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Automan OCT 2014

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now, the region’s Best Automotive Resource

OCT 2014 Issue no 158

2015 Jaguar XE | Audi TT | Nissan X-Trail | 2015 Hyundai Sonata | 2015 Infiniti Q50 | VW Beetle | Hyundai Sonata | Honda Accord | Geely Emgrand X7 | Motorsports

cover story

24-29 2015 Audi TT/TTS 30-35 2015 nissan x-trail

2015 Audi TT

Third generation allnew sports coupe has a spirited story to tell

NEXT ISSUE

Oman and regional news

2015 Gen II Porsche cayenne

6-10 2015 nissan X-trail regional and dealer launch, 2015 ferrari california T, 2015 rolls-royce ghost series ii, 2015 infiniti qx70 elite sport, porsche lifestyle collection, kyoto products introduced in oman by suhail bahawan automobiles & snippets

exclusive world premiere 14-17 2015 Jaguar XE

24

brandwatch

12-18 Ferrari president Montezemelo

quits, Cadillac to change naming system , 2015 Volvo XC90 First Edition sold out!

Geely teases new sedan, Special GT-R download for GT Academy entrants, New GM CEO upbeat about India, GMC Sierra’s new dress code: Carbon Edition, Mercedes-Benz to optimize platform management, New Jaguar Heritage workshop opens in UK, New Nissan design studio in Brazil, Andy Palmer quits Nissan to join Aston Martin as CEO

COVERstory |

14

2015 Jaguar XE

No expenses spared in the year’s most impressive global unveil in London

International news spotlight

20-23 2014 Paris Motor Show curtain raiser,Top ten iconic cars at Goodwood Revival 2014, Sir Jacky Stewart honoured, classic Jaguars at Le Mans parade

First drives

30 36

50

74

36-41 2015 hyundai sonata 42-45 2015 honda accord 46-49 2014 Geely Emgrand X7 50-53 2015 VW Beetle 54-57 2015 Infiniti Q50

random pick

58-59 2015 chrysler 300c

previews

60-63 jaguar xe 64-66 Land Rover Discovery Sport 68-69 BMW 2 Series Active Tourer 70-71 toyota camry 72-73 Kia Sorento 74-75 mazda mx-5

MOTORSPORTS

76-79 F1 singapore GP race report, regional motorsports, ktm returns in the region

Chicane

80 What happens when brands have to face product failures? Our editor looks beyond the iphone 6 saga

editor-in-chief Mohammad Al Taie

AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING PO Box: 343, Postal Code 118 Al Harthy Complex Sultanate of Oman Email: automan@alroya.net Website: www.automan.me Editorial office: Tel: +968 24479888 Extn 300, Fax: +968 24479889 Distribution: Tel: +968 24490386, Fax: +968 24121045 Subscription: Tel: +968 24493701, Fax: +968 24121045 publisher Hatim Al Taie

hatim@alroya.net

EDITOR & GM Raj Warrior

raj@alroya.net

executive EDITOR Chandan B Mallik chandan@alroya.net contributing EDITOR Anne Kurian annekurian@alroya.net HEAD OF Design Antony Karlo photography Elvis John Ferrao marketing Sayantani Ghosh sayantani@alroya.net circulation books@alroya.net FINANCE & ADMIN Sumy Mol

sumy@alroya.net

Website & IT Mohammed F Draz mohammed.draz@alroya.net Printer Ruwi Modern Printers LLC, Muscat Tel: +968 2479 4167, 2479 8157 Fax: +968 2470 0545 © 2014 All editorial content of Automan in the magazine and its website is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the management of AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING Automan accepts unsolicited exclusive editorial material, but reserves the right to publish any such material. Once published, the copyright for any such material will vest with AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING

September has been extraordinarily busy. Historically it tends to be quite hectic, what with the advent of the new model year across Europe and the end of the summer break. After switching off and relaxing for August (something we haven’t yet mastered here in Oman despite the skyrocketing temperatures) the new roll-outs make sure that everyone is alert for the mayhem of the year end.

Motorshow season has also kicked in – with the biennial Paris show leading off. This year we expect some interesting debuts, especially from the French manufacturers who have had a rather tough time recently. Peugeot is the one we really worry about, does its have the long-term strategy and holding power to go truly global and self-sufficient.

Jaguar has in the meantime brought out its smaller XE sedan against the backdrop of London and its cultural icons. Our team were there for the global unveil of a car that is set to reset the entry point into the brand. At the same time, we you have to remember that the XE isn’t the endgame there – we have indicated a couple of years ago that both the XE and XD would come in and we will have to see how much smaller they can make the platform to accommodate the new entry point.

In the meantime aluminium is making further inroads into production processes around the world, largely as a result of stable prices and better production techniques. We are seeing it in the XE, the new TT (where almost all the hang-on parts are in the white metal) the star of this month’s cover and many other cars that are placed in the twenty five thousand dollar plus category.

Unfortunately both the interesting 2+2 cars that we feature this month are above that price bracket – the TT and the Beetle have their own unique takes on the Volkswagen group’s MQB platform and both weave their magic with variously boosted 2.0-litre inline 4-cylinder engines. After a certain point, you really stop thinking of them as too dissimilar, that is until you get in the TTS and let loose.

But enough of reminiscing about great drives we’ve had. Keep your eyes open over the next few months of 2014 as manufacturers rush to squeeze in their 2015 model year cars into the market before the New Year. We have a good clutch of models in the pipeline.

Now, Automan is available in bookshops in the United Arab Emirates too! Get your copy or let us know which outlets you would like to see us in

Oman & region

Ferrari California T

news

Muscat’s Grand Hyatt hotel played host to an entertainment filled media-cumcustomer event for the launch of the Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II. Clad in a subtle re-design, the flowing ‘yacht lines’ and powerful flanks hint at the car’s inherent dynamism, whilst traditional Rolls-Royce DNA is expressed in the elevated prow, large uninterrupted surfaces, long bonnet and short overhang. Re-sculpted headlamps with unbroken daytime running lights framing give the car its distinct visual signature from the front. New surprise feature is the optional monogrammed stainless-steel fuel-filler cap.

Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II

Infiniti QX 70 Raj Kumar Karuppusamy - Director of Aftersales and Trading at Arabian Automobiles, Michel Ayat – CEO Arabian Automobiles, Salah Yamout – Director of Sales and Marketing Arabian Automobiles at the UAE launch of the X-Trail

Nissan X-Trail

6

| www.automan.me | OCT 2014

While Nissan Middle East was busy with the regional launch of the new X-Trail in Salalah, Oman, regional dealers were busy with their respective market introductions.

Arabian Automobiles, officially launched the new X-Trail on September 18, a day after the Oman dealer reveal in Dubai. The new Nissan X-Trail has been designed to excel in the areas that crossover buyers desire most – progressive exterior styling, interior flexibility and roominess, safety features, and outstanding performance. In UAE, it will be offered from AED 78,000. The vehicle is now available across most Middle East showrooms. See first drive impressions in this issue of Automan.

Middle East has introduced the Infiniti QX70S Elite Sport in the region which combines sports-car style and performance with SUV stance and toughness. The all-wheel-drive car is powered by a 329hp 3.7-litre V6 petrol engine. And as part of a social media competition, participants at the launch event in Kuwait and fans on Facebook were encouraged to demonstrate their journalism skills and record their reviews about the QX70S Elite Sport.

The first all-new turbocharged model from the Prancing Horse brand, the California T was introduced at Al Fardan’s branded showroom in Muscat. It is a car brimming with innovation that will more than meet the expectations of discerning clients for whom fun behind the wheel is a priority, but who also demand a sumptuously comfortable Grand Tourer they can use every day. The California T is a brilliant expression of Ferrari’s sporty DNA, while its retractable hard top and 2+ configuration amongst other features make it supremely versatile.

Suhail Bahwan Automobiles introduces Kyoto branded products Kyoto Japan Tyre Group will be represented by Oman-based Suhail Bahwan Automobiles. Last month, the Japanese brand unveiled their exclusive range of tyres, sealed maintenance-free automotive batteries and professional lubricants. Kyoto Japan produces a full range of radial and high performance tyres, including truck and bus, light truck, 4×4, SUV, passenger, off-the-road, mining and other specialty tyres, as well as a family of maintenance-free batteries made in Italy. It also has a full range of specialty lubricants made in Holland and professional performance additives made in France.

The new Steve McQueen royal blue baseball cap featuring the legendary actor’s autograph, AED179.

Hussam Baghdadi, General Manager Arabian Automobiles Infiniti presents winner Ahmad Kaboul with the key to a brand new Infiniti Q50 3.5L Hybrid

The bestselling Unisex Aviator sunglasses from the Martini Racing Collection with anti-reflective coating, AED862.

Porsche’s number one fan unisex motif white t-shirt, based on an original 1989 poster, AED199.

Popular Martini Racing flip flops with the Porsche logo embossed on sole, AED255.

New accessories from Porsche Driver’s Selection range

The 2014 Porsche Driver’s Selection range has been further expanded and continues to reflect the functional, timeless and purist designs that Porsche innovations are known for. Porsche Driver’s Selection products are available at the Porsche Centres located in Dubai, Sharjah and Fujairah or at www.porsche.com/shop.

Porsche Driver’s Selection has now expanded its Masterpieces Collection with an exclusive rim wall clock. Like all products in the collection, the wall clock is also made from a genuine sports car part: a 20-inch Porsche 911 turbo rim. The clock is made in Germany.

OCT 2014 | www.automan.me |

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Automan’s take

news

The signs of a crack in professional relationship have been obvious over the past six months and its was becoming clear each day that all was not so well at the top executive end at Ferrari. Last month, the final straw broke and Luca Cordero di Montezemolo effectively put an end to his 23-year career with the Prancing Horse, stepping down as chairman of Ferrari.

It may be recalled that Montezemolo was appointed as President of Ferrari in 1991

by Fiat Chairman Gianni Agnelli after the company started to struggle finding its way forward following Enzo Ferrari’s death in 1988.

Montezemolo strongly believed in the brand’s exclusivity and capped production of Ferrari’s production output to 7,000 units.

During his tenure, he was able to transform Ferrari into a highly profitable enterprise besides achieving immense success in motorsports. Montezemolo capably justified Agnelli’s decision by winning the Formula 1 Championship again nine years later after a 21-year cold streak. Scuderia Ferrari took five consecutive F1 titles with Michael Schumacher while the brand’s revenue went up tenfold and sales more than tripled.

brandwatch

Ferrari president quits

Despite these achievements, things started souring after Montezemolo reported clashed with Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne over issues – including Ferrari’s future business strategy. Marchionne wants to convert the Prancing Horse into a luxury brand that can compete more with Lamborghini in terms of sales and be more involved with Fiat Chrysler’s products and technologies as opposed

to being mostly independent as it is today. With Montezemolo’s departure, Sergio Marchionne steps into the role.

“Discussions over Ferrari’s future and its racing potential led to misunderstandings which became clearly visible over. I want to thank Luca for all he has done for Fiat, for Ferrari and for me personally,” said Marchionne. “Ferrari is now American, which represents the end of an era,” said Montezemolo.

But in spite of the Ferrari F1 team’s lackluster performance in 2014 season, Montezemolo’s successes at Ferrari are indisputable. During his time the brand has boosted revenue tenfold and more than tripled their sales. It remains one of the most valuable brands in the world.

New CEO for Aston Martin appointed

General Motors CEO Mary Barra recently concluded a three-day fact-finding visit to India. As part of the high-profile visit Ms Barra also met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and key stakeholders throughout the country. “India represents a great opportunity for Chevrolet,” Barra said. “With a relatively small vehicle population and rapidly growing, young middle class, India is expected to become one of the world’s three largest markets by 2020. Ms Barra was accompanied by Tim Solso, non-executive chairman of the GM Board of Directors; Stefan Jacoby, executive vice president and president, GM International; Chuck Stevens, GM executive vice president and chief financial officer; and, Arvind Saxena, GM India president and managing director, visited GM facilities and met with employees, suppliers and government leaders.

“GM is working to better understand the Indian market so we can give Indian 8

| www.automan.me | OCT 2014

customers what they deserve – safe, highquality Chevrolet vehicles with exceptional designs that exceed expectations.” GM has invested about $1 billion in India to date. Its Talegaon and Halol facilities can produce more than 280,000 vehicles per year. The GM Technical Center-India is carrying out local and global engineering projects, and GM India’s growing lineup of Chevrolet models is sold through the company’s nationwide dealer network.

During her visit to the Talegaon manufacturing facility in Pune, Barra participated in the celebration of the production of the first Chevrolet vehicle, a bright red Beat for export. Vehicles initially will be exported to Chile starting later this year. “GM remains open to the long-term prospects for India and its automotive industry,” said Jacoby. “However, we are going in with our eyes wide open to ensure that our investment is good for India and good for General Motors.”

Automan’s take Mary Barra was appointed CEO to replace Dan Akerson and she began her new job on Jan 15, 2014. Barra is expected to successfully lead the company that has made nearly $20bn dollars since emerging out of bankruptcy in 2010. Because of her vast experience and leadership as Senior Vice President, GM was able to gain traction from the cars and trucks she helped developed. Even though GM has done well, Barra will face a challenge in winning over buyers from the international markets such as India and South America.

Automan’s take

New GM CEO upbeat about India

British sports car maker Aston Martin has been sort of headless since Dr Ulrich Bez stepped down from the chief executive office at the end of last year. Bez currently serves as non-executive chairman in a semi-retired ambassadorial capacity. Now the top vacancy has been filled with the arrival of Briton Andrew Palmer. Palmer is an old hand from Nissan-Renault Alliance where he has served for over two decades. Most recently he was serving as executive vice president of the entire group and was also chairman of the Infiniti brand. Palmer follows the footsteps of Carlos Tavares, who recently left Renault to run Peugeot, and joins Aston Martin as its new CEO. Palmer started his professional career in 1979 aged 16, as an apprentice at Automotive Products Limited (UK). In 1986 he joined Austin Rover to eventually become Transmissions

Chief Engineer of Rover Group. Palmer joined Nissan in 1991 and was based in Japan for the past 13 years.

It may be recalled that Aston Martin had announced in May that it was investing £500m into the company’s next generation of high-performance cars while expanding its manufacturing facilities in Gaydon, Warwickshire. This comes as part of its long-term strategy to become the number-one British luxury sports car brand. Part of this strategy involves a partnership forged in December last year with Daimler AG, which for now involves supply of V8 engines from Mercedes-AMG but will extend to electric and electronic components and, potentially, could lead to vehicle development as the two groups “investigate additional areas of cooperation in the future”.

Nissan’s loss is Aston Martin’s gain. Palmer returns to Britain to lead the hallowed sports-luxury marque after 13 years in Japan and more than two decades with Nissan. The 51-year-old executive held global responsibility for sales, product and corporate planning, programme management, market intelligence, marketing communications, vehicle information technology and, importantly in the context of the Aston appointment, the Infiniti luxury brand.

OCT 2014 | www.automan.me |

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New Jaguar Heritage workshop opens in UK Owners of classic Jaguar motorcars around the world can rejoice with the fact that they can now have their precious possessions maintained or restored by Jaguar Heritage, the automotive brand’s specialist service set-up at the Browns Lane facility in Coventry.

The UK-based workshop is the same facility in which the six new Lightweight E-type period competition cars will be built. Jaguar Heritage will offer warrantied servicing and restoration of Jaguar’s classic models. Led by Martyn Hollingsworth, a third-generation Jaguar employee, Jaguar Heritage craftsmen have unique skills set, which is now available to owners of classic Jaguars. Customers will be able to visit while work is in progress on their vehicles and, upon completion, they can obtain both a photographic record of the work carried out and a Jaguar approved service logbook. The Jaguar Heritage workshop can collect and deliver vehicles for service or restoration from any location in the UK or, in the case of overseas customers, any UK airport or seaport.

dress GMC Sierra’s newition code: Carbon Ed

10 | www.automan.me | OCT 2014

The 2015 GMC Carbon Edition, which will be available at dealers this fall will add distinctive style to the current mix. Based on the 2015 Sierra 1500 pickup, the Carbon Edition is offered in three different versions, allowing customers to hand-select the truck best suited to their lifestyle.

First is the striking Sierra Carbon 22 Edition, offered on both Sierra SLE doubleand crew cab models, adds distinctive graphics that echo its name. Two carbon fibre appearance graphics emphasize strong forms in the Sierra’s hood, while another graphic dresses up the tailgate panel. Additional exterior touches include a black painted grille, along with body-colored door handles and mirror caps.

The Carbon 22 Edition also incorporates four-inch black tubular side assist steps and unique 22in black alloy wheels.

The second Carbon 20 Edition is offered only as a Sierra SLE double cab, incorporates the same painted grille and carbon fiber appearance accents as the Carbon Edition, and rides on distinctive 20in lloy wheels. The standard Sierra Carbon Edition also builds off the standard Sierra 1500 double cab model with many of the same cues used on the Carbon 22 and 20 Edition models. The Carbon Edition shares its black painted grille, carbon fibre graphics and body-coloured trim with other Carbon Edition variants, and also includes additional standard content. All Sierra Carbon Editions are available with two- or four-wheel drive. A 4.3-litre EcoTec3 V6 engine is standard equipment, and delivers 285hp and 305 lb-ft of torque, and EPA highway ratings up to 24 mpg. A 355-horsepower,

io in Brazil

New Nissan design stud

ign center Nissan has opened a new des Ueda, Vice o Tar zil.

Bra in Rio de Janerio, erica, Am n sig De President of Nissan ony. em cer g nin ope presided over the l be an wil one is dio stu The new satellite in San a eric Am n sig De offshoot of Nissan 9. The 197 in ed ish abl est Diego, which was into ion ans exp for ns automaker has pla the and t, rke ma n the growing Brazilia n America establishment of Nissan Desig

Automan’s take

Nissan’s new Rio (NDA-R) piggybacks on e. factory in Resend ady Designers in Brazil have alre tfolio. The por san Nis the contributed to ed as an crib des t, cep con Nissan EXTREM specifically “urban sports car” catering Market, was to the needs of the Brazilian tor Show unveiled at the Sao Paolo Mo fifth design in 2012. NDA-R becomes the to facilities in center at Nissan, in addition

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Nissan headquarters in Atsugi

opening of the Rio design studio h global collaboration and the wit ed ign des are ts duc pro ’s Nissan ds. design taste and consumer nee brand’s commitment to Brazil’s

signals the

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2015 Volvo XC90 First Edition sold out!

At the record of one car every seven minutes, Volvo has sold all 1,927 units of the First Edition Gen II all-new 2015 XC90 on line in 47 hours without a single test drive. The First Edition XC90 will be recognised by the Onyx Black paintwork, eight-spoke 21in Inscription package wheels and subtle badging. Seating is upholstered in Amber nappa leather and the dashboard is Charcoal leather with Walnut inlays.

Geely teases new sedan

Chinese automaker Geely has released the first images of its new flagship sedan, the GC9, ahead of its Guangzhou Auto Show debut, which takes place next month. The GC9 has been penned by Geely’s chief of design, Briton Peter Horbury, also former design head at Volvo.

The car is based on the 2013 Geely KC Concept shown at the Shanghai Auto Show and Geely claims that it will be its most ambitious vehicle to date in terms of design, safety, technology, and driving dynamics.

OCT 2014 | www.automan.me | 11

What’s in a name?

J

Cadillac to change naming system

ohan de Nysschen, the exInfiniti executive and new president of Cadillac seems to prefer changing a vehicle’s naming nomenclature for apparently commercial reasons. At Infiniti, Nysschen renamed that luxury brand’s line-up, each beginning with Q or QX and now he wants to do the same for GM’s luxury brand Cadillac.

Nysschen recommends the brand’s new flagship model to abandon the familiar three-letter designation which is currently enjoyed by every other model in the range (Escalade is the exception) and adopt an alpha-numeric title instead. As a result of this move, the soon-to-arrive LTS, Cadillac’s top-end model will henceforth be known as the CT6.

According to Cadillac’s press release, 12 | www.automan.me | OCT 2014

“familiar lettering like ‘CT’ would be used for car models, with the number indicating the relative size and position of the cars in the hierarchy of Cadillac models.” “As we expand the portfolio, we can assist consumers in placing the cars within a structure, as they compare cars both within our showroom and across

Expert Opinion I had a really interesting conversation with the new Cadillac marketing manager. I think he’s got the right idea and as I told him before, I’ve heard this all before … the need for consistency and continuity for Cadillac. They got a start with Art & Science in the late ‘90s but then shifted gears. Again. And he acknowledges this is a 10-year journey. Let’s see if they stay the course

Michelle Krebs Senior Analyst, AutoTrader.com Director, Automotive Relations, Cox Automotive

the market generally,” explained Uwe Ellinghaus, Cadillac’s chief marketing officer.

However, industry watchers particularly in the US, aren’t too impressed with this measure. AutoTrader.com senior analyst and US auto industry expert Michelle Krebs says: “Really will renaming cars make a difference? I don’t think so. Lincoln’s MK naming system totally confuses people. I think what’s happening is Johan is shaking things up to make it clear there’s a new guy in charge and things are changing. We’ll see if the changes are effective.”

On a cautionary note, Ellinghaus adds: “However, this will be an evolutionary process – we will only change a product’s name when the product itself is redesigned or an all-new model is created, as in this instance.” This also means that the ATS, CTS and XTS likely won’t be renamed for a few years.

Spotlight news

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e h t k r a m o t n o d , E n X o L 5 1 p 0 u 2 d r e a t u h g d g i a l e J s r s a e w u n Jag g of the ne toman wit ch u n n i A l u i . a e l n v a n r d u a e c s e t t s a e l r l o a its sm r’s most elab last month. the yea nited Kingdom U e h t in nd

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Ma an B

t had all the trappings of a Hollywood flick -- action and drama in the form of new Jaguar car dramatically delivered to Earls Court by helicopter and high-speed landing craft down the Thames, then escorted by 1960’s Mark II Jaguar Police cars, celebrity stage performances in a two-hour musical extravaganza to an audience of 3,000 invitees from around the world. Touted as the car launch of the year, it wasn’t just a multimillion pound splurge on techno-creativity, but a clear message of how India’s Tata Motors-owned Jaguar is moving forward with its ambitious volume programme with the all-new 2015 XE, its newest smallest sedan till date.

On the morning of the unveil, selected media were invited for a detailed technical brief about the car which include details about its architecture, powertrains and connectivity features that will be initially offered at launch and also some details about the investments made for this project.

By any measure £2.0bn is quite a sum these days which Jaguar has invested for this key project and also includes a brand new engine manufacturing facility in the UK. The new factory will produce the state-of-the-art Ingenium family of highly efficient four-cylinder turbocharged petrol and diesel engines for the XE. The XE will be available in early 2015 is destined to become Jaguar’s global volume entry ticket in the entry luxury

segment with a modest sticker price of £27,000.00 [approximately OMR 16,769.00] for the UK market. With such affordability, Jaguar is directly targeting the sports sedan segment with the XE range, which is currently dominated by the three German brands namely Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz besides some Asian brands.

Earls Court, one of London’s famous exhibition centres has witnessed the launch of at least 14 Jaguar cars in its chequered history since 1935 and it was also a befitting venue for the XE unveil. Outside, there was a ‘word cloud sculpture’ of the XE which Jaguar design has collaborated with a range of creative experts across the fields of computer aided design, graphic artwork, stage design and metal work to design a word cloud representation of the new XE consisting of 95 words using seven languages including French, German, Spanish, Italian, English, Russian and Mandarin.

Inside, the venue was an impressive display of ten heritage models – ranging from the ubiquitous 2.5-litre SS100, 3.8-litre Mark II sedan, XK120 open top two-seater, 3.8-litre E-Type Series I, 4.2-litre XJS TWR racing car among other historic machines.

Actor John Hannah narrated through the stage performances Jaguar’s past, present and future, while crooner Emeli Sandé premiered her crowd sourced Jaguar FEEL XE track ‘Feels Like’, performing live from the middle OCT 2014 | www.automan.me | 15

of the Thames as well at the venue. Other performers included The Kaiser Chiefs, Eliza Doolittle and members from the Royal Ballet.

Stars spotted in the audience included Stella McCartney, David Gandy, José Mourinho, Laura Whitmore, Ruben Cortada, Sam Riley, Sienna Guillory, Steve Redgrave, Brian Johnson, Gary Lineker and Sir Stirling Moss.

After the dramatic entry, Jaguar’s design director Ian Callum presented the new car to the audience and described it as a “breakthrough moment and an attainable Jaguar.” “The XE will take the brand to a whole new group of customers around the world. Customers who want performance, customers who love driving, and of course customers who want efficiency,” said Callum.

London’s famous exhibition venue, Earls Court was chosen for Jaguar’s official launch party, where the new XE sedan arrived via a helicopter trip over the British capital, a Thames barge river trip and with a 1960s Jaguar Mark II police car escort

16 | www.automan.me | OCT 2014

At launch, two variants will be on offer. For Europe and other diesel driven markets, the XE will be available with a new turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel four-cylinder capable of producing 161 hp and 289 Lbsft of torque. It will also be the cleanest car from Jaguar with exhaust CO2 levels of 99gm/km and superb fuel efficiency.

With this new family of diesel engines, in terms of efficiency, the XE already has the edge over Audi’s A4 2.0 TDI (4.8L/100km) and BMW’s 320d (4.5L/100km).For petrol dominated markets like the Middle East, the flagship XE S will be offered with the 3.0-litre V6 from the F-Type. As expected, this variant will get the ‘S’ badging and will have performance capabilities to match models like BMW’s 335i or the Audi S4.

Common to all XE variants will be a revised version of the ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, while diesels models will be also be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox as an option. More details of the XE range powertrains will be revealed at its first official public outing at the Paris motor show this month.

OCT 2014 | www.automan.me | 17

T

and Fiat 500X. There’ll be a host of next-generation reveals, too.

Volvo’s latest XC90, Jaguar’s new XE sedan, the Gen II Audi R8 and the new Mazda MX-5 are some of the key entries.

We take a look at some of the automotive teasers from last month that were trickled in to build up the usual hype.

Citroën

Infiniti

Infiniti released first images of the QX70 S Design limited edition, a bespoke model that will be offered in selected European markets with sales starting immediately after the Paris Motor Show. The premium SUV comes with a

SsangYong Mitsubishi Two years after the premiere of the Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric vehicle at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has chosen the Paris venue to unveil another PHEV model – the Outlander PHEV Concept-S. The concept is a special version of the Outlander PHEV production model and takes “Sporty and Sophisticated” as the theme for its design. This expresses the unique combination of spirited 4x4 performance from its twin-motor PHEV system, soothing and silent running, with superior on-road performance.

Suzuki Suzuki has been busy in its traditional stronghold markets like India where it has just introduced its all-new Ciaz sedan, the carmaker has planned the global premiere of its all-new five door Vitara. The Vitara marks the return of the famous badge first used by Suzuki more than 25 years ago, also on a small SUV. The new Vitara is the production model based on the iV-4 concept; which was first exhibited at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2013. The all-new Vitara will be available with intelligent four wheel drive‎with petrol and diesel engines that offer low CO2 emissions as well as outstanding fuel economy in the sector.

18 | www.automan.me | OCT 2014

The French automaker is on a brand building drive with particular focus on its newly created luxury DS sub brand. The Paris venue will serve as the platform for the car maker to highlight how it plans to take this exercise forward.

However, bits and pieces of information were being fed prior to Paris. Ahead of the public debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show, Citroën unveiled the Divine DS Concept which is a compact 4-door vehicle that was developed and designed at the company’s design

studio in Paris. The Divine DS combines the DS’ trademark exterior styling cues and refinement with a distinctive interior inspired by haute couture. The cabin was developed with a particular focus on customer personalization – referred to as ‘Hyper-typage’. It features three interchangeable interior ambiences, each with its own original and unique style. The car is powered by 270bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged directinjection petrol engine.

more luxury appearance thanks to the dark chrome, used for the radiator grille, fog lights surrounds, side air vents, side sills and rear number plate surrounds. The S Design also features a set of matching black 21in alloy wheels and smoked headlamps.

SsangYong has announced it will unveil two near production ready concepts, the XIV-Air and XIVAdventure. Both concepts are based on the brand’s development philosophy of‘Robust, Specialty and Premium’ and design theme of ‘Nature born – 3 Motion’. The XIV (eXciting user-Interface Vehicle) is a B-segment SUV series that has been already shown at previous international motor shows over the past four years, the first time beginning at the IAA Frankfurt in 2011. XIV-Air and XIV-Adventure are powered by either a 1.6-litre gasoline or diesel engine that meet Euro 6 emission standards.

For 2014, a number of highly anticipated all-new production models are expected to debut, including the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT, Jaguar XE and Fiat 500X. There will be a host of nextgeneration reveals, too. Volvo’s latest XC90, Jaguar’s new XE sedan, the Gen II Audi R8 and the new Mazda MX-5 are some of the key entries

Lamborghini

Italian supercar brand Lamborghini has also been teasing a sleek car for Paris.

A glimpse at the white-on-black line drawing that accompanied the teaser suggested a fastback which could also be a 2+2. Speculation is ripe that the brand is looking at the four-door segment too.

Whatever, the picture will be clearer at the show on Day One.

Peugeot Peugeot will unveil a restyled, European version of the Exalt Concept which was first introduced at the Beijing Show in April. The restyled Exalt Concept maintains the distinctive body finish of the original Exalt which was a combination of bare metal and a shark skin-inspired texture. The tailgate now features a new pantograph openinh mechanism, which allows maximum opening while needing less space externally.

It provides easy access to the HYbrid-

kick, an electric scooter stowed below the boot floor. The Exalt proportions are defined by a low stance, with wide tracks and powerfully rounded wheel arches. The surface treatment combines flat surfaces and straight-cut lines to balance aggressiveness and softness. The powertrain is the same of the original Exalt Concept – a plug-in system combining a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine and an electric drive system, with seven driving modes and a total output of 340hp.

Meanwhile, Peugeot has also revealed some details of the Quartz Concept crossover SUV. For the brand, this concept is intended to test water with a new vision for the crossover segment at the 2014 Paris Motor Show. This next generation SUV blends dazzling design with innovative materials.

Like the Exalt Concept, the Quartz uses a plug-in hybrid drive train comprising a 1.6-litre petrol engine supplemented by two electric motors.

Toyota

Toyota will be among the many automakers with new wares to show. And ahead of its official debut, Toyota has been teasing a new concept SUV called the C-HR. This would be Toyota’s first foray in the ultra-compact SUV segment with a boldly coupe styled concept which also represents a significant change in design direction for the brand.

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Spotlight

As expected, global automakers have been busy teasing audiences with forthcoming production models and concepts prior to this month’s elite motorshow. Automan looks at some of the cars that are expected to grab headlines in the French capital

he year 2014 actually started off slow for the motoring industry and a flurry of activity in the third quarter seems to offset the lack of pace. For the 2014 edition of Paris Motor Show, a number of highly anticipated all-new production models are expected to debut, including the Mercedes AMG GT, Jaguar XE

news

Curtain raiser 2014 Paris Mondial

Jaguar D-type – A staggering 20 D-types will be racing in the Lavant Cup, with a record 33 examples parading on the Goodwood circuit to celebrate 60 years of this iconic Jaguar race-winning car.

Spotlight news

evival R d o o w d o o G The m 12-14 o r f e c la p k o o t pected x e s a d n a , r e Septemb -watering h t u o m a s a w there ars from c ic n o ic f o n selectio nd 60s. a s 0 5 , s 0 4 9 1 the Top 10 s it s k ic p n a Autom the many m o r f s e it r u o fav ry cars a d n e g le d n a rare and in y la p is d n o e r that we track. action on the

An ultra-rare 1953 Cunningham C4R will bring some American glamour and excitement to this year’s Freddie March Memorial Trophy race.

Maserati 250 F – The rare sight of 11 racing 250 Fs in the Richmond Trophy is set to stir the soul of any enthusiast, with a total of 16 examples parading to mark the first 100 years since the revered Maserati marque was founded.

The trend-setting Ford Mustang celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and to capture the event, 18 examples will battle in a special Shelby Cup race, racing wheel-towheel with contemporary American muscle.

Sir Jackie Stewart’s 1969 F1 Championship-winning MatraCosworth MS80 will form part of a tribute to this versatile and talent Caledonian World Champion, along side Ford Escorts, BRMs and Grand Prix Tyrrells.

‘The Versatile V8’ will be the theme for this year’s Earls Court Concours display, including around 25 exceptional V8-powered passenger cars, including this pioneering rearengined 1946 Tatra T87.

The Manx Norton is THE iconic British racing motorcycle. An example contested the Isle of Man TT from 1907 right through to the 1970s. A total of six will take part in the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy, named after Britain’s late two-time 500cc world champion. Included among them is an example of the legendary ‘featherbed’ chassis, to be raced by US legend Kevin Schwantz.

Four racing examples of the lusty Ferrari 250 GT SWB/C will be competing in the ‘must see’ two-driver Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration race, along with other desirable and exceedingly valuable cars from Aston Martin, Jaguar, Lotus and others.

The wonderful 1959 Aston Martin DBR1 makes a welcome racing return to Goodwood for the exciting Sussex Trophy race.

Pre-War racing thrills are guaranteed on the Goodwood Trophy, with this thundering 1935 ERA A-Type R4A competing against other ERAs, Bugattis, Aston Martins and other great 1930s racers.

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Sir Jackie Stewart honoured

S

ir Jackie Stewart was honoured as the Goodwood Revival paid tribute to the three- time Formula 1 World Champion. The stature of the motorsport luminaries, such as Sir Stirling Moss and John Surtees, present as 24 cars from Sir Jackie’s career lined up on the grid, was testament to the regard in which he is held. Lord March recalled how his grandfather, Freddie, ninth Duke of Richmond, had pointed out a young Jackie Stewart to him as a future world champion.

Sir Jackie himself led the parade away in Tyrrell 006, the Cosworth Ford-engined car in which he secured his 1973 title. Surtees gave chase in an ex-Team Surtees Lola T70 similar that which Sir Jackie had driven for him in 1965. The variety that followed them indicated the Scot’s versatility and the way in which grand prix drivers of the 1960s and 1970s would compete in more than one race at an international event.

Notable was the Cooper-BMC Formula 3 machine in which Sir Jackie first proved

Le Mans 24-hours Jaguars paraded

T

he Jaguar D-type, a winner of the Le Mans 24-hours three years in a row in the 1950s, was celebrated on Saturday at the Goodwood Revival. Thirty examples of Malcolm Sayer’s memorable design took part in a mouth-watering parade, the largest gathering of such cars in history. Their numbers included the former works car that won at Le Mans in 1955, driven by Mike Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb, and the ex-Ecurie Ecosse victor in 1957, a year in which D-types

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himself during a test session here at Goodwood in 1964. It was driven today by his son Mark. Goodwood was a significant circuit during Stewart’s early career for he was to become joint-lap record holder with his fellow great Scot, Jim Clark in 1965.

Grand Prix winner Mark Weber was among the other drivers, piloting the Matra-Cosworth MS80 in which Sir Jackie had won his first F1 title in 1969. Richard Attwood, Le Mans winner in 1970, was at the wheel of a BRM similar to that with which Sir Jackie took his first F1 win, while

out on track was also the Lola-Ford with which he led the Indy 500 as a ‘rookie’.

Ken Tyrrell, who was so significant in Sir Jackie Stewart’s career, was also remembered as Adam drove the first of his grandfather’s Formula One creations.

Sir Jackie Stewart said: “The Goodwood Revival’ is one of the great events of the year and it’s a great honour to have this kind of celebration put together by Lord March. It was at Goodwood where I first drove a single-seater 50 years ago, and it changed my career.”

took five of the top six places there.

Jaguar’s insatiable test driver, Norman Dewis, now in his nineties, was, in 1954, the first to drive a D-type, the prototype, OVC 501. He showed his continuing enthusiasm by taking part in the parade. The car, still owned by Jaguar, was another of the D-types present today.

Many of the cars that had taken part in the parade then competed in a 25-minute race, held exclusively for D-types and their exotic road going equivalents, the XKSSs. The contest, which included Le Mans winners Derek Bell and Andy Wallace, was won by serial Goodwood victor Gary Pearson in his

1955 ‘long-nose’ version. “One of the most beautiful cars I have driven,” remarked Bell, who was racing a D-type for only the second time.

Arguably, one of the most attractive racers ever built, the aeronautically inspired D-type helped cement Jaguar’s reputation as a leading sportscar manufacturer.

Their iconic status makes them an ideal model to be commemorated at Goodwood, a circuit where they competed in so many battles during the 1950s. They will be back on Sunday to bring back memories of those days for the sell-out crowd.

Extraordinarily PotenTT

Audi’s third generation TT has been revealed to the world’s automotive media at a drive event in Marbella. Does it have what it takes to take itself to the next level?

Author: Raj Warrior | Photographs: Supplied

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T

he Audi TT has been one of the most iconic cars for the brand. Yes, the R8 came in over its head and has now become the halo car for the brand. But it wasn’t always so – well before the RS versions threw up the dust in our eyes in was the role of the TT to communicate the difference of the brand. For you couldn’t mistake it as any other car on the planet.

It admittedly had a bit of the roundness of the reborn Beetle, as it had shades of Toyota’s MR2 in it character. But which other small 2+2 was it like?

Peter Schreyer’s iconic contribution, the one that is best associated with the designer, is on the 8N platform that was spawned by J Mays from the Avus Quattro concept. It was shown to the world as a concept at the Frankfurt show of 1995 and carried the name TT, but launched as a 1998-year car. The connect to a small, quick handling environment is ensconced in its name, paying homage to the Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy). You would have to be a bike rider or a lover of nimble roadsters to understand – and the TT hit that evocative chord immediately. Built on the then Golf platform (the MkIV) it had the provenance of a tight chassis and quick changing manual gearbox. The automatic transmission that joined it later on was no ordinary one – it was the time of the first commercial application of Audi’s quick shifting DSG and the Golf, A3 and TT all got it at roughly the same time.

The second generation grew up in a way. Now using the group’s A5 platform, under designer Walter D’Silva, the Typ 8J exhibited the maturity of Audi’s love affair with aluminium (courtesy the A2 and A8), with liberal use of the white metal to reduce weight. The car was also longer and wider than before.

Now, another 8 years later, it seems almost matter of fact that we get the third generation. So what is it to be? A further growth over generation two? Or do we get a car that better encapsulates the generational changes in powertrains and control systems? Or will we remain floored by the second gen TT-RS as the best mini R8 around?

There is no escaping the allure that the TT holds. Part of it is connected with the shape and profile of the car – so much so that there was a clear design directive to connect back to generation 1 in terms of identity. But take a look at the car and the one name that comes across is the R8 and to some extent the R18 e-tron

Quattro especially in the treatment of the headlights and taillights. But that doesn’t mean that the car hasn’t grown – its wheelbase has now gone up by 37mm to 2505mm (for context remember that the gen 1 wheelbase was 2422mm) and an overall length of 4177mm. The coupé version that’s launched now has an overall height of 1353mm – that makes the car look sleeker than ever before just by sheer proportions. Add in the styling and you couldn’t ask for a more beautiful interpretation of Volkswagen’s new MQB platform. (It’s labelled the Typ 8S).

For starters, the grille has about the most aggressive treatment yet on any Audi.

Strong horizontal lines emphasise breadth while the clever use of signature LED piping and optional LED headlamps make the car instantly identifiable. At the tail, the strong rear light arrangement sits on top of twin pipes that have been brought in much closer (and on the TTS have two sets of two outlets). We almost expected to see the pipes in the centre, but apparently the styling bosses preferred the offset. Anyway, the outlets come from a common plenum just ahead of them.

Interior styling is also more aggressive.

There was reference to two aircraft elements to symbolise some sort of inherent speed – the offset cockpit sits behind a dashboard that Audi engineers think of as wing-like in shape and the airconditioning nozzles look like miniature jet engine nacelles. Actually they are not so small –the larger surface area could be as useful in a larger volume sedan.

But the large circles also hide a good new feature – the central boss on all the louvers now has a small digital readout and toggle switch with rotary knob adjuster for various temperature functions. And the three central units have toggle switches between them for windscreen heater functions. In one fell swoop this frees up a lot of the centre console (especially with the large tunnel rising up to intersect).

To most ends, there is no centre console anymore. The a/c controls are hived off, and all that’s left is a series of piano switches for traction control, hazards and the like. So where is the entertainment and navigation console? Unlike their A3, Audi has eschewed the use of the rise up or fixed tablet format and now have moved all of these functions onto the instrument panel. Some of the control piano switches are still there, bordering OCT 2014 | www.automan.me | 25

the MMI selector. Here too you can get either normal selector or one with the touch interface on top.

But the display acreage has all moved right ahead. Now let’s see, where did we recently see this? Ah yes the Lamborghini Huracan has it. The idea is simple – if you really want a distilled driver’s car the only way is to keep the driver’s attention bang ahead. This is done by using an Nvidia powered hi-res display in place of the IP, with a series of selectable and customisable display variants. By toggling through the list you can get the traditional speedo and tacho pairing with a small multi-info area that shows navigation data or trip computer or even music tracks. Or you can get the two dials small and all the other data in the larger space in between. Optionally, in sports mode or as standard in the TTS you can start off with a single large tach sitting in front of you. The beauty of the system is that 95% of scenarios are taken care off by just scrolling through. If you really want to individualise – you can. Most of the instantly needed controls are on the steering wheel and a bored passenger can still flip through the music choices with

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some degree of visibility of the IP available at the passenger end.

We’ve been calling this a 2+2, but as everyone knows, you’ld only put an adult in the rear if you really didn’t like them. In the third gen you get a smidgen of extra legroom but if you really want someone in there, both the front seats still need to be at a compromise.

But you stop thinking about the seats at the rear when you are sitting in a TTS on the Ascari track. While we drove both variants up and down the village roads around the track, the track itself is TTS territory although we have a doubt that the regular brakes weren’t quite up to hard track use. The driving circuit featured a lopped off section (which had all the tight turns) kept aside for beauty shots and video and we had to come in to the laps on every round, to take instructions and switch settings. One feels that this was a devise to let the brakes cool down.

However, taking the TTS out on the Ascari (even a chopped up one) track can only be beaten by taking the Huracan on the Ascari. At least it seems like that to us, having done both in a few months. Take the chassis setting into sports mode and

you feel the magnetic setting of the car’s suspension tighten up response and yes, like one of their engineers said at the presentation – “the car can drift” – if you switch off the traction control and say pretty please. Even without that you never feel the latent understeer that the previous generation had and the Quattro is now so beautifully forgiving that you can let the car slide, slip and recover in less than a heartbeat.

In the region the TT will come with two 2.0-litre I4 TFSI engines – one for the stock TT and one for the TTS. The TTS engine gives 286bhp and a superb flat torque curve that peaks at 380Nm while the smaller boost of the stock engine delivers 230bhp at a slightly smaller 370Nm of torque. As you can see by the output tuning of the turbos, the character of the cars is spot on.

You have to remember too that at launch the car is only offered as a coupé with a six-speed dual-clutch auto gearbox (manual doesn’t come to the region).

We checked with the chassis experts and confirmed that the main reason for choosing the six-speed was its lower weight. The final car is around 20kgs

Using the Nvidia Tegra powered driver’s display, the TT is able to tune itself to the environment in which the driver finds himself. For instance, when the car is being used as a regular commuter and the navigation has to take precedence, the system allows you to present the map

as the primary element, complete with google satellite overlay powered by your 3G or 4G connection.

For driving on roads that do not require interaction with the map, you can put the display back in the standard mode, where both speed and engine rev are tracked.

At the very top end, as standard in the TTS and with the sport mode chassis setting in the normal TT, you can opt for a tachometer centric display that puts everything else secondary.

However, everything can still be accessed by the flick of a switch!

The main challenge in making the chassis more interesting to drive was to lower the weight while using Audi’s new generation quattro, magnetically controlled damping and the smallest use yet of the MQB platform.

Weight-distribution is surprisingly neutral, while the use of high and ultra-high strength steel on the cage has bettered the twist resistance. As you can see, now the TT uses generous amounts of aluminium.

The longer, wider and sleeker TT has a Cd of only 0.29 that adds to its fuel-efficiency.

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lighter than before despite being bigger in all departments. The manual geared version is all of 50kgs lighter, but again we won’t get that in the region.

Almost all hang on elements are now aluminium, with the use of ultra-high strength steels on the passenger cage.

Now the 3rd generation TT is certainly more than a sum of its improvements. It gets to 200 without a hiccup and you can feel that it still has power left. Throw it around a curve and unless you brake midmanoeuvre it tracks as if on rails. And you get this brilliant combination of technical tour-de-force and bad boy around town attitude with the TTS that makes you want to jump right in. What are we going to get in the TT-RS this time?

The question remains moot till such time that the TT reaches our shores. While we had this fall of 2014 drive, the earliest indications are for a regional launch window that is firmly in the first half of 2015. And while the base price being bandied around at the launch was Euro 35,000, we suspect that the car as specced for the region will be a bit higher than that. In any case, it will be a level costlier than gen 2, but that shouldn’t surprise you.

A new interior and a specialised need see designers think outside the box with tings like air-conditioning controls moving to the louvers, while MMI interface stays where it should. The centre console is almost instrument free.

A cult car, an icon - the first-generation Audi TT designed by J Mays and worked on by Peter Shreyer was launched in the autumn of 1998. It took the sports Coupé segment by storm and sharpened the brand profile.

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The second generation of this successful model was penned by Walter D’silva.

It was even more dynamic than its predecessor- in terms of its design, its drivetrain, and its running gear.

The third generation of the compact sports car is again captivating, with its emotional design and dynamic qualities.

Volkswagen Group chairman Ferdinand Piëch—the Group’s final arbiter of style—insisted on keeping the rear end visually close to those of the previous two generations.

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2014 Nissan X-Trail

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t’s been a trailblazing year for Nissan globally and in the region with the brand in an overdrive mode when it comes to new or refreshed model introductions. The last of the mainstream compact SUVs [we have discounted the lifestyle Juke and Murano as exceptions], the European flavoured X-Trail was overdue for its replacement in the region. The outgoing global X-Trail was successfully sold in Japan, Europe, Canada, Mexico, Malaysia, India, Taiwan, Middle East, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. The main rivals of the new X-Trail in our region are the Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander and Chevrolet Captiva. The latter two only

offer a seven-seater configuration choice.

Actually, from the Salalah product presentation, several things about the model’s USP and positioning were made clear. The incoming X-Trail will serve to replace its successor and also the Qashqai.

The incomingmonocoque-bodied SUV is built on the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s all-new ‘Common Module Platform’ which has allowed significant dimensional changes and addition of extra features like the third row for instance.

The X-Trail in Oman will be offered in two separate variants - 5-seater and 7-seater respectively. The 5-seater comes with 4x2 and 4x4 with only S Grades and the 7-seater comes only in 4x4 that has three grades comprising S, SV and SL. Nissan’s design team was able to take full

advantage of the architecture’s longer wheelbase and broader track and as a result the new X-Trail is 5mm longer than before at 4,640mm, 30mm wider at 1,820mm, 10mm taller at 1710mm and 75mm longer in the wheelbase at 2,705mm. Ultra high strength steel now accounts for 49 per cent of the X-Trail’s body construction, making the structure lighter and stronger than before.

On the styling front, the biggest change is the design and profile. What used to be a SUV with rugged, squared off lines has not only been given a striking road appearance, but also brought in line with other members in the line-up like the redesigned Pathfinder. It also seems to be inspired to some extent by Nissan’s HiCross concept car which was showcased a

On a hot trail The land of frankincense – Salalah, in Oman played host to the regional introduction of Nissan’s 2014 allnew third generation X-Trail SUV. Automan attended the two-day ride and drive event last month Author: Chandan B Mallik Photography: author and supplied

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few years ago at the Geneva Motor Show.

This means that the new X-Trail combines the sleek and stylish lines of a modern crossover with the concrete appeal of a typical SUV and highlighting Nissan’s crossover design language among things is the visual emphasis on the wheel areas, with oversized arches forming the bases of the design. Combined with a dipping roofline, deeply sculpted sheetmetal and rising waistline and typical styling DNA, the car appears stylish and contemporary.

Befitting the exterior changes is the interior. The transformation is genuinely commendable. None of the clumsy design elements or the MPV-like placement of instrumentation is carried forward. It’s a clean sheet design that fast forwards the cabin into the 21st century with contemporary design and features. The dashboard has been designed to be as clear and easy to navigate as possible, with the gently raised centre console housing both the infotainment system and the ventilation controls. The centre console houses the latest NissanConnect system with a seven-inch high-resolution screen and a host of smartphone connectivity features. Other touches include a large between-the-seats storage box big enough to take an iPad or 10in tablet and equally impressive is the large powered glass panoramic roof in the higher spec editions. The increase in dimensions has allowed for seven seats [three rows] to be offered for the first time in the X-Trail.

Besides that, there’s more second-row knee room on seats that recline and slide and rear doors that open up at a wide 80˚ for easier loading of a child seat. The second and third rows follow theatre arrangement and will split-fold 40:20:40.

The car also has hidden floor storage and a space-saver spare wheel. ISOFIX hooks are also fitted. Build quality of this car is very impressive by any measure in the book includes premium stitching, soft touch surfaces and quality plastics. Fancy technology like lane departure warning is available, and offered as option on demand. Other optional features include push-engine start, better entertainment system with more speakers, bigger alloy wheels, parking sensors and automatic airconditioning. Depending on trim level the car weighs between 1,340 – 1,400kg.

Depending on markets, the X-Trail gets a choice of petrol and diesel engines.

Middle East will continue with a carryover normally-aspirated 2.5-litre engine.

However, in this edition, the cogged 32 | www.automan.me | OCT 2014

transmission of the outgoing model is abandoned. And like most of Nissan’s models, the new X-Trail migrates to X-tronic CVT transmission. The engine produces 170hp and 237Nm of torque.

As before, MacPherson struts are employed up front while the rear is supported by a multi-link design and the SUV rides on 225/65 R17 tyres. Although it is a crossover with X-tronic constant variable transmission, the X-Trail has also been armed with some teeth. In line with user expectations from the previous generation model, 4x4 versions of the car get Nissan’s advanced electronic fourwheel drive system called ALL MODE 4x4-i. It can be operated by the driver via a rotary switch on the centre console and offers a choice between two-wheel drive, Auto mode or Lock offering permanent four-wheel drive.

In the ‘default’ Auto mode, the system constantly monitors throttle opening, engine speed and torque to anticipate wheel spin and to distribute torque between front and rear axles as needed, at speeds of up to 80 km/h. In addition, the all-new X-Trail benefits from Hill Start Assist. This uses the X-Trail’s ESP system to detect when the vehicle is starting on an incline. Other electronic driver aids includes Active Ride Control which monitors the road surface to detect undulations which could potentially upset the pitch of the car body and alters the damping to compensate.

Standard safety features include driver and passenger airbags, tire pressure monitoring system, ABS brakes, electronic brake distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA).

Driving impressions The drive in Salalah with this car during the extended Khareef season was an eye opener to all those who have never visited this part of the region before. From acres of greenery to lush green hills and water filled wadis, it could have not been a better choice as far as location goes for introducing any car. Once inside the car, driver gets a command view with decent peripheral vision. The route involved highways, twisty mountain roads, coastal roads and gravel off-road tracks. The car’s engine which produces just 170hp seems to cope better on off-road gravel than on asphalt. The reason for this is that CVT transmissions are preferred because they are very efficient in delivering torque in low-mid rev bands. And when you push the engine, with this set-up it would be

In tandem with the exterior design changes, the all-new X-Trail’s interior has undergone a dramatic transformation.

There’s more space, improved ergonomics and a host of new premium features OCT 2014 | www.automan.me | 33

The main rivals of the new X-Trail are the Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander and Chevrolet Captiva. The two only offer a seven-seater

configuration choice. unfair to expect fast paced acceleration like the Patrol or the Z cars. On road handling is good, steering is very light for a SUV and its feedback appears fine. The electric power rack-and-pinion steering system uses software that interacts with the car’s standard new Active Ride Control system that monitors the road ahead for

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Created in Japan, a dramatic new concept from Nissan called the Hi-Cross car had its world premiere at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The compact concept is surprisingly roomy, elegant yet purposeful. The proposal looks at ways Nissan’s envisages its possible expansion of crossovers. It seems, the new X-Trail has taken some cues from this concept.

undulations to counteract body roll and pitch and hence the suspension copes well with what is thrown at it and with approach and departure angles of 24.9˚ and 17.2˚respectively for the AWD version, there are no hassles going off-road and worrying about undercarriage damage.

Once the pace is reached, things are relatively smooth and comfortable.

Compared to the older CVTs that we have experienced, this version softly mimics gear changes which is a welcome measure. Also noted was theActive Engine Brake that mimics a regular torque converter auto in providing engine braking when cornering or decelerating.

Verdict To many of us who are familiar with the outgoing X-Trail, its pick-up inspired styling and packaging virtually convinced people that this was a true 4x4. But, in truth it was just another crossover. In that respect, the incoming model is a fresh breath of air as is not trying to be anything it’s not. In fact, it knows very well where it stands and benefits further on what it’s good at. The new X-Trail arrives in a hotly contested compact SUV segment. When lined up against the competition, the 2014 Nissan X-Trail is roughly OMR1,200 more than the Hyundai Tucson and marginally more than the Ford Escape.

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2015 Hyundai Sonata

Taking the Sonata up a note The 2015 Hyundai Sonata has been tasked with one goal – to beat all its competition in the D-segment. We test the car on the roads of Jordan while discovering a bit of the country’s heritage.

Author: Raj Warrior | Photographs: Supplied 36 | www.automan.me | OCT 2014

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O

ur exploration of the D-segment stalwarts over the past few years has repeatedly brought with it the mention of the two Korean upstarts – the KIA Optima and the Hyundai Sonata.

Quite unlike the similarity that they share on a platform like the Tucson/Sportage in this case the two are not just significantly different, most owners are hard pushed to tell you what’s similar.

Which is a huge advantage for the Hyundai Sonata – especially the LF Sonata that has been released this year. For the path the two cousins are taking seems to be

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diverging, with the former staying part of the volume C and C+ segment while offering a larger footprint, while the Sonata seems to have its eyes fixed firmly above.

To this end, the car explores the virtues of the 2.0 version of Hyundai’s fluidic sculpture without actually doing too much with the underlying platform of the outgoing YF. The most significant change visually is around the grille and the headlights.

Under Peter Schreyer’s combined leadership the new styling has moved

towards a bold hexagonal grille with the two sides serving as the anchor points for the sweep back of the wraparound headlights as well as the well defined shoulder line. If you really tried you would be able to infer the previous elaborate grille, but this one makes no attempt to retain a Sonata look. In essence the grille is the beginning of the new Sonata’s connection with the Genesis. Yes, that’s right, the Azera is also left aside as the new Genesis styling now becomes the coveted standard.

In keeping with the attempt to show itself

as a full-size car, the Sonata’s new lines work overtime to pull the car visually outwards. The profile of the glasshouse stays, as does the treatment of the A-, Band C-pillars, though the resultant effect of the black inserts and chrome is of a coupé like effect. The door handles are now below the swage line, lending the rear more depth and the car a wedge-like nuance. The much-maligned rear of the YF has been cleaned up for the LF, with a very logical wraparound effect for the taillights.

But it’s on the inside that the most drastic change has come about. Now, the benchmark is to try to get the new Genesis DNA in so the move towards a cockpit is further aggravated. Most of the centre panel is slightly asymmetric towards the driver and has a rather pronounced outer edge at the passenger’s point, with far better instrumentation as well as interface. At the top end of the model line, the large *” screen dominates the control panel, with balanced louver treatment around it. The slim multimedia console below it serves to separate the maw from the air-conditioning console. In the

move to slim down the fascia elements, a problem has cropped up in the amount of plastic surround that now meets your eyes. The large box at the meeting point of this and the tunnel is a very good example – in the Genesis you could expect all these visual and touch points to be high gloss wood like laminate. Here in the Sonata it has a faux metal feel plastic.

Even where the wood laminate is used around the outer edges of the dashboard it feels plasticky and could do with an upgrade.

However, the plastics in general have been upgraded. Now every touch point is soft-feel, including the redesigned dashboard shelf. Even the door panels have a luxurious feel as do both the fabric and leatherette seat versions.

The seats have been redesigned too, with the squab and the lumbar regions seemingly more supportive, as well as putting in just enough padding around the thighs.

Depending on the grade of the car, you get a choice of central display screens, from a 3.0” inch monochrome all the

way to an 8” hi-res display. The IP has also been redesigned with large tach and speedo dials and a multi-info display in between.

In terms of safety features, the car gets as many airbags as you are ready to pay for – from the dual standard all the way up to six with curtain protection.

The Sonata comes with a choice of two 4-cylinder petrol engines – both with multiport injection and mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The smaller of the two is the 2.0-litre Nu that delivers 157 PS at 6200rpm and max torque of just under 200Nm with a decent mid-range. The larger engine is the Theta II engine that delivers 178 PS at 6000 rpm with a max torque of 228Nm. This engine is specifically tuned for use in the Middle East region.

In either case, the six-speed automatic is more than sufficient to make the drive interesting although one would expect that the 7-speed dual-clutch unit that is debuting in some regions might eventually make its way into the market here. As it is, the 6-speed is meant to provide for the bulk of needs otherwise.

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With key-free entry and the now omnipresent engine stop/start button the car definitely gives the impression of a sports (or at least sporty) sedan, although we feel that at some stage the LF is going to need one of the new turbo engines to really get to that stage. You miss the paddle shift that could have added some fun to the drive. We drove the 2.4 all through the drive through Jordan’s northern areas out of Amman and came away with some clear impressions of the handling.

The suspension has been tweaked a little – the front now has MacPherson struts with dual-flow Mando gas-charged dampers and a 23mm stabilizer bar, while the rear again uses the mando dual flow dampers with coil springs and a multi-

link suspension layout. The benefit of this arrangement is that we now get a ride selector that can vary the damper response. This is connected with the engine-rpm-sensing motor-driven steering column. You can go from normal to sporty but we would have personally preferred the sports mode to be the standard. It isn’t as if the gearbox response varies at all with the selection of the sportier mode – but the reward is in the more responsive undercarriage as well as the tighter steering feedback. NVH levels are now appreciably lower, corner handling is good, not great and braking has improved too.

But the Sonata is not going to be bought for its sportiness. It has enough to stay true with the pack, but unless a sports

version is made we aren’t going to buy it for that. The reason we will buy the Sonata is that for the price bracket, the Sonata has everything you expect from a family or executive car. Blind spot detection, cruise control, high grade sound system, all the hygiene factors like LED lights, full-featured console and interface; as well as new-fangled add-ons like key sensing tailgates that pop open if you stand in place behind it.

Has the company done enough to keep the car relevant? We think it has. Without re-exploring the basic tried and tested platform, Hyundai have reinvented the Sonata’s positioning as well as offer pack so that it competes with the stalwarts who are all going through a model refresh at the moment.

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The next bold step 2015 Honda Accord

Honda has launched its 2015 model year Accord in the region. What sets it apart from the rest?

Author & Photographs: Raj Warrior

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e’ve had more than one occasion over the past year to dwell on the muddy ground that the D-segment sedan is now traversing. Caught in between the prongs of increasing cost, fuel efficiency demands and a consumer who would rather take a new car-platform based SUV instead, the D-segment car is having to reinvent itself in order to stay relevant.

It isn’t as if the D-segment has started to shrink, at least in terms of models on offer – from the stalwart Accord, Camry, Altima and Maxima to the relatively newer Mazda 6 to the new entrants Sonata, Azera and Optima, Cadenza – Oman’s loving the segment. We haven’t even begun to look at the options from European and American manufacturers with this list, although, the lines between a brand’s perceived nationality and the manufacturing location of the car are blurring.

And why did we say that? Take a look at the Japanese brands and their D-segment

offerings. Only Subaru and Mazda still offer cars made in Japan, while the others prefer the US as a source due to lower costs, dollar zone stability and a free trade agreement that lowers landed costs in Oman. The automatic connection is that Japanese made cars are costlier, despite the Yen having moderated in recent months. Is it any surprise then that Japanese manufacturers prefer feeding global markets from a choice of external locations?

The launch of the ninth generation Accord recently should be seen against that backdrop. It is an evolution that stays well clear of the revolutionary. After all the market it addresses is hardly used to revolutionary moves. This generation stays on the eighth-gen platform, which had grown to push the sedan into a fullsize segment (technically an E-segment car). Most of the styling changes have been brought about on the cheaper plastic parts, with some amount of extra character brought in by restyling the outer

panels. After all there doesn’t seem to be any reason to fiddle with a skeleton that has worked so well. Like all other manufacturers are doing – targeted use of ultra-high strength steel in critical areas has reduced the weight of the body in grey, while offering better NVH and twist (ergo, handling) characteristics.

This focus on shedding weight has also seen the replacement of the front steel sub-frame with a hybrid of aluminium and steel. In the bargain, the Accord has moved away from the traditional use of a double wishbone front suspension to MacPherson struts, although it retains the multi-link arrangement at the rear.

Added to that, the front axle has shifted slightly rearwards with a resulting 2775mm wheelbase without impacting interior cabin space.

The other major change has been in the drivetrain. At the top of the line the Accord continues to get the 3.5-litre V6 powerhouse with six-speed auto gearbox that powered the previous generation.

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But at the lower end, the region gets a new “EarthDreams” 2.4-litre directinjection 4-cylinder engine coupled with new-generation CVT (we believe it’s a Aisin unit). The power output on the 2.4-litre unit has gone up to 173bhp@6,200rpm while the torque has similarly risen in absolute terms to above 220Nm@4,000rpm. While both the power and torque curves are healthier as a result, the new transmission and its control add in, with a proactive boosting of the torque response curve, especially keeping in mind the response required at each notional ‘cog’.

As a result, response is so much healthier.

In normal driving conditions you would be hard-pressed to recognise the CVT. No, there isn’t much of a counter-rev indication, nor is the take-off particularly linear. But somehow, the CVT keeps its nature hidden away until you hit the climbs with the engine revving and the transmission in mid-range. That’s when the belt whine becomes apparent. Instant

takeaway – the CVT is no sports sedan transmission.

The 3.5-litre on the other hand can be called one. Here the six-speed automatic stays and so too do the paddle shifts that make the car so responsive to the driver.

Acceleration is good, while economy is kept by the ECO system that rewards green driving. The NVH levels are excellent in both the cars, with just a bit of road rumble to disturb your concentration.

The interiors have been cleaned up by a complete generation. If you put out the money for the dual-screen (as you should) you get a combination that began on the new City of an almost tablet feel climate control and a large 8” hi-res monitor that couples with the Navigation. In addition, cabin textures have improved, there seems to be better use of soft-touch plastics and inclusion of USB connectors and Bluetooth, as well as an integrated rear-view camera (at higher spec levels, at lower you get parking sensors).

Like Accords before it – this generation

too offers a comfortable rear seat, without too much of a hump and a not so uncomfortable middle saddle, giving us the best of a front-wheel drive front engine layout.

The other evolution that has been introduced is in terms of the car’s sourcing. It is being brought into the market from the Guangju plant in China.

This marks a departure from the previous US plant sourcing, although in most terms the cars are similar. For the local market the plant makes 2.0, 2.4 and 3.0/V6 engines while for export to the region we get the “EarthDreams” 2.4 and a 3.5/V6.

As a product, we have no doubt the Accord will continue to draw fans and customers. You have to just drive it to feel the instant Honda connect. How well the company and the dealers will integrate the ‘China factor’ into it is a question that will need to be answered over time. If they succeed, they will be the first major brand to redefine the region’s perception of a China-made car.

Lanewatch In the Honda Accord, Blind spot warning takes on a new meaning with Lanewatch. It is a system that combines a camera located below the far side rearview mirror with the generous expanse of the 8” centre display to show a view of the blindspot. This activates when the right turn indicator is switched on and shows a view of the road.

Honda tells us that the typical field of view for a passenger-side mirror is approximately 18 to 22 degrees, but the LaneWatch blind spot display field-of-view is about four times greater, or approximately 80 degrees. The system helps the driver to see traffic, as well as pedestrians or objects, in the vehicle’s blind spot. To help make judging distance easier, the display has three reference lines. Drivers should visually confirm roadway conditions prior to changing lanes.

On the navigation-equipped, when LaneWatch is in use and a navigation turn prompt is needed, the image changes to split-screen so that LaneWatch and navigation information can be displayed simultaneously.

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2014 Emgrand X7 SUV

European flair from China

The Emgrand X7 is the first SUV from the multibranded Chinese entity which now also owns Volvo. Automan checks out the stylish sevenseater which has recently made its market debut in the Sultanate of Oman Author: Chandan B Mallik | Photography: Elvis John Ferrao

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hile Geely’s association with Volvo makes headlines around the world, as a Chinese domestic player with global aspirations, Emgrand is one of Geely’s rising brands to watch out in the Middle East in the coming years as its portfolio of cars grows. Geely wants Emgrand to establish its credentials as a credible brand with value for money products [haven’t we heard this tagline before?] and cash-rich Geely is leaving no stone unturned in this initiative when it comes to investing. The Emgrand marque was publicly unveiled at the 2009 Auto Shanghai auto show.

The latest product arrival in the region is the X7 SUV. The car was launched in the domestic market in 2012 as the GX7 and since then the rapid rise of SUV market in China has prompted Geely to upgrade and modernize the X7 for its global 2014 debut.

As a result, the X7 for Middle East is the most up-to-date SUV from the brand.

The compact SUV market in the Middle East is also dynamic and in recent years has seen existing players like Toyota, Honda elevated to the entry luxury end making space for stylish entries from Hyundai and Kia. Other brands like Nissan offer a variety of compact SUVs ranging from rugged and funky lifestyle. As a result, the entry level has been left wide open and this is where Geely’s core target is with its Emgrand X7. For a fledging brand, this is a sensible move and success is guaranteed if the overall package meets the expected market requirements.

So, is there a shock and awe factor when you see the X7 in flesh? From its dimensional perspective with figures like 4,541mm length, 1,833mm width, 1,700mm height on a wheelbase of 2,660mm ensures that it is pleasantly proportioned.

The car is decidedly European-flavoured with clean lines and a passing resemblance with some of the current global SUVs doesn’t go unnoticed. The reason for this is understandable. This is a global model for Emgrand and hence factor in the current segment trends and legislative demands. What’s more, Geely actually teamed its automobile research Institute with Italian automobile design company led by Giorgetto Giugiaro for the X7.

Giugiaro’s signature is evident in the clean lines, overhangs and in particular detailing of the head/tail lamps. Overall, the design is trendy, a bit understated and pleasing to the eye and our only niggle relates to the oversized pick-up inspired door mirrors.

We understand, they are for better rear view, in particular when it comes to blind spot management as the C-pillar is quite wide. Build quality, narrow panel gaps are a surprise for a car that retails for OMR5,490 onwards.

The cabin of the car has been well attended to. Passengers sit high and get a command view and the cabin space appears good when it comes to head and legroom for first and second row occupants. Panoramic sunroof also contributes in the upmarket feel in the higher trim models. Third row is strictly for small children. Seats are nicely designed well padded and offer decent lateral support. Front seats offer manual or power adjustments depending on trim chosen. Dashboard design is clean and most operative controls are clearly defined and easy to use. Multifunction steering isn’t cluttered or overloaded with switches. Key instrumentation is analogue and information is conveyed via digital screens. Convenient features for driver include Bluetooth connectivity and touch screen GPS navigation. General convenience features are there, but some are clearly missing at the rear. That is offset with cargo space flexibility in form of flat fold rear seats and a good load bay height.

We are definitely impressed with the investment Geely has made so far in this car and we are also not surprised that Geely took a lot of advice from Volvo during the build of this car. Following Volvo’s suggestions, the crossover uses unibody design and Geely optimized 51 items related to NVH technologies, including soundproof glass, chassis subframe mounts for front and rear suspension isolation, padding material among others. Chassis tuning was done

by Holland-based PDE, a specialist with a portfolio of European clients like BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

And depending on market will accommodate four cylinder engines ranging from 1.8-, 2.0- and 2.4-litre in displacement. In Oman, the latter two setups are available. Our test car in Baroque Golden came with the 162PS at 5,700rpm and 220Nm toque at 4,000-4,200rpm 2.4-litre engine mated to an Oz-sourced DSI 6-speed automatic transmission. The engine uses continuous variable valve timing [CVVT] and multi point fuel injection [MPI], while , DSI uses independent clutch control, closed-loop control rule of shift pressure and engine torque control to configure planetary gear transmission system. In theory, it sounds good.

Safety kit is quite impressive given the price point. Geely claims that the X7 is designed in accordance with the 5-star standards of E-NCAP and 5+ standards of C-NCAP. The model has “6+1” air bags configuration. Besides these, it also gets an advanced version of Bosch ABS with EBD system.

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Driving impressions The first thing that strikes in this car on the move that it is very quiet. In mainstream sedan cars, the Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion are regarded as quietest with decibel levels inside the cabin at around 78-79dB at 100km/h. The X7 clearly beats these sedans with its 63.7dB at 100km/h performance. Road handling is decent and so is the steering response to driver inputs. While, it’s not super quick as in a sports car, it’s no slouch either and hence is quite appropriate for the class of vehicle it represents.

We used the X7 as a pace car during Automan’s world exclusive Aston Martin Lagonda photo shoot in the Sultanate.

While the X7 coped well with the Lagonda, its acceleration is no match for the luxury limousine in straights. While the

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gearing appears to hold well, the initial acceleration and torque delivery is quite slow and it takes a while to build up highway speeds. Overtaking manoeuevres have to be planned in advance and here’s where the Tiptronic function comes handy for that extra punch. However, when pushed hard, the engine can be noisy.

We took the car off-road, on loose gravel.

Here it performed better as in such trails you don’t need to go ballistic. Suspension feedback is good as it absorbs most surface imperfections and body roll is minimum and quickly contained in fast corners. While the X7 chassis attempts to offer a decent balance between sport and comfort, it would have been nicer if the same could be said for the powertrain performance.

Verdict This car’s USP is its overall packaging and kit more than outright performance. It is well suited for punters who want to move up from sedans or hatchbacks to a lifestyle-oriented compact SUV, but are also looking at budget pricing. This is where the value for money proposition comes in. It’s a decent buy for the price point.

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2014 Volkswagen Beetle

Beetle mania!

A car like the Volkswagen Beetle can engage aficionados in a hot debate about its 76-year-old heritage vs modern application of technology. Automan checks out the all-new arrival in UAE and attempts to clear the air Author: Chandan B Mallik | Photography: author and Nabeel Ferzan

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n the past couple of years, we note several iconic models have staged a comeback after a gap of several years and in some cases several decades.

Volkswagen’s original love bug, the air-cooled rear-engined Boxer engined Beetle was launched as the people’s car in Germany in 1938 and had a really long production run. The Type 1 was produced in Germany and was voted as the world’s most influential car of the 20th century, the Type 1 came fourth, after the Ford Model T, the Mini, and the Citroën DS. The final original Type 1 VW Beetle rolled off the production line at Puebla, Mexico, on 30 July 2003 paving the way for a new contemporary successor. The first new Beetle arrived in 1998. The car received its fair share of bouquets and brickbats.

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original, Volkswagen did put a premium on reliability on the successor. Over the years, it would prove that like the original Beetle would seemingly run forever-if you didn’t mind getting your hands dirty fixing it. Today’s buyers expect a bulletproof and ultra reliable car with performance and fun in mind. Among the key weaknesses of the Gen I new Beetle was that it didn’t exactly qualify as pocket rocket status, but it’s no slouch, either, kind of appealing to the middle order brigade.

With Gen II of the model, VW has attempted to do away with the key weaknesses. While keeping the profile more or less similar, it has focused on a lot of detailing without disturbing its minimalistic design identity. Hence, you see a car with daytime LED lights, a wider lower valance and a happy face.

On the engineering side, there are several interesting upgrades. The new arrival is 7.3in longer, 0.5 in lower, and 3.3in wider

than the last one made. The incoming Beetle uses VW’s PQ35 front-drive platform that is shared with the Gen VI Golf and this platform has allowed gain in length which in turn has allowed the roof to be extended further, shifting of the front windscreen and giving the car a new focal point -- the C-pillar. The car also benefits from wider track and longer wheelbase.

Besides the benefits from the platform flexibility, major upgrades under the bonnet include the replacement of the 4-speed automatic transmission to a faster reacting six-speed dual-clutch automatic. The car is slippery too with a drag coefficient of Cd 0.37, which is surprisingly good for a car bearing this kind of profile. The engine for the region is a turbo-charged 2.0-litre four-cylinder that produces 210hp and 217lbs-ft of torque.

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spacious now as interior volume has grown by five per cent from 81 to 85 cubic feet. Since the roof is longer, there’s a bit more rear headroom. In the front, occupants gains 1.9in in legroom and 2.5in in shoulder room. The boot is also big with 15.4c-ft space and with the rear seat folded it expands to nearly 30cf-ft. The bucket seats are clean, simple, and comfortable, with excellent bolstering. Rest of the seats and trim are neat keeping in mind the simplistic theme. Driver gets usual analogue instrumentation and some extra gauges on the top of the dashboard.

Central console kit it typical VW. Safety features on all VW Beetles includes ABS, Electronic Stability Control, frontal airbags and airbag curtains Driving impressions After spending a couple of days with the car, we do admit it’s more fun to drive than its predecessor. The automatic transmission works well enough and helps the car give a livelier on-road performance which contrasts the older car’s little low-end acceleration which seemed to demand a big push on pedal-to-the-metal standing starts! The turbocharged car is more engaging and fun to play with and often reminds you of what a GTI is. On the chassis front, the performance is

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as expected from the subframes front and rear which support the suspension comprising of a sophisticated multi-link rear suspension, for the higher threshold of cornering that is expected of it.

Surprisingly, drivers experience a tight, linear, responsive steering with a solid, on-centre feel and a smooth, sporty ride replaces that loose feeling we remember in the previous Beetle. Its four-wheel independent suspension provides a supple ride and handling that suggests it has moved several notches up.

Verdict Well, let’s spill the beans. On the performance level, this car is a GTI clone and if you are a follower of tradition and heritage, then this Gen II new VW Beetle isn’t your cup of tea. The flip side is that it is a genuine and modern interpretation of an iconic model which has been re-engineered to offer the best of both worlds – performance and image. Considering how several carmakers are ruining heritage inspired models, we can empathise to some extent with Volkswagen’s love affair with this illustrious icon. The car is on sale in Oman and prices start at OMR11,750 for S, OMR12,750 for SE and OMR 13,900 for SEL trim.

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2015 Infiniti Q50

Nissan’s luxury brand Infiniti has reaffirmed its commitment to the region with the Q50 sedan.

Automan checks out the car in the Sultanate Author: Chandan B Mallik | Photography: Elvis John Ferrao 54 | www.automan.me | OCT 2014

uilding a premium car brand in any brand conscious market like the Middle East is a serious challenge for any committed player, but slowly and steadily it seems the Infiniti is certainly up to it. At the brand’s global level Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has appointed BMW Group executive Roland Krueger to lead the brand after Johan de Nysschen left in July this year to join GM’s luxury brand Cadillac. Clearly, Infiniti is a brand on the move with high level of aspirations, when you consider its business association with Damler.

Given the fact in the not so recent past, Infiniti’s sedan line-up was represented by ‘G’ or ‘M’ badged models till Nysschen decided to change the nomenclature of the entire line-up for better clarity and marketing.

So what’s exactly the Q50 and when did it arrive? The all-new 2014 Infiniti Q50 is a rear-wheel-drive compact luxury four-door sedan that replaces the G37 sedan. Infiniti introduced the Q50 sedan in several markets as its pitch against the top-selling premium models like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Lexus IS and Cadillac CTS. The incoming model builds on the former G’s strong points like ample power, responsive handling and in its new avatar it comes with more upmarket features helping it therefore access more directly the German premium territory with renewed confidences.

The pleasantly proportioned Q50 sports styling cues, thanks in part to the brand’s former ‘M’ sedans. This means that the Q50 gets many of the established design DNA cues from its predecessor. Interestingly, the Q50technically sits in the compact luxury segment, but is actually larger than most of its rivals.

Interestingly, the car uses the same 112.2in wheelbase as the outgoing G37 sedan which allows it to be within a few inches of the vehicle it replaces in every dimension.

The car’s overall length has grown by five inches to 188.3in and this aspect makes it about six inches longer than the BMW 3 Series and about five inches longer than the Lexus IS. However, it falls short of the larger BMW 5 Series by only about 3 inches.

On the styling front, it can be compared with its predecessor as it has evolved its styling with subtle changes. As a result, the front end is redesigned with a wider front grill opening that’s more upright, the grill comes in black mesh design instead of the G’s horizontal metal lines. Meanwhile, the headlamp clusters are sleeker and angular and foglamps are redesigned with LED lighting systems.

As far as the Q50s sheet metal goes, the character lines on the sides are more fluid and flowing. The bonnet is now longer and sleeker and unlike the G sedan, which had a character line flowing through the door handles, the Q50’s crease line is now

Direct Adaptive Steering uses a camera located above the rearview mirror to read the road ahead and make small steering adjustments to compensate for road imperfections, weather conditions or unintended lane drift marking another step towards the advent of autonomous vehicle technology. higher, flowing from behind the point of the wraparound headlamps running above the door handles right beneath the side windows and then softly rises towards the rear. The rear window has also been redesigned and it seems somewhere BMW’s famous signature Hofmeister kink has found favour in the C-pillar design. Overall, the car looks better in flesh. And the rear is rounded with a pronounced three-dimensional detailing treatment including the lamps and trims. Overall, the car’s new shape isn’t just for the looks only. It is incredibly aerodynamic with a coefficient of drag of just Cd 0.26, and zero aerodynamic lift in the front or rear. We also note that both Aand B pillars are thinner than found on the G sedan. This arrangement also helps shed some weight and also improves entry and exit as well.

Befitting the intensive exterior work out, the cabin is also well done. Considering that feature packs are dictating how interiors are to be designed [they are getting complicated each day], we particularly liked the simple and elegant design which is definitely cleaner than a BMW 3 Series interior and feels more inviting than the Audi A4’s Bauhaus-style cabin. The centre of attraction of the dual-cowl styling which is inspired by its predecessor is the Infiniti InTouch infotainment system uses two large screens in the central console. One screen displays the map, and another that controls audio, navigation, phone, apps and vehicle settings. We like this setup as allows users to access other information while still being able to see where they are on the road. The

interface is a combination of touchscreen, hard buttons, and a round control knob on the centre console. Unlike Ford or Cadillac’s often criticized haptic systems, it seems Infiniti’s redundancy approach aims to pacify both screen-touchers and button-pushers, and for the most part is easy to use and fully customizable. Driver can control all aspects of the HVAC and infotainment systems as well as vehicle settings from here.

Driver gets easy to read analogue instruments, with white text on a black background dials accented with rings of violet-blue. Between thespeedometer and tachometer is a display screen that can switch between fuel economy, audio, navigation and vehicle information. Most of the functions, plus phone, voice recognition and cruise control, can be accessed by the variety of buttons on the multifunction steering wheel. As a premium car, the audio bragging rights come as courtesy from BOSE. The 14-speaker BOSE stereo system in the test car sounded concert like, thanks to bespoke speaker placements that includes three woofers. The interior makes extensive use of genuine leather and aluminium and Infiniti also offers real maple wood as an option.

Even as a compact the car offers reasonable amount of head and leg room for front-seat passengers, while tall passengers would be well accommodated in the rear seats too. Some shortfalls in design are the wide transmission tunnel, hard plastic front seat backs and no rear door storage. All seats are soft and cosseting, providing decent comfort on long trips. The Q50 is practical, too, with rear air-vents, split-folding seats and a generous 500-litre trunk.

On the tech front, the Q50 offers numerous cameras, including a 360-degree-style around view screen, intelligent cruise control, forward collision warning, forward emergency braking and back-up collision intervention. The test car supplied came with steer-by-wire Direct Adaptive Steering that electrically transmits driver inputs to the wheels. A backup mechanical system is included in case of any glitches. The system is able to react more quickly than is possible with a normal mechanical system, and it also allows the driver to tailor steering effort and speed to suit individual styles.

The car’s powertrain is an interesting deal.

The Q50 is among the early beneficiaries of the brand’s partnership with Daimler. The entry level model gets a Stuttgart-sourced 2.0-litre turbocharged engine producing 206hp at 5,500rpm and 356Nm of torque between 1,250-3,500rpm [close to that of the new C250] which is mated to a sevenspeed automatic which is programmed to offer smooth and well-timed shifts and an ample spread of ratios to the rear wheels. Underneath, the Q50’s multi-link independent suspension is again largely OCT 2014 | www.automan.me | 55

shared with the G37, although revised tuning set-up promises quicker and sharper responses.

As with any modern luxury car, the Q50 also comes with all the latest safety technology and kit which comes as standard are dual front, front-side and full-length side curtain airbags in addition to traction, stability control systems [VDC] and other aids like ABS, EBD and hill start assist.

Driving impressions The newly sourced turbo-charged fourcylinder is at the heart of the matter. It should turn out to be anyone’s delight who love performance from small packages and it will also convince critics where concerned with refinement issues associated with small displacement performance fourcylinders. The turbocharged engine is eager, shows no lag during throttle push and is enables the Q50 to do the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.2secs. The four-cylinder forced fed engine brings a flexible power delivery and relaxed ambience in everyday driving. Push harder and there’s also plenty of mid-range punch for effortless highway cruising and straightforward overtaking manoeuvres.

The idea of letting most of the torque to come from 1,250-3,500rpm range is the key to this car’s refined on-road performance which is also complemented by a superb suspension set-up. The exhaust also sounds pretty good and torque delivery in this car is exemplary. Meanwhile, the car’s steerby-wire direct adaptive steering brings in a never before experience dimension, especially in a compact sedan. The steering feel can be best described as balanced with perfect weighing and response similar to that of a hot hatch. It is truly entertaining and we can safely assume rivals will be watching this development keenly. During our time with the car, we could feel how DAS effectively mitigated unwanted kickback from mid-corner undulations and also automatically adjusts to heavy crosswinds and mild road cambering. The Q50 exhibited a reassuring grip and road-holding through corners through its 225/55 R17 Bridgestone Potenza tyres. Braking duties were served by the large ventilated disc setup front and rear with no fading issues.

Verdict With its subtle exterior, solid interior amenities and efficient yet powerful drivetrain, the entry level 2.0-litre 2014 Infiniti Q50 takes on the competition with a stronger arsenal of amenities and a more focused sense of purpose on the road. And this is encouraging news for a punter who has narrowed down their luxury sports sedan search down to the usual suspects.

We suggest they should open their minds a bit more and check out the car because they are bound to be pleasantly surprised with the whole package including its price at OMR18,500.

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2014 Chrysler 300C

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The Chrysler 300 was redesigned for 2011 and it offers significantly improved ride and handling. Automan checks out the prefacelift model in Oman Photography:

Elvis John Ferrao

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t’s no secret that in the past couple of years, North American car brands like Chrysler have been focusing efforts to produce a true American luxury car that offers generous room, comfort, power and presence in one package.

Take the Chrysler 300 for instance. It was introduced in 2011 and succeeded a model that was commercially very successful domestically as well as in select markets like the Middle East. It came across as a big rear-wheel drive sedan with potent V6 and V8 engines. The 300 also was so good that it befittingly also served as the brand’s flagship. The popularity of the 300 models can be gauged from the fact that it was the most awarded and the most customized Chrysler model ever. It was also the first modern Chrysler to adapt oversize wheels and tyres, custom grilles, and other aftermarket custom touches.

Then came the time for its replacement and it happened during a period of global economic uncertainty. Times were uncertain for Chrysler too, as it was that three-and-a-half-year period during which ownership changed three times, from Cerberus to the federal government, through bankruptcy and then to Fiat’s control.

Given those conditions, it’s short of a miracle that the replacement for the 300 came out as well as it did. The 2014 300C test vehicle for this report is a pre-facelift one, which means it came with most of the kit that the 2011 launch mode l had. It’s beyond doubt, even three year old, the 300 still looks sleek. The timeless design is complemented by a new windscreen design which has been pushed back three inches and helps the car achieve a drag coefficient of only Cd 0.32. With its new grille design it looks bolder and classier. Chrysler claims that all body and underbody panels have been changed from the ground up which is evident from the smoother, rounder front end, new headlamps, a new character line and aluminium bonnet, new bumpers, larger

windows with bright trim around them.

The mudguards are heavily sculpted a there’s a completely new treatment at the rear with new Chrysler winged badges, and newly designed LED lamps front and rear.

Our tester 300C featured a 5.7-litre Hemi V8 engine mated to 5-speed automatic [current models have been upgraded to 8-speed automatic transmission].

Meanwhile, under the skin where it really matters for a performance, nearly everything has been changed, stiffened, reinforced, or otherwise made stronger so that the four corner suspension systems can operate independently and accurately and provide a much better ride, quicker steering, and more responsive handling.

Driving impressions The Hemi 5.7-litre V8 powered car is aimed to please even the harshest of critic.

Bearing in mind in that in global markets the Chrysler 300 has to compete with the Cadillac CTS, Lincoln MKS, Lexus GS and Infiniti M models, so it’s not surprising that the Lexus LS 460, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5 Series, and Hyundai Genesis were aspirational targets during its redevelopment.

Besides oodles of torque and tyre smoking capabilities, as a daily driver the ride delivered by the new suspension system is smooth, comfortable and quiet. The cabin itself has been quieted down considerably with the addition of an acoustic bellypan under the car, acoustic material in the wheel wells and pillars, and an acoustic wrap around the complete interior to block out noise from the mechanical systems, the wind and the tyres and all these result in a luxury cosseted feel too. The anti-lock brake package with electronic brake-force distribution has everything you could ask for in terms of power, pedal modulation, and emergency capabilities, and is the largest component of a very complete safety package that includes traction control, stability control, and front, side, roof and driver knee air bags.

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2015 Jaguar XE

Dressed to impress Built specifically for the global markets, the all-new 2015 Jaguar XE sedan is not just the brand’s smallest and most affordable entry level model till date, but on the aspirational level, it also has an eye in the segment which German premium brands are currently enjoying Author: Chandan B Mallik

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ill now, the German-led trio, comprising of the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 have been enjoying pretty good sales particularly in markets like the UK, Europe and US as no befitting rival from a British brand was existing to take on their dominance. But that monopoly is soon to be short-lived as India’s Tata Motorsowned, UK-based buoyant Jaguar has big plans to topple the applecart with its all-new 2015 XE sedan. An elaborate global premiere of this car took place in London last month reflecting this confidence.

The new Jaguar baby has been meticulously planned and detailed.

It factors in most demands of the

The XE’s release date will be after its debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show in October, with the first deliveries in May 2015 market including entry level pricing considerations, cutting edge technology applications, environment aspects, powertrain efficiencies and even cost of ownership. Even a brand new multimillion pound engine plant in UK has been dedicated to the project. Quite obviously, Jaguar is taking the assignment pretty seriously and will leave no stone unturned when it comes to achieving its business objectives.

Prior to the official London reveal, Jaguar executives turned much of its attention to the XE S, a model which is expected to take on the BMW 335i and Mercedes C400 besides sharing some details of the new entry-level diesel and petrol, four-cylinder engines that will help the new XE take on the likes of the Mercedes C250 and the BMW 320i in particular.

This new car is slightly longer and wider than a BMW 3 Series, but a fraction lower and is the first new model that benefits from the company’s all-new scalable aluminium architecture [also previewed with the C-X17 Concept SUV] which suggests that besides rear-wheel-drive architecture, AWD models could also be made in future. The design of the car is standalone but it remains connected to other models in the line-up. “Our design brief was to create an exciting and dynamic design clearly reflecting the XE’s positioning as a serious driver’s car,” says design director Ian Callum. Callum’s team, it seems deliberately used some of the Jaguar F-type sports car’s styling touches 62 | www.automan.me | OCT 2014

on the car to give it a sporty look. These include the taut, sculpted bonnet and the lines of the rear corners. Meanwhile, the LED running light design, called J-blade, is also a look adapted from across the Jaguar range and looks very much in place.

We saw the car in flesh and it appears very well proportioned and dynamically balanced.

A brief glance at the interior suggests influences from the F-Type -- the design of the dashboard gauges in particular as well as some of detailing in the cockpit. The wraparound feel is very much evident all around. Among prominent features will be the hi-resolution heads-up display.

The most efficient Jaguar XE for the European markets will be powered by a new 161bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine with 280lb ft of torque. It will deliver average economy of 75mpg and emissions of just 99g/km of CO2 [which will also help save taxes]. The diesels will all be available with the choice of six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic gearboxes, while two 2.0-litre petrol powered models will be available with the automatic gearbox only.

Jaguar will reveal more details of the specific power outputs and performance figures at Paris. The Middle East markets will also get the top-of-the-line XE S powered by a 340hp supercharged V6 with eight-speed transmission from the F-Type.

The XE, Jaguar says, is the lightest, stiffest and most aerodynamic Jaguar ever built as a result of this platform technology application. The success of the F-Type’s chassis has also helped engineers to benchmark suspension hardware and its specific characteristics and will be sold as two distinct systems – a standard and Bilstien-powered active set-up. As a result, the XE uses suspension technology which is more commonly associated with bigger, more expensive cars and at Cd 0.26, the XE is as slippery as the BMW. And depending on trim level, the Jaguar XE

will be available in a standard, R-Sport and S trim variants, and wheel sizes will vary from 17-20in.

Peter Virk, one of the subject expects at Jaguar said that the XE will get a new generation infotainment system [Jaguar has traditionally lagged behind rivals], a definitive plus. Key to the operation is a centrally placed 8in touch-screen with voice control function capability. The InControl system is designed to integrate with a driver’s smartphone, both to control the car functions and manage their day while on the road. InControl Remote allows Apple and Android smartphones to remotely control a range of vehicle functions, including pre-setting of the XE’s climate control system, securing the car or even starting the engine. Virk also said that from inside the car, the InControl Apps setup allows users control smartphone services without touching the handset, using the vehicle’s touch-screen.

The XE also has a Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing devices to connect to the internet using the car’s antenna, rather than its own data connection.

Other significant technology first applications in the XE include an All Surface Progress Control system, which works as a low-speed cruise control function in slippery conditions. It has been developed with assistance from sister company Land Rover, with the aim of giving the rear-wheel-drive XE better traction when pulling away on low-grip surfaces up to speeds of 29km/h. By controlling the throttle and brake controls without the driver having to make inputs, it delivers the ideal power through each wheel without letting them slip or slide.

The XE also has stereo sensors as standard, which scan the road ahead and which can trigger the brakes if the potential for an impact is detected. This auto-brake system can act to either reduce an impact speed or bring the XE to a standstill, depending on the time it has to react. The sensors also control the XE’s lane departure warning and traffic sign recognition technology. Other standard equipment includes adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, semiautomated parallel and bay parking and traffic detection when reversing.

Cost of ownership has also been factored during design stage itself. Jaguar experts at the technical presentation claimed that the engine layout has been engineered to ensure key parts are easily accessible, bringing down the cost of servicing and helping to reduce the XE’s insurance rating, an important consideration for European buyers. The diesel service interval is 21,000 miles now for this car.

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2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport

uar g a J r th fo n ver o o m R y d y bus to the Lan l e m e extr ello h n ber a y m a n e s e m e o ime t est family has b t r o e s b l a m ew n e Septe er and it’s h t lik rt, o v B Mal p o n a S R d n very r: Cha Land Autho Disco

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and Rover has been teasing us for a while and along with details of some other products in the group released the first details of the new Discovery Sport a few weeks before the Paris Show this month. It represents the brand’s premium compact SUV that is also the first member of the new Discovery vehicle family. Designed and engineered at the Land Rover Development Centre in the UK, the Discovery Sport will be produced at the Halewood, Liverpool manufacturing facility.

Two elements will describe this new vehicle. One is its new design and ultra efficient packaging. By packaging here we are referring to a compact SUV with seven-passenger seating in a “5+2” configuration. The car looks fresh and it shares a lot of visual similarities with both the Range Rover Sport and the Range Rover Evoque which is particularly evident from the B-pillar onwards it appears like a slightly bigger brother of the four-door Evoque. And then you have the rounded nose, a familiar grille design and a stance

with more than a passing resemblance to the Range Rover Sport. Short overhangs and improvements in the approach and departure angles suggest the SUV will better off-road ability.

The car gets a 2,741mm wheelbase for ride smoothness and generous middle row legroom and overall all it will be 4,590mm long. The cabin will benefit from most of the bells and whistles that the brand provides in its other models and features like elevated “stadium seating” for the middle row means that

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second-row passengers will sit 50mm higher than front-seat occupants. The versatile second row seat, in addition to its 60:40 split seatbacks, includes a recline feature and can slide rearward by up to 6.3in. Advanced connectivity will also be offered. An all-new infotainment system for the Discovery Sport integrates voice-controlled satellite-navigation, WiFi hotspot connectivity and an all-terrain mode. Buyers can opt for the Land Rover InControl™ technology, including InControl Apps that bring the convenience and original look and feel of smartphone apps to the vehicle’s 8in touchscreen.

Driver gets electric power-assisted variable-ratio steering system which has been tuned for excellent driver feedback on the road, and the steering rack is solidly mounted to the front subframe to enhance precision driving. Meanwhile, in 66 | www.automan.me | OCT 2014

The Land Rover Discovery Sport sports an all-new design that is very similar to the Discovery Vision Concept that bowed earlier this year and the new model will be loaded to the gills with new technology when it arrives its construction, the SUV’s body shell uses a combination of high-strength steel, ultra high-strength boron steel and lightweight aluminium. Hot-stamped boron steel is used in key parts of the crash safety cell,

including the A- and B-pillars, enabling them to have a slim design for excellent visibility. The bonnet, front mudguards, roof and tailgate are made of aluminium.

The car will be powered by the Evoque’s turbocharged four-cylinder 2.0-litre engine mated to a ZF 9HP48 nine-speed automatic transmission. Haldex All-Wheel Drive will come as standard. Producing 240hp at 5,500rpm and 250 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,750rpm, the lightweight all-alloy engine will offer excellent performance and flexibility. Specially treated piston rings and tappets minimize friction for optimal efficiency, and a sheetmetal exhaust manifold helps to warm up the engine quickly to reduce emissions during short drives. Land Rover’s Terrain Response system will help maximizes the capability of the Discovery Sport in different driving conditions.

Following on from the Coupe as the second member of the new BMW 2-Series range, the well proportioned Active Tourer oozes sportiness and confidence from every angle.

2015 BMW 2-Series Active Tourer

boxy, tall boy appearance, with a drag coefficient of Cd 0.26, the new car also demonstrates excellent aerodynamic qualities.

Suspension package includes a multilink rear axle, and a lowered sports suspension [optional]. The front drive axle, according to BMW has undergone extensive fine-tuning, ensuring that it endows the car with optimum driving dynamics and precise steering feedback. The car is offered with a new electromechanical power-steering system and the stability-control system offers a brake-based simulation of a limited-slip differential. Electronics will allow driver-selectable drive models like Comfort, Sport, or Eco Pro.

There was a time when BMW Group vehemently resisted the idea of having front wheel drive cars. Well, all that has changed now and the German premium brands begins a new era with the 2-series Active Tourer Author: Chandan B Mallik

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ike any other car manufacturer, BMW Group also has plans to double the sales and production in the coming years. But, product planners and marketing think-tanks sitting at the top have realized that such a move was not possible if it continued to rely solely on rear or all-wheel drive models.

Helping in the initiative from the engineering side has been a new compact platform that’s used by MINI. The platform has been slightly altered to suit the new BMW product. The 2-Series measures at 170.9in in length, 61.4in tall and 70.9in wide on a wheelbase of 105.1in and these optimized dimensions also indicate that more front-wheel-drive models could be built in future.

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Meanwhile, the brand’s design studio has made every effort to create an aesthetically pleasing compact family van with typical BMW design cues. In its construction, there’s generous use of high-strength steel and mixture of materials. Even the top-of-the-line 225i weighs just 1,433kgs.

From the feature pack perspective, the 2-series Active Tourer will be available with an impressive number of gadgets, gizmos, bells, and whistles. Features confirmed for this car include parking aids, new-generation telematics functionality, an active cruise-control system with stop-and-go capability, and heads-up display. Full-LED headlamps and LED taillamps are offered as options.

The car will also be offered with tailored appearance packages. The Sport Line places the emphasis on the dynamic side, while the Luxury Line is all about elegance and exclusiveness. Meanwhile, the M Sport package opens up even greater scope for customisation.

As a city car banking on lightweight construction and efficient powertrains, interestingly, the 2-Series Active Tourer is the second model to be fitted with a three-cylinder engine after the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. The entrylevel model, the 218i, comes with a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder that makes 136hp and 162 lb-ft of torque.

European markets will also be offered diesel powertrains. And despite its OCT 2014 | www.automan.me | 69

2015 Toyota Camry

Toyota gives its top global selling model, the Camry, a much needed image boost as part of the mid-cycle upgrade programme

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Author: Chandan B Mallik

oyota offered its vision for the 2015 Camry facelift in April at the New York Auto Show earlier in the year. As one of the key model pillars in the line-up along with the Corolla and Yaris [the latter two are fairly new in markets like Middle East] the Camry being the oldest hence gets a befitting makeover as the segment gets freshened and highly competitive with new or freshened models from top rivals. Both Honda and Hyundai have recently re-engineered their models and are actively promoting them as stylish, upmarket and highly efficient models.

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The Camry has had a solid reputation amongst its users worldwide, but it has never been seen as stylish, trendy or as a fun to drive car. And this aspect has kept Toyota engineers and product planners busy as to how to incorporate these elements in the given package.

Although much of the car’s underpinnings are not new, the car, when it arrives in the markets will have a fresh feel and character. The job has entailed extensive revisions or upgrades inside out. Toyota claims that all body panels except for the roof has been replaced. The front end has been made sharper and has more than a

passing influence from the Avalon.

And the revisited interior includes better quality touch points and upgraded electronic. New Optitrongauge clusters will be available on SE models and above with three-dimensional primary dials sharing space with a new high-definition info screen. The V6 models get charging ports behind a door in the dashboard, as well as larger touchscreens (7.0in vs. 6.1in) for their app-based Entune infotainment systems in US markets. Safety options come in the form of a pre-collision system, automatic high beams and blind spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

To give the car a much more upmarket appeal, upgraded insulation keeps NVH levels to a minimum and on the ride quality front, suspension components have been revised. The car’s chassis and body structure are now bolstered with additional spot welds, enhancing rigidity for better ride quality Advanced instrumentation with intuitive controls

helps keep the driver’s eyes safely on the road ahead.

The chassis team has also made upgrades to the Camry’s braking system with a two-stage booster to improve pedal feel.

Like so many mid-size sedans, the Camry has recorded longish stopping distances in previous tests. While cosmetics and styling have been extensively been attended, the current powertrain set-up is being carried over. In addition to sportier suspension tuning, the electric power steering system calibration has been reworked to improve feel, especially on-centre.

From the marketing perspective, Toyota calls this the sportiest Camry yet. And to underscore the brand’s desire to attract more enthusiastic drivers, there will be several trim levels with distinctive feature packages.

Toyota designers and engineers worked together and reimagined nearly every exterior surface of the car. Only the roof remains unchanged.

The new, upscale interior features premium, soft-touch materials throughout the spacious cabin.

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2015 Kia Sorento

Kia Motors is pushing the upmarket envelope with the soonto-arrive third generation all-new Sorento mid-sized SUV

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his month’s Paris Motor Show will see the official unveil of Kia Motors Gen III Sorento SUV. The Sorento has been a successful model for the South Korean brand and the outgoing model has been in the market since 2009. In 2013, the model received a host of feature upgrades and also the first indication of what Kia had in mind for its successor.

For the incoming car’s exterior styling, Kia has involved three of its studios, namely Namyang in Korea, along with significant input from the brand’s Frankfurt, Germany-based and Irvine, Californiabased design studios.

On market introduction, the car will be a proper three-row seven seater. And because of this, the dimensions have been enhanced. The new Sorento will sport increased length (+95mm to 4,780mm), reduced height (down 15mm to 1,685 mm) and extra width (+5mm to 1,890mm).

On the design front, designers have attempted to give it a sleeker chiseled appearance in a swept-back profile.

Design renditions which were released a few weeks ago as teasers did suggest a lower roofline and higher waistline than the current model. As a result, the side windows are expected to look a lot narrower than they are now. The front face is now more rectangular and has been grafted with the Korean automaker’s “tiger-nose grille” design. At the rear, the styling appears to be a bit more rounded with the rear glass and taillamps appearing to follow a slightly wrap around form.

Depending on markets, the car will be offered with a choice of trim levels which will be marketed as branded deals like the Convenience Package, available for the LX trim, includes the UVO infotainment system with integrated rear view camera display, roof rails, rear sonar, an autodimming mirror with compass readout, heated front seats and fog lamps. Later in the model year, a new Convenience Plus Package will be offered which will 72 | www.automan.me | OCT 2014

include eight-way power driver’s seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, floor mats and First Aid kit. Moving to the Premium Plus Package (EX fourcylinder) adds a power passenger seat, three rows of seating and a host of other amenities. Further adding to the feeling of spaciousness is the available panoramic sunroof (EX V6 and SX trims only).

By upgrading to the Limited Package (available for the EX V6 trim), owners will benefit from luxuriously appointed features, including a voice-activated navigation system with real-time traffic, an Infinity premium surround system with 10 speakers and a 550-watt digital amplifier, power folding outside mirrors, memory driver seat and side mirror position and an air-cooled driver seat for added comfort and convenience.

Both petrol and diesel powertrains will be offered. The 3.5-litre V6 will offer 276hp and 248lbs-ft of torque and the smaller 2.4-litre Multi-Port Injected (MPI) fourcylinder engine producing 175hp and 169lbs-ft of torque. All engines [including diesels] are coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission with Sportmatic shifting control. This advanced six-speed automatic transmission is a proprietary design that was developed, engineered and built specifically for Kia.

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2015 Mazda MX-5

Last month, Mazda Motor Corporation celebrated the simultaneous global unveiling of the fourth generation all-new MX-5 (also known as Roadster in Japan) Author: Chandan B Mallik

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azda’s iconic sports car, the MX-5 celebrated its 25th anniversary on February 10, 2014. The MX-5 is by far, the brand’s best-selling twoseat roadster of all time, with more than 930,000 units sold since its 1989 debut.

The key USP of this car has been its affordability, lightweight character and fun to drive.

Mazda has blended its SKYACTIV technology philosophy which includes “gram strategy” with KODO– Soul of Motion design language in the incoming car. In terms of architecture, Mazda’s efficient chassis design will host the front-midship engine, rear-wheel drive configuration to achieve an ideal 50:50

front-rear weight distribution. The engine is located closer to the vehicle’s centre, the bonnet, boot lid, front mudguard and front and rear bumper reinforcements are made of aluminium, and the weight of the soft top is reduced. Overall, by more than 100kg has been saved over the outgoing third-generation model.

The exquisite proportions make it the most compact of any generation MX-5 so far. The height of the bonnet is lowered and the A-pillars and windscreen header are moved rearward and made thinner to create a panoramic view with greater visibility of the road and peripheral movement. The pedals, controls, gauges

The world received its first sneak peek of the car on April 16, 2014 when Mazda introduced its new chassis during the 2014 New York Auto Show. The car will blend SKYACTIV technology with Mazda’s KODO—Soul of Motion design language

and all equipment are optimally positioned to enable the driver to maintain a straight posture and drive comfortably.

While official details of the powertrain haven’t been released, information from Australia suggests that the compact car could be powered by a 1.5-litre Skyactiv four-cylinder with around 129hp on tap. If this was true, then it means a 13per cent drop in power over the 2.0-litre four in the current Miata sold. Torque figures could come in above the 144Nm in the top-spec 1.5-litre [also in the forthcoming Mazda2].

New six-speed manual and automatic transmissions are also specially tuned for the MX-5.

History of the Mazda MX-5 Mazda unveiled the first-generation MX-5 at the Chicago Auto Show on 9 February 1989. At that time, virtually no open-type lightweight sports cars were available. The segment, which had blossomed in England in the latter half of the 1940s, gained popularity thanks to the agile handling, characteristic style and affordability of such vehicles. But after the 1960s, with the market focused more on safety and comfort, these cars had all but disappeared. The aim of the engineers and designers at Mazda who produced the first-generation model was simple: To bring back a fun-to-drive lightweight sports car for people around the world like themselves, people who love cars and love to drive.

The second-generation model was revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 1997, and the third generation followed at the Geneva Motor Show in February 2005. Production reached 900,000 units in February 2011, as the MX-5 broke its own Guinness World Record as the world’s best selling twoseater sports car, a title it had first earned in May 2000.

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That rule was to have started in Singapore but teams complained, and the FIA delayed the introduction of the ban to the start of 2015. A ban on driver coaching — instructions on braking, acceleration, racing lines and the like — did start on the weekend, with no egregious transgressions.

Mercedes said Rosberg’s situation showed that the proposed car-performance radio ban should be reviewed.

F1

Advantage Hamilton @ Singapore Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton took an impressive victory in the 2014 Singapore Grand Prix, while Nico Rosberg was forced to retire in a tense race at the spectacular Marina Bay Street Circuit

“A nightmare,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said. “Can you imagine not being able to give any messages to the driver? Maybe the Singapore race, with all its ingredients, needs to flow in to any future direction on radio messages.”

The modern F1 cars, with their complex interaction of combustion engine with two hybrid power systems harvesting energy from braking and exhaust heat, require performance monitoring from the pits.

“These cars are so complicated and there’s an awful amount going on,” Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said. “I completely support getting rid of driving coaching through the radio ... but in terms of managing the power unit, they’re so complicated that from a reliability and safety point of view, it’s important (to keep radio messaging).”

SOUTH GRANDSTAND (3-DAY TICKET PACKAGE) This is one of the most spectacular views in motorsport, as the track winds around the marina before passing underneath the incredible 5-star Yas Viceroy Abu Dhabi. South Grandstand offers views of the second DRS zone, with a fierce left turn, a left-right-left chicane, which also leads into a reverse camber.

Ticket price: AED 2,080 MARINA GRANDSTAND (3-DAY TICKET PACKAGE) Seats in the Marina Grandstand are home to GP2 and GP3 as well as the support pits and paddock. Marina Grandstand ticketholders will have access to spectacular marina views, the yacht club, and support pit garages. Now introducing “Mates Rates”! Purchase between 3-9 Marina Grandstand tickets and get 20% discount on your purchase at checkout!

Ticket price: AED 2,080 CLUBS (3-DAY TICKET PACKAGE) Upgrade your three day South Grandstand and West Grandstand ticket to the South Club and West Club and not only will you be able to watch all the Formula 1® action from your reserved seat in the South Grandstand and West Grandstand but you will also be given exclusive access to an informal, club lounge area with great facilities including private food and beverages outlets from which you can purchase.

The offers includes: Reserved Seat in South or West Grandstand Private themed food and beverages outlets Access to private lounge area Access to all after race concerts Shaded Grandstand Access to all entertainment Oasis areas around the circuit including Yas Marina yacht club and the F1® Village Access to the Thursday Public Pit Lane Walk Outside Seating Tickets available from: AED 2,600 How to buy: The tickets listed in this package can be purchased by contacting: Call 800 YAS (927) Visit www.yasmarinacircuit.com Online: YasHUB App – download via APP Store / Google Play Or visit Yas Marina Circuit Facebook Shop www.facebook.com/yasmarinacircuit

2014 FORMULA ONE ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX SELLING OUT FAST

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he failure of Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes at the Singapore Grand Prix has given the championship advantage to teammate and race winner Lewis Hamilton — and it raised questions about whether Formula One’s proposed new radio bans are a good idea.

Hamilton’s victory raised him three points above Rosberg in the drivers’ championship standings with five races to go. It is a thin advantage in points, but back-to-back wins could give an edge to a driver like Hamilton.

When Rosberg qualified only seventhousandths of a second behind pole-sitter Hamilton, the stage was set for another

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Last chance to buy limited tickets in the most popular categories – don’t miss the UAE’s biggest and best sporting and entertainment weekend Yas Marina Circuit has announced that tickets for the 2014 FORMULA ONE ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX in the most popular categories are selling out, and this is fans’ last opportunity to take advantage of the great deals and offers.

Here are the offers: epic duel between the Mercedes drivers in the night race around Marina Bay. Rosberg’s problems came to light on the formation lap and his car failed to get off the line for the warm-up lap, meaning he had to start from pit lane.

The issue was a broken loom in the steering column that affected the electronic connections to the steering wheel. That left Rosberg without fourth and sixth gears, plus there was no access to battery-stored power boosts and no way to open the rear wing on the straights.

The team managed to get the car started from the pits and Rosberg into the race,

but he lasted only 14 frustrating laps at the back of the field before retiring.

“The toughest day of the year for me,” Rosberg said. “I felt so helpless. Nothing was working at the beginning of the race.

It’s just reliability, for the team, that’s the area we need to work on, that’s the weakness. They’re flat out, but we need to improve somehow.”

Prior to retirement, Rosberg was receiving a barrage of messages over the radio about the operability of the car, and how he might improve it. And that raised questions about the practicality of a proposed ban on most radio messages about the car performance.

MAIN GRANDSTAND (3-DAY TICKET PACKAGE) With views over looking the start and finish line, you will also have direct views of the Main Pit Garages and the Formula One Paddock Club balcony. Main Grandstand ticket holders will also be able to see the starting grid preparations, the chequered flag, and podium ceremony up close! A lucky 1000 Main Grandstand ticket holders will win a Podium Ceremony Pass, giving them access to watch the podium ceremony from the start/finish line. This once in a lifetime opportunity will be open to all Main Grandstand ticket holders for a chance to win, so if you haven’t brought your race ticket, do it today! Ticket price: AED, 2,200 NORTH GRANDSTAND (3-DAY TICKET PACKAGE) The North Grandstand ticket holders will enjoy a unique viewing experience. From this viewing platform you will have access to the circuit’s tightest hairpin turn, the longest straight of any F1 Circuit, and views of the cars coming down from Abu Dhabi Hill on turns 4, 5, 6. Also North Grandstand ticket holders will have easy access to North Star, the before and after concert party place. North Grandstand is also the closest grandstand to the concert arena, where you can enjoy the after-race concerts. Ticket price: AED 2,080

OCT 2014 | www.automan.me | 77

Regional

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mubarak Al Nahayan, the UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development and Chairman of the General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare, with Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Media Centre during a visit to the rally’s desert base in April.

Vettel and Alonso keep media and fans guessing

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t’s no secret that ‘Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel’s rumours’ have dominated last month’s F1 gossip headlines. Many respected sources throughout the sport’s international media landscape are now convinced that the Spaniard and Ferrari are in the throes of divorce.

Even the public at large seems to be convinced.The Spanish sports daily Marca has published the results of a poll, showing that no less than 84 per cent think Alonso will leave Maranello.

Indeed, detailed attention is even turning to the identity of his successor in red. Ferrari academy member Jules Bianchi is an obvious choice, but it is believed Ferrari would prefer to replace Alonso with another great champion.

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, the new championship leader, is strongly linked with the job, particularly with tension high at Mercedes and teammate Nico Rosberg already signed up for the future. Sebastian Vettel is another strong candidate.

The reigning world champion is suffering an unhappy 2014 season, struggling to match his new teammate Daniel Ricciardo, and at danger even of being put in the shade by a Red Bull-backed rookie who is yet to make his debut.

Dr Helmut Marko, the notorious architect of the energy drink company’s driver programme, has this week compared 2015 Toro Rosso star Max Verstappen with none other than the legendary Ayrton Senna.

Indeed, Vettel has sounded

notably non-committal on the topic of his future at Red Bull recently. But his latest comments to the weekly Sport Bild suggest he is prepared to stay put and work to revive his title-winning days of the not-too-distant past. “The fact that our hard work is slowly paying off and that no one has given up really means a lot to me,” said Vettel. “I’ve still got a lot to achieve with this team and I want to do everything to ensure that we make a comeback,” the 27-year-old added.

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge inching close to its 25th anniversary H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, the UAE Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, has hailed H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, for his continuous support and contribution to the success of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region, the Desert Challenge

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is heading towards its 25th anniversary next year.

FIA Vice President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has presented a detailed

Eurosport analysis of TV coverage of the 2014 Desert Challenge to Sheikh Nahayan, Chairman of the General Authority for Youth and Sports Welfare, who visited the rally’s desert base close to the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort to meet officials and watch some of the action in April.

“We’re very grateful to

Sheikh Nahayan for his personal backing and encouragement, and for the overall support we receive from the government,” said Sulayem, the FIA Vice President. “This is vital to the continuing success and popularity of the event, and to ensure that it is used effectively to promote Abu Dhabi as a unique sporting and travel destination.”

The Desert Challenge is part of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies for cars and the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship for bikes.

The 25th Desert Challenge will take place next year from 27 March – 2 April.

Bright future for UAE motor sports

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ast month, UAE-based Automobile and Touring Club pointed to an increasingly bright future for motor sport in the Emirates with the official launch of an exciting 2014-15 season showing healthy growth in key areas. Headlined again by the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 23 November, the new season is characterised by the growing popularity of karting, expansion of the national Baja rally series introduced last year, and a stronger than ever line-up of international circuit racing events. The continued success of the UAE Rotax Max Challenge is seen as key to the future of UAE motor sport, which needs fresh young talent arriving at entry level and rising through the ranks towards Grand Prix racing. For this year’s 12-round national karting championship, run between Dubai Kartdrome, Al Ain Raceway and Yas Marina Circuit and again crossing the border to Seeb in Oman, the ATCUAE has issued 125 competitor licences, an increase of 25per cent year on year. Other prominent events include the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East, which features race weekends at Dubai Autodrome in December and next February, while Yas Marina Circuit will for the first time host the Asia, European and North American finals of the Ferrari Challenge in December.

Meanwhile, the 36th Dubai Rally brings the 2014 FIA Middle East Championship to a climax on 26-27 Novemberwhile the Desert Challenge celebrates its 25th anniversary from 27 March -2 April as part of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, and the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship for bikes.

KTM UNVEILS UAE RACING TEAM FOR NEW SEASON

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TM has announced its full return to the Middle East racing scene last month by unveiling the KTM UAE Racing Team, which includes global and regional racing stars such as two-time Arab motocross champion and leading Emirati rider Mohammed Balooshi and rising international star Sam Sunderland. The team, which consists of 19 riders from across the UAE and around the world, is set to compete in the 20142015 Emirates Desert Championship, Dubai Motocross Championship and GCC Motocross Championship, as well as the immensely challenging 2015 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. It will also make its track debut in the UAE Superbike Championship and an entry level street racing programme will be introduced as a further Middle East debut later this season. The top riders will be joined by

local, international and Dubai resident riders including Mohammed Jaffar, Abdullah al Shatti, Jake Shipton, Nicolas Kefford, Clinton Wyngard and Jordan Cabaud.

Michael Winter, General Manager of KTM Middle East, said: “KTM has always had a long term affiliation in motorbike racing across the region, and the whole company is highly motivated and proud to be back competing in the shape of the KTM UAE Racing Team. We are delighted with the team that we have put together, and confident of a successful racing season, proving KTM’s ability to perform and compete on all levels.”

OCT 2014 | www.automan.me | 79

Of bending iPhones and the ilk You don’t have to be part of the media to realise that you are an unwitting member of the media circus. The next best ting is just around the corner and you have your eyes glued to every screen your disposal. And all of this is for another couple of screen-based devices that seemingly hold the power to change mankind’s destiny and bring about world peace. No, they cannot but with all the hype you would have thought that the two variants of the iPhone 6 should do a lot more than they do.

But that isn’t all. The announcement happened and we all saw that the iPhone (in plural) had now grown bigger, had new software and … well and actually did nothing new over a whole host of phones that have launched over the past couple of years. So are we missing something here? The world’s best brand has brought out a couple of me-too products that don’t do anything to change the game. That’s so unlike them!

As if to make up for the lack of punch the new Apple Watch came out as well – the only item that seems to take a genre and move it ahead in true Apple style. But it is months away from a formal launch and may change even now.

As if to add to the mire, the phones that were launched were received with quite a bit of bad press. You cannot have phones bending the way these did – and certainly not when they are iPhones! It may have been a mixture of production teething issues and bad luck, but Apple could have done without this.

Raj Warrior is editor of Automan and has been in the thick of the Automotive journalism field from the past 15 years.

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Email at raj@alroya.net.

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Remember, Apple is now the world’s richest company by market capitalisation, most recalled brand and earn most of their revenue from the iPhone. If you looked at it in automotive terms it would be as if Aston Martin was the largest selling brand with just two models (DB9 and Vantage anyone?) priced at a premium over everyone else and with record profits for the company. Oh yes, and the cars are made at vendor’s factories in China by overworked labour and we never question the quality. Somehow it doesn’t translate as well to automotive terms.

And it never will, because we have a different scale of measurement. Imagine buying your car and hearing about doors falling off on the model elsewhere in the world. Or engines leaking; Or electrical circuits failing, as they do. Yes, we accept that a car as delivered to a customer is on a best effort basis. Six sigma tells us that most of the cars will not have an issue – it can never guarantee that 100%. So what’s the issue when an iPhone bends? Or your software hits a glitch. One over the air update later and your phone’s as good as new. In a faulty car, you will have to take it to the dealer and get it attended to and you feel as if the newness has gone away, even if you’ve already done a few thousand celebratory kilometres already in it.

It is that difference in the way we measure our purchases that allows us to forgive one manufacturer and harangue another. Of course when endemic issues crop up then manufacturers all seem to have a common recourse – the recall!

And this never-ending story will go on. A new gadget will launch every month, a new car at almost the same frequency. We’re never going to be able to upgrade our cars at the same pace as our phones so we all know which will interest us more.

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