Motoring | October 12 by Ashburton Guardian

Motoring October 12, 2018

AMAROK

Aventura V6

DETAILS

Farming Motoring

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Friday, October 12, 2018

Truly the ‘beast in class’

he current International Ute of the Year, the Volkswagen Amarok, has seen a new addition to the range with the Amarok V6 190kw Aventura. Last year marked the introduction of the upgraded 3.0l V6 engine, refined from other Volkswagen Group vehicles, including the Porsche Cayenne, Audi A6, A7 and Q7, and Volkswagen’s own Touareg. 165kW (180kW on overboost), 550Nm and 0-100kph in 7.9 seconds were the standout stats. Today, the new alpha wolf steps out of the pack, delivering 190kW (200kW on overboost), 0-100kph in 7.3 seconds and a class-leading 580Nm of torque in the topof-the-line Aventura model derivative. Tom Ruddenklau, General Manager for Volkswagen New Zealand said; “Despite being available to Kiwis for less than a decade, the Amarok design (originally based on the same design DNA as the legendary Golf) has become grounded in what already seems to have become something of an iconic status amongst existing owners. “The introduction of our new charttopping model will only bolster such a position. “The short evolution of the Volkswagen Amarok has provided us with some incredible product highlights, but more important have been the stories we hear day after day of Kiwis falling more in love with their Amarok.” The 190kW engine also comes with the overboost function to 200kW and an increased torque range to 3250 rpm with 580Nm. The new engine DDXE has modified pistons and new software which are crucial to deliver that significant outcome. Next to the engine, the most significant specification upgrade is the new speed-

sensitive Servotronic Steering. The steering is hydraulically operated but electronically controlled, which makes for a very effective hybrid system. At lower speeds the system creates more pressure than the previous steering, and at higher speeds less pressure than before.

Already referenced as ‘as easy to steer as a Polo’, this new steering system provides effortless steering for parking manoeuvres, easier handling of the vehicle around town, improved road contact at higher speeds, and overall increased agility for sporty driving.

The combination of the new engine with the new steering system brings the Amarok V6 190kw Aventura to total new level of driving performance. Truly ‘beast-in-class’. Available now at Miles Continental Volkswagen, Christchurch.

Escort now a six-figure classic

orget vintage watches, fine wine and rare jewellery – if you want a rapidly appreciating asset what you need right now is a Fast Ford from 20 to 40 years ago. Further evidence of their rocketing value emerged at the weekend when versions of two of the most iconic models sold for world record fees. Silverstone Auctions revealed that a 1972 Ford Escort RS1600 was purchased at one of its sales last week for £70,875 ($NZ143,800) – the most anyone has ever paid for this particular model. The second Fast Ford to become the most expensive of its type was a 1990 Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4x4, with the winning bidder forking out a massive £52,750 – over $40,000 more than auctioneers thought it would make. The new world record purchases were made at the September Sale auction held at Dallas Burston Polo Club in Southam just outside of Royal Leamington Spa. Stealing the ‘lime’light was this lumi-

nous green Mk1 Escort RS1600 – a car that has become a real collectors item in recent years. It’s thought that Ford originally only produced 1137 of them in total, all of which used a detuned Formula 3 1.6-litre powerplant and were built at the car maker’s famed Ford Advanced Vehicle Operations facility in Essex. As well as higher performance engines

and sports suspension, the RS1600 also featured a strengthened bodyshell to make it the ideal rallying tool. And that’s what most were used for, with plenty being bent beyond repair in the process. Fast Ford historians believe there are fewer than 50 RS1600s registered or on SORN in the UK today. And not all surviving examples will be in

pristine condition. The assumption is that the vast majority have been extensively raced, exported, or just lived a hard life at the hands and feet of enthusiastic owners. That means it’s a real rarity to find a road car in as incredible condition as this one. It was first registered in Britain on February 11 1972 and was purchased by the current owner as a restoration project so it could form part of a glimmering collection. The odometer is reading just 3525 miles, though it is understood that this is the total mileage covered since this car underwent its ground-up rebuild not too long ago. The Le Mans Green paintwork is superb with excellent shut lines – a failing of some reconditioned models you might find elsewhere – and has been completed to what Silverstone Auctions says is ‘a very high standard’. The interior is completely original and correct, and the engine bay is spotless – more reason for it to shatter the previous record fee paid for one. The eclipsed figure for an Escort RS1600 road car was set in July 2016 when one was sold in Australia for $118,000.

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Friday, October 12, 2018

Anyone for Polo?

he Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 has a new look. The final livery for the 200-kW (272-PS) rally car is a reinterpretation of the spectacular optics that were also realised in the Golf GTI TCR touring car. “The Polo GTI R5 looks really exciting,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Sven Smeets, about the four-wheel drive car for rally customers. Nico Mühr, Exterior Design Volkswagen, describes the dynamic look of the Polo GTI R5: “We purposely used many of the design elements from the production vehicles of the GTI family for the Polo GTI R5. It is the GTI icons with their honeycomb structure in particular that give the rally Polo its distinctive look. Ultimately, the Polo GTI R5, despite its extreme rally look, remains clearly identifiable as – no doubt the fastest – member of the Polo family.” The bonnet conceals a 1.6-litre turbo engine with direct injection, which enables the four- door car weighing just under 1230 kilos to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds.

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Farming Motoring

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Friday, October 12, 2018

Ultimate in refinement J

ustifiably there’s lots of emphasis now put on vehicles’ safety features and ratings. But the vast improvements to the safety of one most important items, the windscreen, doesn’t seem to feature much. Well I, and more especially the front seat passenger, certainly appreciate the safety aspects of this new CX-8’s laminated screen after an on-coming truck flicked up a rather large stone. A stone that, very loudly, hit the left side of the windscreen. Quite amazingly, other than giving all aboard one hell of a fright, the damage was limited to a golfball-size circle on the outer glass layer and without any sign of star-like cracks. Needless to say, all CX-8s also come loaded with Mazda’s latest i-ACTIVSENSE safety technologies. These include radar-cruise, lane departure/keep assist, blind spot monitoring,cross-traffic alerts and automatic emergency braking. This “five plus two” seat, diesel only CX8, the first even numbered SUV in Mazda’s latest range, slots in between the five seat CX-5 (petrol or diesel) and slightly larger, turbo-petrol, seven seat CX-9. It’s stylish and, with those seven seats, offers spacious versatility within its still relatively neat dimensions. There are two GSX models (in either 2WD or AWD), and the AWD Limited as driven. From and including the front doors for-

ward the CX-8’s architecture is pretty much identical to its latest model, CX-5 siblings. However then heading rearwards its 400mm longer, with pleasing looks and its own individual style. This extra length allows for the third row of two seats, which when not being used stow very neatly in the luggage area floor, from where they also neatly arise when needed to be adult friendly for shorter trips. And even better for those of less height (Mazda suggests 175cm) for longer drives. The second row offers lots of comfort, and heated seats for two (complete with a large fold down armrest), or three if needed. The seats split 60/40 and slide back and forward and their design means they can easily be operated by smaller fry to get in the third row. With all seats in use there’s 209 litres of luggage space, increasing to a really impressive 742 litres as a five seater. The Limited has a power tail-gate. Unsurprisingly, when sitting behind the wheel, with minor exceptions it feels pretty much the same as being in the recently upgraded CX-5. Which means its very comfortable, uncluttered and user friendly. Both models come with an excellent headup display, three-zone climate aircon, and sat-nav. The Limited’s Nappa leather and real wood furnishings, heated steering wheel and stunning 10-speaker Bose premium audio system combine to complete the

MAZDA CX-8 AWD ■■

Roger Hart ROAD TEST

overall feeling of refinement. Under the bonnet is the latest version of the 2.2-litre Skyactiv-D turbo diesel, producing 140kW and 450Nm torque at 2000rpm. This was very quiet while performing domestic duties and effortless at cruise. But then, when you really put your foot down, it delivers a very acceptable sound to match your rate of acceleration. Like when its 0-100kmh figures (just over nine seconds!) are being explored. Do this and rather obviously expectations of achieving the stated 6L/100km won’t happen. But the overall figure for my drive-time was 7.3l/100km. Which these days, even when factoring in RUCs will likely appeal, especially to those doing lots of kilometres. The handling proved very predictable and tidy, thanks to both the fully automated all-wheel-drive and smart G-Vectoring Control system. But being, taller, longer and heavier with a 200mm ground clearance, means it expectedly can’t match the CX-5’s excellent sporty demeanour.

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Pricing: $62,495 (GSX 2WD $53,495AWD $55,995) All plus ORCs. Engine: 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four cylinder - 140kW @ 4500rpm and 450Nm of torque @ 2000rpm. Transmission: 6-speed auto with sport mode – full time all-wheel-drive. Quoted Combined Fuel Economy: 6.0L/100km. Size (mm): Length 4900, width 1840. Safety: Advanced semi-autonomous driver assist/safety technology packages. 5 star ANCAP rating. Kerb to kerb turning circle: 11.6 metres. Tows: 2000kg (braked) Warranty: Mazdacare package includes a 5 year, unlimited kilometre warranty and roadside assist plus 3 years/100,000 km servicing.

FINALE This versatile seven seat, CX-8 with its economical diesel that is equally at home around town or on the open road, clearly continues Mazda’s less-is-more design philosophy. It’s likely to appeal to those needing more seats than the CX-5 has, but don’t wish to up-size completely to the CX-9.

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Farming Motoring

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Friday, October 12, 2018

xCity a proven winner T

he xCity – the “Landrover of ebikes” according to one of the dealers – is the e-bike that will boogie its way off the showroom floors this summer. In many respects, it is the ideal e-bike, these are xCiting times! Smartmotion is New Zealand brand that actually designs their bikes here, and the ‘old’ eCity has become one of those bikes that seems to be just everywhere, and is the bike that many associate with e-bike. Many importers have tried the crossover genre, especially as New Zealanders love mountain bikes. Go into any bike shop and they dominate, because that is what sells. What is unique about xCity is that it is a step through frame, mid drive, has good wheels, tyres, brakes, lights, racks, mudguards … and it just all works! The frame is stiff enough to give confidence (far less wobbly than some step-throughs), and the beefy 27.5×2.35 Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres give you heaps of grip and comfort. The Dapu mid-drive is new to Smartmotion (and indeed anywhere). Dapu has been Smartmotion’s motor supplier since forever, and this unit is compact and plenty grunty enough. A prototype was sent the length of New Zealand and stripped down afterwards – good as new. The generous 15.6Ah (560Wh) battery sits inside the rear rack like most stepthroughs. On all manner of rough terrain we didn’t find that this unbalanced the bike (testing was done on Rotorua trails over a longweekend). On fast flowing Grade 2 trails (not it’s target environment!) it handled just fine, except when there were rapid up-down motions, in which case slowing down a wee bit fixed it. This was a robust test (the things we do for you!) and in reality the bike handled far better than expected so it is by no means a criticism. The Tektro hydraulic brakes were great on some steepish downhills, and the Shimano Deore 10-speed gears worked well with plenty of spread. There is a sensor that backs the motor off a bit when you shift, so no crunching of gears. It has similar lighting treatment to the Pacer – good forward lights and cool-looking LED’s running down the rack stays. It also has the useful Smartmotionunique cadence/torque mode switching, which is a nice feature. If I had to pick out some weak points, it

e-bike reviews are courtesy of NZ Electric Bike Review

and has regular mudguards, chainguard and Big Ben tyres. The replacement for the eCity is still a hub drive – available in step-through and diamond configurations. Overall, this is one of the most fun bikes we have used. It absolutely ‘nails it’ in terms of fun, utility and versatility. Would highly recommend. RRP $3899. Available in two colours, sand and green (as pictured).

Who should buy this bike?

Anyone wanting a step through frame that is versatile. It’s not only a ladies’ bike! Can do rail trails and other Grade 1-2 trails (eg Waikato River Trail). Timber Trail might be a bit of a stretch, but still do-able.

Who shouldn’t buy this bike?

is that the mudguards were a bit short to fully protect the rider from crud. That however needs to be offset against not snagging up when it gets a bit muddy, and clearly a conscious decision. I also found that on occasion the thumb throttle was easy to knock. I discussed this aspect with Smartmotion, and they did it because of feedback that twist throttles could have bikes accidentally do wheelies in front of their riders

(and we have seen that happen with twist throttles bikes, it’s very funny to watch but not ideal). One thing to consider if you are going to do frequent commuting is that the tyres (while great) are not puncture resistant. They are regular good-quality MTB tyres and a great choice as such. Also newly minted is the midCity – a similar bike with commuting tendencies. The midCity frame is slightly less stiff

All you will use it for is commuting. You are better off with smooth punctureresistant tyres and full mudguards. Get the midCity or eCity. You really want an eMTB. Buy one – the Hypersonic being a good choice and a notwildly-different price point.

What else should you consider? This bike is unique, really! visit electricbikesnz.com

Emma eyes podium

third place on the season’s podium is within Emma Gilmour’s sights at this Saturday’s final round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship – the Hyundai NZ Raglan Rally of the Coast. She and co-driver Anthony McLoughlin will be doing their best to maximise their points in the Vantage Windows and Doors Suzuki Swift AP4 over the approximately 177km of special stages. They have 76 points in the bank following the fifth round and will be fighting for the last spot on the podium with Josh Marston, Nathan Quinn and Matt Sum-

merfield, all of whom are within nine points of each other. There is a maximum of 25 points on offer for the day, plus a bonus five points for the power stage. Hayden Paddon, who is competing this weekend, had already wrapped up the championship at the penultimate round in August and sits on 147 points, while Ben Hunt’s 107 points’ haul has set him in good stead for second place. “We want to finish on a high and will be giving it everything to bring home the third-place trophy,” Emma says. “The Te Akau stages would have to be among my all-time favourites, from when they were part of Rally New Zealand.

www.guardianonline.co.nz

Friday, October 12, 2018

Diesel Commodore debut

olden, with this first-ever diesel Commodore, which comes in both Liftback ($48,990) and Sportwagon ($50,990) bodystyles, originaly suggested that it will likely find particular favour with fleet operators. Their rationale – it’s a large and comfortable vehicle which provides effortless performance and all-round drivability thanks to its 2.0 litre turbo diesel’s 400Nm

of torque available from 1750rpm, its eight-speed auto and claimed overall 5.6 litres per 100km fuel efficiency. Then also, it has numerous passive and active safety aids and five-star ANCAP safety rating. So a return trip to Mosgiel seemed appropriate. Whereupon this very easy driving diesel’s combination of comfort, economy and ability to deliver an engaging driving experience were certainly appreciated. On such trips the navigator likes to either read or

use her i-Pad. However the ride and dynamics of some vehicles interupt this. But it was a definite thumbs up from her for the Commodore! Overall fuel use for the 650km driven was 5.8L/100km. While the appeal to fleet operators is obvious, this Commodore’s comfort, economy and cruising abilities should also appeal to, and be considered by private, high annual km driving buyers.

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