MAZDA says it was a natural evolution of their brand to achieve a 5-star safety rating across all cars in its range.

The brand-new Mazda CX-9 goes on sale on Friday July 8th, and the seven-seater SUV was just awarded 35.87-points out of 37 for safety by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).

The 5-star rating means all cars in Mazda’s range have been awarded the maximum possible score.

Mazda marketing director Alastair Doak says this was just part of a natural progression for Mazda instead of a concerted effort.

“With our four brand pillars, i-ACTIVESENSE safety is in there,” he told Wheels.

“Most of that is active safety through our i-ACTIVESENSE technology and chassis.

“We have continued to improve and focus on crash friendliness. I think a natural conclusion to that was our cars would be built to all generate 5-star ratings.”

Doak says Mazda was confident it could achieve the maximum score across the range – which includes Wheels’ Car of the Year; the MX-5, for the first time ever.

“We were pretty confident with our latest generation product that they are all very, very safe – either in avoiding the incident in the first place, or if you do unfortunately end up in a crash, to deliver maximum protection for the occupants,” Doak added.

“It was just an evolution of the brand and of the vehicles themselves.”

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ANCAP has been urging new car buyers to avoid models that score less than 5 stars in its tests.

However, Doak says Mazda didn’t take this into consideration when it began pushing for greater safety.

“We are putting our own focus on safety, so it was important for us to get the message out and probably the most obvious way is as a comparison against our competitors and to put our cars through the ANCAP process,” he continued. “That was more the motivation.”

The CX-9 received perfect marks for both the side and pole tests, and was awarded ANCAP’s highest rating of good for whiplash and pedestrian protection.

“This is the first time we’ve subjected the CX-9 to the ANCAP crash test process,” said ANCAP chief executive officer James Goodwin.

“Safety is an important consideration for buyers in this class as this model is likely to be used to transport children and other family members.

“CX-9 buyers have previously gone without a rating so we have filled this gap with safety-savvy consumers now able to enter the showroom with confidence, knowing all new variants offer the top level of safety.

“For a large, heavy vehicle, it performed extremely well in each of the destructive tests and comfortably achieved a 5 star ANCAP safety rating.”

The 2017 Volkswagen Crafter has been revealed in official sketches that showcase a new design for the German brand’s commercial vans.

Volkswagen’s biggest van will be all-new when it’s shown at Germany’s Commercial Vehicle Show in September – breaking a 10-year link with the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

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The sleek-looking van will have the most slippery aerodynamics in its class, according to Volkswagen. This should help reduce fuel consumption, though the company has yet to confirm which powertrains will be offered plus many other details.

The new Crafter is expected to retain the outgoing model’s twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel engine, available in varying outputs.

Volkswagen says the interior will also be redesigned – complementing the new-look exterior that features the company family ‘face’ comprising wide horizontal grille with prominent VW badge.

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The Crafter, shown as a window van in the sketches, is currently available in multiple configurations that include varying roof heights and wheelbases.

Rivals for the Volkswagen Crafter include the Ford Transit, Renault Master and Fiat Ducato.

Since its introduction in 2015, Mercedes-AMG’s rapid C63 S range has swept aside the competition to become the class king in supercar-rivalling performance and handling. But the newest variant – the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe – adds an even meaner streak to the mix.

The two-door has a broader stance on the road and tweaked suspension, translating into an even more involving driving experience. It also has an angrier exhaust note, which signals its position as the pinnacle of the vast Mercedes-Benz C-Class line-up.

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STRENGTHS

• Performance. Mountains of it. AMG’s rumbling twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 has never been wanting in the grunt department, and has no problem dealing with the C63 S Coupe’s 70kg weight gain over its sedan relative. Due to the Coupe’s broader footprint and improved grip, it’s marginally quicker from zero to 100km/h than the sedan, and some exhaust-system tuning means it sounds angrier too. Like hitting the ‘Loud’ button on a stereo, you gain extra bass.
• Handling and ride. Not only does the C63 S two-door handle more sweetly than its four-door relatives, it’s more confidence-inspiring too. Broader tyres, extra width and subtle suspension enhancements endow the Coupe with greater poise, as well as a more polished ride, particularly in its sportier suspension settings.
• Less doors means more style. Well, that’s how most people feel, anyway. Where the regular C-Class coupe is all about its svelte lines and classy elegance, the AMG version introduces some tough-looking streetwear and two mean pairs of boots, to dramatic effect. There’s definitely something theatrical about the impact of the Coupe’s vast tyre width and bulging wheelarches.

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WEAKNESSES

• Styling’s gain is practicality’s loss – as you’d expect in a coupe – even though the deficit isn’t great. The C63 S Coupe feels virtually identical up front, besides the exclusivity of frameless doors, and its boot continues to offer plenty of luggage space. It’s the rear seat that suffers, though two adults could ride comfortably for short periods of time. Kids won’t have an issue, however there are only seatbelts for two, not three.
• Driving ease. If you don’t expect a car to challenge you, the regular C300 Coupe offers a superb mix of serenity and sports. But not the C63 S. At times, it requires subtle applications of the accelerator pedal to drive smoothly, and on bad roads, its ride can be quite brutal. You’ll also rarely get to deploy its full performance arsenal around town. If you do, on cold tyres, expect the electronics to be working double-time to maintain some semblance of traction.
• The twin-turbo V8’s urban thirst. While cruise-controlled journeys on country roads and freeways deliver unexpectedly good fuel economy, the same can’t be said of inner-city gridlock, regardless of what the fuel sticker says. Consumption isn’t terrible, but it ain’t great either.

The C63 S’s most obvious rival is the BMW M4 Competition, an uprated version of the regular M4 intended to sharpen the focus and finesse of BMW’s once-iconic coupe. And let’s not forget the Porsche Cayman S. It’s on the cusp of having its legendary flat-six engines replaced with turbocharged flat-fours, so if that makes you recoil, hurry. It also only seats two. Beyond those two, there’s the ageing Audi RS5 Coupe, which still has its good points, and the nice-sounding but less hardcore Lexus RC-F.

TELL ME ABOUT THIS CAR

Volvo is back in the big luxury sedan game with the S90 Inscription AWD, the launch model’s all-wheel drive range topper, offering the Swedish brand’s all-new SPA modular chassis, strong 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol and diesel choices, cutting-edge safety, an interior that’s as spacious as it is elegant, and – at last – decent handling and ride characteristics.

Somewhat larger than the unloved S80 it replaces, the Volvo S90 ushers in a renewed era of passenger cars for the Geely-owned Volvo, challenging Germany’s hegemony of the market head-on, but with a more typical Scandinavian safety, design, and comfort focus. “Relaxed Confidence” is the mantra.

To that end, a massive emphasis has been made to elevate the S90 dynamically, with the front or optional all-wheel drive platform tuned for steering, handling, and ride quality enjoyment. Volvo says breakthrough technologies make the newcomer one of the safest sedans ever. A wagon version known as the V90 arrives in mid-2017.

Sweden, it seems, is no longer neutral then. Germany, Japan, England, Korea, and Italy have quite a fight on their hands.

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STRENGTHS

• Progressive safety. Volvo’s time-honoured obsession with safety means the S90 debuts key fresh tech like ‘Run-Off Road Mitigation’ that senses the edge of the road as well as painted lines to help keep the car on track and ‘City Safety Large Animal Detection’ (mainly to avoid hitting moose!), while improved driver-assist systems help prevent or mitigate the chances of a crash. The body is also extremely strong.
• Lush, long cabin. The S90 is properly large, so five adults should fit in quite comfortably. But it is the sumptuous seat support, lovely materials, and elegant layout that ought to have Audi worried, though we only sampled the top-spec Inscription versions. And though the touchscreen interface does take a moment to acclimatise with, it works a treat. The Swedes sure do take their ergonomics seriously.
• Comfortable yet capable chassis. Sharing about 60 percent of its parts with the lauded XC90 launched in 2015, the S90 takes things one step further with properly connected steering feel (in Dynamic mode – in Comfort it feels too light), and advanced chassis tuning, to make this the best-driving and comfiest Volvo ever. Note, however, that all test cars featured the more powerful T6 petrol and D5 diesel powertrains, as well as optional rear air suspension and double-glazing glass, so a final verdict must wait until it’s driven on Aussie roads.

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WEAKNESSES

• Vocal engine. While the S90’s D5 diesel debuts impressive enhanced-turbo tech for fast and effortless performance, the smooth and speedy T6 petrol does have to work hard at high revs to deliver its prodigious punch, sounding strained doing so. This is exacerbated in Dynamic mode, because the eight-speed auto holds on to each ratio up to the red line, instead of upshifting to a quieter gear.
• Drive selector position. The one fly in an otherwise shining ergonomic ointment is the awkwardly placed Drive Mode selector positioned near the driver’s elbow, requiring eyes off the road to operate. Additionally, the system needs a few seconds to execute a change, extending the period of this potentially dangerous driving distraction.
• Stingy pricing. Yes, the S90 Inscription AWD (as tested) looks and feels like a luxury sedan starting from $96,900, with the safety and driveability to match, but Volvo has a big task convincing the public that its newcomer now is good enough to play in the big league. So why then, does it insist on charging $3000 extra for the Technology Pack items that most others already include? This means that expected features like digital radio, a 360-degree camera view, a head-up display, and Apple CarPlay cost extra. Boo!

Perhaps the Volvo’s biggest challenger is the much-praised 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, that also promises to push safety, refinement, and advanced technologies to greater heights. And the second-gen Jaguar XF brings a more athletic attitude in an equally-new but rear-drive set-up that is more in the BMW and Benz mould than the front-drive/AWD Swede. Speaking of which, the Audi A6, as well as the current segment-defining BMW 5 Series, are both in their twilight years, so here’s a chance for Volvo to make hay while the Bavarian sun isn’t shining as brightly as usual.

One word I would never have thought to associate with Americans is pragmatic.

I mean, if a nation can be on the verge of electing a dingo-crazy bloke with a dead cat on his head as president, then it’s tempting to imagine the rank and file working stiffs of that same nation are likely to be getting about in orange overalls and propeller caps.

But here’s the thing: I’m writing this in Washington DC (and yeah, I’m on my own dime, thanks very much) and I’m seeing a degree of motoring pragmatism that just doesn’t add up. Not when you hold the facts up against the popular notion of your average North American motorist, anyway. And yes, I know DC isn’t wacky old California, but even over this side, they’re crazy enough to sell you pre-mixed watermelon margueritas in cans and misguided enough to call me ‘Sir’.

So where does my (and probably your) carefully constructed (after several decades of US cop shows) notion of American car-culture diverge from the reality of same? Everywhere, I think. For a start, all those civvie-street Hummers? I think I’ve seen one. In fact, I’ve seen more of the military version (the Cut-Lunch Commandos in DC use them to control intersections at busy times).

The only Ford Crown Victorias I’ve seen have been literally on their last legs (as in, they won’t be here this time next year) and cab companies and cops are now using Explorers and hybrid Camrys. Big pick-ups are starting to take a back seat to compact trucks, too. About the only sensible thing that hasn’t caught on is the small hatchback although you do see a few locally made Ford Focuses and plenty of Volkswagen Golfs (mainly GTIs).

And here’s proof the Pragmatista might be winning: I spotted a Ford Mustang in a DC street, same as the one below. Check the tyres; they’re a 235/55 17. That’s what I said: 235/55 17. Okay, they don’t look as butch as a 19 or 20 with a black-belt in Goodyear, but I’m here to tell you they ride a whole lot better on the sort of crumbly, broken streets that DC and New York City have to offer. And that, my friends, is form over fashion. It’s also something you won’t see on an Aussie Mustang. Hey, America: You’ve changed, dude.

MAZDA’S people-moving SUV, the CX-9, has been awarded the maximum 5-star safety rating by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) crash test.

The brand-new Mazda CX-9 achieved 35.87 points out of a possible 37.

The 5-star rating means the CX-9 completes the safest range ever for Mazda, with the maximum score achieved by every vehicle it sells in Australia.

The CX-9 received perfect marks for both the side and pole tests.

Whiplash and pedestrian protection were described as good – the top mark from ANCAP.

“This is the first time we’ve subjected the CX-9 to the ANCAP crash test process,” said ANCAP chief executive officer James Goodwin.

“Safety is an important consideration for buyers in this class, as this model is likely to be used to transport children and other family members.

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“CX-9 buyers have previously gone without a rating so we have filled this gap with safety savvy consumers now able to enter the showroom with confidence knowing all new variants offer the top level of safety.

“For a large, heavy vehicle, it performed extremely well in each of the destructive tests and comfortably achieved a 5 star ANCAP safety rating.”

Mazda is pleased to have its entire range awarded 5 stars by ANCAP.

“We are delighted with the safety result for Brand-New Mazda CX-9, it offers peace of mind to families in the market for a premium seven-seat SUV,” said Mazda Australia managing director Martin Benders.

“This is an important day for Mazda, our range of vehicles, and buyers considering a Mazda purchase.

“Five star safety ratings across the entire range is a testament to the strength of the Mazda Proactive Safety philosophy, the impressive portfolio of active safety features – which Mazda calls i-ACTIVSENSE – and our passive safety measures – which considers the vehicle’s structural design. Combined, all of these keep occupants safer in an accident.

“I acknowledge the hard work and commitment of the Mazda team in Hiroshima who have ensured our cars offer modern, cutting-edge automotive safety technologies.”

The brand-new CX-9 goes on sale Friday June 8.

If you or I had just won the Le Mans 24-Hour race, we’d probably pat ourselves on the back and then retire to a beach somewhere for a well-earned vacation.

Not Romain Dumas, though. Having secured victory in the dying minutes of the 2016 French endurance classic, he jumped on a plane, crossed the Atlantic and took his second win in a week at the 2016 Pikes Peak International Hillclimb.

Driving a Norma M20 RD Limited, Dumas scaled the 19.9km course in 8:51.445, the second-fastest run in history behind Sebastien Loeb’s incredible 8:13.878 run in 2013.

Behind Dumas were a pair of electric vehicles, Rhys Millen a close second (8:57.118) with Acura’s all-electric supercar a further nine seconds back.

Volvo exit paved the way for McLaughin’s move to DJR Team Penske

Loyal as he is to Garry Rogers, young kiwi needed to secure his future

It’s no great surprise that Scott McLaughlin is departing Garry Rogers’ Volvo operation to join Fabian Coulthard at DJR Team Penske in 2017 and beyond.

DJR Team Penske has had McLaughlin on its radar for more than a year, but the Volvo star needed a damned good reason to leave GRM, a happy and successful team.

Back in April when confirmation arrived that Volvo was departing the Supercars series from the end of this season, McLaughlin, one of the more prodigious young talents in the country, was morally and emotionally free to look elsewhere for job security. His contract was nearing its end, and Rogers’ plans for next season are just not firm enough to be reassuring to an ambitious, hot property. McLaughlin would be the first to acknowledge that Rogers gave him great opportunities, particularly a competitive car in which to win races and confirm his talent.

The 23-year old is currently in third place in the 2016 title chase and in three-and-a-half seasons in the main game has landed eight race wins, and 17 poles.

And then there was the lure of joining DJR Team Penske.

“You’ve got to understand that Roger Penske is hell-bent on being number one in Supercars and nothing will stop him,” team founder Dick Johnson told Wheels. “Make no mistake, Penske will get there [to the top]. He has every other time.”

One Scott’s imminent arrival means another Scott – Pye – is out of work and looking at other opportunities in Supercars.

Pye has certainly done enough after stepping in to replace Marcos Ambrose after the former NASCAR star’s shock decision to call time on his career last season. “Scott Pye always understood he was an interim driver,” Johnson said.

“He got a chance to race with us when Marcos pulled the pin very unexpectedly. One thing I can say about Penske too is that they’ll never buy out a contract. Contracts are honoured always.

“With the combination of McLaughlin and Coulthard we’ll be chasing race wins next season.”

McLaughlin is something of a one-lap pole specialist, but also races impressively and has posted seven top-five results across the first 13 races aces this season, including a pair of victories from pole position at the Phillip Island SuperSprint.

He has certainly hooked up with a powerhouse for 2017. Competing in a variety of disciplines, including NASCAR and INDYCAR, Team Penske has produced more than 430 major race wins, over 490 pole positions, 28 national championships and 16 Indianapolis 500 victories during its storied 50-year history.

Erebus in transition

The V8 Holden team initially moved to its GT workshops at the start of the season but it was a temporary home.

Erebus has been working hard this year, helping new drivers David Reynolds and Aaren Russell settle in while toiling to improve the performance of Reynolds’ Walkinshaw customer Holden.

It is to the credit of Erebus and Reynolds that their Holden has been on the pace of the HRT cars.

“The transition has been a massive undertaking and I am extremely appreciative of everyone’s patience and understanding,” said owner Betty Klimenko. “Our sponsors and staff have been very supportive and David Reynolds has been fantastic through all of this.”

Klimenko has also taken time to explain that while, on the surface, Erebus is a two-car team, she doesn’t own one of the Commodore Supercars.

“We agreed to work with Novocastrian Motorsport ahead of this year to give Aaren Russell the chance to compete – it’s something we haven’t done before in Supercars”.

“Aaren and his father Wayne brought their own car and major sponsor, and Erebus Motorsport have been managing and maintaining it.”

“Wayne Russell wanted his son to compete in Supercars and together we worked on a program that gives Aaren the chance to work with Erebus Motorsport’s experienced crew. The team has also made David available to help Aaren where he can”.

Erebus is also building a new car for Reynolds ahead of 2017 but it’s all rather crazy with this project also coming as the team is set to make a move to the new headquarters.

Mercedes team-mates? Mates isn’t the correct term when this pair hit the track.

A last-lap collision between Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton has again put team orders – or their absence – at the Silver Arrows team under scrutiny and is sure to keep the rivalry between the warring pair simmering into the second half of the season.

Rosberg has been penalised – although it’s effectively a slap with a chiffon scarf – after stewards found him to blame in the contact with Hamilton, who recovered to overtake the German to take victory in an exciting Austrian Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg was later given a 10-second time penalty for causing a collision with his team-mate. But the penalty is meaningless, as Rosberg retained his fourth placing, ahead of Red Bull’s Daniel Riccardo.

The stewards concluded that Rosberg was at fault for not allowing Hamilton “racing room” and so was guilty of causing the collision.

Now firmly back in the title hunt, Hamilton said about Rosberg on the podium: “He made a mistake into Turn One and I had an opportunity to go around the outside in Turn Two. I left a lot of room on the inside and I guess he looked up and crashed into me.”

The latest in a series of on-track incidents between the two Mercedes drivers will be causing plenty of introspection within the team, as it prides itself of allowing its two stars to race without the burden of team orders. This philosophy may come under review following another failure by the pair to race cleanly.

Mercedes confirmed that Rosberg’s car had had a brake-by-wire failure during the end of the penultimate lap.

Rosberg admitted he was “absolutely gutted” by the outcome which has resulted in his points lead looking under serious threat from the reborn Hamilton.

Earlier, in Saturday’s damp track conditions, Hamilton took a brilliant pole position, more than half-a-second faster than Rosberg, who was then demoted to sixth because of a gearbox penalty.

Some questionable pit calls from Mercedes allowed Rosberg to move closer and then Hamilton was delayed by a problem with a rear wheel and Rosberg claimed the lead.

Until the dramatic last lap.

Quickly too. The British Grand Prix is next weekend.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel crashed out when a tyre blew after clipping the kerb.

Behind Ricciardo in sixth was McLaren’s Jenson Button, who drove a strong race to convert his third on the grid to a strong points finish.

Norwegian Mikkelsen claims dramatic victory in Rally Poland

Heartbreak for Ott Tanak as puncture robs him of maiden WRC win

Tänak’s Ford Fiesta RS slowed with a puncture in the penultimate rain-soaked speed stage, wiping out his near-20sec lead and allowing VW driver Mikkelsen to claim a second WRC success.

“We pushed so hard all weekend and with the weather as it was today we knew it was going to be difficult and we gave it everything,” said the popular driver, who also knows what it is like to have a win stolen from him almost in sight of the finish (in Sweden on the last stage in 2015, when he spun out). It was like a war in the penultimate stage and it was all about luck, who got out without problems, and we were the lucky ones.”

“I told Ott before the final stage that I felt so sorry for him. It would have been an adventure story but that’s the way rallying is. It’s very unpredictable,” said the Finn, who has now moved to second in the points, behind his VW team-mate Sebastien Ogier.

Kiwi Hayden Paddon completed the podium in a Hyundai i20, ending a spate of shunts in the previous two rounds. His team-mate Thierry Neuville was fourth, jus 0.8sec away.

Poland marked the midpoint of the 14-round campaign and the second half begins with Rally Finland on July 28 – 31.

Everyone seems to be doing it. Recalling cars, that is. Volkswagen’s now infamous ‘Dieselgate’ scandal last year saw a proposal to recall up to 11 million cars worldwide and we’ve already seen Toyota and Mitsubishi issue large-scale recalls in Australia to fix faulty systems. So what happens if you’re one of those affected by a recall?

So what’s a recall?

A recall occurs when a car manufacturer detects a fault in the cars it has sold. In order to maintain the safety of their products, they will require the cars to be brought in to the dealership for the fault to be rectified. It’s not just cars that are subject to recalls.

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How often do they occur?

More often than you’d think. Of course, the big recalls attract media attention, but smaller-scale fixes are instigated all the time. Even Toyota, usually seen as a paragon of reliability, has issued 68 recalls in Australia in the last decade. Mercedes-Benz has clocked up 82. If you think that’s a lot, you’re right. In 2013, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US tightened up regulations around recalls, fining car manufacturers who didn’t alert them to potential safety issues. This increase in recalls has spread globally.

There’s recalls, and then there are recalls

Although Volkswagen was hauled over the coals for its fiddling of emissions figures, nobody was claiming the cars were in any way unsafe to drive. That’s not the case with all recalls. At the most extreme end of the scale, the manufacturer might issue a ‘do not drive’ directive. Porsche took this decision when its 911 GT3 models started catching fire, subsequently fitting every one of the cars with a new engine. If your car is subject to a recall, the manufacturer will assess the risk and notify you accordingly.

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How much will it cost me?

It shouldn’t cost you anything. The vast majority of recall work is for very minor technical issues. Mitsubishi’s huge recall this month was largely concerned with connectors in the lighting system that could, over time, corrode and no longer function. It’s a part that costs a few cents to change out and Mitsubishi reckoned that each vehicle would take thirty minutes to repair.

How will I know if my vehicle is recalled?

Manufacturers will usually contact you by mail to let you know that your car is being recalled. That’s all well and good if you’re the first owner of the vehicle. If you bought it as a used car, it might well be worth visiting the website of the ACCC and looking up your vehicle.

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If I ignore the recall, does it affect my warranty?

Yes, people do ignore recalls with such regularity, there’s even a term for it – recall fatigue. Put bluntly, people get fed up taking their cars back to dealers for what they see as trivial fixes. It’s best to observe them for the sake of safety and the sanctity of your warranty. Some manufacturers will look for wiggle room when dealing with expensive warranty claims, so it pays to make sure you’ve honoured your side of the deal as a responsible owner.