It has been over 18 months since Australians had the chance to tour a major motor show in this country. Now Sydney is putting on a show that will delight all lovers of car, SUVs, and all things automotive.

The decision to run Sydney and Melbourne motor shows on alternate years hasn't been a popular one with the man in the street. While those with money to burn and/or who work in the industry can flit from city to city in a short time, most people are now forced to wait for up to two years between shows.

Sydney is trying to make its first show under the new system as interesting as possible. And is delighted at the variety of vehicles it has to display.

Sitting near the top of the tree will be the latest Holden Commodore and Statesman ranges. Featuring engines with reduced fuel consumption and emissions these updated powerplants will be installed in facelifted versions of the Series II VE and WM ranges. The biggest fuel savings will be in the V8s, these now use six per cent less fuel without any loss of performance.

Possibly the most interesting of all the new engines will be the 3.0-litre V6 and 6.0-litre V8 that will be able to run on E85 fuel. That is, fuel consisting of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol. These engines will also be able to operate on E10 as well as straight petrol. Bio-ethanol is produced in Australia from the waste by-products of sugar, wheat and sorghum. Later it should be possible to make it from household garbage.

Bio ethanol is cleaner burning than petrol, but our experiences to date is that cars use significantly more fuel when running on E85 than on straight petrol. We will be carrying out road tests of the new engines in upcoming weeks and report on our findings with the latest technology.

Ford Australia will give the public the first viewing of its new hot hatch, the Focus RS. Powered by a turbocharged Duratec RS 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine putting out 300 horsepower, 224 kW, the Focus RS has torque of 440 Nm starting at only 2300 rpm and promises a huge amount of grunt to make keen drivers smile.

Not to be outdone, Renault Sport, a longtime player in the Australian hot-hatch scene will give buyers a preview of the newest model in the range, the Megane RS 250, the latter number standing for 250 horsepower. That's 186 kW in Australian terms. Megane will feature not only the quick engine, but also a Renault Sport Monitor that collects data through a series of sensors, providing the driver with information on engine functions and performance, G-force data and a lap timer.

Rival French maker Peugeot will display a hot machine that isn't on sale to the public – the Peugeot 908 turbo-diesel racing machine that won the gruelling Le Mans 24-hour race in 2009. One of the team of drivers in this car was Aussie David Brabham.

Also on the high-performance diesel front is an Isuzu D-Max ute belonging to Aussie off-road racing legend Bruce Garland. This rugged machine will be driven by Garland in the famed Dakar rally in 2011.

One of the most eagerly awaited new vehicles is the Range Rover Evoque, a compact SUV with chop-top stying of the type many commentators thought would never go beyond the concept stage. Evoque is one of the world’s newest vehicles, appearing in Sydney only two weeks after its debut at the Paris Motor Show at the start of October.

The Sydney Motor Show, which has the official title of ‘Australian International Motor Show’ will be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour from 15-24 October. Further information and the chance to buy tickets can be found on the AIMS website www.motorshow.com.au