Wheels AU 04.2021_

With some familiarity, though, the 320i, sharing the 135kW/300Nm that live under the rear seat. These driver is able to choose how and when petrol engine, but the electric also reduce boot space from 480 litres to use the electricity. For example, a motor increases these outputs to 375L, though the rear seat can be family trip from Melbourne to Geelong to 185kW/420Nm, or 215kW for folded 40:20:40 to increase space if began with a depleted battery, but 10-second bursts thanks to the Sport need be. by ‘locking out’ the battery system mode’s ‘Xtraboost’ function. This cuts using a button on the centre console, the 0-100km/h claim to 5.9sec, a full This added heft does affect the the highway journey was completed 1.2sec quicker than the 320i. 330e’s handling slightly, but is only using the petrol engine. On the way really noticeable when driving very the car was constantly adding juice In reality it doesn’t quite feel that enthusiastically. The trademark BMW to the battery, filling it by the time quick, though the instant torque balance is still there, so this remains we reached Geelong and allowing all delivery of the electric motor provides an enjoyable car to drive, but the urban driving to be completed using a pleasing punch in the back when you tyres do give up a little earlier due only the electric motor. This process floor the throttle, to the extent that to the extra load. allows you to use each propulsion care is needed exiting tight corners system where it’s most efficient: petrol (particularly in the wet) lest the rear The 330e is an intriguing car. In for the highway and electricity for wheels spin (with the DSC system in purely economic terms it makes no stop-start driving. It’s very clever. its more lenient Sports mode, at least). sense, as the price difference between it and the 330i on which it’s based will You needn’t be feather-footed, In contrast, with an empty battery buy many years’ worth of fuel. either, as the 330e will remain purely you’re left with a fairly uninspiring electric up to 40 percent throttle and petrol engine left lugging a heavy car, However, if your driving consists 110km/h in Hybrid mode (or up to the hybrid gubbins adding an extra of a lot of short distances or you like 140km/h in Electric mode). However, 280kg, mainly thanks to the batteries the idea of an electric vehicle but the hybrid system also has the ability not dealing with public charging to improve performance. (Below) BMW’s clever plug-in hybrid drivetrain enables the infrastructure, then the 330e is a 330e driver to employ petrol power on the highway, where largely compromise-free way of The 330e is based on the it works best, and then the electric motor around town entering the zero-emissions world. SCOTT NEWMAN Model BMW 330e Engine 1998cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Motor single, gearbox integrated Battery 10.3kWh lithium-ion Max combined power 215kW (with overboost) @ 6500rpm Max combined torque 420Nm @ 1250-4000rpm Transmission 8-speed automatic Weight 1740kg 0-100km/h 5.9sec (claimed) Economy 1.9L/100km (ADR) Price $84,900 On sale Now @wheelsaustralia 51

Drives FIRST LOCAL DRIVE Model MG HS PHEV Engine 1498cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Motor single, gearbox integrated Battery 16.6kWh lithium-ion Max combined power 189kW Max combined torque 370Nm Transmission 6-speed automatic + 4-speed electric Weight 1755kg 0-100km/h 6.9sec (claimed) Economy 1.9L/100km (ADR) Price $46,900 On sale Now MG HS PHEV or the output of the engine to recharge ambitious. However, the rival RAV4 the battery. will barely leave your driveway under CHEAPEST PHEV SUV electric power alone, so ask yourself IN OZ. A BARGAIN? Toyota, which dominates the market how important it is for you to use your of the latter, has done a top job of hybrid SUV in EV mode and burn no S HOULD WE TAKE A convincing Aussies as to the merits of its petrol for daily commuting or running moment to get in a quick ‘self-charging’ hybrids, so most buyers around. The potential energy savings plug for buyers of hybrid either can’t be bothered with the plug are not huge unless you have solar; vehicles? We could, but or aren’t aware of the benefits. what opting for plug-in power does those who actually have provide is a zero-Nox clear conscience a plug are deeply in the MG aims to change that with the for your urban running, and the minority. Consider that in 2020 sales launch of its first PHEV, the mid-size HS benefit of exclusive access to the more of PHEVs tallied just 1685 vehicles, SUV. Offered in a single high-level spec quiet, responsive electric side of the compared to well over 60,000 in the for $46,990 driveaway, it teams a 1.5-litre powertrain. On this latter criteria, same period for parallel ‘plug-less’ turbo four with a 90kW/230Nm motor the MG performs well. It ‘idles’ in hybrids, which use recovered energy sandwiched between the six-speed complete silence, is always alert to the auto transmission for a combined throttle around town and accelerates 189kW and 370Nm. The motor is fed by swiftly, with only a subdued whine a 16.6kWh battery to provide a claimed and the sound of the 18-inch Michelins electric-only range of 52km. disturbing the otherwise tranquil cabin. In the context of its rivals, the HS However, its hybrid system is not is similarly sized to the Toyota RAV4, especially sophisticated. There are just and a close spec match for the hybrid two modes: EV, which locks out the Cruiser 2.5 FWD at $43,290. So at first glance the MG’s pricing looks a touch Useful EV-only range; lively and PLUS MINUS Re-gen not hugely effective; quiet as an EV; well equipped; occasional hesitation under hard simplicity of operation throttle; mediocre dynamics 52 whichcar.com.au/wheels

petrol engine, or the default hybrid New flagship of MG’s Aussie line-up comes loaded The leather and microsuede-trimmed mode, which uses a mix of petrol and with equipment, including 18s, LEDs and comprehensive seats are deeply sculpted, but lack battery power depending on a bunch of ‘Pilot’ suite of safety and driver-assistance functions under-thigh support for tall frames. parameters including throttle position, In the back, the lowish seat base will road speed and gradient. It lacks a a bit in and it’s quickly apparent the see adults with knees bent but with ‘recharge’ mode on the move to boost compression and rebound rates are a adequate legroom. Kids are fine, and battery power for later EV-only running, bit of a MAFS marriage rather than they’ll be happy with the two USB ports instead relying on coasting re-gen to harmonious bliss. B-road lumps and and a fold-down cupholder section also replenish the battery after its plug-in dips reveal a lack of cohesion that puts housing a lidded cubby large enough charge is depleted. Re-gen ability seems the HS well short of the supple but to hold a phone or a few snack bars. limited; our ‘flat’ battery didn’t regain controlled Subaru Forester or Toyota’s Luggage capacity is 451 litres, accessed charge over the final 80km. There’s also RAV4. The steering is quick enough by a powered tailgate, expanding to an odd hesitation when booting it from at 2.7 turns lock to lock, but brings an 1275L with the rear seats folded. around 70km/h, as if the powertrain artificial weighting as lock is wound on. needs a moment’s thinking time. Personal preference, but I’d rather an Broader take-out for the HS PHEV overall lighter, more linear tune. is that this is an honest, uncomplicated Our test drive was 140km; the first hybrid that gets enough of the basics 40km on battery power alone, the Inside, it’s all very conventional and right to give environmentally aware remainder in hybrid mode. Total fuel dummy-proof. Surfacing and materials buyers what they want: easy overnight consumption was 6.7L/100km, so not are mostly decent, let down only by recharging from a domestic outlet, amazing but that did take in some hard plasticky switchgear. The driver’s enough range for typical daily duties and driving. Expect to use mid-to-high 8s 12.3-inch digital instrument display can economical longer-haul running with zero when driving with a depleted battery. be configured to provide various info range anxiety. pages, while the 10.1-inch touchscreen As for the chassis tune and for media, HVAC and vehicle settings Is it priced keenly enough to tempt the dynamics, the HS is acceptable for the is logical, if a bit laggy. A massive glass masses away from more mainstream, low- undemanding driver; firm around town roof with retractable blind opens the consumption alternatives like the RAV4 and a little restless, yet not crashy nor entire cabin to the sky. hybrid? That’s the contentious bit. uncomfortable. But start to lean on it ASH WESTERMAN @wheelsaustralia 53

Drives FIRST LOCAL DRIVE MAZDA MX-5 GT RS WHEN ‘RS’ EQUALS ‘RIGID ‘N’ STIFF’ T HOSE TWO LETTERS, delicacy and fluency? Fortunately, the boot, the RS is still pleasant. RS. You’re in for a answer is (mostly) no. The GT RS’s 2.0-litre atmo four stripped-out MX-5 that’s lighter and racier, right? While the lesser MX-5 GT still remains unchanged (still 135kW If that’s what you were delivers comparatively generous levels and 205Nm), but that’s no bad thing. hoping for, you’re in for of bodyroll through corners to keep It delivers, at the risk of dragging disappointment. That’s until you start a willing driver busy, the GT RS is out the old maxim, linear power in driving the Mazda MX-5 GT RS, at appreciably more tied down. Of course, a responsive, predicable and eager which point you will quickly realise the driver is still the main ingredient, fashion that allows a keen driver what the RS is all about. It’s stiffer, but the car’s increased cornering to make the most of every kilowatt sure, but there are a handful of key competence is quickly clear. The MX-5 available, with the reward of a parping additions to this car that place it at GT RS is a more serious machine but relatively subtle engine note the top of the ladder of soft-top MX-5s. for a more track-focused driver who that eggs you on to the top of the values sharper cornering lines and tachometer as volume increases. In a very similar vein to the MX-5 lap times. While there’s still ample RF GT Limited Edition of 2018 (minus playfulness, the stiffer suspension is the Targa-style roof), the GT RS regularly front of mind. You won’t find variant brings more focused elements yourself needing to adjust the speed to the Roadster. Brembo brakes with or steering as much mid-corner as in four-piston calipers up front, a set of the sub-RS GT, and a cheeky little bit stiffer Bilstein dampers, both found of oversteer is an option both under behind forged 17-inch BBS wheels, braking or with an early application of plus an alloy strut brace between the the right pedal. front suspension towers to improve body rigidity and steering feel. While the Bilsteins improve cornering ability, they also make the Roadster a This comes as the MX-5 range is little less comfortable on most roads, very lightly updated for 2021, with an issue most significant if potential new paint colours and wireless owners have regular ‘weekend away’ Apple CarPlay. The MX-5’s appeal is intentions. For general duties, like trips as a simplified sports car for those to Coles for 130 litres of milk to fill the who want something that fits the traditional sense of the genre. So does Reduced roll and stronger PLUS MINUS Stiffer ride might not suit long the RS overstep the boundaries of brakes reward fast drivers; journeys; driveaway price with retains the MX-5’s ‘soul’ options getting up there 54 whichcar.com.au/wheels

Model Mazda MX-5 GT RS Engine 1998cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v Max power 135kW @ 6750rpm Max torque 205Nm @ 5000-5250rpm Transmission 6-speed manual Weight 1052kg 0-100km/h 6.5sec (claimed) Economy 6.8L/100km Price $47,020 On sale Now Left: Flatter stance changes the RS’s dynamic The relationship with its driver but makes it a bit rival less comfortable for weekend road-tripping SUBARU BRZ TS The main hurdle Mazda might have $43,190 to overcome in convincing buyers of the benefits of the RS is its price. THERE ARE trade-offs to taking this coupe option: its The non-RS MX-5 GT wears a flat-four isn’t as sweet and you $44,020 price tag and provides a not- lose the top-down motoring. dissimilar driving experience day to But if the roof isn’t a concern day. The GT RS’s sticker bumps that and you don’t mind a horizontal by $3000 to $47,020, but once you tick engine with a quirky torque some options and take into account on- curve, the BRZ tS is probably road costs, the sub-$50K dream goes a better choice. The Subaru out the window. is not only cheaper, it still wears stiffer dampers, better Mazda quotes $51,707 as a brakes and bracing. It’s much recommended delivered price (using more conducive to oversteer Melbourne as an example), but if you’re that way inclined and options such as premium paint (Soul its steering is more responsive Red, Machine Grey or Polymetal Grey, than many more expensive all $495), scuff plates ($380), MX-5 cars. But if the Roadster’s soft floor mats ($185), an alarm system roof is a drawcard for you, ($920) and front parking sensors chances are none of that will ($741) mean you’re looking at closer to change your mind. $55,000 to live the open-air RS dream. @wheelsaustralia 55 But it’s not like you could buy a standard GT and upgrade it to RS specifications without spending more than that, so ultimately the GT RS is decent value if a trackday MX-5 is your preference. If not, save the dosh and slip into the softer, cheaper GT. CHRIS THOMPSON

Drives FIRST LOCAL DRIVE HYUNDAI KONA N-LINE and a multi-link rear suspension. seems much larger and more upmarket And if you’re thinking, ‘Hang on, simply through more resolved SHARP TRAINER; integration. It offers a nifty split-screen LIGHT ON ITS FEET you can get all of that stuff on any option and fine navigation facility. of the regular Konas’, well, no you T HE SUB-GENRE of can’t. Not anymore, in facelifted form. In the back seat it’s less great: tight warmed-over compact ‘Range consolidation’ has left the for adults and lacking rear air vents. and small SUVs and four-tier pedestrian Kona range with crossovers has suddenly what was and remains the lower-grade The N-Line’s heartbeat is the newest, become motoring’s hot underpinnings: atmo engines, front most substantial addition to the new ticket. Into this drive, a torsion beam rear-end and, Kona menu. The G1.6T-GDi engine is increasingly populated zone comes now, a CVT transmission. new for the range and ups power to the Kona N-Line, looking fast standing 146kW (a 16kW hike over the unit it still and, in Premium spec tested here, Back inside the N-Line Premium, replaces). It’s a tiny 0.2L thirstier than the cream of the Kona crop. the seat contouring, padding and its predecessor (6.9L/100km official; we perforated surfacing are decent rather used around 8.0L/100km on test) but The N-Lines (there’s a regular than exceptional. will run on 91RON fuel or E10. version priced $8100 lower than the Premium) pack 1.6-litre turbo-petrol Exclusive to this range-topper The seven-speed dual-clutch power, a dual-clutch transmission, AWD is the 10.25-inch digital driver’s transmission is mechanically unchanged screen, and it’s a mixed bag: sharp in but benefits from a new calibration. resolution, but the installation smacks The on-demand all-wheel-drive system of afterthought. By contrast, the offers a selectable 50/50 (front/rear) identically sized infotainment screen lock mode at speeds under 50km/h. Ride and handling balance; PLUS MINUS Powertrain lethargy in cruise steering; decent power; mode; tight in the back with smart looks sub-par amenity; not cheap 56 whichcar.com.au/wheels

Model Hyundai Kona N-Line Premium Engine 1598cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo Max power 146kW @ 6500rpm Max torque 265Nm @ 1600-4500rpm Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch Weight 1485kg 0-100km/h 8.5sec (estimated) Economy 6.9L/100km (claimed) Price $42,400 On sale Now Interestingly, Hyundai Australia Colour-matched wheelarch cladding and side skirts, The says there has been no change to the diffuser-look tail treatment and N-specific mesh grille Fruit Aussie-developed suspension tune combine to deliver a more hunkered-down stance between the N-Line and outgoing LINE OF FIRE multi-link-rear variants, and we can revs the 1.6’s shove tends to wane a bit, see why. The highlight of the on-road and with no paddle-shifters to manually The key lure for the N-Line N-Line experience is the ride and control the gearbox, you’re very much Premium’s $8100 upcharge is handling balance. Its natural state is in the hands of the ECU. the 10.25-inch digital driver’s slightly firm with surprisingly pliant instrumentation, though the compression and fast-settling rebound. Cool your enthusiasm – whether top-spec version adds other There’s nothing brittle or terse about in Eco, Normal or Smart drive modes dangling carrots such as full the chassis, yet the flat composure and – and the powertrain errs a little too LED lighting, front parking body control is, at times, miraculous. much towards thriftiness. Off-the-mark sensors, a head-up display, performance isn’t the N-Line’s strong ambient lighting, seat heating in Steering is also crisp, direct and suit, while pulling onto a motorway both rows plus cooling up front, linear, compounding in a machine that demands a heavy right foot. high-beam assist and glass flows nicely and carries good pace sunroof, although the latter item without demanding a lot of driver input While Hyundai offers its luxury- gets deleted if you opt for two- or correction. focused Highlander in 2.0-litre CVT tone paint that adds a black roof. front-driven form, the cream of the Kona But the lack of tailgate power The powertrain is at its liveliest crop is the N-Line Premium for all-in assistance is quite an omission on the move with Sport drive mode sporting and luxury completeness. On for the coin it demands. selected. Thus set, the turbo four’s balance, it’s more accomplished in its torque swells nicely in the mid-range sporting role and, despite some urban @wheelsaustralia 57 and the dual-clutch transmission is powertrain lethargy, it makes for a damn generally cluey enough to hover the fine all-rounder and should be on your engine around its sweet spot. At high short list. CURT DUPRIEZ

FIRST LOOK / MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS WITH MORE THAN A TOUCH OF E-CLASS AND S-CLASS IN ITS DESIGN, THE FIFTH-GENERATION C-CLASS IS SET TO BREAK NEW GROUND FOR MERCEDES’ MOST POPULAR MODEL WORDS ANGUS MACKENZIE 58 whichcar.com.au/wheels

@wheelsaustralia 59

FIRST LOOK / MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS Central touchscreen, angled towards the driver, sits below three flattened round vents inspired by aircraft engines 60 whichcar.com.au/wheels

W HEN THE Mercedes-Benz 190E was every non-AMG Mercedes these days. Wheels range in size launched back in 1982, many pundits from 17-inch to 19-inch. described the car as a ‘Golf-fighter’, pitching it as Stuttgart’s first foray into It’s inside where the new C-Class most obviously lays the affordable small car mainstream. claim to being a baby S-Class. As in the S-Class, the screen In truth, the 190E was never really that is celebrated, and not amid the drab austerity you find small, or that inexpensive. And over the past four decades in a Tesla. A simple, rectangular digital instrument panel successive generations of the so-called baby Benz, rebadged measuring 26cm across the diagonal stands proud of a dash the C-Class with the launch of the W202 in 1993, have that rolls forward to a padded section under the windshield become bigger and pricier. and enhances the sense of spaciousness for the front seat passengers. The portrait format 24.1cm central touchscreen At first glance, the 2021 C-Class emphatically proves flies over the dash, the silver edging on the curved panel the point. Codenamed W206, this new C-Class is longer and wider, with a longer wheelbase than the iconic W124 Every exterior panel is E-Class launched in 1984. And don’t expect much change new, but the design from $70,000 for the entry-level C200 sedan when the car is evolutionary rather arrives in Australia. That’s around four grand more than a than revolutionary W124 300E cost when it went on sale here in 1985. integrating it with the centre console to make it look as But those numbers don’t quite tell the full story. Back in if it has taken off from somewhere near your elbow. Both the day you had to work 174 weeks to earn enough to get screens are available in larger sizes – 31.2cm and 30.2cm behind the wheel of a 300E. On today’s average weekly respectively – as an option. wage, you’ll probably have the readies for a new C200 in about a quarter the time. And for a car that in terms of In the S-Class the console under the central touchscreen its features and technology looks to be more like a baby simply headbutts the lower dash; in the C-Class the console S-Class than an expensive alternative to a Volkswagen, the blends into the lower dash in a single seamless arc, its new C-Class appears a compelling proposition. outer edges then curving left and right and running in an unbroken line to each corner of the cabin. The whole lot is Every exterior panel is new, but the design is evolutionary crowned with an array of glittery, ambiently lit squircular rather than revolutionary, with forms, surfaces and vents nestled in to the padded upper of the dash. It’s a graphics echoing those found in the all-new S-Class and the tour de force, giving the C-Class cabin an elegantly facelifted E-Class. For example, the crisp line that starts on sumptuous ambience rivalling that of the S-Class. the front quarter panel and extends rearwards just under the side windows is similar to that on the S-Class, while the frowning grille graphic and twin power bugles on the bonnet are shared with the E-Class. At the rear are tail- lights whose design combines elements of both E-Class and S-Class. And peeking out from under the bumper are the rectangular exhaust outlets that you find on pretty much Sporty style is enhanced by bonnet power bugles and large-diameter, flush-fitting alloys @wheelsaustralia 61

“The car feels completely different to the W205; I was surprised how different it feels” C-CLASS CHIEF ENGINEER CHRISTIAN FRÜH FIRST LOOK / MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS The new C-Class rolls on a wheelbase 25mm longer than increased 10mm. One dimension has shrunk, though. The that of the W205, and much of that has gone into improving new sedan’s roofline is 9mm lower than that of the current the rear seat legroom. The rear passenger H-point has also car and the wagon is 7mm lower. been dropped 10mm, improving headroom. Up front is a revised multi-link front suspension that Like the new S-Class, the W206 C-Class is equipped with follows the design of the set-up on the new S-Class and the second generation of the MBUX user interface. Both which C-Class chief engineer Christian Früh says improves the instrument panel and touchscreen can be configured steering response and on-centre feel. And, as in the new to display a variety of information in a variety of ways. A S-Class, the C-Class will be available with optional four- fingerprint scanner at the lower edge of the central screen wheel steering. But while the S-Class system will steer the enables users to log in to MBUX, recalling personal settings rear wheels up to 10 degrees or 4.5 degrees, depending on in the system and protecting data such as favourites, most wheel and tyre size, the rear wheels on the C-Class only recent destinations, behaviour-based predictions, business pivot to a maximum of 2.5 degrees. At speeds above 60km/h calendar entries and emails. The system also allows for the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the fronts to over-the-air updates. enhance stability; below 60km/h the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to improve agility. The C-Class doesn’t get the trick 3D instrument panel nor the augmented reality head-up display that are available Why just 2.5 degrees? The rear-steer system in the S-Class as options on the S-Class. But the optional head-up display is all about making the big sedan more manoeuvrable, but in the C-Class projects a 23cm by 8cm virtual image the in the smaller C-Class it’s all about handling. “For driving driver perceives as floating 4.5 metres ahead in space. And dynamics, 2.5 degrees of rear steering is really enough,” the optional augmented video nav system overlays virtual says Früh, who headed Mercedes-Benz’s chassis systems and objects like traffic signs, directional arrows, lane change driver assistance systems departments before being made recommendations and house numbers on a camera’s-eye C-Class chief engineer in 2009. With same-phase steering view of the road ahead displayed in the central screen. above 60km/h ensuring a more stable rear end, Früh’s engineers were able to tighten the W206’s steering ratio The new C-Class rides on MRA2, an evolution of the to improve the car’s responsiveness at speed. The quicker Mercedes Rear-Wheel Drive Architecture that debuted with steering also makes it more agile around town. “The car the W205 model in 2014, which has been heavily reworked feels completely different to the W205,” says Früh. “I was to package a larger battery for the plug-in hybrid models. surprised how different it feels.” In addition to the 25mm increase in wheelbase, at 4751mm the sedan and wagon models are 65mm and 49mm longer Though diesel is in the doghouse in the aftermath of the overall respectively than their predecessors, and width has various emissions scandals – for example, from an almost 50 POWER GAMES Stand by... FOR THE ALL-TERRAIN C-CLASS WAGON IN EUROPE AND the US, the Mercedes E-Class All-Terrain is the thinking person’s alternative to an SUV, offering the dynamics and comfort of an all-wheel-drive E-Class wagon with height adjustable suspension that gives up to 156mm of ground clearance at speeds up to 32km/h. No, you wouldn’t want to take it bush, but then you wouldn’t want to take most modern SUVs bush, either. The C-Class All-Terrain offers about the same capability, with better handling and fuel efficiency. Chief engineer Christian Früh is a former member of the German national ski team, and is on record as saying his favourite variant of the new C-Class is the 4Matic wagon because it’s handy in the snow. Was he not tempted to build a C-Class All Terrain? “I’ve been thinking about one for three generations,” he admits. “But you have to convince sales people and finance people.” He pauses, then laughs: “This time I was successful. Hopefully you’ll drive it at the end of this year.” You read it here first. 62 whichcar.com.au/wheels

New ‘floating’ driver display screen Larger overall size provides is 26.0cm wide as standard, with an more occupant space in optional version at 31.2cm both the front and rear LED headlights are fitted as standard, @wheelsaustralia 63 with the Digital Light system from the S-Class available as an option

FIRST LOOK / MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS IN FOCUS 3knntyehooeiuwndgsto FIFTH GENERATION OF MERCEDES’ MOST POPULAR MODEL one two three TRANSMISSION PRODUCTION INTERIOR All C-Class models will now be fitted with The new C-Class will be produced in The dashboard is dominated by two large nine-speed automatic transmissions. Bremen (Germany), Beijing (China) and digital screens. Like the dominant central The electric motor, power electronics East London (South Africa). Bremen is the touchscreen (standard 24.1cm or optional and oil cooler have been moved into or lead plant for international production. 30.2cm, and angled at six degrees onto the transmission, resulting in fewer China has been the largest C-Class towards the driver), the driver instrument installation lines, less space, reduced market since 2016. In Germany, two-thirds display is now a ‘floating’ screen that sits weight and increased efficiency. of C-Class cars sold are wagons. in front of the dash trim. 64 whichcar.com.au/wheels

THE STATS percent share of the UK market in 2016, Model Mercedes-Benz C200 mounted at the rear of the car. Designed oilburners slumped to less than Engine 1496cc 4cyl, dohc, 16v, turbo and developed in-house, the 96-cell 20 percent share last year – the new Max Power 150kW @ 5800-6100rpm battery delivers a range of 100km on C-Class is offered with two versions of the pure electric power, and it can be topped OM264 M 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel. (plus 15kW electric boost) up in just 30 minutes when plugged into In C220d spec the engine makes 147kW Max Torque 300Nm @ 1800-4000rpm a 55kW charger. at 4200rpm and 440Nm at 1800-2800rpm, while in C300d trim those outputs are (plus 200Nm electric boost) A 100km EV range – more than bumped to 195kW at 4200rpm and 550Nm Transmission 9-speed automatic enough to allow most urban commutes to be accomplished without burning 0-100km/h 7.3sec (estimated) Economy 6.6L/100km (claimed) Price $70,000 (estimated) On sale Q4 2021 at 1800-2200rpm. The big news is the OM264 M has a 48V a drop of dinosaur juice – has long been regarded as the integrated starter generator that can add an extra 15kW via optimum metric for a plug-in hybrid, and packaging a the EQ Boost system, and the engine will shut down to allow battery that would deliver that range drove the design of the the car to coast, further improving fuel efficiency. whole car. The new battery is narrower and thinner than the The new C300 and C300 4Matic will be powered by the 13.5kWh unit in the W205 plug-in hybrid, but is twice the M254 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo that made its debut last length, which is why the new C-Class is 30mm longer aft of year in the facelifted E-Class. With the same bore diameter the rear axle, with a completely different internal structure. and bore centres, the M254 is basically the 3.0-litre M256 The carefully integrated slimline battery means there inline six with two cylinders cut off. It also gets the 48V is no intrusion in the boot of the sedan hybrid, and the integrated starter generator set-up, with its 15kW EQ Boost load area of the wagon version is 63mm longer. The battery and coasting functions. The engine makes 190kW at 5800rpm weighs 218kg, 90kg more than the W205 hybrid’s battery, and and 400Nm at 2000-3200rpm, enough to deliver a claimed all of it is over the rear axle. Both sedan and wagon hybrids 0-100km/h acceleration time of 6.0 seconds. therefore get standard air suspension at the rear to better Though the name suggests otherwise, the new C200 and control camber change when loaded. C200 4Matic models are powered by the 1.5-litre M264 Despite the extra weight, the hybrid C-Class models engine that was fitted to some European-spec versions of the should be pretty perky to drive, the e-motor’s 95kW W205 C200 in 2018. This engine also has a 48V integrated augmenting the 190kW of the petrol model and the 147kW starter generator system, offering EQ Boost of 15kW and of the diesel, and its 440Nm of torque available instantly. the coasting function. It pumps out 150kW at 5800-6100rpm One other bit of good news: The location of the battery and 300Nm at 1800-4000rpm. The 0-100km/h takes 7.3sec, means the hybrids have perfect 50/50 front-to-rear weight or 7.1sec with the benefit of 4Matic all-wheel drive. The distribution, Früh says. M264 is also used in a C180 version of the W206, its outputs Although everyone seems to want an SUV these days, the knocked back to 125kW and 250Nm. C-Class has been a best-seller for the past decade. More than Most interesting of the new C-Class powertrains, though, 2.5 million of the W205 model alone have been sold since is the plug-in hybrid. The internal combustion part of the car’s launch in 2014, with China being its single largest the powertrain will initially be the M254 2.0-litre petrol market since 2016. The W206 – larger, with a more luxurious engine, with the OM264 M diesel being made available interior, a more dynamic chassis and offering a plug-in later. The electric part comprises a 95kW/440Nm e-motor hybrid powertrain that’s the perfect halfway house for those that is sandwiched between the engine and the nine-speed not quite ready to make the leap to a pure EV – looks set to automatic transmission and is powered by a 25.4kWh battery follow in its wheel tracks. @wheelsaustralia 65

THE INTERVIEW / GORDON MURRAY 66 whichcar.com.au/wheels

Mcuorrrnaye’sr DESIGN GURU GORDON MURRAY RETURNS WITH AN ATMO V12 SUPERCAR THAT’S POISED TO BE JUST AS SEGMENT DEFINING AS HIS LEGENDARY McLAREN F1 WORDS ANGUS MACKENZIE @wheelsaustralia 67

THE INTERVIEW / GORDON MURRAY G ORDON MURRAY IS no stranger to benchmarks. Constructors Championship in 1975 and 1981, and Nelson He has designed Formula 1 cars that have been Piquet to two Drivers Championships, in 1981 and 1983. driven by the greats and won multiple world championships. His McLaren F1, designed At the end of 1986 Ron Dennis invited Murray to join 30 years ago, was a supercar so preposterously McLaren and take over from John Barnard, who had left fast it rewrote the rulebook. And his latest cars, to join Ferrari. Dennis offered him a completely free hand the GMA T.50 and T.50s Niki Lauda, promise to tease the with the technical side of the company, and the McLarens edges of the performance envelope even further, combining produced during Murray’s tenure captured four consecutive ultra-light weight with an ultra-responsive naturally aspirated Constructors Championships, and world titles for Alain Prost V12 engine that screams to 12,100rpm. in 1989 and back-to-back crowns for Ayrton Senna in 1990 and 1991. It was a stellar record, but by the end of 1989 Murray Murray has spent most of his adult life thinking about was feeling bored and restless. Racing wasn’t fun anymore. making cars work better and go faster. His father, Bill, raced motorcycles and prepped racing cars, and Murray started Enter the McLaren F1. Dennis and Murray hatched the working as a mechanical design draughtsman while studying idea of doing a McLaren road car in 1988, and when Saudi engineering at Natal Technical College and building himself billionaire Mansour Ojjeh, through his company Techniques a club racing car in his spare time. He moved to the UK in d’Avant Garde (TAG), agreed to become a principal investor 1969 and lucked into a job at the Brabham race team when in the project, serious design work began in 1990. “I’ve he “just wandered into” the workshop the day owner Ron wanted to do a road sports car all my life,” Murray said at Tauranac was interviewing for a draughtsman. the time. And though he would still be working at McLaren, he made it clear his Formula 1 days were behind him. “I feel Brabham’s glory days were behind them when the team was relieved that phase of my professional life is over,” he said. snapped up in 1972 by a young South London businessman “For one thing, I needed a new challenge; and for another, named Bernie Ecclestone, who asked Murray to design an I’ve been on the road an awful long time now.” all-new F1 car for the 1973 season. But for a failed driveshaft component, Murray’s BT42 would have won its maiden Grand Launched in 1994, the McLaren F1 changed the way the Prix. Between 1973 and 1985, Murray-designed Brabhams won world thought about supercars. “The F1 is a drug,” wrote 22 grands prix, taking the team to second place in the World Peter Robinson in the June 1994 issue of Wheels. “Every time you use full throttle it’s an event.” After driving a car Gordon Murray is as driven at 74 as he was at 46 (right) Murray still prefers working on an old drawing board 68 whichcar.com.au/wheels

Murray’s latest cars, the GMA T.50 and T.50s Niki Lauda, promise to tease the edges of the performance envelope even further @wheelsaustralia 69

THE INTERVIEW / GORDON MURRAY ROCKET SCIENTIST The ultimate ...GORDON MURRAY ROAD CAR IF SMALL AND light is Gordon Murray’s guiding mantra, then the Light Car Company Rocket is the ultimate Gordon Murray road car. Designed just before he did the McLaren F1, the Rocket is little more than a spaceframe wrapped in a tubular composite bodywork, with tandem seating. The Rocket is about the size of a Caterham Seven, but weighs just 370kg. It’s powered by a Yamaha FZR1000 motorcycle engine that makes 107kW at 10,500rpm and drives through a special five-speed transmission and two-speed diff, giving it 10 forward gears. It will get to 100km/h in about 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 230km/h. 70 whichcar.com.au/wheels

“You can’t beat sitting in the middle. You don’t feel so much roll because you’re sitting on the roll axis” “so swift it demands a totally different mental approach”, much more capability than the F1, both on the track and he came away convinced that “even a top-ranking driver on the road,” he admits. “If you jump in a 720S McLaren, could own it for 10 years and still not explore the limits of its for example, on the track it virtually drives itself. It’s quicker, astonishing envelope.” Gordon Murray’s first ever supercar it’s easier to drive.” upended the establishment. “Forget the XJ220 Jaguar, EB110 Bugatti, F40 Ferrari,” Robbo wrote, “the McLaren But there something’s missing, Murray insists. And not just blitzes them all.” from the 720S, but from all of today’s crop of turbocharged and hybridised supercars: “You don’t get that snap Gordon Murray Automotive’s T.50 cars – one for the road acceleration the F1 gives you. You don’t get the sound. You and one for the track – follow a familiar formula. They don’t get the feedback through the controls. You don’t even are very light, very compact, powered by a mid-mounted get the sort of tingly feeling that you want to get back in 12-cylinder engine and have a central driving position. But again.” This from the man who after driving a Bugatti Veyron they are not, Murray insists, simply McLaren F1 tributes, for the first time declared it unexciting: “Yeah, it’s blindingly digitally remastered for the 21st century. “I want them to be quick after about half a second when the turbos spool up – it’s the ultimate driver’s cars,” he says. That means building on like an express train has hit you in the back – but it doesn’t what was good about the F1. And fixing the things that were make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.” bad. “There were plenty of those,” says Murray candidly. “The air-con was rubbish, the headlamps were useless, and I was Murray believes a supercar should deliver a different sort never, ever 100 percent happy with the styling.” of sensory overload. There are plenty today that pack more than the 488kW of the GMA T.50 road car and even the Can lightning strike twice? “I’ve been watching since the F1, 541kW of the T.50s Niki Lauda track car, but that’s not the and I truly believe no-one’s done a pure, focused driver’s car point, he says. Built by Cosworth, the cars’ light and compact like that,” he says. Features like the central driving position naturally aspirated 4.0-litre V12, which makes its peak power are simply part of delivering on that proposition: “You can’t at an almost unbelievable 11,500rpm and peak torque at beat sitting in the middle. It’s better for placing the car in fast 9000rpm, has been designed to deliver not just razor-sharp corners. You don’t feel so much roll because you’re sitting on throttle response but also a searing, spine-tingling soundtrack the roll axis, and you can run much softer springs.” that doesn’t need artificial enhancements. And though old habits die hard – “All the concept The inspiration for that soundtrack dates back almost drawings were done on a drawing board” – Murray 50 years. “My first recollection of a V12 at 12,000 revs was at acknowledges the huge advances in computer-aided design Le Mans in 1972,” Murray says. “In those days Mulsanne had processes in the decades since he did the McLaren inevitably no chicane – it was just three and a half miles flat-out – and mean the T.50 should be a better car. Like the F1, the T.50’s I remember standing there as the 3.0-litre V12 Matras came chassis, monocoque and body are all carbonfibre. “But if you past. They revved to 12,000 and I just remember thinking it add up all those components and put them in a bucket,” he was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.” says, “the T.50’s parts are 50kg lighter, with twice the torsional stiffness.” The other problem with today’s supercars? They’re all too heavy, says Murray. His obsession with weight is fanatical, as Murray is also acutely aware those same tools have evidenced by his approach to designing the T.50’s suspension: helped other supercar makers step up their game. “I drive “My only compromise was to go for pushrod suspension front all the current sports cars and there are so many with so and rear, which adds about 800 grams a corner. But it’s not a @wheelsaustralia 71

THE INTERVIEW / GORDON MURRAY huge compromise because we make much more downforce than Another area where Murray bucks the modern trend is in the F1.” That’s a whole 3.2kg he agonised over. But it all adds up. his use of touchscreens in the T.50. There aren’t any. “I hate them with a vengeance in a high-performance car,” he says, The 488kW T.50 road car weighs just 986kg, 152kg less than insisting the screens force drivers to look too far away from the 468kW McLaren F1 and a massive 450kg less than the the road for too long. “When I was designing Formula 1 cars 530kW McLaren 720S, one of the lightest cars in the segment. I had a rule that the driver’s eyeline shouldn’t deflect more In the T.50 every 100kW therefore only has to propel 202kg than three degrees, so they didn’t have to refocus.” of car, while in the McLaren 720S every 100kW has to move 271kg. But that simple maths doesn’t tell all the story. Buttons are another Murray bête noire. “I hate steering wheels with 25 small buttons on them,” he says. “Try and find Murray notes that to match the T.50’s power-to-weight ratio the right button when you’re driving fast and have to take one the 720S would need a powertrain producing at least 710kW, hand off the wheel.” All minor controls in the T.50 – lights, which would add cost and complexity, and require heavier wipers and washers, infotainment, aero and engine modes – components such as brakes, driveshafts, suspension and are controlled via metal rotary switches on pods either side of transmission to handle the extra power. Case in point: While the instrument panel. the standard brake set-up on the McLaren 720S comprises 391mm front and 381mm rear discs, the GMA T.50 has A whole team of engineers and designers at GMA have smaller and lighter 371mm front and 340mm rear Brembo helped create Gordon Murray’s new supercar. But everything carbon-ceramic rotors. – the carbonfibre tub and body panels, the entire engine, the transmission and the suspension, even the interior So forget Bugatti syndrome, which makes pure power the switchgear, right down to the all-aluminium analogue tacho defining metric of a supercar’s worth: For Gordon Murray, in the centre of the dash – has been designed, engineered it’s a fundamental article of faith that a heavy car can never and manufactured to Murray’s precise specification. As a deliver the dynamic agility and responsiveness of a lighter result, the GMA T.50 and the T.50s Niki Lauda are the result car, even if it has the same power-to-weight ratio. “You can of a uniquely singular vision of the art and science of the disguise mass with electric and hydraulic systems,” he says, supercar, cars more intellectually profound in their detail “but you can’t cheat the laws of physics. You’ll never get execution than anything from Horacio Pagani or even Ettore a two-tonne car to feel like a one-tonne car in terms of its Bugatti. New benchmarks, both. transient handling, whatever you do. You just can’t.” Only 25 Niki Lauda-badged track cars will be built, and 15 have been sold at $5.6 million each The T.50 has 488kW but weighs less than a Mazda MX-5 Murray ensures his cars are free of touchscreens, which he “hates with a vengeance” 72 whichcar.com.au/wheels

“You can’t cheat the laws of physics whatever you do. You just can’t” LIGHT What does YEARS ...GORDON MURRAY DRIVE? WHAT DOES A man who designs benchmark cars drive? Gordon Murray has always had a passion for cars that are small and light. In the late 1970s and early ’80s he drove a Midas, a tiny kit car with Mini mechanicals bolted to a stylish fibreglass monocoque body. In the ’90s and early 2000s he zipped around in a Brabus-tweaked Smart Roadster. These days he drives an Alpine A110. It’s easy to understand why. The Alpine adheres to many of the core principles Murray took to extremes in creating the McLaren F1. It’s light – by contemporary road-car standards, at least – and agile. It’s compact and balanced. And it has a great ride and good body control, thanks to suspension that works because of the laws of physics, not electronics. @wheelsaustralia 73

ROAD TEST FEST OPENER / POST-COVID ROAD-TEST FEST Bthaectketsot LAST YEAR CHALLENGED OUR ABILITY TO ROAD-TEST CARS LIKE NO OTHER. SO WITH THE ROADS NOW OPEN AND FREEDOM RETURNED, ALLOW US TO BLAST YOU WITH AN OVERDUE 40 PAGES OF OUR HOTTEST, LATEST COMPARISONS. THIS IS WHAT WE’VE GOT... PAGE076 CAYMAN GTS v M2 CS PAGE 086OUTBACK DREAMING Can BMW’s mega M2 pip Porsche We go off the proverbial beaten track purity to deliver the ultimate manual and discover a better version of six-cylinder sports car? We find out Subie’s best-seller, with one major flaw 74 whichcar.com.au/wheels

094 HARD CHARGERS 104 330i v A4 45 v IS300 Audi’s long-awaited EV SUV, the New contributor David Morley picks e-tron 55, takes on our 2020 Car of a winner from these three four-pot the Year, the Mercedes-Benz EQC turbocharged executive sedans PAGE PAGE @wheelsaustralia 75

COVER STORY / M2 CS v CAYMAN GTS 4.0 ROAD TEST FEST Tchhoraf tishllee THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO WAYS TO REACH SIX-CYLINDER MANUAL SPORTS CAR NIRVANA, AND ACCORDING TO BMW AND PORSCHE THEY LOOK VERY DIFFERENT WORDS DYLAN CAMPBELL PHOTOS ELLEN DEWAR 76 whichcar.com.au/wheels

@wheelsaustralia 77

Tyre advantage and turbo punch give M2 CS huge mid-corner speed COVER STORY / M2 CS v CAYMAN GTS 4.0 I T’S DEADLY QUIET in this little pocket of 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six. But where the Competition Victorian wilderness near Healesville, east of packed ‘just’ 302kW, the CS gets the full-fat 331kW (both CS Melbourne. Neon-green ferns hide at the bottom and Comp have 550Nm). The CS comes in six-speed manual, of faded eucalypts that themselves slump under a which we have today, or seven-speed dual-clutch auto. typical Victorian sky – grey, white and more shades of grey, all the colours of the German rainbow. That extra power is warmly welcomed, while visually the Pulled over on the side of Chum Creek Road in my CS is subtly but easily identifiable by its myriad styling fat-stanced BMW M2 CS, engine off, door open, I can hear tweaks – and extensive use of carbonfibre. Open the the distant growing-then-subsiding bark of what could be bespoke vented carbon bonnet and you will be astounded nothing but a Porsche flat-six. (I suppose it could be a very how light it is (ignoring the heavy-looking metal hinges at hot naturally aspirated flat-six Subaru Liberty… or a lyrebird its base). On the roof there’s a wider, beefier chequer to doing one hell of an impression.) the carbonfibre’s weave. The front lip, rear diffuser, aero mirror caps and chunkier Gurney-style rear spoiler are all Former editor turned YouTube star Alex Inwood is fashioned from the clear-coated black weave; while at each giving the 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 plenty of curry. Without a corner sit spindly forged 19-inch wheels available in either turbocharger (or two) stimulating the engine’s mid-range, Jet Black or optional ($1000) matte Gold. And behind those it’s a case of stretch the legs and chase the redline to you can have carbon-ceramic brakes (a $15K option). Our extract maximum thrills. test car wears super-soft Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, but Pilot Super Sports are a no-cost option. Not that that’s anyone’s chore today. Forgetting perhaps the brilliant (yet flawed) offerings from a little British Despite all the carbonfibre bits, unless you spec the brand called Lotus, we have assembled the two best manual- ceramic brakes, which save 25kg, the M2 CS weighs the same equipped compact six-cylinder sports cars you can buy, as the M2 Competition (1550kg). Some can be attributed to boasting very different recipes despite similar ingredients. the fitment of new items such as adaptive dampers, a new oil cooler and, in the auto, a new transmission cooler. In the white corner, BMW’s CS is the hottest iteration of the rear-drive M2 yet – and promises a proper send-off for All this extra gear comes at a price (of course), the CS Munich’s ageing rear-drive 1 Series platform. Channelling a swooping in at $139,900 for the manual and $147,400 little bit of CSL – we love the E46 M3, but then who doesn’t for the auto. Or $37,000 and $37,500 pricier than the M2 – the CS is the boss version of the M2 Competition, which Competition in manual and auto respectively. But with just itself scored a detuned example of the previous-gen M3’s S55 86 M2 CSs coming to Australia (47 DCT, 39 manual; with “The CS is subtly identifiable by its myriad styling tweaks – and extensive use of carbonfibre” 78 whichcar.com.au/wheels

M2 CS makes a hard-edged blat that sounds, well, okay... GEAR Long-legged Porsche SNEER DOES THE 718 GTS NEED SHORTER GEAR RATIOS? A LOT OF criticism has been levelled at Porsche’s newer manual atmo cars for having too-long gearing. In this GTS, first gear runs to 81km/h and second gear, err, a reported 135km/h. Bit annoying when the redline offers so much reward, but personally I found the gearing was well suited to the engine and chassis performance. It makes for a staggeringly fast car – the Cayman GTS 4.0 is easily 2000s supercar fast. On our twisty test road it’s somewhat moot as well, because just as you’re ‘stuck’ in second gear in the GTS, you’re spending the same amount of time in third gear in the turbo-torquey CS. @wheelsaustralia 79

COVER STORY / M2 CS v CAYMAN GTS 4.0 Outside of the GT4, the GTS is the most aesthetic and driver-focused Cayman of all 80 whichcar.com.au/wheels

only a handful left of the total allocation), BMW would argue Elsewhere, the standard GTS treatment means 20-inch wheels that exclusivity costs. And in this day and age there’s always the front and rear, a 20mm drop in ride height, a mechanical limited potential for appreciation with that CS badge. slip differential and dark highlights inside and out driving home the smoky, seductive GTS vibe. And subtly but clearly Even at $150K it still seems cheap next to our six-speed telegraphing its specialness to others, to the point that on our manual Carmine Red Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0. Despite a test the Porsche turned way more heads and attracted far more $172,000 MSRP, this test car packs $26,330 of options to come stares than its white Bavarian foe. in at a lofty $198,330. Some of the options should definitely be standard as well, such as blind-spot monitoring ($1550) and The same vibe continues in the cabin, where dark trim keyless start ($1470); and if you want the full GTS Alcantara contrasts against red stitching and plenty of Alcantara. In classic interior treatment, that will be another $9910 as well. However, sports car style, the Cayman positions your hips low and snug near $50K price difference aside, compared to the M2 – a hot- in the seats. You sit very much ‘in’ the Cayman GTS, differing rodded 1 Series – the Cayman is a purpose-built mid-engined from the BMW’s airier, more open cabin. If you also own a 992, sports car from the ground up. Outside of the GT Division- Cayenne or Panamera, you will think the 718’s interior overall is developed GT4, the GTS is also the most aesthetic, and driver- looking a bit last-generation, and it is, but it remains charmingly focused Cayman of them all. simple, quality-feeling, well appointed and comfortable. It feels its price – just. The big news with this 4.0 variant is hidden completely out of sight behind the passenger compartment. Porsche had buried You can’t quite say the same about the BMW. It tries hard, the free-breathing engine for its sex-bomb GTS Boxster and with generous swathes of soft Alcantara trim, inserts of Cayman in favour of fitting the fruity-sounding 2.5-litre flat-four carbonfibre and sumptuous Merino leather, but this just creates turbo. But while this high-tech powerplant packed enough even stronger a contrast to the budget-based materials you punch to turn Porsche’s junior sports cars into baby supercars, would have found in the cheapest of 1 Series. On the upside, the ‘purists’ weren’t having any of it. And so Stuttgart unlike other halo M models, BMW does treat M2 CS owners resurrected the atmo flat-six for what will likely be one last to regular door cards with generous bins and actual interior hurrah, in this case a big-bore 4.0-litre created, ostensibly, by doorhandles (rather than straps). The custom CS carbonfibre dropping the turbos off the 9A2 Evo 3.0-litre in the 911 Carrera centre console looks cool and retains two USB outlets but means and increasing the bore and stroke. The end result is 294kW (a you lose a centre storage compartment. No biggie. nice round 400 horsepower) at 7000rpm, 420Nm from 5000 to 6500rpm and a 7800rpm redline. The BMW’s quirks continue as you start it up and get underway. Its loud, buzzy idle sounds like… well, a large The GTS on Cup 2 tyres would move into another dimension Both cars are available as dual-clutch autos, but would you? @wheelsaustralia 81

Cayman GTS turns more heads, but the CS has more cred with those in the know COVER STORY / M2 CS v CAYMAN GTS 4.0 One of the greatest engines ever? It’s hard to think of reasons why not water pump. Compared to the low and wide Porsche, it feels There is also a well-judged weightiness to all the Porsche’s humorously tall, narrow and upright. The manual gear-action controls – be they the meaty clutch, the precise shifter, the probably won’t be remembered as one of the greatest, either, syrupy steering – that just makes it satisfying to drive at with its excessively sprung, long-throw, slightly notchy and all times. It’s an easy, pleasant and forgiving manual to use imprecise action, like stirring a bucket of tightly packed rubber everyday as well. bushes. For many, though, even an average manual trumps a great automatic. Entirely redeeming the Porsche for any comfort criticisms is that engine. And then some. It’s a masterpiece of tractability at Despite its adaptive dampers, the CS remains a very focused any rpm, in any situation. Around town, you can drive off from machine with plenty of tyre rumble. Owing as well to all its second; you can shift from second to fourth, fourth to six, and it solid-mounted suspension joints, cat’s eyes thud firmly through just pulls, no complaints. the car’s entire superstructure. There is a muted suppleness to the ride we don’t remember of the M2 Competition, but the Flex the throttle just a little bit and there’s the sensation adaptive dampers’ effect is hardly transformative, the softness of a big-capacity atmo engine at your disposal. While it can’t not changing much between its Comfort, Sport and Sport match anything with turbos for mid-range oomph, in isolation Plus modes. Over a long distance, the M2 CS offers the bare the GTS’s 4.0-litre has more than enough torque, pulling cleanly minimum comfort, possibly slightly less. It would be better and keenly from anywhere in the revs. A torque graph buried on more regular performance tyres. in one of the menus (pictured on p81) reveals that this is an engine built for old-school, big-bore, long-stroke torque. And Despite not being the GT4, and on less-aggressive Pirelli it’s this wave of crisp muscularity that hurls you into a frenzied P-Zero tyres, the same is true of the GTS 4.0. With plenty of powerband on the way to redline. You will absolutely be wanting tyre noise, it also offers minimal comfort, though slightly more to chase every last rev, as the entire cabin floods with a clear, than the BMW. You wouldn’t want the dampers any firmer or melodic, racy flat-six noise that scratches itches you didn’t know with any less stroke. The Porsche has its own useability quirks, you had. And, owing to its dual-mass flywheel, this engine is too. The fairly soft plastic front chin spoiler is about as low as deliciously free-revving. One of the greatest engines ever? It’s that on a GT2 or GT3 RS, but the 4.0 has no front lifting system, hard to think of reasons why not. requiring extra care around driveways and speed humps. The electric park brake isn’t automatic, so if you park on a hill not The M2’s twin-turbo straight-six couldn’t be more different in in gear and forget to apply it, well, get ready to bolt... On the character. Where new turbocharged engines like AMG’s 2.0-litre freeway on part throttle, the GTS can also be heard, and ever-so- M139 are now achieving almost zero lag, BMW’s S55 water-to- slightly felt, deactivating from six to three cylinders to save fuel, air intercooled unit remains wickedly old-school in its power clearing your green conscious at least a small amount. delivery. Flatten the throttle at 1500rpm and you’re pulling a pin out of two grenades, set to go off at 5000-6000rpm. The 82 whichcar.com.au/wheels

INNER FOCUS BMW M2 CS 1. THE CONTROL CENTRE For the HVAC controls, air distribution aside, it simply has two knobs, one for the fan, one for the temperature. CS scores the latest and excellent iDrive 6.0, controlled by touch on the high-mounted 8.8-inch display or by classic, chunky iDrive rotary controller. 2. IN THE HOT SEAT The seats (with kidney-tickler cutaway holes) are excellent and feel to sit slightly lower than the Competition, which mounted you oddly high up. But the chunky steering wheel is a missed opportunity, just a bit too big in diameter and too thick, like you’re steering with a life preserver ring. Never got used to it. 3. MORE PRACTICAL PICK Unlike the Porsche, there are useable plus-two rear seats and a reasonable 390-litre boot. Both cars have cans of goo rather than even spacesaver spares should you find yourself punctured. Porsche 718 GTS 4.0 1. WONDER WHEEL GTS scores the excellent 918-inspired smaller-diameter 360mm Alcantara ‘GT sports’ steering wheel. Includes a rotary controller to select between Normal, Individual, Sport and Sport Plus drivetrain/chassis modes. 2. INFO-CENTRAL A red analogue tachometer sits front- and-centre. Mounted centrally in the dash, a compact 4.6-inch infotainment touchscreen display runs the awesomely intuitive and responsive Porsche Communication Management (PCM). 3. CRAM IT ALL IN Phone goes in the shallow centre console, and there’s generous door bin storage and even a bit of room behind the seats. Owing to its compact rear boot and deep ‘frunk’, totalling 420L of space, this is a car into which you can cram a surprising amount of luggage, provided most of it is in soft bags. @wheelsaustralia 83

COVER STORY / M2 CS v CAYMAN GTS 4.0 SPECS 2No. 1No. PORSCHE CAYMAN GTS 4.0 BMW M2 CS Engine $172,000/Tested $198,330* $139,900/ no options AT THE Layout PUMP Capacity Drivetrain inline-6cyl, dohc, 24v, twin-turbo Power front engine (north-south) RWD Drink up Torque flat-6cyl, dohc 24v 2979cc Gearbox mid engine (north-south) RWD 331kW @ 6250rpm FUEL BURN 3995cc 550Nm @ 2350-5000rpm UNDER PRESSURE 294kW @ 7000rpm 6-speed manual 420Nm @ 5000-6500rpm COMPARING ATMO to turbo for fuel consumption 6-speed manual steel/ carbonfibre, 2 doors, 4 seats in the real world is always an interesting 4461/1871/1414/2693mm exercise… and as such BMW claims the M2 CS Chassis 1579/1601mm manual uses 10.3L/100km on the combined 1550kg cycle; Porsche 11.0L/100km for the GTS 4.0. We Body aluminium/steel, 2 doors, 2 seats 390L took fuel numbers over 153km of admittedly L/W/H/W–B 4405/1801/1276/2475mm petrol/52 litres quite ferocious road-testing that showed the 1527/1532mm 10.3L/100km (claimed, combined) BMW to use 20.5L/100km and the Porsche Track (F/R) 1405kg Front: struts, adaptive dampers, anti- 17.4L. Of course, these figures would be a lot Weight 420L roll bar. Rear: multi-links, adaptive lower in normal daily driving, but to get close Boot petrol/64 litres dampers, coil springs, anti-roll bar to the BMW’s claim you have to drive in a very 11.0L/100km (claimed, combined) ele ctric rack-and-pinion deliberate way. Not so much the Porsche. Fuel/tank ventilated discs (400mm) Economy Front: struts, adaptive dampers, anti- ventilated discs (380mm) Suspension roll bar. Rear: multi-links, adaptive Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 dampers, coil springs, anti-roll bar 245/35 ZR19 (f) 265/35 ZR19 (r) Steering electric rack-and-pinion Front brakes ventilated discs (350mm) Rear brakes ventilated discs (330mm) Pirelli P Zero Tyres Tyre size 235/35 ZR20 (f) 265/35 ZR20 (r) Safety Not tested ANCAP rating Not tested 7.5/10 Verdict 8.0/10 Warranty: 3yrs/unlimited km Warranty: 3yrs/unlimited km Service interval: 12months/15,000km Service interval: 12 months/20,000km *Interior package ($9910); paint ($4920); 18-way electric seats ($2850); sound system ($2470); LED headlights ($2320); keyless start ($1470); blind-spot monitoring ($1220); electric folding mirrors ($620); dynamic steering ($550). 84 whichcar.com.au/wheels

One car is a scalpel, the other a hammer. The Porsche is a car you master, the BMW a car you tame S55, with its acquired-taste, technical-sounding exhaust note, as if the rear wheels are bolted to your hips. Combine this mixes sudden incredible mid-range turbo torque and a punchy with all that power, an accuracy and predictability about the top-end to its 7600rpm redline. But absolutely this is an engine throttle, and an especially lenient ‘M Driver’s Mode’ ESC, and whose torque you surf, rather than whose redline you chase. in the CS you have a devil at your shoulder, egging you into easy and hilarious second-gear tail-wags out of every corner. If Where the Porsche feels to have power and traction (from that’s what you like. its rear 265-section Pirellis) in equilibrium, the BMW is constantly surprisingly its rear 265-section Michelin Pilot The Porsche couldn’t be more different. While the BMW Sport Cup 2s, especially if they’re cold, which will tend to is all about maximising corner entry speeds and managing always be the case in the urban jungle. traction on exit, the beautifully cohesive Cayman GTS is about flowing from corner to corner and trying to avoid pushing With our home dragstrip Heathcote Park unavailable, we those skinny 235-section front tyres into understeer. Power didn’t get to performance-test our two combatants this time oversteer, which requires serious coaxing, feels a most uncouth around. Porsche claims 0-100km/h in 4.5sec and a top speed request of the Cayman GTS. This is a car that carves up the of 293km/h; BMW, 4.2sec for the manual CS on to a limited road in harmony, sitting a lot lower and more flat than the 280km/h. In a clutch-dropping, away-from-the-lights contest, BMW, its sublime controls feeling like cheese to the BMW’s the mid-engined Porsche would be certain to show up traction chalk. It is very much the more puristic experience. woes on the part of the BMW, but we suspect it would be a different story for 80-120km/h rolling punch. Picking an objective winner of these two is fairly easy. One car is a scalpel, the other a hammer. One car feels like a Throw some corners into the mix and it’s down to the cohesive performance package, the other a ‘greatest hits’ of road surface as to who will edge away from who. In the a performance parts bin (and what a performance parts bin). damp conditions early in our test, the Pirelli-shod Porsche They’re both exceptionally fast cars in very different ways. eked slowly away from the BMW as it struggled to turn The BMW brutalises the road with fat wads of torque and its sticky Michelins ‘on’. But as the day dried up the BMW super-sticky tyres. It’s more exciting. You have to manhandle became the car to catch, almost exclusively owing to its tyres, it a bit, hammer into the corner, brake hard, get it turned, the Cup 2s offering phenomenal tenacity and confidence- then hammer back out again. The Porsche muscles through inspiring feedback and feel. In dry conditions these are truly long gears to the point where you get a rude shock at how fast mind-blowing performance tyres. In fact, they dominate the you’re going. It’s a seriously, deceptively fast car. But it also CS handling experience on a dry road. All you can think asks that you are more delicate and deft with your inputs. about is the grip. There is no subjective winner, though. The Porsche is a car But there are other CS virtues to enjoy. The brakes are you master; the BMW a car you tame. It’s difficult to think incredible, and there is something special about the supple, of ways to improve the Porsche, but it’s easy to think of ways expensive-feeling damping at high speed. Despite slightly to improve the cheeky, rapscallion BMW. Many will find that numb steering no matter which of the three modes you’re in, endearing. I know I do. the solid-mounted suspension grants beautiful rear-axle feel, @wheelsaustralia 85

FIRST AUSSIE DRIVE / SUBARU OUTBACK 86 whichcar.com.au/wheels

ROAD TEST FEST dDeiretdys KICKING UP SOME DIRT IN SUBARU’S LATEST OUTBACK SPORT REVEALS ONE SERIOUS SHORTCOMING AMID THE COMPETENCE WORDS SCOTT NEWMAN PHOTOS CRISTIAN BRUNELLI @wheelsaustralia 87

FIRST AUSSIE DRIVE / SUBARU OUTBACK The Outback Sport is capable of far more than most would give it credit for 88 whichcar.com.au/wheels

W E’RE LOST. Not terribly – this isn’t a tragic Road-biased Bridgestones tale in the style of Burke and Wills, a story cope remarkably well off-road of the unforgiving Australian landscape claiming two more scalps – but the fact remains that I don’t really know where we are or how to get to where we need to be. My stress levels would be higher if we didn’t have the latest Subaru Outback Sport at our disposal, a car that has already proven capable of far more than most would give it credit for. If you occasionally – or even frequently – venture off the beaten track and think you need a towering SUV to do so then we have news for you. The arrival of a new Outback is a big deal. Over the past four years (2017-2020) Subaru Australia has sold 33,756 examples, accounting for almost 20 percent of its sales, so you would hope it hasn’t mucked it up. Subaru has rationalised the range, binning the six-cylinder and diesel models and offering a trio of 2.5-litre boxer-four variants starting at $39,990, rising to $44,490 for the mid-spec Sport we have here and topping out with the $47,790 Touring. It’s an inescapable fact that prices have increased – the previous Outback 2.5 started at $36,240, rising to $42,640 for the Premium – but the standard equipment list is now an almighty long one, so much so that it’s a bit challenging to know where to start. For starters there is keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, eight-way adjustable powered and heated front seats, four USB connections (two front and two rear), a new 11.6-inch portrait-oriented touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone mirroring and auto power windows all round. The safety equipment list is equally extensive, with airbags galore, autonomous emergency braking and steering, lane centring and departure warning, adaptive cruise control, speed sign recognition with intelligent speed limiter, driver attention warnings, blind spot assist and rear cross-traffic alert. These systems work relatively unobtrusively, though they can be quite insistent that you drive the car as they would like when they do activate, with various flashing lights and beeping noises. The Sport variant adds black exterior highlights, heated outboard rear seats, auto headlights, a powered tailgate, premium leather steering wheel, satellite navigation, sports pedals, water repellent seat trim and front and side-view cameras. No-one is ever going to put a poster of an Outback on their wall, but in Sport guise it’s a cool-looking thing, at least in the khaki-esque Autumn Green metallic. Combined with the black cladding, wheels (now an inch bigger at 18s) and exterior highlights, it has a somewhat military vibe, like something you would find at Duntroon with Bear Grylls sitting on the bonnet. We could use some of his skills right now. We’re somewhere in the Wandong Regional Park north of Melbourne and not far from civilisation, but the appropriate direction of travel remains a mystery. Attempts to follow our noses and the sat-nav’s compass have led to ever more overgrown trails and dead ends in the form of ruts that would require more than the Outback’s 213mm of ground clearance (which is pretty good, equal to a BMW X5 and only 26mm less than a Ford Ranger) and road- biased Bridgestone Turanza tyres. Earlier off-road attempts revealed Subaru’s soft-roader to be remarkably capable, though. Time and again it scaled hills and

negotiated ruts that we thought were beyond it only for it to scurry through with little fuss. Its biggest shortcoming in the rough stuff is the length of the front and rear overhangs, leading to wince- inducing scuffs when either the nose or tail kiss the dirt. The all-wheel-drive system successfully uses its traction control to deal with most issues and even has ‘X-Mode’, which supposedly helps clamber out of snow/dirt or deep snow/mud, but it understandably has its limits, ineffectually spinning an unloaded wheel if it’s waving in the air. A slight suspension lift and set of knobbly tyres would definitely help its bush-bashing ability. The Outback isn’t intended to be a Jeep Wrangler, though, so it seems reasonable to regard the level of off-road competence it does possess as a bonus. It’s designed to appeal to folk who enjoy the great outdoors, people with what marketers would call “an active lifestyle”. Outbacks will spend most of their lives carrying families Not even X-Mode will help with a wheel to the beach, bush or snow loaded with boards, bikes or skis. spinning in the air Luggage space is similar to its predecessor, but Subaru has teased out a little more practicality. The rear load bay is 1100mm wide (+20mm), 436mm from floor to cargo cover, and a very precise 1085.5mm long, which extends to 1982.6mm with the 60:40 split-fold rear seats down. The upshot is a claimed 522 litres A full-size spare in the FIRST AUSSIE DRIVE / SUBARU OUTBACK of luggage space – even with a full-size spare under boot provides peace of the seat floor, for which Subaru scores 100 points – mind in the bush which increases to 1267L with the rear seats folded. Regardless of the actual numbers, it’s a sizeable space, with multiple tie-down points, a 12-volt outlet and cubby holes to each side. It’s equally commodious in the rear seat. There is masses of head, leg, shoulder and foot room in those heated outer rear seats, while even the centre pew would be habitable for short journeys. The pair of USB ports will keep devices charged, there are two drink holders for each outboard seat (though, like those in the front, the door ones aren’t big enough for 1.5L bottles) and airflow from the rear vents has been increased by more than 50 percent. Up front the driving position is widely adjustable and the materials are all leather-wrapped-this and soft-touch-that – it’s very polished. The Sport’s premium steering wheel is a great size and, though it’s loaded with buttons, all are pretty self-explanatory. The new 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen is attention-grabbing but also well executed. Retaining physical buttons for the temperature control is a smart move rather than burying it in a sub-menu, and the portrait orientation allows plenty of information to be clearly displayed simultaneously and is particularly handy when using Apple CarPlay. Lack of reception is rendering Google Maps useless in our current predicament, but the Outback’s onboard nav has enough signal for me to select a waypoint to extricate us. The fact it’s not displaying a physical road isn’t promising, but the distance to destination keeps reducing as we slowly navigate a heavily overgrown bush track, branches scraping the bodywork (sorry Subaru!), mud splashing the sides and rocks pinging the underside. After 15 minutes of slow progress, finally we reach a recognisable road, its smooth gravel coating looking like an interstate freeway to our eyes. It’s here the Outback really shines. All-wheel drive provides stability and traction, tall tyres lessen the risk of a puncture and long-travel suspension soaks up the majority of bumps and undulations without fuss. Subaru has made a lot of changes under the skin, including a stiffer bodyshell (it’s actually stitched together a different way), while an aluminium bonnet and 90 whichcar.com.au/wheels

Long-travel suspension soaks up the majority of bumps and undulations without fuss @wheelsaustralia 91

FIRST AUSSIE DRIVE / SUBARU OUTBACK POWER GAMES Punch for punch A BOXER FIGHTING OUT OF ITS DIVISION DESPITE BEING a 2498cc boxer four-cylinder like its predecessor, Subaru claims 90 percent of the latest Outback’s engine is new. Direct fuel injection has been added and the compression ratio increased from 10.3 to 12.0:1, resulting in an extra 9kW/10Nm, but its straightline performance falls well short of more recent arrivals at the pointy end of the category. Ironically, the 194kW/375Nm 2.4-litre turbo Outback XT available in the United States would vault Subaru to the front of the field if it was available here. Hello, ladies. The back seat of the Outback is surprisingly alluring Luggage area is sizeable without resorting to a space saver spare

Excellent dust sealing mean you can do this without emerging looking like a chimney sweep THE STATS suspension components reduce Model Subaru Outback Sport Neither is the 2.5-litre boxer four a fuel weight by 10kg despite this Engine 2498cc flat-4, dohc, 16v economy leader; the 7.3L/100km combined latest model being 50mm longer Max Power 138kW @ 5800rpm claim is reasonable, but over the course of and 35mm wider. Max Torque 245Nm @ 3400-4600rpm 450km of mixed driving our average was 11.4L/100km. If ever there was an engine Stiffer anti-roll bars and Transmission CVT that was crying out for electrical assistance more rigid components aim to Weight 1629kg it is this one. improve handling, while lower- friction dampers claim to make 0-100km/h 10.0sec (estimated) The CVT has had its ‘ratio spread’ Economy 7.3L/100km (claimed) Price $44,490 On sale Now for a smoother ride. It all works. The Outback’s ride increased – Subaru includes eight steps for a more natural is very good; not because it’s a pillowy sofa bed on feel – to improve acceleration and fuel economy. Under light wheels but because it’s extremely well controlled. throttle loads it allows revs to rise like a traditional automatic Likewise its handling: the steering is well-weighted gearbox, but ask for more grunt and it will hold them steady, and accurate and there’s reasonable grip on both the boxer mooing monotonously like a baleful cow; it’s not a sealed and unsealed surfaces. In fact, such is its particularly pleasant noise. balance that the very conservative ESP is a buzzkill, Of course, outright performance isn’t that important in this constantly dumping cold water on any attempts to segment, but when you’ve got four adults and their luggage indulge your inner Colin McRae. climbing to the slopes at Thredbo or Hotham, or you’re On the tarmac the Outback is quiet, comfortable attempting to use the Outback’s new 2000kg towing capacity and handles as well as it will ever need to; I (+500kg), a bit of oomph is necessary. never drove the previous version, but colleagues’ Subaru now offers a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty assertions of boat-like behaviour in the corners certainly and capped price servicing for the first five years/62,500km, aren’t evident in this latest iteration, with active torque but it is more expensive to run than its rivals. Subaru’s website vectoring able to help send the power where it’s needed most. quotes a total cost of $2449.88 whereas Mazda quotes $1737 That said, there isn’t that much power to deal with, as the for the CX-5 (though its service intervals are 10,000km to under-bonnet offering is the Outback’s greatest shortcoming. the Subaru’s 12,500km) and Hyundai $1530 for the Tucson Acceleration is reasonable one-up; Subaru makes no (15,000km intervals). 0-100km/h claim, but a few tenths improvement on its Nevertheless, the Outback performs its role well. Owners predecessor’s 10.2sec seems a safe assumption. Only a few tend to be a loyal lot and those trading into the new one will years ago that would have been in line with most of its find its traditional strengths have been enhanced, though competitors, but with the Toyota RAV4 and VW Tiguan now at whether current 3.6 and diesel owners accept the 2.5 remains the 8.0sec mark and the turbocharged Mazda CX-5 and Ford to be seen. We wish it had stronger performance, but its Escape another second quicker than that, the Subaru has been combination of comfort, space and ruggedness are appealing left behind literally and figuratively. attributes, especially if you’re lost in a forest. @wheelsaustralia 93

COMPARISON / MERC EQC v AUDI E-TRON 94 whichcar.com.au/wheels

ROAD TEST FEST TESLA AND JAGUAR MAY HAVE BEATEN THE GERMANS INTO THE ELECTRIC SUV SPACE, BUT NOW AUDI AND MERCEDES-BENZ ARE ARMED FOR HIGH-VOLTAGE BATTLE WORDS ASH WESTERMAN PHOTOS THOMAS WIELECKI @wheelsaustralia 95

COMPARISON / MERC EQC V AUDI E-TRON I T’S A PRETTY abstract concept, this whole ‘future’ user experience, well, it’s quite brilliant. thing. But here’s one indicator you may have As will become clear, both cars achieve such high levels noticed: it doesn’t actually feel like the future. Instead of being startlingly unfamiliar and difficult of refinement, driveability and polished ease of daily to navigate, it actually feels the way things should operation that to separate them will require a greater have always been. drilling into other elements of the ownership experience. So Perhaps you remember Apple founder Steve Jobs on stage let’s start with choice, prices, equipment and charging. unveiling the then-new iPhone back in 2007. If you were like me, your first thought was: “This guy sure doesn’t spend Straight away, the four-strong e-tron line-up gets a leg up his billions in clothing stores.” But then, watching as the over its one-model-fits-all Merc rival. The Audi may be late iPhone’s multifunction smarts and user-optimised interface to the Aussie market – Wheels first drove the car in Abu were explained, you may have sat there going: “Of course. Dhabi in 2018 – but it arrives here offering two battery/ Makes complete sense. Why did anyone bother trying to do output options, each available in either conventional SUV it differently?” or sloping-roof Sportback body styles. Cheapest way in to e-tron ownership is with the 50 quattro SUV, with its 71kWh I’m experiencing that overarching sentiment from behind battery feeding two motors (front and rear, permanently the wheel of Audi’s first mainstream EV as I thread it down excited synchronous) combining to provide 230kW/540Nm, a jinking, winding backroad in the lush, green Southern and priced at $137,700. The regular range tops out with Highlands of NSW. Ahead of me, former Wheels Road Test the 55 quattro Sportback at $157,700, the ‘55’ designation Editor Nathan Ponchard is not sparing the watts to our 2020 indicating a larger battery (95kWh) and higher output Car of the Year, the Mercedes-Benz EQC. The pace is on, but motors (for a short-burst maximum of 300kW/664Nm). For the in-cabin tranquillity of the e-tron is that of a Bentley being anyone undeterred by those sort of numbers, some 70 units used to chauffeur royalty. The tyres generate only a distant of a higher-spec ‘First Edition’ model are offered for hiss on the bitumen, the air slips quietly over the aero-tweaked both ‘55’ body styles, adding around $13K for their rich body, yet the corners arrive with a furious but soundless rush. equipment lists. Our test car is a 55 quattro SUV First Edition, priced at $159,000 and bumped up as-tested only Later Ponch and I will dig a bit deeper into the downsides by $2300 for metallic paint. of trading combustion for electric motors, but right now there are a couple of irrefutable facts. One, this pair mirror A better match, at least on price, would have been the the broader direction of the global automotive industry, and e-tron 50 SUV, because in terms of battery capacity Merc’s that course is unequivocally set. And secondly, if you ignore EQC 400 packs an 80kWh unit that wedges itself, energy- for a moment the questions of green credentials and cradle- wise, between the two Audi options. The Merc’s dual to-grave impacts, instead just focusing on the fundamental (asynchronous) motors, though, boast sizeable numbers, with combined power (300kW) bang on par with the The air slips quietly over the aero-tweaked body as the corners arrive with a furious but soundless rush Grille design is optimised for minimal drag, as are those exterior cameras that replace conventional mirrors 96 whichcar.com.au/wheels

Full-width rear light bar is a design lift from Q7; orange brake calipers are part of First Edition spec SHIFT Tale of the tape THRIFT WHY THIS PAIR AREN’T DIRECT RIVALS DID ANYONE within Audi suggest calling this the Q6 Electric? Size-wise, that’s about where it falls, as its overall length of 4986mm makes it appreciably longer than a Q5 (4663mm) yet a little shorter than a Q7 (5052mm). Compared to the EQC here, the e-tron is 127mm longer and 51mm wider. As well as a roomier cabin, it also equates to more luggage space – an extra 100 litres when both cars have their rear seats up, pushing out to 155 litres more for the e-tron with seats folded. It’s so quiet in here this road-testing guru can hear the pulsing sound of his own machismo @wheelsaustralia 97

COMPARISON / MERC EQC v AUDI E-TRON In-cabin refinement of both EQC and e-tron make them incredibly relaxed and soothing family tourers 98 whichcar.com.au/wheels

EQC brings sufficient exterior changes to differentiate it from regular GLC line-up, without shouting EV credentials 55 e-tron but torque (760Nm) some 96Nm stronger. This is can feel bulky in tight confines for the driver – while there’s reflected in the EQC’s quicker claimed 0-100km/h time of a bit more legroom in the second row. Speaking of which, the 5.1sec, versus the 55 e-tron, which concedes around half a floor in the e-tron’s second row is near-flat, whereas the EQC second, even when boost mode is deployed while you’re in the retains the central hump needed by the related GLC for the aft Sport drive mode. part of its all-wheel-drive system. The e-tron also makes better use of its under-bonnet space, providing a shallow lidded bin But all this is really brochure posturing because, as quickly to store the charging cables. The EQC squanders this space, becomes evident, standing-start sprints with flattened relegating the charging cables to bags that live in the rear accelerator pedals are even less relevant and less sensible cargo compartment. in big, heavy EVs than they are in conventional ICE SUVs. However, to provide an early answer to the first question, For the driver, the cockpits are harder to separate in terms guaranteed, from every casual observer – “How far does it of design, ergonomics and functionality. The EQC goes more go on a charge?” – and the answer (equally guaranteed) of for a faintly art-deco vibe, while the Audi is all glossy screens, “that depends”... Reality is, there are a number of other uncluttered beauty and, in the First Edition variant, more factors that impact consumption compared to ICE engines. premium-feeling surfaces. And it’s also the Audi that requires Common to both are heaviness of the driver’s boot, but re-gen less familiarity to master the infotainment system, although opportunities, topography, temperature and ancillary use also the Merc attempts to counter this via its more sophisticated play a part. Official WLTP numbers reckon the e-tron 55 is good voice command system. Weird the way EQC wastes its for ‘over 400km’, while the EQC claims 434km. Our testing saw available screen real estate when Apple CarPlay is activated, both cars consuming within 0.5kWh of each other; call it close though, giving a dinky rendering compared to the more enough to 29.5kWh per 100km. Which is ‘thirsty’, but that was to-scale display of the e-tron. mostly expressway use (with little re-gen opportunity), hard backroad driving and heavy acceleration for photography. In In terms of seating comfort and adjustability, both are more typical driving, expect around 330km per charge from the outstanding. The e-tron is slightly more accommodating for Merc and possibly an additional 20km from the Audi. larger frames, though those ‘virtual’ exterior mirrors are divisive. Full points to Audi for innovation, and the slim The 55 e-tron’s larger battery is tasked with powering an exterior arms that house the cameras do cut wind noise, but it SUV that’s appreciably bigger – both against the tape and takes plenty of seat time to get used to glancing at the screens from behind the wheel – than the GLC-sized EQC. Audi’s EV housed in the upper sections of door cards rather than looking is larger than a Q5 and smaller than a Q7, although closer to outside, and they don’t provide the wide view of a conventional the latter. Inside, the Audi makes that extra size apparent in convex mirror when reverse-parking in tight spots. all key areas. It feels a little wider – nice for occupants, but This, however, is the only touch of ‘future-shock’ on the Every casual observer will ask: “How far does it go on a charge?” The answer: “That depends” @wheelsaustralia 99

e-tron, which otherwise seems intent on delivering a driving Below: Screens for rear-vision experience that is both wonderfully familiar yet almost eerily are cool, but it takes some devoid of all the white noise and mechanical clutter we’re time to retrain your eyes to used to with regular cars. The steering is quick rather than not look outside the car feelsome, but even that is on-brand for Ingolstadt. What’s more COMPARISON / MERC EQC V AUDI E-TRON noteworthy is the sheer composure and steadfast resolve of the chassis, almost irrespective of which setting you’ve chosen for the adaptive air suspension. Around town, despite 21-inch wheels, the ride is quiet and absorbent; start hammering it on rural roads and it just keeps finding resolute responses to big challenges thrown at it. “It never feels analogue – no surprises there,” Ponch comments later, “yet there’s a slick fluency to its dynamics that’s really satisfying. It controls body movement so well; it has a deftness that belies its beef.” Ponch also manages to out-nerd me by observing that, at least when cruising, the e-tron is the only Audi besides an R8 to be rear-wheel drive. To reduce charge consumption, the front electric motor only comes into operation (instantaneously) under big throttle openings, or when traction or cornering load demands it, and even then the drive split continues to favour the rear with 60 percent. The Merc? Driven in isolation, you would find it hard to fault the EQC. Loyal readers will recall it shouldered its way to COTY glory in our February 2020 issue thanks in part to “a level of polish and completeness that’s been lacking from any Mercedes SUV that’s gone before it”. But just as Olympic gold doesn’t necessarily mean a new world record, the top step of the COTY podium has never meant the arrival of automotive perfection. No car is exempt from room for improvement. What the Merc does have over the Audi is an immediacy and eagerness imparted through the control surfaces. It feels a little more wieldy, a touch more engaging compared to the deliberate softness and buffed lustre of the e-tron. The nose responds to wheel inputs with a fraction more urgency, and its throttle feels more crisply calibrated in the non-sporting drive mode. Its ride, like the Audi, is wonderfully isolating, and there’s little to split them in terms of cabin quietness; subjectively, the e-tron has a small overall edge, yet some surfaces can introduce hollow-sounding tyre thump. It’s only when really winding up the wick over demanding roads that dynamic pros and cons start to crystallise. The EQC feels a little more chuckable (if that’s the word for a 2480kg SUV) but can’t quite steamroller the road into submission the way the e-tron manages. Occasionally a really evil section of mangled bitumen will conspire to expose chinks in the EQC’s strut-front/air-sprung-rear set-up, where front damping resolve throws up the white flag. Says Ponch: “The EQC is capable of higher highs but also can dip to lower lows compared to the e-tron. The Audi manages a level of supreme consistency and never drops the ball...” So, for hard-driven dynamic composure, the e-tron manages to nose ahead. But when it comes to the cars’ re-gen functionality, and how seamlessly it works in normal driving, it’s the EQC that claws back points. Two quite different approaches are in play here. The e-tron automatically employs a degree of re-gen when approaching other cars or road furniture like roundabouts, yet this can be disabled in the MMI system for a more freewheeling coasting feeling. But additional re-gen force can be manually added in two levels via one or two pulses of the left-hand wheel paddle. Then, as you re-accelerate, it resets back to normal, awaiting your next input; although the level of re-gen can also be fixed, 100 whichcar.com.au/wheels