DEC/JAN 2014/VOL 5 Established 1984 PLAY WITH THE BIG BOYS! All-new second-generation Range Rover Sport is here! Jeep's madcap Grand Cherokee SRT 8 joins the new world... NEW LAUNCHES TOP 5 Lexus goes \"budget\" with new ES250 PASSION RATINGS Mercedes CLA drives home advantage Every Car Category Rated Monthly!
REGISTER WITH DRIVE MAGAZINE AND STAND A CHANCE TO WIN A VOUCHER WORTH R5000 TOWARDS YOUR NEXT TYRES PURCHACE terms and conditions apply NEW Brought to you by
TORQUE EDITORS LETTER DEC/JAN 2014/VOL 5 Established 1984 PLAY WITH THE BIG BOYS! All-new second-generation Range Rover Sport is here! Jeep's madcap Grand Cherokee SRT 8 joins the new world... TOP5 NEW LAUNCHES Lexus goes \"budget\" with new ES250 PASSION RATINGS Mercedes CLA drives home advantage Every Car Category Rated Monthly! EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Russell Bennett DESIGN STUDIO James Clark THE CURSE OF THE MODERN ERA TRAFFIC Juanita Heilbron FINANCIAL MANAGER Marisa George Sad news today of yet another motoring legend falling to the Curse of the Era. This tme WEB ADMINISTRATOR Russell Bennett it's Aston Martn who have \"done the dirty\", and at this point this low-volume Britsh specialist must be one of the last of the die-hards stll to crumble... write to us: [email protected] That's right, the brand-new Vantage V12 S - supposedly the updated more hardcore version of this decidedly hardcore \"litle\" sportscar legend - has been simultaneously ADVERTISING improved and ruined. National Roy Lategan: [email protected] The improvements come in the regular format. More power for the epic 6-litre V12 tucked into the pette nose. A proper slippy dif at the back for smoking those pricey rear tyres faster than ever. And a quicker-actng steering rack giving you more chance of Material & Trafc catching and holding these inevitable slides. Juanita Heilbron [email protected] to advertise: And the bad? Well, that faster rack is now a variable-assistance electric afair sure to bleed away a healthy amount of feel. The suspension setup now boasts variable levels of 021 674 5026 damping, which again robs a car of that \"organic\" feel in favour of total digital efciency. And worst of all, the opton of a three-pedal version of this last-of-the-last great drivers' to subscribe: car is gone, the V12 Vantage S is now only available as an auto. 0861 228 669 Sure these changes have helped the 0-100 tme signifcantly - but these raw fgures simply aren't the keys to a properly rewarding steer. [email protected] In fact quite the opposite. Imagine how much more rewarding nailing that perfect balance of the line for a 4.6s sprint would be, than simply selectng S and mashing your PUBLISHED BY right foot into the bulkhead to put in sub-4s sprints tme afer tme? There's no reward REALE MEDIA at all in the later, you're simply relying on technology to replace your own shortcomings Neale Petersen (CEO), in driving skill. B.Taylor A sad redefniton of what I call advances in driving enjoyment. Today's automotve technology inevitably retards real driving pleasure by replacing a skilled driver with ever beter-programmed control sofware. www.drivemagazine.co.za Russell Bennett All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form without prior written consent and permission from Real Estate Editor-in-Chief Media. The publisher gives no written guarantees or assurances and makes no representation regarding any goods or services written or advertised within this edition. Prospective investors should always consult their attorneys, advisors or accountants. Copyright © Real Estate Media cc DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 3
CONTENTS 12 A LITTLE TORQUE DRIVE TESTS 3 The Curse of the Modern Era 12 Droptop Disaster! Yet another genuine drivers' car bites the dust. Emasculated by Surely dropping the top to savour the legendary high-revving the modern line of \"improvements\" all aimed at efciency and Audi RS 4.2-litrse FSI V8 is a no-brainer home-run in the new removing the weakest link - the ability of the driver - from the RS5 Cabriolet? Well yes, of course, and then oh so no. No no performance car equaton. no. 20 One Trick Pony The frst-generaton Cherokee SRT 8 from Jeep remains one of those defning cars. As in, an SUV stacked with way, way more power than the chassis could ever handle. We sample the latest version with the new 8-speed automatc transmission to fnd out if anything has changed since then. 28 Brothers In Arms 20 The facelifed Citroen C3 and cousin Peugeot 208 both come under our spotlight as possible great superminis. We discover that one of them absolutely is, while the other has all the ingredients but one fatal faw... 34 34 Return to Sender The Ford EcoSport looks like quite the afordable, and funky, new entrant into the burgeoning small crossover market. But can it live up to the promise of it's typically ambitous name in entry-level form? 40 A Crossovers Tale: The Sequel Nissan has unveiled all the details of its big 2014 Qashqai update, so we take the old 1.5 dCi n-tec model out for one last spin of this the original crossover vehicle. 4 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
DEC/JAN 2014 LAUNCH DRIVES 44 A Whole New Breed Already an undeniable icon, the Range Rover Sport is today only in it's second-generaton! But the new car builds impressively on the original and looks set to drive even more stellar levels of success for the JLR brand across the globe. 44 50 El Cheapo? Lexus may not exactly be considered an \"afordable\" brand by 50 many, and the new ES 250 isn't going to change that. But for those looking to spend R450k on a new executve saloon with more space and spec than anything price-compettve, the new car will be tough to resist. 56 Elegant Savage Hot on the heels of the hugely successful new A-Class, comes the CLA from Mercedes-Benz. Also featuring a range-topping 45 AMG variant as well as a full lineup of more afordable drivetrain optons available, it's an A-Class in an even more appealing suit. 40 56 TOP 5S EVERY MOTORING NICHE THAT MATTERS Check out our Top 5 selectons of just about every motoring niche that you could be interested in. Updated monthly from our own enthusiastc angle. DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 5
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS FORD REVEALS NEW MUSTANG South Africa can look forward to seeing the completely redesigned and reengineered Ford Mustang on local roads in 2015. The new fastback and convertble models promise exceptonal performance and refnement while embracing the Mustang’s half- century of heritage. More than 9 million Mustangs have been sold since it was launched in 1964. The world’s most-liked vehicle on Facebook, Mustangs have made thousands of appearances in flm, television, music and video games, and is one of 15 new vehicles that Ford will launch in South Africa by 2017. Ford says the new Mustang has been developed with impressive performance, driving dynamics and usability in mind – and includes a signifcant amount of advanced driver convenience and driver aid technologies. The new Mustang features a signifcant number of innovatve technologies providing drivers with enhanced informaton, control, and connectvity when they want it. The advanced, Ford-developed stability control is tuned to maximise the new Mustang’s dynamic capabilites with features like torque vectoring that directs engine power to individual wheels to keep the car on course. The Mustang will contnue to be built in America at the Flat Rock plant. Models destned for South Africa have yet to be confrmed. 6 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
JAGUAR F-TYPE CONTINUES TO NOTCH UP UK AWARDS The Jaguar F-type celebrated many new honours in December, the most recent being the ‘Convertble of the Year’ accolade announced by the world’s biggest automotve ttle, BBC TopGear. This comes just weeks afer the world debut of the F-type Coupé in Los Angeles. The F-type has also been named Stuf magazine ‘Car of the Year’ 2013. Jeremy Hicks, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover UK, said: Experts from FHM named the F-TYPE ‘Drop Top “The F-type won the World Car of the Year Design category of the Year’ 2013 in the magazine’s inaugural award at its launch. To now receive these awards from major Car Of The Year awards. media in our home market is a source of immense pride.” Phone: (011) 830-0359 - (011) 839-3868 - E-mail: [email protected] www.wheelnutz.com
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS FERRARI 458 SPECIALE LANDS IN SA 8 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
The Ferrari 458 Speciale has been unveiled in South Africa with order books now open for the latest model in the 458 range. The 458 Speciale, which features special livery and a revised body design to the regular Ferrari 458 Italia, as well as a more powerful naturally-aspirated V8 engine, joins an increasingly visible Ferrari product ofering in South Africa. The 458 Speciale engine is the most powerful naturally- aspirated Ferrari V8 yet, with 445 kW at 9 000 rpm and 540 Nm of torque at 6 000 rpm. At only 1 290 kg, the 458 Speciale has an extraordinary weight-power rato of 2.9 kg/kW, which translates into 0 to 100 km/h in 3.0 seconds. The modifcatons to the bodywork were mostly made to underscore the car’s sporty character, and a huge efort was lavished on fulflling aerodynamic demands without impinging on Ferrari’s signature styling and aesthetc standards. The cockpit features a distnctly racing-inspired atmosphere, with simplicity and lightweight materials the order of the day. All controls are either on the steering wheel or clustered around the driver. HYUNDAI MOTORSPORT ANNOUNCES FULL WRC TEAM AND UNVEILS I20 WRC CAR LIVERY Hyundai Motorsport has unveiled its full team line-up as it prepares for its debut in the 2014 FIA World Rally Championship at Monte Carlo in January. Hyundai Motorsport will compete in the World Rallly Champioinship in 2014 as the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team. The team will approach each rally with the goal of fnishing with both cars and accumulatng knowledge and data to strengthen its foundatons. Going up against vastly more experienced compettors, the team has a steep learning curve, but Hyundai says it relishes the challenge and will be aiming to compete for some podium places. Michel Nandan, team principal of Hyundai Motorsport GmbH “We know we have a lot to learn in our frst season.” Thierry Neuville made his frst public appearance in Hyundai Motorsport colours as the lead driver. Juho Hänninen will drive the second i20 WRC at selected events. Dani Sordo and Chris Atkinson will partner Neuville at several events during the season, with Sordo running on Rallye Monte-Carlo and Atkinson confrmed for Rally Australia. “I am really excited at the prospect of helping Hyundai Motorsport to integrate itself into the tough WRC environment,” said Neuville. “I am looking forward to Monte Carlo.” Hänninen said, “I was the frst to drive the Hyundai i20 WRC back in May so I feel really close to the car. I am looking forward to competng in Rally Sweden.” DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 9
E-TOLLS ADVERTORIAL E-toll advantage now clearer -tolling started on 3 December 2013, with no glitches. It a crash, stranded vehicle, breakdown or need for medical was smooth driving all the way. The number of road users assistance. Egetng e-tags is rising gradually as people get used to the new reality. Towing vehicles, incident and medical response vehicles, “medics on bikes” – all stafed with personnel who are The number will go up faster as people realise that the e-tolled experienced in medical and incident management services – roads have no down-side. Even the supposed “crippling” cost is are ready to react immediately an incident has been reported. a myth - as many are fnding out. The fst sixty minutes afer an incident is called the “golden hour” – it is the most critcal tme in which lives can be saved Costs have been capped, at R450 a month for light motor and injuries minimised. vehicles. And very few motorists will pay that amount. From a survey of actual data of vehicles that have passed under the Gauteng, where these improved roads are, is the economic gantries, it has been established that less than 0.59% of road heart of the country. A quarter of the country’s people live in users will pay that sum. Almost 83% of road users will pay not this province and therefore it is vital that the economic arteries more than R100 per month. of this province are kept open. The e-tolled roads are those economic arteries. If Gauteng comes to a standstll, South That is, of course, if you’ve registered an e-toll account and Africa comes to a standstll. fted your vehicle with an e-tag. Legally, you’re not required to obtain an e-tag but it does make fnancial sense - it is reduces The Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town your toll tarifs by up to 48% and makes payment easy. found in 2010: “Internatonal research experience suggests that in additon to normal accessibility improvements, And what about the impact of e-tolls on the poor? The poor businesses in a growing economy like Gauteng would beneft and working class, whose mode of transport is mainly taxis from increased efciencies in their labour markets. This may and buses, have been cushioned because registered public add 30 to 50% extra to conventonally assessed benefts.” transport is exempted from paying toll tarifs on the Gauteng e-tolled roads. More than 45 000 transport operators have There are hidden advantages too. Less tme spent on the roads already registered meaning that they will not have to increase means more tme for yourself, your family, friends and just for their fares – thus impactng on their passengers – due to e-tolls. relaxing. It’s beter for the soul - at almost no extra price. Also, respected economist Azar Jammine of Econometrix did If you’re a businessman, your company vehicles will use less the sums on the impact of e-tolls on consumers’ pockets. petrol, get to their destnatons faster and you will spend less Jammine is not a great fan of e-tolling but he has himself on upkeep. acknowledged that the efect will not be signifcant: the impact on consumers will range from 0.1% to 0.3%. Then there is the queston of fairness: if you don’t use the inner Gauteng highways, you won’t pay. The user-pay principle This means something that costs R1 000 would, if it were means that if you live in the Free State and never come to to go up, cosy an extra R1 or at the very most an extra R3. Gauteng, the tolls will not afect you. That additonal cost for freeing up the highways, reducing congeston and enhancing safety on the highways is not an During these school holidays, the highways – and all other roads enormous sacrifce. The benefts to the Gauteng economy in Gauteng - will carry less trafc. From the middle of January (which contributes nearly 40% to the country Gross Domestc trafc fows will increase again. The barrage of critcism will Product) and to the motorist outweigh the costs. have died down as people realise that paying tolls has many advantages at very litle extra cost. The sophistcated Freeway Management System provides both a rapid response in case of an incident and thus keeping E-tolling will no longer be an issue. We will all have become the fow of trafc as smooth as possible. Incidents could be accustomed to it. It will be our new reality. 10 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
LESS THAN R 100 pm What you’ll pay is probably less than you thought
ROAD TEST Audi RS5 Cabriolet Droptop Disaster? 12 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
here's an old saying that everyone knows, but I do wonder to justfy their very own sub-division within the large German if anyone pays any atenton to \"old sayings\" anymore. It's company - like the M inside BMW. Tthe classic tale of sedentary living, preferably said in a US Hillbilly accent - \"If it ain't broke, don't fx it!\" Partally that's because before this motor arrived, all proper Audi performance cars featured turbos. And while turbo These words apply to the new Audi RS5 Cabriolet on two levels. charging has always been considered fully appropriate in Or perhaps even three, but the last is probably just me being motor sport terms, like the seminal S1 quatro Sport AWD rally churlish. The frst and foremost relevance however, relates to car, on the road they were never really as trusted as larger- the high-revving naturally-aspirated 4.2-litre V8 in the nose of capacity nat-asp units. This is because the earliest days of main this sultry beast. stream turbo charging is litered with the dead and smoking husks of engines gone bang way before their tme. A whole Award-winning engine range of afer-market parts and kits and accessories, which were generally quite expensive, were necessary just to ensure This is certainly a power plant which is not, by any stretch that your turbo motor lasted past 250 000kms on the odo. of any imaginaton, in any way broken. In a range of engines which all surprise and delight, the 4.2 V8 is the star of the RS- It wasn't just another point of failure to consider on a regular logo'd Audi to my mind. Of course the V10 is spectacular, and commuter car, but a potental car-killer in its own right. So the the fve-cylinder turbo just astonishingly muscular, and the technology was relegated to motor sports where compettors newest twin-turbo 4-litre V8s produce gut-wrenching droves needed the huge power produced but could rebuild their of power. But this V8 was literally the motor that started it specialised engines every 1000kms. This rule even applied all of in a big way for the RS division. Before its arrival fast right up to the 9th-generaton of the rally icon the Mitsubishi Audis, while impressive enough, just didn't have the character LanEvo, where the most heavily boosted of the family required servicing every 4000 miles just a handful of years ago! DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 13
ROAD TEST Audi RS5 Cabriolet High-revs concept The day the last of these units rolls of the producton line will be a very sad one indeed. No words can really describe just Some might say it was poorly-tmed, because then the Audi how gloriously special a big-capacity, mult-cylinder petrol 4.2-litre FSI V8 revving up to a scintllatng 8500rpm arrived motor like this revving past the 8000rpm marker sounds and (coincidentally enough hot on the heels of the company's feels. If you're a petrol head, they possess the kind of emotve acquisiton of Italian supercar legend Lamborghini, and it's power to literally send shivers up your spine in sheer pleasure. high-revving 5.2-litre V10...), and at last breathed life into the They encapsulate all that is great about performance-biased RS brand. And yet today, less than a decade afer frst breaking automotve engineering, an obsession for perfecton that can't the mould in the B7 RS4, this engine is in jeopardy of becoming be compared to simply slapping on a turbo - an approach that irrelevant - as forced-inducton has become the preferred true-blue purists in the performance-car niche once referred to \"norm\" for high-performance cars of this ilk. as the cheap, lazy way of producing power from an otherwise conventonal motor. All of this tumultuous, ofen self-contradictory engineering history aside, this means to us here at Drive that we really A Higher Plane ought to enjoy these very special mills all we can, while we stll can. So we're very thankful that cars like the new RS5 Cabriolet Whereas there's literally nothing conventonal about this V8. It's exist at all - they won't be allowed to stay around much longer voice is as moving as the world's greatest opera stars pouring afer all! meaning onto lyrics even when you don't understand the language through sheer tonal beauty. It's a sound which doesn't enter your ears to be processed by your brain before evoking a response. It envelops you, bursts into your cerebellum from all your functoning senses, impossible to resist, just like the greatest legends of the art-form of performance motoring will. It transcends the conventonal and exists in some higher plane. So, you might have guessed that we quite like the engine. We do, it's true. Producing 331kW at a pulse-pounding 8200rpm, it gets the AWD Quatro RS 5 Cabriolet from standstll to the benchmark in 4.9s, and will run on to the de facto 250kph limiter (and beyond, usually). Ofcially this limit can be raised to 280kph if you ask Audi nicely. That said, the car doesn't actually feel Oh-My-Gawd quick. For instance the Cherokee SRT 8 also tested this month with similar power but a mountain more torque, and weight of course, doesn't feel far of the pace of this svelte German drop-top. 14 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
And it isn't, really, with a 5s 0-100kph run. It's mostly thanks to Either way, this base makes for an exterior which is certainly the unbridled joy of that motor though that this car feels like handsome, but more than a bit long-in-the-tooth today and in it comes from a higher-rung on motoring's \"prestge ladder\". need of some sharpening. Otherwise... Pretty Standard Stowing the fabric roof is as painless as pressing and holding a buton while electric motors whirr and click the origami Inside, the RS5 Cabriolet is standard Audi fare. Plenty of tech contrapton into place, and once open the RS5 ofers the sprinkled around the central cabin feature, the stubby gear- enthusiastc driver far more than just access to the open sky. selector for the 7-speed S-Tronic transmission. The signature There's also a far more direct, purer channel for the soundtrack RS fat-botomed wheel festooned with satellite controls for of that V8 to travel from either the front or back end of the car the MMI. And some lovely sports seats which do a great job to your ears. of melding opulent comfort with side support when you need it. Only the odd fash of carbonfbre trim, and the RS badge Shake, Rattle 'n Roll embedded in the base of the wheel itself, remind you visually that you're in something worth celebratng. Sadly, there's also scutle-shake. Of the monumental variety. Not the type that merely results in a fitering in your rear-view For me, it's a similar argument to the outside of the car. The RS5 mirrors, oh no. The kind that sets the entre steering-column Cabriolet looks just about no diferent to the old RS4 Cabriolet, a-shimmy with each minute bump in the surface of the road which I suppose is why they don't build this version any more. you're driving. It's awful, as if the company didn't even think In fact the only RS4 available today is the Avant - all the rest of structural rigidity at all when they deleted the roof from a are now 5s. standard A5. DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 15
ROAD TEST Audi RS5 Cabriolet Riding on the understandably stf chassis and suspension of back-end to start arcing wide because the woolly steering a full-blown RS model exacerbates this Cabriolet illness to and unpredictable nature of that wobbly chassis would make the extreme. It feels like a convertble made before the era of catching and holding such an event a dangerous game indeed. adding structure-bracing strength to the underside of the car specifcally to reduce this unwanted efect. This car's chassis Fortunately, there is plenty of grip on tap. So the RS5 feels like jelly. Cabriolet can stll cover ground at a mighty pace, even if you do wince every tme you blast past a car coming in the Which in turn doesn't help the predictably one-dimensional other directon in case a small stone causes the stf chassis/ dynamic feel of the RS5 Cabriolet. The limited feel telegraphed rubbery structure combinaton to skip half a foot to the right through the steering wheel is completely corrupted by bucking at a critcal moment... and shimmying, making it probably quite a good thing that the car is setup for only one response - ultmate grip in all Sloppy execution conditons. There's no bringing the rear end into play at all Sure, \"hair-raising\" is supposed to be a fun handling trait for a on the road - perhaps the wide open spaces of a race track commited motoring enthusiast, but even we have to wonder would allow it but on real SA tarmac you wouldn't want the if this feeling is good enough in a car costng just north of a 16 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
Sole Agents wholesales of auto accessories gear knobs filters die cast models exhausts handbrakes pedals mats spotlights TEL: (011) 834 4351/6 104 BREE STREET, NEWTOWN, JHB
ROAD TEST Audi RS5 Cabriolet that is that 4.2-litre FSI, get it in a more practcal (and much Drive Ratings: stfer) RS4 Avant shape instead. It's certainly worth doing, just remember to factor the prohibitve costs of fuel into your Handling: 15/20 fnancial equaton. Ride: 12/20 Performance: 20/20 The Data Fun Value: 19/20 Drive likes: Practcality: 10/20 One of the greatest engines in the business. Total: 76/100 Unmatched soundtrack. million bucks. At this level these kinds of foibles really should Drive dislikes: have been sorted. Massive scutle shake. Unfortunately, to cap this inexcusably sloppy trait, is the fuel Major wind noise even with roof raised. consumpton of the RS5 Cabriolet. This isn't unique to this vehicle naturally, any car featuring this stellar power plant Expensive to buy and to run. is going to be a drinker, but in conjuncton with the other negatves the monstrous thirst just tps the RS5 Cabriolet over Key facts: Audi RS5 Cabriolet to the wrong side of our personal \"want one\" list. A maximum range of 400kms on a 62-litre tank isn't feasible any more. Pricing: R1 016 500 Can we really be saying this? Engine: 4163cc V8 FSI petrol As much as actually supportng the death of such a legendary Power: 331kW @ 8250rpm engine cuts us to the quick, in this case a signifcantly cheaper A5 Cabriolet with the ubiquitous 2.0 TFSI motor could well be Torque: 430Nm @ 4000 - 6000rpm the beter choice. The play in the chassis will irk less because the platorm is that bit sofer and the fuel bills will actually 0-100km/h: 4.9s make it a useable day-to-day commutng car. Top speed: 250kph (Limited) Tragic really, when even we some of the most hardened and commited resistance to the ever-growing trend of downsizing Kerb weight: 1920kg capacity in favour of forced inducton must in this partcular case capitulate. If you truly must stll experience the magic Transmission: 7-speed S-Tronic 18 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
ROAD TEST Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 8 ONE TRICK PONY ne of my clearest memories of my early motoring launch experiences, apart from the Chevrolet Lumina SS Ute which tried it's darnedest to fing me at big speeds of of winding Northern Gauteng mountain roads thanks Oto a wayward carpet stcking the throtle wide open, was actually of another US special. The original version of this car, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 8. Unfortunately however it wasn't the beefy 6.1-litre V8 that has stuck with me all these years. Instead, it was just how this large, cumbersome, of-road oriented SUV handled the circa 300kW of power the Mopar engine was producing. Which is to say, it didn't. Unlike the German performance SUVs which would follow it, machines like the X5 M from BMW and the seminal sports SUV, Porsche's Cayenne Turbo, the Cherokee just did not have the chassis or suspension to deal with the great gobs of torque the petrol motor so generously served up. Over similarly mountainous roads in KZN, the Cherokee SRT-8 never felt even remotely in control of the pace it could deliver. It was undoubtedly one of the most over-engined cars I've ever been at the wheel of, the motor proving way too much for not only the chassis but also the brakes to ever feel comfortable fully exploitng. 20 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 21
ROAD TEST Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 8 Low Tech Motor For this new version then, Jeep has done what any good ol' American car manufacturer is likely to when asked to produce an even more powerful motor for the next generaton. They've added cubic centmetres. While everyone else in the world has shed capacity in favour of supposedly more efcient forced- inducton, this Jeep motor has now grown to 6.4-litres for a resultant output of 344kW and, in a mockery of the commonly held belief that turbo charging is the only route to beefy mid- range torque, a whopping 624Nm. Where the new car does bow to environmental pressures is the gearbox. Despite having this gargantuan mountain of torque to tap in to, the new Grand Cherokee sports a new 8-speed automatc channelling power to all four wheels. Naturally with the ubiquitous paddle-shifing opton that these transmissions seemingly must have to pretend to ofer the driver the choice of rato control. Oh, and there's also some clever form of cylinder cut-of system which renders the SRT 8 a 3.2-litre four-cylinder when full power is not required. None of these fuel-saving tricks work of course. The Grand Cherokee SRT 8 is as much of a voracious gas-guzzler as a petrol V8 with the capacity of a truck and pushing nearly 2,500 kgs of mass through an automatc transmission further hampered by full-tme AWD is expected to be. Which is to say, prety epic. Drive like a Tibetan monk and you stll won't see less than 20l/100km. In return for this mammoth running cost, you do get to enjoy a rather special slice of purest American engineering principles tucked away behind that seven-slated, redesigned grille. This breed of motor is becoming increasingly rare in the modern 22 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
ROAD TEST Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 8 automotve landscape of course, as it has nothing like the \"THERE'S NO THROTTLE-BLIP ON DOWNSHIFTS, impeccably tght tolerances of the high-revving brigade (M3, BUT PLANT YOUR RIGHT FOOT HARD AND THE RS4), nor the metculously-tuned blare of the fast-dying nat- V8 GATHERS ITSELF UP, CLEARS IT'S THROAT, AND asp AMG lumps. In a way, it's a far more honest, mechanical CHARGES LIKE A RHINO TRYING TO ESCAPE A sound that this traditonal recipe produces. BAND OF HIDEOUS POACHERS.\" This partcular motor is a lot happier to be extended to the red- line than the regular Hemi V8, or the LS range of motors found in vehicles like the Lumina SS. It will rev right out to 6800rpm for instance, unusual in a 2-valve-per-cylinder OHV-type unit. Oddly enough considering it's supposed to be a high-tech modern gearbox, there's no throtle-blip on downshifs, but plant your right foot hard and the V8 gathers itself up, clears it's throat, and charges like a rhino trying to escape a band of hideous poachers. A feat which, fted with this power plant, this endangered species would probably be far more likely to achieve. That's because all that torque just shrugs of the weight of the Grand Cherokee and endows the car with a serious turn of speed. The raw fgures claim a vehicle capable of 0-100kph in 5s dead with a limited 250kph top speed, but in-gear it feels even more muscular than that. The aural accompaniment isn't ear-splitng as such thanks to generous sound-deadening in the cabin, but that typically subterranean US V8 rumble is clearly in evidence. With a subtly harder, more metallic edge to it thanks to the Mopar fetling on this machine. It feels in fact like a substantally more lively engine than in the outgoing model, which was already a prety popular machine among SA punters. That being said of course comes the R208- million queston: can the rest of the SRT 8 package actually keep up with this gargantuan efort? 24 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 25
ROAD TEST Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 8 High Tech Platform felt typically BMW-weak, and only just capable of arrestng the thundering momentum the motor was so good at very quickly Well, the Selec-Trak rotary knob now comes with fve modes creatng. You stomped hard on the throtle and then just ended - Snow, Tow, Auto, Sport, and Track. Linked up to adjustable up desperately leaning on the brakes as you tried to shed some Bilstein dampers of course as well as the gearbox \"brain\" and of the 160kph pace that suddenly appeared on the speedo engine throtle mapping. We found Track to be the best setng before entering the next bend. It could be genuinely scary on to leave it in, as even in this mode the SRT 8 is slightly fdgety tghter roads thanks to this weakness. over really pockmarked tarmac but stll quite a comfortable place to be. The SRT 8 however has a serious set of Brembo stoppers, visible from the outside as prominently red-painted brake calipers And in this mode the handling of this new model is absolutely peeking from between the spokes of those huge alloys (6 pistons astonishing. It doesn't seem feasible that such a heavy, tall up front, four at the rear). These anchors, in conjuncton with machine can manage to stay so fat when being pushed hard the almost-mystcal prowess of that adjustable suspension, through the bends. And when you do stray close to these give the Grand Cherokee driver all the confdence they need limits, you'll be even more gobsmacked at how adjustable the to really explore the boundaries enabled by the hard-working platorm actually is. motor up front. That's because in Track mode the ESP systems are suitably On the road then, the SRT 8 has very few peers. Priced closer to loosened, and the SRT 8 has been set up in such a way that an M3 than an X5 M or any of the hoter Cayennes, the Grand you can actually feel the rear end coming into play quite early Cherokee delivers a driving experience far more akin to a race on at tme-atack pace. There's enough of a rearward bias to car than a hulking SUV. And, according to a few contemporary the handling that despite the monster 20\" takkies and full-tme road-tests, it can even handle a smidgeon of of-roading if it AWD, full throtle with steering lock from standstll will actually absolutely must. An almost-impossible duality. yield donuts with all four expensive contact patches braaing themselves on the tarmac surface. Keep it on the road! At speed this looseness translates into optons, despite That last part though, is complete bunk. The SRT 8 sports steering which may be slightly slow-wited. Tip the car into a a huge raf of parts that are completely diferent to those fast sweeper at 160, and the slightest lif of the throtle will found on the standard Grand Cherokee, which can handle a have the nose tghtening on to the chosen line as the rear jacks decent amount of 4X4 work. These changes render the SRT 8 up oh-so-subtly to adopt a throtle-led stance. It's mesmering, completely useless anywhere but on the tar, where as detailed, perhaps even more so than the very similarly-equipped it's completely brilliant. Range Rover Sport Supercharged, and defnitely much more entertaining than the slightly wallowy X5 M. When we did go out to test the of-road abilites of the SRT 8, the sof sand that characterises West Coast bundu-bashing Best of breed braking excursions had scuppered this tall race car in less than a kilometre of adventuring. The Grand Cherokee got so stuck in fact that it Speaking of the BMW super-SUV, it too featured some dynamic eventually took two stalwart Land Cruisers to extract. traits which ensured you stayed well within the vast limits of that epic turbocharged V8. Specifcally on this car, the brakes The challenges which it faces when heading of the beaten path 26 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
Drive Ratings: Handling: 18/20 Ride: 17/20 Performance: 18/20 Fun Value: 17/20 Practcality: 11/20 Total: 81/100 are, well, just about everything. The magical suspension ofers almost no wheel artculaton, the performance rubber doesn't spread at all even with the pressures dropped down to near- nothing, the ride-height isn't great and there's no suspension trick to improve that, and the motor growls too powerfully too soon to allow for the kind of gentle-but-brutal driving which sand requires to maintain momentum. In fact as brilliant as it feels on the road, is just about as out-at- sea as it feels when you go of them. Like night and day. In the one instance you have a big comfy prestgious SUV which can scare sports cars with relatve ease, and in the other you have a machine which a home-built VW Beetle-based beach buggy will run absolute rings around. Enthralling, flaws and all Which is fne of course. Very few SRT 8 customers are likely to be planning excursions through the mountains of Mozambique afer all. Driven exclusively on the roads of the leafy suburbs of The Data Cape Town and Jo'Burg, you'll be amazed at just how brilliant this car is considering the relatvely afordable price. And it's actually Drive likes: the entre package which makes it so dynamically enthralling, a big-hearted and honest motor brimming with brawn, a chassis Honest engine recipe producing all the goods. actually capable of taming and deploying all that grunt, and Handling that defes belief. brakes to confdently scrub of the pace whenever you need them to. That is, if your wallet is stll deep enough to sufer Cheap as chips. Comparatvely speaking. serious petrol-pump abuse on an ongoing basis. Drive dislikes: Completely incapable of-road. Monumental fuel consumpton. Key facts: Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 8 Pricing: R853 900 Engine: 6417cc V8 petrol Power: 344kW @ 6250rpm Torque: 624Nm @ 4100rpm 0-100km/h: 5s Top speed: 250kph Kerb weight: 2340kg Transmission: 8-speed auto
TWIN TEST Citroen C3 and Peugeot 208 Brothers in Arms 28 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
f you're motoring addicts like us, there's a strong chance Group, for some reason decided that the C3 needed no halo you never even really noticed the launch of the new model nor rallying pretensions. Condemning the C3 to a life of IPeugeot 208 last year. That's completely understandable, almost total invisibility to people like us. as until the arrival of the GTi very recently there really wasn't that much about the refreshed range to actually get Talking Twins excited about. With the C3 having just been facelifed for 2013, we brought For all the world, it looked very much as if they'd literally just this pair of all-but-identcal twins together to fnd out if any stuck the new Peugeot family \"face\", with that stylish Peugeot diferences can be discerned, or indeed if the \"standard\" ranges script tucked in to the grille right beneath the leading edge of from this company are even worth your buying consideraton. the bonnet, on to a Citroen C3 and walked away. Sure there So we got hold of entry-level and range-topping variants of were the rally specials, called the R2 and the R5, but they each car and set to work with a fne-tooth comb... weren't really products available for road drivers to buy. Then this year they added the new 1.0-litre 3-cylinder motor and the Very similar, but not the same spicy GTi to the range, at last bringing the 208 badge into the periphery of the enthusiast. The 208 Allure 1.6 VTi and C3 VTi 120 share the identcal, 1.6-litre petrol motor producing a respectable 88kW and However, a very similar car has been available in stablemate 160Nm. With just under 1100kgs of weight to push about, Citroen's showrooms for a while already. Built on the same the litle motor actually performs a bit beter than you might PSA PF1 platorm, the C3 is an equally capable but rather expect, even if 0-100kph sprint tmes of around 9s aren't humdrum litle supermini sufering similar levels of obscurity. exactly anything to write home about. Stll, quite a lot beter And the giant automotve conglomerate, the second-largest than the rest of the lineup, all of which take more like 11s and manufacturer of cars in Europe afer only the monolithic VW slower for the same run. DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 29
TWIN TEST Citroen C3 and Peugeot 208 display in your supermini, the 208 is the car you're looking for. On the other hand, if you'd rather have a pseudo-sunroof in the form of the panoramic \"Zenith\" windscreen, well then you would have to be signing on an HP contract with the Citroen leterhead at the top. Speaking of that windscreen, it's as distnctve a styling element on the Citroen as the Peugeot script is on the 208. From the outside it gives the range-topper a unique and rather appealing look which the lesser models lacking this screen seriously miss. From the inside the executon is neat. Leave the manually- operated cover in place, and the C3 feels just like every other supermini. But slide it back and there's the distnct impression of being in a fghter jet cockpit, which is always going to be quite fun. Yes, it is quite pricey of course. Crack the glass and you're looking at around double the replacement cost of a standard C3 screen, just about R5,500 in fact. Considering how infrequently you actually have to replace windscreens, I don't think that's unreasonable for the perceived spaciousness, or for a feature which is quite unique. The Peugeot 208 parries this with a modern, touch-based infotainment display in the dash with built-in GPS. Defnitely a practcality win for the Peugeot, although there's something It's a fairly peppy engine this, but that's about as far as any about a feature which is included purely for hedonism rather descriptve of it can go. There's just literally nothing else than practcal consideratons... Only the high-spec versions, remarkable about how it goes about its business. Nothing at naturally, get the GPS functons although almost all models in all. The only real diference is that you can have an automatc the 208 range do get the touch screen. transmission on your C3, which completely destroys any semblance of performance. Both our test cars however are A driving experience you'd expect equipped with the standard fve-speed manual 'box. Both cars drive, well, almost exactly like you'd expect. These So how about diferentatng them through specs? Well, aren't thrill-a-minute performance machines or anything apart from each featuring a single stand-out element, there even close and they are set up, basically, to be powered isn't much to talk about. Basically, if you want a touch screen shopping trolleys. And yet there's an underlying sensaton in 30 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
both cars that the French suspension tuning mantra has been so despite being such small cars they deliver comparatvely fastdiously applied to both - in this case not necessarily for serene cruising. ultmate grip but instead for a fne balance between comfort and dynamic capability. With the C3 retailing for R196k, and the 208 for R189, the Peugeot is undoubtedly the more practcal choice, leaving the For lightweight, circa-1000kg cars both the C3 and 208 more empassioned purchasers to the Citroen brand. It really manage to impressively avoid skipping along the road. They comes down to whether you prefer or need GPS guidance, both fow nicely along it regardless of conditon, working with or a funky sunroof. Otherwise there's literally nothing to what the tarmac gives them rather than fghtng against it. diferentate them. However, reading the fner print reveals that They're even nicely insulated from both wind and road noise, the Zenith windscreen is actually only fted to the ludicrously DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 31
TWIN TEST Citroen C3 and Peugeot 208 pricey C3 Exclusive, which is over R30k more than the 208! A musters a litle more power and a lot more torque than the price which simply can not be justfed, leaving this prize wide 1.2 of the 208, sure, but isn't really any quicker in real-world open for the Peugeot to swoop in and claim. Without that driving. Nor is the engine an impediment to enjoying the car sunroof, the C3 just can not compete against integrated GPS. however, because it's quite smooth and not too thrashy at revs. It'll also return even beter fuel consumpton, claimed to be in The bargain basements? the 3l/100km range which is quite exceptonal. And thanks to all that torque, it'll return this result even if you are cruising the Moving to the entry-level space, Peugeot has since migrated highway a lot. from the 1.2 VTi \"Actve\" we have here to an even smaller 1.0-litre model. With no turbo. Ouch. It's a very similar story inside as well. The e-HDI lacks many of the nicetes of the VTi 120 - in fact it's even more shorn That said, although this 1.2-litre three-cylinder can only put in of luxuries than the 208 stablemate. There are no electrics a sprint tme almost 3s slower than the 208 1.6, on the road for the rear windows for instance, no leather gearknob with you would barely even notce. At the trafc-clogged speeds chrome brightwork, no automatc climate control, no Zenith most of us end up spending our lives driving at, the 1.2 feels windscreen and - what? No alarm? No alarm? How weird. as capable of keeping up with trafc as the larger motor, only really tailing of strongly as you approach the 100kph marker. Partcularly when you realise that I have in fact made a mistake And the reciprocal, naturally enough, is ridiculously frugal here. The e-HDI C3 isn't the entry-level C3, in fact it's cheaper fuel consumpton. Provided you aren't doing a lot of highway only than the exclusive at a hefy R213k! Suddenly the C3 value cruising, in which conditons the triple sufers a bit. The 1.0-litre proposal is turned on its head - no one in their right minds must have an even harder tme at this pace. surely would pay this much for a car with so many luxuries missing. No alarm! For R213k? No climate control, no cool Sure, you do notce the cheaper interior, even though the 1.2 Zenith windscreen, and no alarm!? On a R213k car? It just basically just does without the automatc lights, wipers, and makes no sense whatsoever. Even if it was R160k, the lack of an dual-zone climate control. Oh, and the leather cover for the alarm would be very nearly a deal-breaker. steering wheel, which your hands defnitely feel. You stll get the touch screen, just without GPS which is fair enough. And without a halo model like the 208 GTi, there's really nothing whatsoever to rescue the C3 from remaining an uterly Stll at a standard list price of R154,900 for this Actve model, unimportant machine to enthusiasts. Not to menton the the 1.2 looks really atractve value. Partcularly if performance pricing strategy which clearly hasn't been thought out at all. really isn't a criteria for your buying decision. While the platorm may be shared, the thinking sets these two superminis worlds apart. If there's any sense governing your Doing the diesel deal purchase, which surely in this price range there must be, the C3 is the poorer choice. It's a similar story in the C3 e-HDI 90. This 1.6-litre diesel motor 32 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
Drive Ratings: Citroen C3 Peugeot 208 Handling: 14/20 14/20 Ride: 16/20 16/20 Performance: 10/20 10/20 Fun Value: 12/20 12/20 Practcality: 7/20 15/20 Total: 59/100 67/100 The Data Drive likes: Peugeot 208 Peugeot family styling suits supermini well Typically superb ride Integrated GPS a boon Drive likes: Citroen C3 Eye-catching styling with Zenith windscreen installed. Some quirkiness remains inside to enjoy. Drive dislikes: Peugeot 208 Just about no pulse whatsoever. Drive dislikes: Citroen C3 Just about no pulse whatsoever. Ludicrous pricing/equipment mix on e-HDI. Key facts: Peugeot 208 Citroen C3 Pricing: R154 900 - 189 900 R166 900 - 222 900 Engine: 1.2-litre three-cylinder 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol. 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel Power: 60kW/88kW 64/88kW Torque: 118/160Nm 230/160Nm 0-100km/h: Irrelevant Irrelevant Top speed: Up to 180km/h 180/190kph Kerb weight: 1073kg 1080kg Transmission: 5-speed manual 5-speed manual DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 33
ROAD TEST Ford Ecosport 1.5 TiVCT Ambiente Return to sender 34 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 35
ROAD TEST Ford Ecosport 1.5 TiVCT Ambiente hen you've been entrenched in the business of writng Although to be honest, in the Ecosport you can tell there's for quite a while, it's strange how the smallest language something a bit of from the outside already. It looks just a touch Wglitches can get you all riled up. It's actually a bit of too narrow for its height. A bit too tall for its wheelbase. Kind of a problem, because with the level of grammar and spelling on gives you the roll-over heebie-jeebies, like the smart car which display all over the place today, it can cause you to walk around is notorious for exactly that. And the side-hinged rear \"hatch\" with your blood pressure spiking up through the roof every few complete with butch external spare wheel holder speaks to minutes as you spot yet another simple, glaring error on the me immediately suggests a degree of ruggedness which the days' headlines or an advertsing board or a TV prompt. Ecosport just surely doesn't display. Stll, not everyone is going to agree with me on this... Stll, there are right ways to set words to paper, and there are wrong ways. Just like with everything else. Ford, however, High and dry clearly need a bit of a lesson on this. Once you're up and into the Ecosport, the look of all the Ecosport, and Ecoboost. If you want to pronounce the one intruments, the console, even the seats, is familiar Ford \"echo\" instead of \"eco\", then you have to put the silent \"h\" territory. The cloth upholstery is mostly intended to be durable, in! You can't just change between the two, distnctly diferent the plastcs a bit cheap but not tragically so, and there's a fair words without so much as a by-your-leave! An echo is the amount of standard equipment including the Ford Sync setup. reverberaton of sound waves back at their source, not just some uneducated bufoon trying to read eco but failing. Mixing However again, the interior immediately raises a fag. The the two in your radio ad just sounds like you don't have any driving positon isn't ideal. You sit very high up, we suppose to inkling of the diference, which is rather sad. enhance the feeling that you're in a \"baby SUV\", and there's no vertcal seat adjustment whatsoever even though my head Clueless copy was uncomfortably close to the roof lining. Apparently you can change this only in the top-spec Titanium versions which is sort Stll, I have to try and not let the righteous anger I feel every of strange. It's not a car you sit in, so much as perch on. Not tme I hear this language travesty blaring out over the radio not encouraging for spirited drives. afect my judgement of this car. The new Ford Ecosport, with its range of Ecoboost engines, is intriguing enough not to be So maybe it's lucky then, that the rest of the car isn't going to dismissed on the strength of clueless copy writng alone. spur you to atack that Franschhoek pass just for the hell of it. Belying its name, there's positvely nothing sporty about the There's no denying it's quite a funky thing, Ford's entry into the Ford Ecosport. The suspension fails to keep that high centre of compact-SUV niche. Ford's current styling language lends itself gravity in check, the 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated motor of our well to the more upright form of the Ecosport, maintaining the TiVCT Ambiente model completely lacks any sparkle, and the Aston-esque snout and fowing bonnet but backed-up by a form 5-speed Durashif manual gearbox is rubbery and far from a which looks quite a lot like a Fiesta on stlts. Well, it worked for joy to use. Porsche with the Cayenne so... 36 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
Nothing sporty about it But better than the pricier variants Interestngly, this 1.5-litre TiVCT Ambiente is both the cheapest, Although the litle motor feels fairly willing and revs keenly and the fastest-acceleratng car in the range. This is the very enough, the results are really less than stellar. You always feel model that retails for that headline-grabbing R199 900, both like you have to extend the Ecosport to its limits just to keep the turbocharged 3-cylinder 1-litre petrol engine and the 1.5 pace with the trafc, let alone try and entce anything excitng diesel go beyond R220k. The 1.0-litre produces more power from the bland and budget-obsessed parts used to make it. and torque than this motor (92kW and 170Nm), while the diesel makes less power but much more torque (66kW and Why oh why would you build a car specifcally including 205Nm), and yet the 82kW and seemingly weedy 138Nm of the word Sport in the model name and then deliberately this motor is the only one of the three that can actually get the make sure that that's the last thing it actually is? That's like Ecosport from rest to 100kph in under 12s. Not. Sporty. At. All. calling something the El-Cheapo and then setng a price of DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 37
ROAD TEST Ford Ecosport 1.5 TiVCT Ambiente R10-million. Or calling something a Mega Truck with a boot the size of a Ferrari 458s. It just doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Drive Ratings: Just like the Ford Ecosport. At least to me Handling: 11/20 For the average consumer, who cares only about price, looks, Ride: 13/20 and getng from A to B with minimal fuel spend draining their Performance: 6/20 wallets, it could be a good one. There's some space inside, looks which are clearly very modern, adequate economy and you Fun Value: 8/20 get it all for a relatvely afordable price. The dreary dynamics, easy-going engine and up-in-the-sky seatng positon however Practcality: 17/20 are difcult to get beyond. Total: 55/100 Get one or run for the hills? Want even more afordable running costs? Get the diesel. Want The Data a version of this same car which is slower, like the diesel, but stll uses regular fuel, and will apparently sip slightly less of it than Drive likes: the 1.5, no actually even then there's no reason to get the 1.0 GTDI. Because I assure you you'll travel everywhere with your It's priced right. foot buried in the bulkhead, and driven like this even a ttchy 3-cylinder turbo will match the fuel needs of a nat-asp 1.5. Drive dislikes: Our advice? Steer well clear. There are plenty of cars in this No mojo. niche that will be much nicer to own. Try a Juke maybe, even though they are a bit pricier stll. The Ecosport deserves to Soggy handling. quickly be relegated to no more than an echo of a bad idea Key facts: Ford Ecosport 1.5 TiVCT Ambiente Ford once might or might not have had... Pricing: R199 900 Engine: 1498cc four-cylinder petrol Power: 82kW @ 6300rpm Torque: 138Nm @ 4400rpm 0-100km/h: 11.6s Top speed: 175km/h Kerb weight: 1228kg Transmission: 5-speed Durashif manual 38 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
ROAD TEST Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi 40 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
A Crossovers Tale: The Sequel hen the original Nissan Qashqai came out, it had the to an old Qashqai to really pick out the diferences. Like the all- advantage of being the frst of a whole new breed LED headlights replacing the old Xenons. Wto make it really interestng. That's right, this Nissan is credited with having been the very frst of the crossover That characterises much of the modifications made to generaton, a sub-niche which is well-established and extremely this car. They're very subtle. To me it's a bit of a shame, as crowded today due to the popularity of the concept. without the kudos of being the first of a breed and of course the tongue-twisting name, the Qashqai really isn't a very Just imagine, before the Qashqai we apparently either had interesting car in itself. Unfortunately, they've also followed practcal, daily-use runabout hatchbacks or sedans, or the huge, the overarching industry trend, of making the latest model gas-guzzling SUV frequently built on bakkie underpinnings. still less interesting overall. Two cars necessary, end of discussion. Then Nissan dropped the Qashqai on our ignorant asses. That's largely because, unfortunately, the array of electronic aids added to the new car go largely unnotced. There are At least that's how the company sells it, and it's probably the new raf of safety \"aids\" like Blind Spot Assist and Parking almost true. Mostly. Assistance and High Beam Assistance and Oh My. Frankly as an enthusiast I seldom enjoy being Assisted by anything that Changing has to be capitalised, and is controlled by a sofware routne. I know, it's strange. But stll true, of many of us I think. We know Not that the crossover is actually ever really going to replace how to park, how to check our blind spots, how to dip the high the SUV. Unless maybe it's an Evoque. But for the most part beam when needed and then switch it back again. We can do they're strictly a raised ride-height afair sometmes with it, without any undue physical or mental strain even. We can limited 4X4 capabilites and litle more. even read our own trafc signs, another excitng new feature of the 2014 Qashqai apparently. Apparently that is also changing today however, as more and more small crossovers are adding at least the opton of AWD Irrelevant Assistance to their range. Nissan too is following this trend with the 2014 Qashqai, which can be specced with full-tme \"4X4-i\". But the Perhaps of more interest to us are all the assists which actually company has gone to great lengths with this new model so afect the driving itself. Apparently the Qashqai features there's a lot more than just that to see. chassis control electronics lifed from the GTR which is prety impressive. The trouble is you won't ever actually feel these The Qashqai has, afer all, been a huge success story for the working, they're more of a mental safety net than a physical manufacturer. It has sold extremely well wherever it goes, a asset. Things like the electronic equivalent of a limited-slip dif performance which not even the cheaper Juke has managed might neaten up your cornering substantally in a 250kW hot to quite repeat just yet. However for this new model, the rules hatch or 400kW supercar, but in an 81kW diesel crossover they have changed. The industry, and the market stll buying new just don't really apply. cars, has changed dramatcally since it was introduced. So is the tweaked new Qashqai interestng enough on its own to That said, the new Qashqai will ride very nicely thanks to double- remain a leader in this hyper-compettve niche? piston shocks and the Actve Ride Control, which apparently monitors the road ahead for undulatons to apply braking Well, it's clear Nissan is trying really hard to make it so. They specifcally to smooth things out. Impressive, but also a litle have gone ahead and changed a lot, improved a lot, added a annoying. What if I might want to throw my passengers about a lot. So we've gone for a last fing in the latest version of the litle - perhaps I'm being hijacked in a Hollywood acton movie Series 1 to point out the key diferences. and want to throw the muzzle of my secret-agent opponent's gun of for just a moment allowing me to capitalise? I know, it's Lightly retouched a long shot, but you get what I'm saying. Not that you might notce from the looks. They've gone with The current model rides well enough, but you can feel where VWs \"don't bother\" approach to my eyes. Sure there are details improvements can be made. It feels like a light car, rather than that are diferent, an extra few millimetres here and there, a the substantal hunk of metal you'd expect of a crossover. Big reprofled bulge, kink, and waist-line. But underneath all the bumps can cause a prety dramatc weight-shifing efect and can jewellery it stll looks familiar, and would take parking it next even leave you slightly queasy thanks to the elevated ride height. DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 41
ROAD TEST Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi Unfortunately not much can be said of the entry-level 1.5 dCi \" ESPECIALLY IF YOU ALSO powerplant in our test car either. It's a surprisingly noisy device with a lot of cheap-sounding clater from idle up to red line. GET THE NEW XTRONIC CVT The inital surge of torque is quite impressive considering the TRANSMISSION, WHICH WILL BE size and claimed efciency, but peters out immediately leaving THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN you with a fat, drab plateau of just-barely-enough power to row about on. Never even the faintest of a chance of raising OF FUN OR EXCITEMENT.\" your heart-rate one litle bit. It's supposed to have 240Nm, the same as that available from the far more powerful 1.6 DiG-T motor, but it never feels it. 42 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
We're told this partcular motor has received a lot of atenton largely targeted at taming that uncouth soundtrack while boostng power slightly and fuel economy. According to the ofcial numbers, the new 1.5 dCi can get as low as 3.8l/100km, which is incredible. Clever tech which helps this fgure include Stop-Start and even actve aerodynamics - faps in the grille close when the engine isn't in need of cooling to reduce drag! Because of the total lack of interest shown by the engine, the gearing is oddly short, with sixth equatng to around 3000rpm at 120kph. Oh, and you won't get more than 150kph out of it either, even with those clever actve aero panels in the nose. I don't expect the 4kW and 20Nm advantage of the newer motor to change that much. Thanks to these panels and a host of other tech, you're likely to be able to drive a diesel Qashqai and return just over 5l/100km regularly. Especially if you also get the new XTronic Drive Ratings: CVT transmission, which will be the fnal nail in the cofn of fun Handling: 12/20 or excitement. Unfortunately with a manual gearbox you're stll occasionally tempted to try and uncover some deeply hidden Ride: 11/20 nugget of passion, and when chasing this mirage your fuel consumpton does climb dramatcally. For no real return either Performance: 8/20 - it just isn't there. Fun Value: 7/20 Lacking Practcality: 17/20 Perhaps the more powerful 1.6dCi (replacing the current 2.0) Total: 55/100 or even beter one of the pair of DiG-T petrol engines would at least give the Qashqai some semblance of character which it sadly lacks in this entry-level guise. Even if it does come with the all-new NissanConnect app ted-in to the 7\" colour The Data touchscreen infotainment system. Drive likes: Speaking of which, the interior is one place which really does need some refreshing. Our test car featured a very plain Not altogether ugly to look at. architecture distnctly lacking in bells or whistles beyond the Light on fuel consumpton when you do bother to drive it. radio unit and a limited trip computer between the dials. Stll like those n-tec alloys. The 2014 Qashqai apparently features all-new seats as well as a completely redesigned interior packed to the brim with the Drive dislikes: gizmos of today. That at least will be a change for the beter, even if many of the other updates aren't. You only drive it when you have to. Never for any other reason. The reality is that the reason the Qashqai has sold so well is that it's suitably practcal, and suitably priced. That's what Totally disinterested motor. Nissan should focus on for the next generaton - I don't believe that adding only marginally useful digital systems Key facts: Nissan Qashqai 1.5 Acenta dCi while further degrading the driving experience and then charging a higher price because of all the new bits is really Pricing: R853 900 what the market is demanding. And the Qashqai is facing such a broader seam of competton in the space that it surely has Engine: 1461cc four cylinder turbo diesel to diferentate itself in some way other than emitng slightly Power: 78kW @ 4000rpm less CO2. Torque: 240Nm @ 2000rpm I know the existng car is drab, and in serious need of some spice to liven it up. Therefore I do appreciate the new DiG-T 0-100km/h: N/A engines making their way into the Qashqai snout, partcularly the 1.6 which in the Juke is a truly excellent unit. Top speed: 177kph But beyond that I expect the new car to contnue as before. Kerb weight: 1194kg Another car which sells well, superbly even, without matching this level of performance in any other way. Transmission: 6-speed manual DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 43
LAUNCH DRIVE Range Rover Sport A WHOLE NEW BREED 44 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
BRUCE BENNETT T he recently launched Range Rover Sport is an important vehicle for the Jaguar Land Rover brand. It slots in above the popular Range Rover Evoque and A WHOLE NEW BREED below the “big brother” Range Rover. There is a supercharged 3-litre petrol V6, a 3-litre turbodiesel and a supercharged 5-litre V8 petrol motor. The later comes in only the top-spec HSE, while the 3-litre petrol and diesel models both ofer a choice of the HSE or the lesser S specifcaton. Feature Packed All come with a high level of standard features including hill descent control, eight airbags, full-size spare wheels, trailer stability assistance, roll stability control, cruise control and dual climate control with air fltraton and parking aids front and rear. The three-stage air suspension lowers the vehicle for easy access and raises it for riding in the veld, giving it a ground clearance of almost 280mm. A torque vectoring system improves cornering by pushing more power to the outside wheels. You get a surround camera system and blind spot monitoring on the HSE models. There are 20-inch Pirellis on the 3-litres but the 5-litre gets 21-inchers. Only the 3-litre S does not have a tyre-pressure- monitoring system. A powered tailgate comes standard on the HSE versions but costs an extra R5700 on the S models Watch the extras! I don’t know if this is English humour but for some reason the manufacturers found it necessary to menton that the foor mats were standard items – this on cars costng between R825 500 and R1 263 000. And a lot of the items that would be really nice to have, such as the wading sensor at R3400 on all models, are extra-cost goodies. The HSEs come standard with adaptve cruise control but cost almost R20 000 more on the S versions; and the satellite navigaton is fted to the HSEs but S owners pay close to R27 000 extra. Astonishingly, if you want leather seats and you are buying an S you will have to fork out R20 600 … DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 45
LAUNCH DRIVE Range Rover Sport the big vehicles and this showed of their cameras, mounted just above the wheels, to show exactly how far the tyres were from the edge at any tme. This would also come in handy for less dramatc events such as parallel parking. The hard part was keeping one’s eyes on the screen on the dashboard instead of trying to look out of the windscreen or the side windows – which wouldn’t have helped anyway because the ramps were so steep. There was also an of-road course which the RR Sport handled with ease, including a wading test that saw the twin exhausts submerged and the muddy waters lapping at the botom of the doors but failing to enter the cabin. The wading test was at an impressive 700mm but the vehicle’s ability has been boosted to an awesome 850mm. The company has cleverly maintained its Britsh heritage and traditon, with one video clip even mixing up images of a Spitire over Britain with others of the Range Rover Sport being put through its paces. Kevin Flynn, MD of Jaguar Land Rover of South Africa, declared that every Range Rover had to be a Land Rover frst, implying that its ofroad ability would be undeniable. Jaguar Land Rover representatves repeatedly spoke of the Sports as being the fastest, most agile and responsive Land Rovers yet. The company executves exuded confdence and afer driving Weight-Watchers the RR Sports it is not hard to see why. These are mighty impressive cars and proved supremely comfortable, quiet and A huge part of the secret of reaching this goal, they said, was powerful over a 300km route on quiet rural tar roads and gravel a successful weight-loss programme, with the platorm now byways in Mpumalanga. weighing 39% less than before due to clever and inventve use of aluminium, even including the inventon of new alloys. Now Boarding! At The Rock raceway in Brakpan, we were invited to drive the The event began at a hangar at Oliver Tambo airport and, apart cars as fast as we could down a drag strip before applying the from the long drive, included putng the cars through their brakes as hard as possible. The Range Rover Sports are, when paces by driving them up steep ramps INTO and THROUGH an all is said and done, stll big vehicles, but came to a dead stop airliner. The ramps were just wide enough to accommodate from 140km/h in just a few metres, with very litle drama. 46 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 47
LAUNCH DRIVE Range Rover Sport This is a combinaton of the lighter weight and the excellent Land Rover has clearly put a huge amount of thought and efort stability control and braking systems. into improving every aspect, despite the fact that the previous models were so wildly popular! The result is a vehicle which is While watching other drivers do their thing at the drag strip we practcally unmatched in the sector, with class-leading on-road were surprised at how sexy the engine and exhaust sounded. pace and dynamics coupled with the of-road ability of \"The You are hardly aware of them from inside the cabin. Best 4X4, By Far\". What an absolutely killer combinaton. On the open road, all the variatons of the car were impressive in an understated, restrained manner, with heaps of power, luxury and technology - and quiet comfort inside the cabin. You could get to 160km/h without trying, if you didn’t keep a close eye on the speedo, because the engines are so quiet and the interiors so well insulated. Eight-speed gearboxes are fted to all the models, adding to their huge competence. Extreme Evolution The Range Rover Sport has been around since 2005 – 415 000 have been sold - and the cars introduced to South Africa recently are the second generaton. They stll look very much like Range Rovers but manage to have something of their own visual identty without the daring design of the Evoque. 48 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
THE SPECS: Range Rover Sport (three engines at launch) Engines: supercharged V6 petrol, 2995cc; supercharged V8 petrol, 5000cc; V6 turbodiesel, 2993cc. Power: 250kW at 6500rpm (3-litre petrol); 125kW at 3400-4000rpm (3-litre diesel); 375kW at 6000-6500rpm (5-litre petrol). Torque: 450Nm at 3500-5000rpm (3-litre petrol); 600Nm at 2000rpm (3-litre diesel); 625Nm at 2500-5500 (5-litre petrol); 0-100km/h: 7.2 seconds for the 3-litres; 5.3 seconds for the 5-litre. Top speed: 210km/h for the 3-litres; 250km/h for the 5-litre. Claimed consumpton: 11.3l/100km for the 3-litre petrol; 7.9l/100km for the diesel; and 13.8l/100km for the 5-litre. Fuel tank: 105 litres Claimed CO2: 3-litre petrol, 264g/km; 3-litre diesel, 209g/ km; 5-litre petrol, 321g/km. Pricing: 3-litre petrol, R825 500; 3-litre diesel, from R885 800; 5-litre petrol, R1 263 000. DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014 49
LAUNCH DRIVE Lexus ES250 El Cheapo? 50 DRIVE MAGAZINE DEC/JAN 2014
Search
