Associate editor Westerman’s worried. He’s driven Jaguar’s F-Type through Spain’s mountainous north, and in the July 2103 issue, given it bigger raps than Jay-Z and Tupac. But has he got it right? Does European brilliance translate to Aussie awesomeness?
No need to sweat it mate; this roadster is simply sensational. After a lengthy absence, it puts Jaguar back at the pointy end of the pure-bred sports car pack, and marks a significant turning point for the brand.
Its stiff alloy chassis, perfect 50:50 front to rear weight distribution, supremely supple suspension and exceptional steering feel deliver a rare driving experience, and that’s before we’ve even started on the engines.
The entry F-Type is powered by an all-alloy 3.0-litre supercharged V6 (as used in XJ and XF sedans), mounted longitudinally in the front, sending 250kW/450Nm, through a close-ratio, eight-speed auto transmission, towards the rear wheels. It sits on 18 inch alloys, is claimed to run 0-100km/h in 5.3sec and wears a $138,645 price tag.
Next step is the F-Type S, powered by an upgraded version of the same engine, now producing 280kW/460Nm. The S also picks up an active exhaust system (more on this fun factor later), an LSD, larger brakes, launch control, adaptive dynamics (continually tweaking steering weight, suspension tune, engine settings and transmission shift in response to driving style), and 19 inch rims. It’s claimed to dip down to 4.9sec 0-100km/h, and weighs in at $171,045.
Then things get even more serious with the F-Type V8S, packing 364kW/625Nm of blown alloy V8 in a car weighing 1665kg. No lightweight, but with that much grunt on board you’re looking at a power-to-weight ratio that betters Porsche’s 911 Carrera S, and jumps into the same extremely rapid ballpark as the Aston V12 Vantage, BMW M6 and Lotus Exige S. No surprise the 0-100km/h claim drops to just 4.4sec. The flagship also features 20 inch rims, even bigger brakes, an active e-LSD, and quad exhaust pipes, with a recommended retail price cresting a monetary milestone at $201,945.
Jaguar’s design team, led by Ian Callum, has created a beautifully proportioned shape, evolved from the C-X16 concept of 2011, offering a tip of the styling hat to its D and E-Type predecessors (especially from the rear). The 1.9m wide, alloy body incorporates high, curved haunches, a shark-like nose and bulging (forward-hinged) bonnet. The driver-focused cockpit is beautifully finished and spot-on ergonomically.
A lengthy local drive through the suburban grind, on the open freeway, across secondary backroads then a full-on attack through tight, twisting sections proves the F-Type is an exceptional car. Some are comparing it to Porsche’s mid-engine Boxster, but aside from the drivetrain and configuration differences, the Jag deserves to stand on its own as a front engine, rear drive roadster reflecting quality engineering and attention to detail in every aspect of its development. Jaguar made a conscious decision to use hydraulically-assisted steering and a quick ratio for maximum driver connection, and the result is impossibly good. From the first corner, even at slow speed, the steering and chassis communicate their every move and connection with the road.
The forged alloy, double wishbone suspension, controlled by the adaptive dynamics system, delivers a brilliant blend of outright grip, balance and agility; the grip factor dialled up on the top-shelf V8S, with fat Pirelli P Zero rubber (255/35×20 front – 295/30×20 rear).
Acceleration in the 250kW V6 is satisfyingly strong, and the auto transmission, with sequential shift via wheel or lever, is sharp and positive. But the biggest party piece is the active exhaust, consisting of electronically controlled bypass valves in the rear section, which open under hard acceleration to effectively form a straight-through, massively loud, set up.
Keep your Alfas, Alpines and Dinos, this is arguably the best sounding production V6 ever made. The bark and crackle emanating from the back of this car is unbeatable. If you choose the entry model, do yourself a favour and cough up for the system as an option. Then, the V8 delivers stonking thrust and sounds like a cross between an old-school hot rod, a GT40 at Le Mans, and a sonic boom. Brilliant brakes on all variants efficiently tame the speed and aural drama. Jaguar recognises it’s pitching this car to a “knowledgeable, enthusiast target”, and it’s clear their knowledge and enthusiasm will be richly rewarded. The F-Type is better than good … it’s an instant classic.
Say hello to the most powerful production car ever built in Australia. With GM’s 6.2-litre, twin-rotor (Eaton) supercharged LSA small-block V8 stuffed under its bonnet, HSV’s new GTS blows all previous Aussie performance pretenders into the weeds.
The monstrous, all-alloy, 430kW/740Nm powerplant has been plucked from Chevrolet’s thunderous ZL1 Camaro, and is mated to either a heavy-duty, Tremec six-speed manual ‘box, or GM’s own (9L90E) heavy-duty six speed auto transmission, driving the rear wheels in classic muscle car fashion.
But this bruiser delivers more than sheer muscle, and is light years ahead of its old-school, tyre-shredding ancestors. The GTS manages to translate its epic power into a composed and extremely capable performance package.
For a start (literally), HSV has upgraded its launch-control system (available on the manual version only) for optimum step-off acceleration, and although its straight-line thrust is yet to be independently verified, a 0-100km/h claim of 4.4sec feels entirely plausible.
Then, the heart of the GTS’s dynamic abilities is an unassuming ‘Driver Preference Dial’ in the centre console. Switchable through Touring, Sport, Performance and Track settings, the system manages multiple functions including electronic stability and traction control, suspension settings, power steering calibration, exhaust flow, and torque vectoring.
This rapid adjustability is largely underpinned by the use of third generation Magnetic Ride Control. Using dampers containing electromagnetic coils and synthetic fluid containing easily magnetised iron particles, the system quickly and accurately fine-tunes compliance. Linear rate springs also allow greater accuracy in damper valve tuning.
A pre-release drive on the expansive and challenging Phillip Island race circuit proves the worth of this elaborate engineering development.
Mid-range acceleration is slam-in-the-back phenomenal , while the engine’s roar and bi-modal exhaust’s bark combine to produce a pitch-perfect V8 symphony and neck hair salute.
Mega brakes, featuring six-piston front and four pot rear forged calipers, calmly wash off speed as a series of corners ranges into view. The electrically-assisted steering, matched to vehicle speed and driver input (as well as MRC and ESC settings), feels brilliant, the fat Continental rubber (255/35×20 front – 275/30×20) grips hard, and the torque vectoring system quickly reduces any initial understeer as the GTS defies its 1881kg weight with agility and handling response to match hot hatches two thirds its size.
And when the go-fast fun dies down, there’s time to appreciate the fact the GTS picks up all the premium safety and convenience features the VF Commodore platform offers, including side blind zone and reverse traffic alerts, passive entry and remote start, automatic park assist, forward collision alert, lane departure warning, hill start assist/hill-hold control, head-up display and rain sensing wipers.
From a distance it’s easy to assume the GTS is an over-engined throw back, but the reality is dramatically different … and better. It combines stunning speed, with impressive refinement and leading-edge tech. While $92,990 may seem a lot for any Commodore-connected offering, this HSV flagship sets a new standard for local performance and focuses a hot spotlight on some heavy-hitting Germans costing the best part of three times the money.
An outward display of raw fear is not an attractive quality in a man, so it’s a good thing I wear a strong poker-face. The reasons for my internalised consternation are twofold – a 412kW twin-turbocharged Porsche 911 and 4.7-kilomtere circuit in Germany called Bilsterberg. Taken individually, neither is anything to be particularly worried about, but put them together, and, initially at least, all but men with grapefruit-sized testicles will be muttering rude words.
First, the car. The 911 Turbo nameplate has always crowned the German manufacturer’s (non-RS) sportscar range, more recently in wild, high-output ‘S’ guise. Normally the Turbo S follows sometime after the regular Turbo, but not anymore. For 991-generation, both models launch simultaneously , and most customers, we’re told, will cheerfully shell out the extra $80,000 it costs to secure that Turbo S badge on the fat rump. For $441,300, they will drive away in a brutally fast tour de force of technologically advanced supercar goodness. One that will accommodate a couple of small kids in the back, provided they are of sufficiently robust constitution or dosed to the gills on anti-nausea medication.
That power output of 412kW is up from 390kW on the previous version, and is again achieved via intense pressurisation of the 3.8-litre flat six. Twin variable-vane turbochargers stuff in the fuel-air mix, pushing maximum torque to 750Nm for brief periods via an overboost function. A transmission choice, is, for the first time, conspicuously absent – it’s seven-speed dual-clutch all the way; no manual option. A sad reflection of the modern sports car world? No question. But I will say this: during my laps of the fearsome Bilsterberg track, I longed for a gearlever and clutch pedal about as much as I missed not having a flaming batton to twirl and cockroaches in the footwell on which to stamp.
See, the 991 Turbo S introduces some clever new tech aimed at making it even more exploitable in the hands of mortals – rear-wheel steering and active aerodynamics are just two – but it’s still so indecently fast it demands every skeric of concentration to keep up with what’s happening. Pin it wide open on a mini-Nurburgring made up of fast blind brows, maniacal elevation changes, evil compressions and bugger-all run-off area, and you start to see where the fear comes from.
Yet the Turbo S is never anything less that wholly on your side. It may kidney-punch you with its brutal acceleration, but it also telegraphs slip angles clearly, uses its improved forward torque distribution to pull you straight when you do get it loose, and generally tries to make you look as though you have half a clue about what you’re doing. Massive standard-issue carbon-ceramic brakes combine with 20-inch rubber to deliver hand-of-god stopping power.
And if all the sweaty high-g racetrack action gets a bit much, there’s always launch control to play with. Apply the brakes with your left foot, flatten the throttle and wait a moment. Revs rise to 5500rpm and stutter there in coiled anticipation. Release the brake, and be slammed to 100km/h in about three seconds flat. One sure way to return a smile to your dial.
Isuzu clearly knows when it’s onto a good thing. Riding on the D-Max’s wave of success – which is up 30 percent year on year – the Japanese brand will launch its first SUV, the MU-X, in Australia next month. And we’ve been driving it.
But first things first, despite its hauntingly similar looks, don’t think the MU-X is simply a D-Max with a seven-seat body bolted on top. Yes the two share common parts, like Isuzu’s venerable 3.0-litre 130kW/380Nm four-cylinder diesel (albeit with a few internal tweaks), but company big-wigs went to great lengths to explain the MU-X was designed and engineered as a passenger car.
Its ladder chassis is 250mm shorter, for one, and gone is the D-Max’s leaf-spring rear-end, with Isuzu instead fitting rear disc brakes and an independent, multi-link suspension system for a more comfortable ride. Towing capacity is rated at three tonnes while ground clearance is 230mm.
As you’d expect from Isuzu, pricing will be sharp and should range from $40,500 to $53,500 – but expect sub-40K offers when the MU-X launches in early December. Seven variants will be offered, ranging from the entry-level 4×2 LS-M to the range-topping, five-speed auto-only LS-T 4×4.
But what’s it like to drive? As you’d expect of a car of this type, razor-sharp tarmac dynamics aren’t really its forte. Our limited time behind the wheel at the MU-X’s international launch in Thailand revealed a large amount of body roll and lifeless, vague steering – particularly off centre.
It’s off-road, though, that the MU-X really makes sense. Isuzu claims it spent half of the MU-X’s development preparing it to be a rugged as possible – something it proved by throwing us in the driver’s seat at the purpose-built Isuzu 4X4 Land.
Moguls, deep corrugations and ravines were clambered over with ease, while Isuzu’s torquey 3.0-litre oiler proved its worth by crawling up 40 degree inclines at idle. Underneath steel , not plastic, skidplates have been fitted to ensure durability, with the MU-X also getting Isuzu’s five-year/130,000km warranty.
Inside it’s much as you’d expect, with the MU-X getting the same functional interior as the D-Max. Top of the range LS-T models do boast leather upholstery, climate control, touchscreen navigation, reverse camera, ceiling-mounted entertainment system and Bluetooth, but the extensive use of hard, egalitarian plastics are a low-light. Storage space is good however, as is rear passenger room – even in the third row – with both rows of rear seats able to fold flat to reveal a cargo area 1995mm in length.
Isuzu plans sales to begin in early December and is talking big game, claiming the MU-X will sell twice as many models as its freshly-launched cousin, the Holden Colorado 7. Whether it will remains to be seen, but it’s clear Isuzu’s first SUV is a solid performer with real off-road capabilities.
Isuzu MU-X manufacturer’s list prices:
4×2 LS-M auto – $40,500 4×2 LS-U auto – $42,000 4×4 LS-M man – $45,600 4×4 LS-M auto – $47,800 4×4 LS-U man – $47,100 4×4 LS-U auto – $49,300 4×4 LS-T auto – $53,500
Click here to read the full range review of the Isuzu MU-X.
THE ITALIANS love an extended model life. While most Asian brands deem it necessary for a full changeover somewhere around the five-year mark, the Italians have been known to stretch a car’s showroom life beyond a decade.
Take the third-generation Fiat Punto. We never saw the first two, but the third ‘Grande’ version launched here in mid-2006 wearing ridiculously inflated prices, and after 1735 were sold, importation ceased in 2009. Yet the Punto soldiered on in Europe.
Now, four years later, with a facelift under its belt, the Punto is back – this time supported by the factory, not an importer. The model range has been simplified and prices have been slashed, to the point where the entry-level, five-speed manual Punto Pop tested here costs just $16,000 driveaway.
In many ways, you get a lot of car for the base Punto’s price. DNA ties with Opel’s Corsa means the Punto boasts a strong, smartly-packaged body that comfortably accommodates four adults and rides quietly on its high-profile 175/65R15 Dunlop SP30s.
You get stuff you normally wouldn’t expect for the price, like a hill-holder, a gutsy six-speaker stereo, stop/start, a full-size spare wheel and Bluetooth integrated into the steering wheel, but there’s plenty missing too. Overhead grab handles, a boot light, iPod connectivity and cruise control all require a step up to the $19,300 Punto Easy, which is only available with Fiat’s deplorable Dualogic robotised transmission that is unacceptable at any price.
Given that situation, your best bet is the five-speed manual Pop. It’s a seriously likeable city car, with a well-oiled, long-throw gearchange, and an elasticity from its ancient single-cam, eight-valve ‘Fire’ 1.4 that compensates for its ultimate lack of balls. As does its absence of flab – just 1024kg makes 57kW feel a lot more macho than you’d think. Until you add three passengers and feel its performance wilt dramatically.
Those poverty-spec Dunlops and an artificial electric steering set-up imply the Punto should be pants at dynamic stuff, but it’s more entertaining than you’d think. A bit of rear-steer action helps point it into corners, and there’s plenty of old-school charm about Punto’s unobstrusive ride. She ain’t perfect, but she’s willing, and that goes a long way.
Inside, the basic-looking seats are actually very comfortable, its driving position is sound, and its instruments are a bit old-Maserati, but the Pop’s circa-2005 dashboard (see breakout) is hard and cheap, and the scratch-prone plastic door trims are awful. The map pockets are tiny and the only cupholder of any use is for rear-seat passengers.
But as No Frills transport, the Punto has surprising appeal. It’s just a pity that if you want more bling, you can’t have a manual.
TRIMMED DOWN
The Fiat Punto Pop might be basic, but you can choose from a wide selection of optional wheels in sizes right up to 17-inch, as well as body decals. Jump to the Easy ($19,300) or Lounge ($21,800) and not only do you get completely different, much nicer interiors, but you also acquire classy, colourful trim and a shedload more kit. The Lounge gets leather, electric driver’s seat, dual-zone climate, rain-sensing wipers, fogs, 16s, a bodykit and aluminium mirrors. Unfortunately, it also gets the semi- automatic gearbox…
PLUS Well-packaged, comfy seats, nice ride, amenable drivetrain
MINUS Leisurely performance, plasticky interior, disconnected steering
Fiat Punto Pop Specifications
Engine 1368cc in-line 4, sohc, 8v
Max power 57kW @ 6000rpm
Max torque 115Nm @ 3200rpm
Transmission 5-speed manual
Weight 1024kg
0-100km/h 13.2sec (claimed)
Price $16,000 driveaway
On sale Now
The hot little Renaultsport Clio is back, and it’s all grown up with a turbocharged engine and dual-clutch gearbox. Does the magic still exist?
AUSSIES LOVE their hot Clios – so much so that Renault Oz is offering a four-model range with the fourth-generation car, based on the Renault Clio, which hits Renault’s 37 showrooms across the country today. And unlike before, the new hot Clio is five-door, dual-clutch, and all-turbo. Yep, she’s all grown up, kinda like a Polo GTI, but still with a mad-bastard streak.
Starting at $28,790, the entry-level Renaultsport Clio 200 Sport is thousands of dollars below what the first one cost back in 2001, and is most obviously identified by its silver 17-inch alloys with 205/45R17 rubber. Step up to the $31,290 Cup version and those wheels swap for beautiful gloss-black 18s with 205/40R18 rubber, the ride height drops by a scant 3mm, the dampers are firmed up, and the front and rear springs are stiffened by 27 percent up front, 20 percent at the rear.
Two Trophy versions sit above that – the Sport Trophy for $34,290 and the Cup Trophy for $36,790. Besides red brake calipers, outside the difference is zero – the Sport Trophy still on silver 17s, the Cup version on black 18s – though you can option a silver-finished version of the 18-inch wheel on either Sport variant. What the Trophy cars get is extra luxury and more tech – leather trim with front-seat heaters, seatback storage pockets, rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera (only the sensors are optional on base cars), climate control, Renault’s R-Link multimedia system with additional speakers, and a Renaultsport Monitor 2.0 that displays stuff like acceleration times and circuit telemetry, and allows you to record it onto a USB stick, which you can then upload onto a dedicated Renaultsport website.
By the sounds of it, Renault is really pushing the track capabilities of this car, and rightly so. The launch of the new-generation Clio RS traced some brilliant mountain roads in Victoria out to the Haunted Hills hillclimb track in Gippsland – a tight, treacherous (if you’re a clown), very hilly little circuit that proved the Clio Cup is as sharp, tight and manoeuvrable as it ever was.
In the RS Drive’s Race mode, which switches ESP off and ramps the gearshifts down to 150 milliseconds, the Clio Cup was edgy and chuckable, while retaining enough inherent stability to prevent you from heading arse-backwards into the mulga when you lifted off or provoked it. Excellent brakes too – 320mm ventilated front discs from the much-heavier Laguna V6 that showed no signs of fade, even after 10 flat-out laps of the circuit with rally ace Brendon Reeves behind the wheel.
Equally impressive, though, is the new Clio’s road-going ability. In the Sport’s case, it blends all the balance and agility that pretty much anyone could want with a remarkably comfortable and quiet ride. The Cup is clearly firmer, and more precise steering-wise, but even it manages to ride well; like all of Renaultsport’s best work.
What’s missing from the whole package is the sort of acoustic tuning that makes the Megane’s 2.0-litre turbo such a growly bundle of lushness. Clio’s direct-injection 1618cc turbo four is shared with Nissan’s Juke, and while the Renaultsport version produces a bit more power (7kW), its aural improvement doesn’t go far enough.
There’s some induction growl, but only at low revs. Flat-out, it’s all a bit turbo-wooshy, without the addictive ignition-cut blurting from the twin rear exhausts that makes a Golf GTI DSG so satisfying. Still, the 1.6 turbo is a really strong engine, with Renault claiming 0-100km/h in 6.73sec and a standing 400m time of 14.87. The six-speed dual-clutch gearbox, developed by Getrag but honed by Renaultsport, is highly effective, although clacking away on the column-mounted shift paddles sounds like you’re smashing space-bar on an old typewriter. If you pulse them, though, you can dial the ‘clack’ down.
Undoubtedly what will sell more Renaultsport Clios than anything is the way the thing looks. It’s like a tattooed, gym-junkie bouncer with a tertiary education in sociology. Renault reckons it can sell 500 in a full year, which might be a little on the conservative side. One thing that’s far from that, though, is the new Clio’s dynamics. If punters wanted a handling hero, they’ve got one.
If there’s one hot-hatch to steal the Clio’s thunder, it’s Ford’s brilliant new Fiesta ST. To find out how Renault’s new star fares against Ford’s little champion, check out Wheels February 2014 issue, on-sale in newsagents or for download on iPad January 16.
Model: Renaultsport Clio 200 Engine: 1618cc in-line 4, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power: 147kW @ 6000rpm Max torque: 240Nm @ 1750rpm Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch Weight: 1218kg 0-100km/h: 6.7sec (claimed) Price: $28,790-$36,790 On sale: Now
THE WEATHER that passes for summer in Tassie — three degrees C and snowing — provided the perfect opportunity to discover the qualities (or otherwise) of Audi’s new S3 on some of the Targa Tasmania’s best and most challenging roads. Nothing phased the hot hatch and, believe me, we tried everything. Not even full noise out of slippery second and third gear corners, right foot buried to the firewall, could induce the stability system. No flashing warning light or reduced power or braking an outside wheel, just a little more understeer on exit as the S3 fired out of the corner.
The secret is in Audi’s Quattro system. A third-generation Haldex multi-plate clutch and electronic limited slip differential, that’s shared with the VW Golf R (where it’s called 4Motion), it delivers exceptional traction at level that leaves rear drive cars floundering. Two decades ago it took a supercar to achieve 100km/h in 5.0seconds: now a $60k premium hatch back dispatches the time so effortlessly the fierce performance seems muted, detached, as if the relaxed Audi cocoon was impervious to the outside world.
The S3’s conservative styling – you’re hard picked to distinguish new from old – disguises the VW Group’s new MBQ architecture (shared with the Golf and A3 and, most precisely the soon-to-arrive Golf R). Effectively, this is an all-new car: the EA2888 engine shares the same capacity as the old engine, but has been so thoroughly revised Audi claims it’s been redesigned from scratch. The wheelbase is pushed 53mm to 2631mm, it’s 22mm longer and, by moving the front axle 52mm forward, the weight distribution is now a more encouraging 59 percent front, 41 percent rear. Not perfect, but better.
Bigger, yet also 70kg lighter, the new S3 benefits from a massive $11,300 price reduction. Now $59,900 — for both the six-speed manual and six-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox (DSG in VW-speak) — the S3’s only significant option is a $4,990 performance pack that brings, still 18-inch, 5-twin spoke alloys, sports seats, LED headlights and, to appreciably benefit the ride, magnetic dampers (also available as a standalone $1650 option).
Audi blames Australia’s extreme hot weather climate for the S3’s power loss compared to European cars: they get 221kW at 5500rpm and 380Nm from 1800 to 5500rpm. For Australia, the engineers reduce output to 206kW, while maintaining the same peak torque, but to a maximum of 5100rpm. The penalty is an extra 0.1sec in the dash to 100km/h: 5.0secs rather than the doesn’t-it-sound-so-much-quicker 4.9secs. Audi is vague on the engineering detail involved in the change. We know our cars retain the same 9.3:1 compression ratio and require 98RON fuel.
To achieve the headline time, the driver needs to tap into the S Tronic gearbox’s launch control. Manuals, expected to take a mere five percent of sales in Australia, are 0.4secs slower and bog down on take-off. Even with launch activated, the S3 hesitates momentarily before blasting away. A sometimes snaggy manual shift, especially when pushing quickly in to fourth, drives us to favouring the superbly fluent paddle-shift S tronic gearbox, despite its inability to hold the gears, even in manual mode.
On paper, a full complement of the torque from 1800rpm suggests turbo-lag is non-existent. Not quite, tap in hard in third or fourth cog from around 2000rpm and there is a discernible delay before the engine spoils to the boil. It’s another reason to choose the S tronic with its assured kickdown into higher revs.
The S3 shares its variable steering rack with the Golf GTI: same 2.1 turns, same fluency, especially in the lighter ‘comfort’ setting. The ‘sport’ mode introduces an artificial weighting, still without any real feedback, that detracts from the car’s inherent agility. The steering is quick — 10.9m turning circle — but never nervous at high speed and relaxed in its turn-in behaviour. Free of kick-back, yet also free of real feedback, it aligns perfectly with the S3’s tranquil manners.
Audi reduced the suspension ride height by 25mm and firmed up the springs and dampers. Even without the magnetic dampers the ride is comfortable, with them it is superb. Set to comfort, the low speed ride is supple and compliant, yet still with excellent body control up to nine-tenths.
Hit the starter button — still awkwardly positioned on the left side of the console — and the S3 burst into life. From a low-pitched idle to a purposeful note at the 6800rpm limiter, the four-pot engine sounds determined, yet also unobtrusive. Despite its potency, the S3 is not a hard-focused performance instrument: refinement and balance come before blatant thrills. Abundant traction and acceleration are taken for granted, but also its civilised manners and a high level of standard equipment that includes two electrically adjustable front bucket seats and Audi’s latest and highly legible navigation system. Interior quality is to Audi’s high standards; hushed, beautifully detailed and (mostly) ergonomically sound. Likewise the driving position.
Hot hatches are rarely as understated as Audi’s new Audi S3 Sportback. Where rivals, like BMW’s M135i and Mercedes’ A45 AMG flaunt their performance credentials, the S3’s subtle qualities are only obvious to those who really know. You’ll buy the S3 for its useability, refinement, comfort (especially with the adaptive damping) quality, practicality and performance. If it’s too cossetting, too isolating, to be an utterly inspired drive, Audi customers wouldn’t have it any other way.
Audi S3 Specifications
Engine 1984cc in-line 4, dohc, 16v, turbo
Max power 206kW @ 5100-6500rpm
Max torque 380Nm @ 1800-5100rpm
Transmission 6-speed manual or dual-clutch
Weight 1425kg (1445 S tronic)
0-100km/h 5.4sec (m)/5.0sec (S tronic)
Price $59,900
On sale Now
APART FROM Bathurst, which is sacred, V8 Supercars lost me a long time ago when the racing Falcodores abandoned any legitimate connection, apart from a badge, a silhouette and a front engine/rear wheel drive layout, with the road Falcodores we know and love. Well, used to love.
As the home grown hardware disappears over the next few years and V8 Supercars morphs inevitably into a NASCAR-style formula, we’ll see an even greater schism between track and street, a trend well illustrated by Nissan’s new Altima, which replaces the Maxima.
The road and race Altimas have their engines at different ends of the car. It requires the total suspension of disbelief, or the cognitive sophistication of a lab rat, to watch an Altima win on Sunday and then say to yourself, “Ooh, I’ll have one of them. They’re the business.” Have we really become as brain dead as the Americans?
If you’re shopping the mid-size sedan field, there are far more lucid reasons to put the Altima on your list, especially the base model ST, which comes in at a sharp $29,990.
It runs a 127kW, 2.5-litre atmo petrol/CVT drivetrain (also used in the X-Trail) and includes the basics, apart from a rear camera; the ST-L, at $35,890, is also good value, adding the camera, plus navigation, Bose audio, smartphone connectivity, a seven-inch colour infotainment display, parking sensors at both ends and a few strips of cowhide.
The Ti, at $40,190, is loaded but you can buy a 3.6-litre V6 Holden VF Calais for $200 less and you’d be nuts if you didn’t. Same goes for the top of the range Altima Ti-S, with Nissan’s signature VQ35 3.5-litre V6, also matched with a CVT. Given the limitations of front-wheel drive in a biggish car, the VQ is tuned for a relatively modest 183kW here and at $45,390, the Ti-S is hardly compelling.
The Maxima sits at the big end of this class, on the same 2775mm wheelbase as the Camry/Aurion, but at just 1435kg the ST is light for a car of this size so the 2.5 litre four does the job with surprising ease on 91 octane. It’s flattered by the CVT. Squeeze the pedal and it immediately pins the required revs, giving the 2.5 a sense of midrange urge and responsiveness it would not possess with a conventional automatic. It’s also quiet and impeccably smooth.
So is the Altima’s ride/handling compromise. On the ST’s 16-inch alloys/60 aspect ratio rubber (and the ST-L’s 17s/55) comfort and compliance are excellent and road noise is efficiently isolated. Dynamics are mediocre, but in a fit for purpose context the Altima has few noteworthy vices apart from those endemic to the class: some initial body roll, overassisted, remote control steering and the occasional bottoming out of the front end if you hit a particularly vicious pothole.
Nissan claims its “Zero Gravity” driver’s seat was designed using ergonomic research from NASA. If that ain’t a sales pitch to its US heartland, I don’t know what is. Still, the driver’s pew is comfortable, albeit bereft of upper body support when cornering.
Mazda’s 6 has this class shot to bits at present, but the Altima ST is certainly worth a look. It’s more polished than most of the pack, notably Camry, i40, Malibu, Liberty and Accord, but like all of them has strict limitations as a drive.
You would never confuse it, for example, with a high-performance, rear-wheel drive V8. Unless perhaps you watched far too much TV, lived on KFC and pre-mixed bourbon and cola and didn’t get out much.
Nissan’s Q Cars
Nissan’s 2014 kicks off in Q1 with the arrival of the Infiniti Q50. In Q2, the new XTrail and Pulsar SSS sedan arrive, plus the supercharged hybrid Pathfinder, which sounds like the answer to an unasked question. And in Q3, we get the Qashqai, nee Dualis.
PLUS Ride comfort; refinement; efficient CVT; quality; value
MINUS Uncomfortable back seat; overassisted steering; soft front end
Nissan Altima ST Specifications
Engine 2488cc in-line 4, dohc, 16v
Max power 127kW @ 6000rpm
Max torque 230Nm @ 4000rpm
Transmission CVT automatic
Weight 1423kg
0-100km/h 9.0sec
Price $29,990
On sale Now
BARINA GIRL has just become Barina Bloke. Out goes the old ‘Generation III’ Family One 1.6 and in comes the direct-injection 1.4-litre turbo donk from the Cruze – a modern-ish engine fit for a warm-ish hatch like this. They call it RS.
The Barina RS should’ve been with us two years ago, but Holden’s marketing department wanted a lean line-up and didn’t think they needed it. Wrong. Even though 40 percent of current Barina buyers are male, Holden’s light-car mainstay has been crying out for a dose of testosterone since the Opel Corsa-based SRi died in 2005. Boys and girls like sporty little hatches, and so do we.
Given its $20,990 starting point, Barina RS was never intended to challenge Ford’s brilliant Fiesta ST. Holden reckons the RS is an alternative to the imminent, turbo-triple 1.0-litre Fiesta Sport, and perhaps a Swift Sport if you can screw the dealer down from its steep $25,990 retail sticker.
What you get for $21K amounts to a sweet-shifting six-speed manual ’box, smoked 17-inch alloys with 205/50R17 Continental tyres, sports front seats with leather facings and faux-suede ‘mouse fur’ inserts, cool-looking aluminium pedals, a flat-bottomed sports steering wheel and a bunch of other hardware and equipment upgrades.
The RS sits 10mm lower on springs roughly 15 percent stiffer, its dampers have been firmed up, and it gets 268mm rear disc brakes (instead of 230mm drums). Best news for our version is that the electric power steering runs a specific Holden tune, giving it consistently firm weighting and a quick 2.3 turns lock-to-lock. Combined with a neatly balanced, grippy chassis, well-placed pedals and the 1.4 turbo’s mid-range punch, you can actually have some fun in a Barina RS.
The engine itself has identical on-paper specs to the Cruze but it’s been given a mild dose of induction growl, and, at 1249kg, the manual Barina weighs around 150kg less than its bigger brother. American tests of the near-identical Chevrolet Sonic RS say the Barina should be good for 0-100km/h in around 8.0sec.
Thing is, the RS isn’t quite good enough to raise your pulse. The handling might be tidy but the ride is restless and tiring on bumpy roads, avoiding crash-through but lacking suppleness of any kind. And then there’s the optional six-speed auto, which lacks the Cruze’s excellent local calibration and is hell-bent on grabbing the highest gear possible as soon as you ease the throttle.
Given that you can get a Cruze 1.4T auto for exactly the same price as an auto Barina RS, or Renault’s excellent Clio Expression TCe120 for just $19,790, the blokey Barina’s appeal starts to evaporate. For the sake of Barina’s image, however, better late than never.
Ford Fighter
Acutely aware of Ford’s excellent ST-badged products, and the Fiesta ST’s impending launch in the US, GM is rumoured to be considering a high-performance version of the Sonic/Barina RS. The heart of the matter is likely to be the turbocharged 1.6 currently doing business in Astra and Cruze – an engine that could potentially have 150kW and 300Nm up its sleeve. GM might also want to investigate the Fiesta ST’s sensational chassis tune.
PLUS Decent steering; tidy handling; torquey performance MINUS Abrupt ride; unintuitive six-speed auto; flat rear seat
Holden Barina RS Specifications
Engine 1364cc in-line 4, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power 103kW @ 4900rpm Max torque 200Nm @ 1850-4900rpm Transmission 6-speed manual Weight 1249kg 0-100km/h 8.0sec (estimated) Price $20,990 On sale Now
IF IT ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s BMW’s approach to its new, third-gen X5 and who can blame it? After spawning the original SUV golden goose with the E53 X5 in 1996, BMW has hardly altered the X5’s fundamental, money-making recipe: punchy engine up front, a luxurious, practical interior in the middle and tasty driving dynamics, with some off-roading ability, underneath.
But that’s not to say this new model is devoid of newness. Yes it rides on the same platform and uses the same front suspension, but there are new engines, a new rear-drive sDrive 25d variant and a body with no carry- over panels.
At $82,900, the 25d is designed to entice new buyers to the brand. Powered by a twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel churning out 160kW/450Nm, it’ll shoot the porky X5 (all variants weigh just over 2000kgs, despite BMW claiming new models are 5-40kg lighter) from 0-100km/h in 8.2 seconds, yet sip just 5.8L/100km.
Sadly, the 25Dd, as well the 40d and the petrol-powered straight-six 35i won’t arrive Down Under until March 2014, with only the popular 30d, the 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 50i and the new monstrous, triple-turbo M50d available from launch.
As you’d expect, all models have been suitably refined to make each variant not only faster and more efficient, but importantly more comfortable.
Power is up across the board, apart from the range-topping M50D, which despite having three turbos bolted to its 3.0-litre straight six, keeps the 280kW/740Nm output of its twin-turbo predecessor. Still acceleration for the big diesel is rapid, down to 5.3 seconds from 0-100km/h. Both models are brutally quick and concise when driven hard, but unless you’re racing Porsches on the school run, it’s the 30d that offers the best compromise on speed and comfort.
The volume model 30d (BMW reckons up to 70 percent of sales) gets 19inch wheels as standard instead of the 20s assigned to its more powerful siblings and it’s all the better for it. None of the X5s we sampled rode badly, but the 30d conveys a suppleness absent in other models, despite a hint more body roll through the twisty stuff.
Power is ample too, with its 190kW/560Nm 3.0-litre turbo six pulling strongly down low, but it can’t match the 50i’s subtle V8 burble or the M50D’s angry bark.
All third-gen X5s are mated to BMW’s excellent eight-speed auto, which not only shifts seamlessly, but keeps the power in the rev-range sweet spot to offer sharper acceleration and eradicate turbo lag.
Punt the 30d hard, and while it’s not in the same league as the barnstorming M50D, on the limit handling remains impressive, effectively disguising the X5’s size and weight to convey a sporty and planted feel, even without the new adaptive dampers.
Inside, everything is suitably luxurious and functional, with all models receiving a large 10.2 inch touch screen and a myriad of trim options. As has become customary, each X5 variant gets BMW’s rocker switch to alter the car’s drivetrain and chassis from docile (EcoPro) through to roid-raging bonkers (Sport Plus).
The only real chink in the X5’s armour is its new steering system, with BMW ditching the old model’s hydraulic rack for an electro-mechanical set-up. The result is a wheel that feels dead off centre and offers video-game levels of feedback, even in Sport and Sport Plus which only increase weight, not feel. It’s a disappointment, particularly from the company that makes the excellent M3, which begs the question, why didn’t BMW follow its own advice? If it ain’t broke…
PLUS Strong engine; excellent dynamics MINUS Dead steering; large price tag
BMW X5 30d Specifications
Engine 2993cc in-line 6cyl, dohc, 24v, turbo-diesel Max power 190kW @ 4000rpm Max torque 560Nm @ 1500-3000rpm Transmission 8-speed automatic Weight 2070kg 0-100km/h 6.9sec Price $99,900 On sale Now
