to making roads safe] is to reduce speeds,” he says. “We should be looking to have maximum convenience and to have international standards in relation to the application of speed limits.“But if we were going to do that, we also need world-standard roads [and] there are almost no areas in Australia where we can claim that is the case.” BARRY PARK

A SCAN of the final entry list for the 2015 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour will gladden the hearts of true race fans everywhere with a 55-car entry confirmed – more than twice the size of the field for last October’s Bathurst 1000.

The driver nominations are still firming, but the grid won’t lack star power.

Le Mans winner David Brabham headlines an array of driving talent that also includes works Porsche ace Patrick Long, former F1 drivers Mika Salo (last year’s winner in a Ferrari) and Markus Winkelhock, former British touring car champion Gordon Shedden and a host of the world’s best GT stars, including Laurens Vanthoor and Rene Rast.

Extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner will race an Audi R8 LMS with Phoenix Racing.

Three-time 12 Hour winner John Bowe will also return to defend his crown, this year teaming with Brabham and Peter Edwards in the Flying B Racing Bentley Continental GT3.

The quality line-up for the February 8 classic includes 20 international entries and, importantly, the outright GT3 category has attracted 30 cars.

The 30 cars entered in the outright class represent nine of the top GT3 brands, with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Lamborghini, Audi, Porsche, Nissan, McLaren, Bentley and Aston Martin all entered for a shot at an outright victory.

It is the strongest outright class representation in the history of the Bathurst 12 Hour and an increase on the 2014 line-up, which produced one of the great motor sporting contests in memory.

With 12 entries, Porsche is the most represented brand (thanks to 10 nominations in Class B) while Ferrari has seven 458 GT3s entered in Class A – the most for any one brand in the outright category.

Six Audi R8 LMSs and five Mercedes-Benz SLS AMGs give the German brands plenty of firepower to compete against last year’s Bathurst winner, Ferrari.

Entries have been received from 10 countries, including five from New Zealand, three each from Germany and the United Kingdom, and two from the United States.

A remarkable 43 entries have been accepted for the three GT classes eligible for the race, the largest grid of pure GT cars assembled in Australia.

A further 12 cars will compete in a pair of invitational classes, one for production-based vehicles such as BMW’s 1M and the Audi TT, and another for endurance-racing specials like the Australian-built MARC Focus racers and a pair of unique ex-Grand Am series Mazda RX8s originally from America.

The 2015 Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour will start at 5.50am on Sunday, February 8.

For the first time, the entire race will be telecast live around Australia on the Seven Network.

2015 LIQUI-MOLY BATHURST 12 HOUR

Official Entry List

AUDI is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the launch of its RS badge with a strong message: the flood of new metal wearing the performance badge isn’t about to end.

Coming to Australia at the end of 2015 is the new RS 3 Sportback, the sportiest variant of the A3 city-friendly hatchback and sedan series.

Joining the S3 is the most powerful production five cylinder in Audi history, the 2.5 TFSI produces 270kW/465Nm and covers 0-100 in 4.3sec (0.3s faster than the previous model), but is also good for 8.1L/100km.

Audi’s RS – for RennSport – badge launched overseas before making it to Australia, which means we missed out on the first model to wear it.

The 1994 Audi RS 2 Avant that wore it didn’t look an especially swift machine. But beneath its staid wagon shape lurked the gear to transform it into something of a Q car – a turbo 2.2-litre five-cylinder conjuring 232kW/410Nm and putting it down through a six-speed manual and quattro all-wheel-drive. Good for the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.4 seconds on to top whack of 262 km/h.

In the 20 years since, the RS nomenclature has raced from being something vague in the psyche of Australian car buffs to emerge as a solid player in the low-volume premium performance car genre, largely dominated by German brands.

Audi’s Quattro division, which oversees the development Audi’s growing fleet of RS-badged models, was set up in response to a power war started by rivals such as BMW’s M division and Mercedes-Benz tuning outfit AMG, which were supplementing race activities by taking road-going cars and turning them into track-day specialists.

The first Audi RS sold in Australia was the RS4 Avant, launched in late 2000 with a 280kW/440Nm twin-turbo 2.7-litre V6 under the bonnet. It was quick, too… 4.9sec from rest to 100km/h.

Since then, Audi has steadily broadened its catalogue of performance-honed offerings, and there is now an RS version of every model in the line-up bar the A1.

Obligatory all-wheel-drive engineering sets apart Audi’s RS offerings from their worthy rivals, the Mercedes AMG and BMW M cars.

Similar to AMG and BMW’s M, Audi’s strong connection with motor sport is used to show its sporting credentials. Thirteen Le Mans 24 Hour victories certainly emphasises those links, as does Audi’s presence (and success) in global GT racing.

Audi’s RennSport model hierarchy is now settled with its R8 V10 Plus reigning supreme, and lording it over the RS badged vehicles which in turn sit atop the S models.

Audi boasts that the S/RS/R8 volume has had a stunning volume growth of 188 per cent to November 2014, versus the same period in 2013.

Importantly for those who enjoy performance European cars, the hot-rod divisions of all three brands are experiencing substantial growth.

Audi’s RS and R8 models chalked up 431 sales in the first 11 months of the year, which is up 73 per cent on last year (248).

Lumped together, the S/RS/R8 sales numbers of these models put Audi ahead of BMW’s M cars by 1666 units and just in front of the Merc AMGs. (Some may argue that the S models from Audi are not full-blooded performance cars, and we’d agree with that view.)

On a broader scale, Audi will notch up its 10th year of sales growth in Australia with numbers up more than 20 per cent and 3000-plus units. The S/RS/R8 share of total Audi volume has increased by 1747 units to November.

To celebrate the 20 years of RS, Audi conducted a play day at a private facility near the Hunter Valley, with the soon-to-be-superseded R8 V10 Plus the cherry on the Christmas cake.

Revisiting this weapon along with the outgoing TT RS Plus, RS5 coupe, RS7 Sportback, RS6 Avant and the interesting RS Q3 SUV reinforced the design and engineering integrity of the specials from Neckarsulm.

The RS Q3, the first RS-badged model sold locally for less than $100,000, is also the highest-selling RS in 2014. Those Aussie who have bought one, would surely insist it is a true RS. But is it? Yes, the 228kW and 420Nm looks and feels impressive, and the 0-100km/h time suggests it’s no slouch.

But aim it at some snaky corners, and the RS Q3 loses some of the noted RS composure. Sure it turns in okay, but the body roll is noticeable as you ask an SUV to do things that it normally doesn’t do.

I guess if BMW and AMG do hot-rod SUVs, then it’s okay for Audi, too. But surely I’m not alone in asking if a high-riding and heavy SUV, originally designed to do more functional stuff, works as a high performance machine.

Speculation is strong that a new R8 will be revealed at the Geneva motor show in March. A GT3 track variant is also expected at the same time, meaning that the six Audi R8s racing in February’s Bathurst 12 Hour will in all likelihood give the first-generation supercar its final competition hitout.

Revealed ahead of its public debut at January’s 2015 Detroit Motor Show, the RS3 will become Audi’s smallest RS model.

It’s likely to become its cheapest as well; expect it to lob for around $75,000, matching the A45 dollar-for-dollar.

At this price point the RS3 will offer unbeatable bang-for-buck, its 270kW/465Nm 2.5-litre turbo five launching it from 0-100km/h in a class-leading 4.3sec, or roughly the same as the $280K Audi R8 V8 manages. Top speed is 250km/h, or 280km/h if you want to pay extra.

A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is the only available transmission, while Audi’s familiar quattro all-wheel drive system now features torque vectoring. Audi claims the ability to send power rearwards and sustain it allows the RS3 to perform controlled drifts on low-friction surfaces. Sounds good to us!

Ride height drops 25mm compared to the cooking-model A3, Audi’s clever magnetorheological dampers are optionally available and carbon-ceramic brakes appear on a hatchback options list for the first time.

The best news of all is that the RS3 will be landing in Australia in late-2015. The previous generation model was denied entry due to its carbonfibre front guards failing to meet ADR standards. Can it topple Merc’s mad A45 AMG? We can’t wait to find out.

ROC: Whincup progresses but Coulthard wins

SLEEPY Barbados is hardly the epicentre of world motor sport, not for much of the year, anyway.

Usually more about palm trees, heady cocktails and sun and beaches, the Caribbean island was at the weekend home to the annual Race of Champions, where some of the world’s greatest drivers compete in identical cars in a series of individual and two-man team formats.

Jamie Whincup and Mick Doohan were Australia’s representatives in a stellar line-up that also included Tom Kristensen, Romain Grosjean, Petter Solberg, Robby Gordon, David Coulthard, Kurt Busch, Susie Wolff, Ryan Hunter-Reay, new world touring car champ Jose-Maria Lopez, DTM driver (and Mercedes F1 reserve) Pascal Wehrlein and others.

This was the 26th running of the Race of Champions; last year’s RoC was cancelled due to civil unrest in Bangkok.

Thrashed unmercifully around RoC’s unique parallel track at Batty Park was a range of different machines: 600-horsepower Volkswagen Polo RXs that ran in the 2014 FIA World Rallycross Championship, Ariel Atom Cup, Audi R8 LMS, KTM X-Bow, Euro NASCAR, RoC Car and Robby Gordon’s Stadium Super Trucks – all intended to test the drivers’ versatility.

Kristensen and Solberg stormed to the RoC Nations Cup title for Team Nordic on Saturday, defeating Team Scotland’s Coulthard and Wolff by two heats to one in the final.

Team Australia’s five-time MotoGP world champion Doohan and six-time V8 Supercar champion Whincup didn’t make the final, despite Whincup’s late consolation victory.

Whincup appreciated the international aspect of the RoC, saying “some ways we’re stuck in our own little world down there, so it’s good to get out and do some other driving”.

“The whole left-hand drive thing really throws me out as I’ve only ever driven a right-hand-drive car. That turn one is pretty nuts – and pretty fast.”

On another hot afternoon in Barbados, the best-of-three individual Grand Final boiled down to a battle of F1 drivers young and old. But in the end Coulthard saw off Wehrlein to become Champion of Champions for the first time.

Coulthard had been in the RoC Grand Final once before, when he lost out by the narrowest margin to rally legend Sebastien Loeb at Wembley in 2008. This time he prevailed.

Whincup was eliminated by eventual winner Coulthard at the semi-final stage by a mere 0.2sec

The other race was a battle of the young guns as Wehrlein eliminated 2014 European F3 Champion Esteban Ocon to set up a meeting with Coulthard in the final.

“We’ve had a fantastic week, never mind a fantastic race weekend. I’m retired, so it’s lovely to get another trophy,” said a happy Coulthard.

“Of course I don’t race any more, but at this event I had the advantage because being 23 years older than Pascal I’m used to changing gear whereas he was looking for the semi-automatic shift!

“It’s been a good weekend, so thank you to the Race of Champions, thank you to Barbados and I think a small rum punch is in order…”

To start Sunday’s action the drivers were split into four groups of four, battling for the right to line up in the knockout stages.

Coulthard began in dominant fashion, taking three wins out of three in his group. But there was a surprise in store for Lotus F1 driver and reigning ROC Champion of Champions Grosjean, who was beaten into third place and eliminated by Whincup after a duel in the Stadium Super Trucks. Doohan also failed to progress.

Doohan wasn’t a huge fan of the Barbados layout: “I actually prefer the shorter-style RoC circuit, which is a little easier for someone like me. On the short track there’s not so much technique, it’s more about getting the car to go around the turn. Here there’s a lot more technique in the faster stuff, it requires a lot more of a feel for the car – in which I haven’t had a lot of experience.”

F1: Button demanded and got multi-year deal

JENSON Button may well be one of the good guys of modern Formula One, but his tough side was revealed when negotiations began for his new deal with McLaren for 2015 and beyond.

He has revealed that a multi-year agreement was “a must” for both him and McLaren.

The Monaco-based Briton was last Thursday confirmed alongside Fernando Alonso at McLaren for 2015 after some delays within the team due to indecision about the choice of the Spaniard’s partner.

Initially, rookie Kevin Magnussen was favoured to continue, but then some wise heads at McLaren pushed hard for Button, arguing that his experience would be a huge asset in the season the team would be developing a new Honda hybrid engine package.

With in-season testing no longer open slather, McLaren reasoned that two world champions are better than one.

Details of Button’s contract were not revealed at the announcement, but it is understood his annual salary has taken a cut in line with the tougher economic climate affecting F1 – from roughly €16 million ($A24.2m) per year to around €10m ($A15.1m) – and that he has settled on a two-year deal.

“I think we [McLaren and I] both agree that more than one year is a must,” Button said.

“This is a new project, an exciting project. To be part of the legendary partnership between McLaren and Honda is not a one-year thing. I am very much looking forward to more than one year – I know we can’t really talk about contract details, but it is not something I am doing just to be around for one year.

“I am here to compete, to fight for the world championship, and whether that is in 2015 or future years, I am hopefully here for a long time.”

Button also commented on rumours that he had tentatively planned for a life beyond F1, confirming he did consider leaving grand prix racing after being frustrated by the long wait to lock in a new deal.

“I did reflect on life outside F1, but it is nowhere near as fun as life inside from what I have seen. My heart has always been here, to race for McLaren and with Honda.”

Maintaining enthusiasm mightn’t be so easy for Button next year, as McLaren and Honda have lots of work ahead to turn the new V6 powerplant into a reliable and quick unit.

Honda has certainly enjoyed standout success as an engine supplier in the past, amassing 72 victories with different configurations (and several teams). But beating Mercedes-Benz looms as a very difficult task.

I’m not expecting to see Honda notch win #73 next season.

V8 SUPERCARS: Dumbrell to partner Whincup

PAUL Dumbrell will again partner Jamie Whincup in the end-of-year endurance races, sharing the #1 Holden Commodore in 2015.

After three successful years with Triple Eight’s Red Bull Racing Australia outfit, it came as no surprise that the Dumbrell/Whincup partnership for next season.

The combination has already landed one Bathurst 1000 win, two successive Sandown victories and the 2014 Pirtek Enduro Cup. But for a couple of litres of fuel, the pair probably would have won Bathurst again this year.

Red Bull Racing Australia race team manager Mark Dutton believes the 32-year-old is the best man for the job when it comes to championship pressure: “It‘s clear that he and Jamie [Whincup] are one of, if not the strongest pairing in the category, so it’s great to be able to keep them together for another year.

“You know you’ve got a good co-driver when you don’t need to keep their stints to the bare minimum; we have the confidence to leave him in the car for longer because not only does he keep the car clean, he is also very quick, quicker than a lot of the regular drivers.”

Dumbrell, whose real job is CEO of Automotive Brands, a franchised auto retail business, says he will keep race fit by doing some regular competition driving next year.

“We‘ll definitely race something outside of the enduros next year,” he said, “but whether or not that’s in the Dunlop Series or the Australian GT Series, we’re not sure yet.”

Dumbrell will pair with defending champ Whincup in three distance events, the Sandown 500, Bathurst 1000 and Gold Coast 600.

FORMULA E: Matt Brabham impressive

MATT Brabham charged from the back of the grid to sixth in the weekend’s third event of the all-electric FIA Formula E Championship on the streets of Punta del Este in Uruguay, but was unable to finish the eventful race.

His pace was impressive, but his racecraft is still a work in progress.

The 20-year-old Australian, the youngest driver in the field, was forced to start from rear after an incident during the second qualifying group.

He methodically worked his way into the top 10 mid-race, relishing being part of a three-way dice with former F1 pilots Jarno Trulli and Stephane Sarrazin.

Running sixth, a strong result was possible for Brabham; some of those ahead were on the edge of battery power and a raft of penalties were being handed out by stewards.

With four laps remaining and shadowing Trulli’s every move, the Brabham machine got uncomfortably taily. One of the notorious curbs intervened, damaging the front left suspension and ending his race.

“It was extremely disappointing not to get a result today through all the hard work by the Andretti team,” said Brabham.

“I’m heartbroken, but happy with the speed, the team and the promise we showed.

“Having to start from the rear was tough, but it was an exciting race and from where I was, it was so enjoyable for me to be racing against guys like Trulli and Sarrazin. Their experience shows through in where they can place the car and how they defend their position – I managed to learn a lot.”

The race was won by another ex-F1 driver, Sebastien Buemi.

The next Formula E series race will be in Buenos Aires on January 10.

More power, sharper pricing and the introduction of a base front-drive auto gives the improved 2015 Ford Kuga a fighting chance

WHAT IS IT? Ford’s underrated Euro medium SUV is one of our segment favourites, combining all turbo powertrains with class-leading dynamics, leading refinement and a spacious cabin.

WHY WE’RE TESTING IT Addressing criticism that the now-discontinued 1.6-litre turbo petrol models lack grunt, Ford has pilfered the 2.0-litre turbo unit from the Focus ST for all mid and high-range petrol Kugas, introduced a more economical 1.5-litre turbo and auto (at last) on the base front-drive Ambiente, upped the diesel’s power and torque outputs and made a reverse camera available across the range. Phew…

MAIN RIVALS Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5, Nissan X-Trail, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4

THE WHEELS VERDICT A 2.0-litre turbo fixes the old 1.6-litre petrol’s power deficit while the value-packed base 1.5-litre front-drive auto is a peach.

PLUS: Leading 2.0-litre turbo performance, dynamics and refinement, value, space MINUS: Stupid name, excessive road noise, exxy diesel, fidgety ride on bigger wheels

THE WHEELS REVIEW IN AN idealistic Wheels’ World universe, everybody would choose to drive light, nimble and efficient wagons over bulky and unwieldy SUVs.

We’re dreaming, of course, because nobody much cares for ’em outside of Europe. But, at the very least then, why don’t Aussie SUV buyers make more informed choices? Case in point – Ford’s underrated Kuga is outsold by the Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, and Honda CR-V that it shamed in a recent comparo.

Yes, the name ‘Kuga’ is rubbish. There was no sub-$30K front-drive auto. The 1.6-litre AWD petrol models struggled under load, and only the flagship Titanium scored a reverse camera. Yet the dynamic Ford remained our favourite, and was worth the extra dosh.

Now, Kuga’s been given engine transplants, a natty rear-view camera in the centre mirror is available (but not standard) and petrol variant prices are down. The new 1.5-litre turbo petrol FWD auto with idle-stop starts off from $28,990 and while the fine TDCi diesel costs $750 more, it does offer extra oomph (though we couldn’t drive one on launch, sadly).

On paper, the 134kW/240Nm 1.5 turbo outputs are identical to that of the 1.6 turbo, but on the move the loss of the circa-70kg AWD gear means the expected volume selling Ambiente 2WD auto feels decisively quicker off the mark and pulls harder during an overtaking manoeuvre than before – and all without the loss of that engine’s revvy exuberance. Keeping in mind the prevalence of 2.0 atmo lumps in most equivalently priced competitors, and this Kuga feels downright spirited.

Stepping up to the 178kW/345Nm 2.0 turbo AWD is an interesting exercise in expectation management, since initial acceleration isn’t anywhere near as forceful as the similarly outputted Subaru Forester XT’s. That’d be the latter’s 100kg weight advantage talking. The flabby Ford only properly belts along once the tacho swings past 4000rpm, where effortless midrange punch is this four-pot turbo’s knockout party trick.

Pretty much everything else that’s wholesome and good about the Kuga remains intact, including the same roomy and practical cabin, fussy though informative dash, planted chassis, balanced steering, forceful brakes and composed (if occasionally fidgety) ride. Note that the Ambiente’s 17-inch Hankook tyres’ drone-prone propensity on coarser bitumen might be an issue for some.

The bottom line is, however, that the key things that kept a good Kuga down have been systematically addressed. If it doesn’t break into the SUV bestseller podium then Aussie crossover buyers deserve to drive mediocrity. Or maybe Ford should consider importing the Focus wagon instead, which would make us even happier.

SPECS: Model: Ford Kuga Trend 2.0 EcoBoost Engine: 1999cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power: 178kW @ 5500rpm Max torque: 345Nm @ 2000-4500rpm Transmission: 6-speed automatic Weight: 1700kg 0-100km/h: 7.2sec (US Ford Escape official figures) Fuel economy: 8.6L/100km Price: $36,490 On sale: January 2015

The first day at a new job is always pretty exciting.

There’s new people, a new environment, and fresh challenges to motivate you. It must be even better if you’ve got an empty racetrack and 2012-spec F1 car at your disposal.

After spending his entire career to date in the warm bosom of Red Bull, Sebastian Vettel has made the leap to Ferrari for the 2015 F1 season and beyond.

It’s a bold move, with the Scuderia currently in a period of transition, a shadow of the dominant force it was a decade ago.

Ferrari very kindly filmed Vettel’s first Fiorano foray, and beyond the obvious appeal of seeing a four-time world champion ragging a contemporary F1 car, the video offers some interesting insight for F1 nerds.

Firstly, who knew you needed to radio check every corner? It also seems that even on a fun day with an older-spec car, top flight racing drivers can’t help but deliver feedback.

Vettel succinctly delivers information on how aero adjustments behaved in certain corners and tyre degradation over the course of the lap.

Interestingly, Vettel then requests more front-end grip at the apex if he were to run again in order to rotate the car better. Vettel’s ability to rotate the car and get on the power earlier than anyone else – aided by the effects of the now outlawed blown diffusers – was a key ingredient in his dominant speed.

The comment is also interesting as for the last few years Ferraris have lacked front-end bite. Alonso has no problem dealing with a sliding front end, in fact exploiting that is a key element in his style, but the understeer it creates is a large part of Kimi Raikkonen’s struggles in 2014.

Vettel’s requests for more front-end grip will be music to Kimi’s ears, and the two are very good mates. Time will tell if Ferrari can climb back up the grid in 2015, but in the meantime, let us know how you think they’ll go in the comments below.