The Maybach is bach! Er, back!
Roughly two years after killing off its ultra-luxury standalone brand, the revered Maybach name is set to reappear on the bootlid of a new S-Class based flagship, due to be revealed before the end of this month.
That plan might sound spookily familiar, but Mercedes has learned from its mistakes, with the Maybach set to be much more closely aligned with the S-Class on which it is based.
Following the precedent set by the new C63 and GT, which are known as Mercedes-AMGs rather than Mercedes-Benz, the new flagship will be known as the Mercedes-Maybach.
Autocar reports that prices are expected to be around 10 per cent more than the equivalent standard model, rather than the stratospheric $1m+ entry ticket the previous generation Maybach demanded.
An S600 will be offered in Europe using Mercedes’ familiar 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12, while a twin-turbo V8 S500 will be offered in other markets and a V6 S400 reserved for Asian markets with punitive taxes on high-emission cars.
A Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman said each model would be looked at on a case-by-case basis, but the car would be special order-only when it arrives in the last quarter of 2015.
As with the original Maybach, the car’s party piece will be individually reclinable rear seats like those in business class on an aeroplane, as well as “lavishly designed, prestigious interiors offering extensive scope for individualisation.”
The previous-generation Maybach was a disaster for Mercedes, selling only around 3000 cars in 13 years on sale, hampered by derivative (and unattractive) styling and a lack of development. The world’s uber-rich much preferred the Rolls-Royce Phantom that debuted around the same time.
With the world’s wealthy clamouring for ultra-expensive machinery, especially if it can be uniquely personalised, Maybach’s revival is likely to be a lot more successful this time around.
As the curtain comes down on Aussie muscle cars, we endeavour to set a production-car record in perpetuity and break a mythical speed barrier.
Go behind the scenes of Target 300 here, check out the full story in Wheels December issue (on sale Nov 20) and stay tuned for the feature video at wheelsmag.com.au.
FORD’S long-awaited wagon version of the Aussie designed and developed Ranger trade ute is finally out in the wild – the 2015 Ford Everest SUV.
The seven-seat Everest will give Ford an answer to the Holden Colorado 7 and Isuzu MU-X, as well as the Toyota Kluger and forthcoming HiLux-based Toyota Fortuner.
While its rivals are also based on commercial vehicles, the production version of the Everest doesn’t draw as heavily on Ranger’s rugged worksite ute origins, instead shows some real on-road promise with what looks to be a similar Watts linkage rear end as used on previous generations of V8 Supercars.
Unveiled in Beijing 15 months after it first appeared in concept form in the wake of Ford Australia’s decision to stop local manufacturing, the Everest will be sold in several global markets, including Australia, from early next year.
Everest will come in either rear- or all-wheel-drive versions, with Australian versions expected to use the 3.2-litre five-cylinder diesel already used under the bonnet of the Ranger ute. Other markets will also have access to a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.
Ford will also offer a more fuel-efficient 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine in some markets.
The production version of the Everest borrows some luxury-car features, including active noise cancelling inside the cabin that uses the audio system’s speakers to mask things like wind and tyre roar, and active engine mounts that turn a rattly diesel into a smooth operator.
Other features include a large sunroof, more than 30 stash points and cubby holes that rival the Ford Territory’s versatility, a powered tailgate, a Toyota Prado-rivalling 240-volt charging point, and fold-flat second- and third-row seats.
Smartphones will integrate with the Everest via an eight-inch multimedia screen, while the integrated driver aids read more like the list for a high-end passenger car than an off-road capable wagon: Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Aid, and a Blind Spot Information System with an alert system that sounds a warning if a vehicle appears in their blind spot while driving or when preparing to reverse out of parking spots.
Everest will also have access to adaptive cruise control, and a forward-looking radar that can stop the big SUV automatically to reduce or even avoid a rear-end shunt.
And there’s no need to worry about the Everest’s size in the city, with an Active Park Assist system that should also appear on the new Ford Mondeo due in Australia early next year allowing drivers to parallel park hands-free.
On the safety front, Everest is expected to wear up to seven airbags.
If you want to go offroad, the Everest uses a Land Rover-style system that lets the driver match four separate driving modes with the view out the windows – Normal for on-road use, Snow/Gravel/Grass, Sand and Rock. There’s also selectable low-range gearing for climbing the really tough kerbs, and an 800mm wading depth to survive inner-city flash floods.
Everest is due on sale in Australia early next year.
WHAT IS IT? A funky, urban hipster oriented city car designed from the ground up as an electric car. It is BMW trying to jump its opposition, who are still largely fiddling with hybrids, and sex up the EV from a nerdy, techy product into a lust-worthy, chic premium product.
WHY WE ARE TESTING IT This is our first drive of the i3 on Australian roads, so we’re keen to see if it can manoeuvre over kangaroo road kill, cope with pock-marked back roads and handle the Aussie heat
MAIN RIVALS Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, Renault Twizy, Smart ForFour
SPECS Model: BMW i3 Engine: Synchronous electric motor Max power: 125kW Max torque: 250Nm @ 0rpm Transmission: single-speed automatic Weight: 1195kg 0-100km/h: 7.6sec Fuel economy: 12.9kWh/100km (EU) Price: $63,900
THE WHEELS VERDICT The i3 is more than simply an EV: it’s genuinely desirable for its drivability, design and is genuinely affordable. It shifts the goalposts for BMW’s rivals.
PLUS Bold styling, attainable cost, realistic range MINUS Small boot, Range extender gets no more pace, slow charge time
THE WHEELS REVIEW HENRY Ford once said, “If I asked the man in the street what he wanted, he would’ve said a faster horse.” The BMW i3 isn’t intended to sell by the millions like Henry’s Model T, but instead is aiming to spark a desire for electric motoring that currently doesn’t exist.
Other electric cars haven’t created an irrational, emotion-based connection with a broad or influential crowd. The Mitsubishi iMiEV didn’t do it. The Nissan Leaf hasn’t so much, while the Renault Twizy – under consideration for Australia – is seen as a novelty more than a necessity. The i3 is such a bold, innovative gamble for the German car maker, an electric city car that runs a carbonfibre chassis, has a 160km range yet poses as a design centric, funky and desirable machine that should appeal far beyond tech-heads and early-adopters. It is the first electric car that people will buy not just because it’s electric.
The i3 kicks off at $64K – a lot for a city car, but countered somewhat by its edgy design and the cache of a BMW badge. Each element is not exactly bold or unique: yet it’s the combination for that price that makes it compelling. First is the carbonfibre chassis, which helps keep weight down while giving the i3 the strength to not have a B-pillar, and have its ‘coach’ opening rear doors. The panels are all plastic, apart from the carbonfibre roof and the glass tailgate.
In total, this helps keep the with down to 1195kg, helping the 125kW electric motor, mounted on the back axle to feed the rear wheels, offer a range of up to 200km, or 340km with the Range Extender in the i3’s most efficient of its three driving modes, EcoPro+. There’s also the standard Comfort, with full throttle response, or the mid EcoPro, which takes a tiny edge of the throttle and reduces the air-con’s energy take.
The Range Extender adds a 647cc two-cylinder pinched from BMW Motorrad that’s nestled next to the electric motor, so doesn’t swallow any boot- or rear-seat space at all. Despite the extra 140 claimed range, you also cop an extra 120kg thanks to that engine and nine-litre fuel tank, while it also costs $6K more than the electric-only i3, with no other spec or equipment level changes other than 20mm wider rear 175 tyres.
At the wheel, the i3 presents a high driving position and good all round visibility, with a two-spoke wheel and digital dash before you. There’s loads of headroom, and legroom with no centre console up front. There are familiar BMW buttons, such as the iDrive controller, while the gear selector has been consolidated onto a stubby stalk on the right of the wheel. You’re surrounded by earthy textures and shapes, with the sunken dash below the 10.3in centre screen, mimicking the pinch on the exterior side windows. There’s wool, treated cotton and oil-leaf tanned leather in a cabin of 25 percent renewable or recycled materials with solid fit and finish.
Push start, and the dash comes to life with a chime to tell you the i3 is ready, before pushing D gets it all going. Not only does the silence stun pedestrians who fail to notice the i3, but the “one-pedal” technique of driving takes a bit of getting used to. The electric whir when you nail it, with the full 250Nm of torque on tap from zero revs, gives the i3 a giant-killing acceleration. Yet lift off the throttle suddenly, and you’ll snap your neck as the i3 slows with its re-generative braking.
The method, then, has you rolling out of the throttle when you’d normally brake, and once you’re accustomed to it the i3 becomes a fun, perky car to drive even on a winding country road that this city car’s not exactly designed for. Here, the roll becomes apparent, and the change of direction shows the body and chassis aren’t in unison, and it feels a little tall from the high driving position, but this is a well-balanced city car that is a lot of fun out of town. It has a proper multi-link rear end, too, and while the ride on the optional 20s is a tad jiggly, the standard 19s are surprisingly comfortable and don’t make as much tyre noise at higher speeds.
Either choice delivers excellent road holding and the steering, which is responsive if not overly meaty in its weight and feel, makes the i3 feel almost chuckable when you’re having a play, the rear-drive almost ruling out understeer when you’re pushing it. Around town, its 9.8m turning circle – smaller than a Mini’s – means snap U-turns are a breeze, and its rolling response for lane changes is almost as good as its off-the-mark effort, which is 7.2sec for the EV, or 7.9sec in the Range Extender.
The downsides are a boot that’s only 260 litres, and when the two-cylinder engine kicks in, it sounds like there’s a dentist’s drill in the boot. And although the i3 is relatively affordable for an EV, $64K for a city car is still a big ask. Then there’s charging: if you use a standard Aussie plug, it takes a lethargic 11 hours for a full fill, but you can pay another $1750 for a fast charger that tops up the lithium-ion batteries in a more satisfying six hours or so.
The Range Extender is expected to make up around 70 percent of sales in Oz, yet the EV version is the i3 in its purest, best form. It’s faster, better balance, more refined and cheaper, and puts cars like the frumpy Nissan Leaf to shame in terms of style and appeal. It is a genuine premium product that delivers on its promise, and even if it’s far from The Ultimate Driving Machine, it’s clever, practical and lust-worthy EV. It’s the most convincing to date, even in a country that doesn’t offer a single dollar rebate for such a stunning zero-emission city car.
OR TRY THESE Nissan Leaf World’s best-selling electric car looks plain against the i3
Smart ForFour Similar size, but you’ll have to wait until 2016 for the EV
ROLLS-Royce has ripped luxury equipment from one of its best-selling models – the Series II version of the Ghost – in an effort to reduce the price and give customers a “blank canvas to build from that”.
The result is a $100,000 price chop for the Series II version of the British brand’s most affordable car – which is still a $545,000 drive-away proposition.
But it’s accompanied by the removal of upmarket features, including lambswool floor mats, rear TV screens, electrically adjustable rear seats, and some of the exterior cameras.
It may seem like an odd move for a brand that pitches itself as the pinnacle of luxury, but Asia-Pacific regional director Paul Harris defends the move by pointing to the bespoke program, whereby owners can choose from myriad options – even suggest their own, such as wood taken from a specific tree with sentimental value.
“We’ve got something like 45,000 options… so to second guess what that could be is very, very difficult for us to do and that’s the main reason for the price repositioning,” said Harris.
“It’s based on feedback and people saying ‘it isn’t quite what I want’.”
However, Harris said there are no plans to reduce the price of the brand’s most expensive model, the Phantom.
From 2005 the Phantom sold for $915,000 when the value of the US dollar was as low as 67 cents (in 2008).
Since then the import tariff on new vehicles has been reduced from 10 percent to five percent – corresponding to a reduction in the price of many new cars – and the value of the dollar climbed as high as $1.10 compared with the US dollar.
But the price of the Phantom has increased 17 percent to $1,075,000, cementing it as the most expensive new car on the Australian market.
In the US, the Phantom sells for $US405,000. Even considering the five percent import tariff, 33 percent luxury car tax and 10 percent GST, an equivalent price in Australia should be less than $700,000.
But Harris suggests there is plenty of room for dealers to move with final pricing of the Phantom, especially when it comes to options through the bespoke program.
“We already adjusted for Phantom Series II; we’ve got no intention to realign from that position,” he said.
“I would have a closer look at those figures and a closer look at the retail price; I think we’d be quite close to the US. I know because I see the way that we price ex-factory. So I’m pretty confident that the customer wants to have a Phantom and wants to have it on a price similar to the US we’re able to achieve that.”
Rolls-Royce has already sold a record number of cars in Australia so far in 2014 – 34 cars for the first 10 months compared with 25 for the whole of 2010.
Harris said the final tally for 2014 would be 40-something, almost double the previous record.
The just-released Ghost Series II also gets a redesigned grille, suspension tweaks, metal door handles (in lieu of plastic) and a “spirit of ecstasy” badge now tilted seven degrees forward.
MERCEDES-BENZ has confirmed a rumoured rearrangement of its model naming system.
The new nomenclature, to be introduced in 2015, has been necessitated by the company’s continuing avalanche of fresh-minted metal.
This process, already under way, involves the launch of 30 new vehicles out to 2020, including 11 without precursor in the current portfolio.
“Our plan has been to devise an even simpler, more transparent and more logical system for the designations of our model series, with the aim of providing clear orientation for our customers,” said marketing communications boss Jens Thiemer during the launch of the new nomenclature in Stuttgart.
“Now is the ideal time to do this, for in 2015 we will be updating virtually our whole SUV model range, providing us with the perfect starting point for renaming the whole family of vehicles.”
Mercedes’ core A, B, C, E and S models provide the framework for the new naming system.
The first two letters for all SUV models will be ‘GL’.
The GLA already conforms to the new system, but the replacement for the GLK will instead be GLC, the M-Class or ML will become the GLE and the existing GL will be renamed GLS.
The unchanging G-Class is the one exception to the new rule; its name will remain.
The same basic system will apply to Mercedes’ four-door coupes, although no changes are required for the existing models in this style, the CLA and CLS.
From 2016, all roadsters will have ‘SL’ as their first two letters. The replacement for the SLK will therefore be the SLC.
As with the G-Class, the long-established SL will keep its name.
At the same time, different types of engines will also be given new, shorter designations.
Mercedes bootlids will in future feature lower-case letters, as follows: ‘c’ for compressed natural gas (previously Natural Gas Drive), ‘d’ for diesel, ‘e’ for electric, ‘f’ for fuel cell and ‘h’ for hybrid.
As in the past, there will be no suffix for the petrol models.
The nomenclature announcement coincided with the announcement of the Mercedes-Maybach S600, top of the S-Class line-up.
The company’s plan is to make Mercedes-Maybach a mega-luxury sub-brand, just as Mercedes-AMG is being turned into the company’s performance sub-brand.
More Mercedes-Maybach models have been promised for the future.
The 2015 Porsche Cayenne S gets a new engine and a raft of tweaks to keep Porsche’s best seller in the SUV fight.
WHAT IS IT Porsche’s largest SUV that now makes up half of the brands sales in Oz and underpins its profitability for Porsches we like better, like the 911. It’s offered in V6 petrol, V8 diesel and hybrid form and in 2014 was joined by a smaller SUV, the Macan, which overtook it in the sales race last month as stock of the old Cayenne dried up
WHY WE’RE TESTING IT The 2015 update brings new metal, more power and a new engine to the Cayenne S to make it faster, more efficient and more desirable – on paper – than before.
MAIN RIVALS Audi Q7, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz ML-Class, Range Rover Sport
SPECS Model: Porsche Cayenne S Engine: 3604cc V6, dohc, 24v, twin-turbo Max power: 309kW @ 6000rpm Max torque: 550Nm @ 1350-4500rpm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Weight: 2085kg 0-100km/h: 5.4sec Fuel economy: 9.5L/100km (EU) Price: $139,900
THE WHEELS VERDICT The refreshed Cayenne S is a more desirable model thanks to even better drivability and lower running costs. We’ll still miss the old V8…
PLUS: Superb drivability and balance; cabin fit and finish MINUS: Numb steering, lack of tech showing its age
THE WHEELS REVIEW PORSCHE’S Cayenne has gained a dose of upgrades to battle the new BMW X5 and Range Rover Sport, as well as keeping Porsche’s most popular and profit-generating product looking fresh alongside the new smaller Porsche Macan SUV in its showrooms.
Cayenne is now armed with a new-look front and rear, with smarter, cleaner looking sheetmetal ahead of the windscreen, and restyled tail-lamps and a two-piece tailgate at the rear. While not dramatically different to look at, the range also gains the previous GTS-spec’s firmer suspension tune – the most athletic of the pre-facelift line-up – and new engines. We’re driving the new S model, which replaces the 4.8-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine with the 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 introduced with the Macan.
The new 3604cc V6 makes the Cayenne S – which at $139,900 wears the same price-tag as its predecessor – a different animal. Its 309kW trumps the 4.2-litre V8’s 294kW, and it has more torque, too, spread across a wider rev range: its 550Nm arrives at 1350rpm, against the old V8s peak of 500Nm at a higher 3500rpm. Behind the 918-inspired steering wheel – the only significant cabin change – the six doesn’t have the old V8’s meaty growl, but that’s not to say it’s a disappointment. For starters, its claimed 9.5L/100km fuel economy is 0.9L better than the old V8, and even if it doesn’t have quite the same timbre, the six still offers a solid yet less boisterous growl when you give the full boot.
Throttle response is solid in the highest Sports Plus mode of our test car – fitted with the optional Sports Chrono pack, which brings a Performance-Start launch control for the first time – but not neck snapping, with no noticeable lag. Impressively, the new V6 S sends the more fuel-efficient Cayenne from rest to 100km/h 0.3sec faster than the V8 it replaces (now 5.4sec), but the rolling response and drivability is improved, too. The eight-speed Tiptronic has been retuned to behave like Porsche’s brilliant dual-clutch transmission, yet it still isn’t as reactive or smooth as the PDK that little bro Macan runs.
The firmer suspension still delivers a composed yet comfortable ride on our test car’s optional 21-inch wheels, but for a plusher ride the standard 19s will fare better. So, too, the optional air suspension, even if the standard set-up is excellent: there’s minimal dive and squat, while roadholding is superb. So, too, is grip, with the all-wheel drive system unchanged for this update for superb out of corner, power-down traction. One thing we would like is more steering feedback from the Cayenne’s hydraulic steering. While you can place the car well, and it’s responsive, it doesn’t weigh up enough as you wind lock on around corners.
The Cayenne update is more than a nip and tuck, but packaging limitations of the ageing platform means it misses out on some key tech that the Macan offers, like the aforementioned PDK and electric steering. Yet the Cayenne S is much improved, and the V6 makes a much more compelling proposition as a daily driver. And let’s be honest: most Cayenne buyers won’t get within a horse-float’s length of exploiting the off- and on-road capabilities of one of the best-balanced SUVs money can buy.
OR TRY THESE Range Rover Sport SE supercharged V6 Has a much if not more cache in suburbs that also sell over-priced designer baby clothes, and shames a Cayenne off-road. Buy shares in oil cos.
BMW X5 xDrive 50i Atmo 4.4 V8 can take it to the Cayenne for pace, purr and agility. Cabin’s easily beaten by the Porsche, though…
HYUNDAI says limousine drivers are a key target market for its new Genesis luxury sedan.
The lure of a five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty and five years or 75,000km of free servicing will be enough for many, even if the claimed fuel use of 11.2L/100km makes it one of the thirstier cars on the road.
Already dozens of limousine drivers have made a detour to Hyundai’s head offices in Sydney’s Macquarie Park to inspect early arrivals of the Genesis, which went on sale last week.
“The limo drivers found out we had cars at our head office … we’ve had a steady stream come past [over the past few weeks],” Hyundai Australia chief operating officer John Elsworth said.
“We’re also going to put some influential limo drivers in loan cars.
“We honestly believe having interest from limo drivers is significant.
“We think we’ve got a pretty unique offering with the size of the vehicle, the value in the car and also the fact that it does come with a five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty and the five-year scheduled servicing all packaged up.”
Elsworth said getting people to look past the badge was a significant challenge but that transporting them in a Genesis limousine was a positive way of showcasing the cars to a large number of people.
“You’re exposing the car to many, many more people … you are getting a lot more people into your car. Ultimately, they can provide you with fantastic word of mouth.
“We’re very confident the car will stand the test of time in terms of quality.”
Hire-car operators in Australia have typically turned to the locally produced large cars to transport people looking for something more luxurious than a taxi.
But with the Holden Statesman and Ford Fairlane/LTD long gone and the dwindling Caprice set to be killed off by the end of 2017, drivers are more willing to look elsewhere, including the Skoda Superb, Lexus LS, Chrysler 300 and various German luxury sedans.
Jaguar has announced the F-Type range will grow from six variants to 14 with the full range to debut at the LA Auto Show on November 19.
Key to this expansion will be the adoption of all-wheel drive across the entire range, though that would merely double the current range, indicating a further two new variants will also appear.
Technical details of the all-wheel drive system are yet to be revealed, though Jaguar has confirmed the 405kW/680Nm F-Type R Coupe AWD is expected to hit 60mph (97km/h) in 3.9sec and top out at 300km/h.
Given we managed 3.99sec 0-100km/h in the rear-drive R Coupe at Performance Car of the Year recently, we suspect Jaguar’s claims are rather conservative.
With the rear-drive car severely limited by traction off the line, even with the extra weight of the all-wheel drive system we’d expect it to nail 0-100km/h in around 3.5sec.
Jaguar’s Vehicle Line Director, Ian Hoban, said “Our target with engineering the all-wheel drive F-Type was to maintain the engaging rear-drive character that’s so important to Jaguar sports cars.”
If Hoban is true to his word, let’s hope the F-Type AWD offers all-wheel drive traction and stability with the playfulness of a rear-driver like cars such as Audi’s R8 or Porsche’s 911 Carrera 4.
We’ll bring you more details following the car’s reveal on November 19.
In the mad, mad world of modifying, there is no such thing as excess.
Regardless of how good the base product is, there’s no power output that can’t be increased, no ride height that can’t be lowered, no colour that can’t be made brighter.
The Specialty Equipment Market Association show, known to all and sundry simply as SEMA, is the world’s largest aftermarket expo. Held appropriately in the glitz of Las Vegas, SEMA is an industry-only (i.e. not open to the public) showcase of the latest and greatest in the tuning industry.
For a taste of some of the best and worst examples of automotive taste check out the gallery above. As for which is which, well, that’s up to you.
