Automan August 2011 by Automan Magazine

No 120 AUGUST 2011

Oman’s Best Automotive Resource

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I COUNTRYMAN IN M | IN A R R E T C M EUGEOT 3008 | G P 11 0 2 11 M-B C200 AMG E 0 IV 2 R | D T IC S IV C FIR A D N O RATION H 2012 NINTH GENE

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Crossover to the new times

editor-in-chief Mohammad Al Taie

Most of us grew up on a staple of terminology from the car industry. Among the three letter AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING PO Box: 343, Postal Code 118 Al Harthy Complex Sultanate of Oman Email: automan@alroya.net Website: www.automanweb.com Editorial office: Tel: +968 24479888 Extn 300, Fax: +968 24479889 Circulation office: Tel: +968 2456 2360, Fax: +968 2456 2194

renditions of ABS, ESP, BAS and the like are the definitions and classification of cars into segments and categories like an A-segment or D-segment. Somehow it is very pleasing to the human brain to be able to categorise and file away a thing into its appropriate niche. But are we really shortchanging ourselves by the very categorisations that we have built? For starters, look at the ease with which we refer to the automotive industry as a bunch of car makers. Increasingly, the share of cars in the automotive pile is becoming of less significance to an industry that sees far better returns on larger car-like vehicles. This month Automan looks at the latest three vehicles to join the increasing stable of just such products. They are not quite the well-known SUV, but they cannot be classified as cars either. The Peugeot 3008 and the MINI Countryman are so car like that in any other circumstances they could be called cars. But they are now part of a breed that are more

publisher Hatim Al Taie

hatim@alroya.net

EDITOR & GM Raj Warrior

raj@alroya.net

than that. In reality the new breed of Crossovers isn’t all that new. We have seen cars like the Subaru Outback growing out of the Legacy wagon and even the Forester was a

Executive Editor Chandan B Mallik chandan@alroya.net

crossover. Other notables like the Audi Allroad came to Oman and didn’t even cause a ripple in a market focussed on SUVs. Have things changed a lot since then? While the Middle East market as a whole is significant, one cannot but note the fact that today’s large markets are China, US, Europe, Brazil and the new markets of Russia and

Design Sawsan Al Muharbi sawsan@alroya.info

India. And with the traditional SUV market of the US shrinking because of higher gasoline

HEAD OF marketing Maged Aziz maged@alroya.net

fits into the needs of a increasingly affluent car buyer from the new markets, while allowing

circulation books@alroya.net FINANCE & ADMIN Abraham Daniel daniel@alroya.net

prices and affordability issues, the newer, smaller SUV and Crossover is gaining ground. It traditional buyers to retain their lifestyles. The Crossover as a segment is thus here to stay, though one largely suspects that the segment itself will undergo remodelling and refining as new products hit the market and make their mark. Our choice of three Crossovers is thus quite significant. While the Terrain stays closest visually to the look of a traditional SUV it brings new levels of refinement and drive comfort that embellish the Crossover credential. The other two stay closer to the car form, one

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suspects largely because in both cases a completely new platform would have made no economic sense. Can one picture a real SUV in the Peugeot stable? The Mitsubishi collaboration effectively means that the 4007 based on the Outlander will not come any time soon to the region. And a MINI has to be a MINI first and foremost. Would a MINI SUV be

called a Maxi? Will we see the Crossover as a European fixation? While one hopes that manufacturers continue to invest in real off-roaders and large SUVs so that our affluent can keep up their lifestyles and our industry have their workhorses, smaller, more adaptable platforms will continue to see iterations, like Volvo have mastered in their XC series.

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

It is also a sign that we should relax our fascination with categorising every vehicle. Perhaps we should see each car in the light of what it offers than what it is expected to do.

in this issue {ROAD TEST}

FACE TO FACE Looking back, how do you assess your 2010-11 season in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East overall?

Designs of a Master

“It was a very important season for me because I was able to improve a lot from the season before and clinched my first race win. That was a great feeling and it gave me confidence for the new Supercup season too.” How important was it to get your first win in the Porsche GT3 Cup series? “It was important to experience how difficult it can be to lead a race and to hold off all the other drivers trying to catch and overtake you. A great experience, though.“

After your technical problems in Round 1 in Istanbul and the accident which put you of Round 2 in Barcelona, how disappointed are you with your start ? “Well, it was obviously not the best start to my second Supercup season, but I am conﬁdent that we will be able to improve the performance soon. Istanbul was of course disappointing as the car was brand new and you don’t want to have technical issues with it. As for Barcelona, I need to take responsibility for the collision and learn from it.“ How much did you beneﬁt from the SuperCup last year and how did this help

“We had a very bad weekend in Dubai and unfortunately this was the one weekend when we had four races, so there was lot more at stake than usual. Of course it was disappointing. If the last four rounds had covered two weekends, as normally happens, I could have ﬁnished the season better. But I always look at the positives, and it was a weekend where we gained a ton of experience.“

Despite the way it ﬁnished you must have been a pleased with your performances in general - much more consistency, a lot of podiums and that win in Abu Dhabi.

After a much brighter second season in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East which brought his ﬁrst win on home territory

in Abu Dhabi, Emirati driver Khaled Al Qubaisi is sharpening his skills again in Europe this summer. He talks here about his highs and

lows, his hopes for better fortunes in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup after a frustrating start, the champion in the making in his team, and how he’d like to inspire other young Emirati drivers.

“Of course, I can see clear improvement in my performances. That’s what I was aiming for last season and I’m very happy overall.“ How much have you been looking forward to the Porsche Mobil 1 SuperCup series this summer? “The competition in the Supercup is quite ﬁerce and it makes me proud that I am racing there. Furthermore, it offers me the chance to learn so much. There are a lot of good race drivers there, including my team-mates Sean Edwards and Jeroen Bleekemolen. I really proﬁt from their experience.“

What are your targets for the 2011 SuperCup? Al Qubaisi: “Overall, I’m looking to gain more valuable experience and develop as a racing driver. At the same time I want to get among the points, and help the team as much as I can in the championship.“ Tell us about your Abu Dhabi team in the SuperCup “We have a great team with ambitious drivers and dedicated personnel. We get along well and help each other during the race weekends. The atmosphere is great and I never hear anyone complaining if extra hours need to be

Goodwood at it best

“Musaed did a great job in his ﬁrst season. He dominated the rookie championship. Now he just needs more experience to help him continue to improve.“ How good can he become and what can he achieve in the Porsche GT3 CCME next season? “I am pretty sure that, with the right amount of training, he can become champion in the next three years.“ Do you believe other young Emiratis might be attracted to the series by the exploits of yourself and Musaed?

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“I hope so. It all depends on an individual’s dedication and determination. Obviously it would be better to start in motor sport at an early age.”

Author

Chandan

B Mallik

rench automaker Peugeot may be a latecomer in the crowded and fiercely competitive crossover SUV segment, but it has actually benefited from the weaknesses of others and in a way moved forward its Prologue concept inspired production 3008 model. Peugeot, the lion logo brand celebrated its 200 years of history last year and seems to be able to pull out aces whenever needed. Considering Peugeot’s traditionally strong compact and hatchback heritage in Europe, its largest market, the brand has been eyeing the crossover SUV segment with an interesting approach. Not really trying to take competition head-on [it would have been an expensive and futile attempt trying to knock out commercially super successes such as Nissan’s Qashqai in particular], Peugeot’s approach has not been to create an all-new platform or build on a badge engineered product within the Peugeot Citroën Group [PSA]. Instead, it preferred to work on PSA Group’s platform 2 [internally coded as the T84]. Technically, the closest relative to the 3008 on this short wheelbase platform is the 308 hatchback. That’s what we call flexible architecture! Peugeot watchers have maintained the fact that in Europe the 308 hatchback has been a slow seller despite its brilliant engineering and packaging. And Peugeot is also aware of the fact that it is the 2WD models in the crossover segment has experienced the greatest growth because consumers are looking for the functionality and practicality that an SUV provides in terms of size and space, but not necessarily a thirsty 4WD that will probably see less than five per cent of its lifetime usage off road anyway. And this is a strong reason why the 3008 sits between the 308 Touring and the 4007 in terms of size, function and price. The 3008 is 4,365mm long with a slight cab forward bias and has a wheelbase of 2,613m. Although it was a ground up project like the RCZ, design wise it is not as radical as it retains Peugeot’s characteristic styling DNA. A large single front grille helps create the effect of a luxury off-roader, and the sheetmetal has been bloated to give it a proper SUV look. With bling factor in mind, the car’s wheel arches have been designed to accommodate 16in, 17in or 18in diameter wheels. Despite its boxy appearance and dimensions, the slippery styling in the sheet metal and raked front windscreen results in an impressive drag coefficient of Cd 0.296. Peugeot cabins have matured over the years and the 3008 show signs a nice blend of design and well-chosen, soft touch plastics and upmarket trims and fabric materials. Some of the controls are standard issue in PSA cars, so it’s as always good to look at and they feel precise. The instrument cluster has a striking three-dimensional design and is chrome lines. The centre console is a little wider than usual and runs high between driver and front passenger. The gear lever position is in easy reach and the deep storage console doubles up as a chiller box and also hosts the auxiliary input socket for MP3 or IPods. Peugeot’s 3008 is the first car in its class to have a head-up-display in the top-trim version. This display is via a retractable screen behind the instrument cluster only gives out reading for speed and a distance warning. Unlike cars with adaptive cruise control, the role here is purely advisory only. Hence the system doesn’t intervene via the brakes perhaps because Peugeot thinks it better for the driver to retain control of the car. The digital read out’s position, brightness and activation is controlled from a bank of smart-looking, chromium-plated toggle switches on the dashboard. The car’s cabin for a five-seater is extra generous in terms of head and leg room. The fixed panaromic glass roof which use athermic glass comes with an electrically operated blind. The speedometer markings follow the French tradition of odd numbering. What is missed out here is a multifunction steering wheel

It’s based on Peugeot’s ubiquitous 308 and is the French carmakers’ first AWD crossover SUV. The 2012 3008 tries to be many things in one package and succeeds in doing so. Automan checks out the car which is on sale in Oman Author Chandan B Mallik Photography Author and Shakeel Al Baloushi

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Author

Chandan

B Mallik

Photograph

l Al Balous

One of the underlying principals at Honda has been to improve each generation of its C-segment Civic model with a specific development theme in mind. Automan discovers the ninth generation all-new 2012 Civic continues with that philosophy Author Chandan B Mallik Photography Shakeel Al Baloushi and author

STORY}

ALL4 Fun

responsible for running of the MINI Design studios and complete design development of the MINI till the end of 2010 and under his ten year tenure, Hildebrand has helped shape the MINI brand portfolio with models such as classic MINI, the MINI Cabrio and MINI Clubman. Hildebrand and his team added a real 4-door version to the MINI brand: the MINI Countryman, launched in September 2010. The Middle East markets saw the launch of the car earlier this year. So what’s the Countryman all about? It’s an extension of the current family and is built on a new AWD platform that supports transverse placement of engine. Like its predecessors, the Countryman is a two-box design with a

happy face and therefore has a convincing MINI family resemblance. The car sports new dimensions and is marginally bigger in basic dimensions. It’s 15in longer, four inches wider, and six inches taller than the regular MINI hardtop. The wheelbase has been stretched by 5.1in and there’s a modest increase in ground clearance. If you were to consider MINI as a brand and have been monitoring what BMW Group has been doing with it, then there’s no dispute with the fact that this iconic British marque is currently on an overdrive. As of now, the lineup has four core models and within a year or two there are plans to increase the numbers to six. And going by the future business plans,

by time the third-generation MINIs are ready to hit the markets, the line-up would have grown up to 10 variants. Despite a brand with relative few models, what keeps it ticking is its attention to detail, exemplary engineering and retro-styling. The formula has worked exceptionally well ever since UK’s Rover Group was broken-up by BMW in 2000, with BMW retaining the Mini brand. Under BMW, the reincarnated brand has been given a new meaning and distinct identity and positioning. Gert Volker Hildebrand has been responsible for running of the MINI Design studios and complete design development of the MINI till the end of 2010 and under his ten year tenure, Hildebrand has helped shape the MINI brand

portfolio with models such as classic MINI, the MINI Cabrio and MINI Clubman. Hildebrand and his team added a real 4-door version to the MINI brand: the MINI Countryman, which was launched in September 2010 and within months in the Middle East. So what’s the Countryman all about? Is it an attempt to woo disenfranchised fans of the car’s early days or is it just following the new trends in the business? Is it a hatchback or is it a SUV? There are many questions that are bound to cross every MINI aﬁcionado’s mind and there’s a good reason for it. First MINI variants are far and few and the brand has never had a SUV in its portfolio. The Countryman is perhaps the ﬁrst

attempt by the British brand which now tries to bridge the gap between a hatchback and SUV in one go. For a marketing pundit, it’s a logical extension of the current family of lifestyle models.

STORY}

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For hardcore truck brand GMC, the creation of the all-new Terrain crossover SUV is a definitive sign of the manufacturer moving with times. Automan spent a couple of days with this car and discovered the potential of this new arrival Author Chandan B Mallik Photography Nabeel Ferzan and author

Chevrolet’s 100th anniversary countdown begins

2011 Ford Escape 2011 Kia Cerato

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Sports interview

UAE’s rising star Khaled 72 Al Qubaisi

Motorsports

Formula One, WRC, MotoGP

Chicane

Buying time on credit

Poster Sa

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cover story 40

ALSO TESTED

Photography author, Nabeel Ferzan & Manoj Raja

f you consider MINI as a brand and have been monitoring what BMW Group has been doing with it, then there’s no dispute that this iconic British marque is currently on an overdrive. As of the now, the line-up has four models and within a year or two will be expanded to six. And by the time the third-generation MINIs are ready to hit the markets, the line-up would have grown up to 10 variants. Despite a brand with relative few models, what keeps it ticking is its attention to detail, exemplary engineering and retrostyling. The formula has worked exceptionally well ever since the Rover Group was brokenup by BMW in 2000, with BMW retaining the Mini brand. Gert Volker Hildebrand has been

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2011 GMC Terrain

Author Chandan B Mallik

cover story

The all-new 2012 new crossover from MINI Cooper, the Countryman represents several firsts for the brand and possibly the segment. Automan checks out the S version and discovers more

{COVER

and Shakee

{COVER

On the handling front, the Civic sedan has never pretended it was sporty in the past and perhaps it will never will unless a tuner house such as Mugen decides to showcase its magic on it or a bigger powertrain is offered

Holden is vital for GM

special feature

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he ninth generation all-new 2012 Honda Civic finally arrived in the region last month, setting rest speculation about the new model’s availability due to unforeseen production issues in Japan as a result of the devastating earthquake and Tsunami in March and its aftermath. Honda along with other Japanese carmakers are limping back to normal production and with the arrival of the new Civic, at least there’s some relief at camp Honda. The outgoing eighth-generation Civic, which was introduced in 2006, was a segment revolution for the model series in terms of it striking design, presentation and overall packaging. It was a mould breaker considering the fact that most automakers usually style their mainstream C-segment models conservatively as they have to appeal to a wider audience. By far, very few C-segment cars have demonstrated a radical styling theme as the outgoing Civic did. Looking at how the segment has shaped up in the past couple of years, it seems that emotion is a now a key factor in driving manufacturers to consider more than one factor for a successor. Current market research suggests that while changes may or may not lead into any significant performance increase, but an emotional increase is expected by the driver and occupants when a car is actually driven. Honda’s recipe for the eighth generation Civic did very well in these terms, and at the same time the emotional quotient of competitors has also gone up significantly besides the arrival of new models in the region. There’s no doubt that from both design and engineering standpoints, the outgoing model has been extremely successful throughout its six-plus year career and we have been wondering what approach Honda would take for the replacement Civic. More than a hint of that came at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit where the new generation Civic sedan and coupe were first unveiled to the public as concepts. It seems that Honda has decided to play safe and continue with the outgoing car’s profile and graft it with some current design DNA. In fact Honda’s lead designer Toshiyuki Okumoto San entrusted for the exterior styling described the new stance as a “one motion form”. In fact, Okumoto has tried to make the new car a bit more youthful with some aggressive touches to its sheet metal. Without disturbing the predecessor’s wedge-shape profile radically, it seems that Okumoto San’s designer touch has softly massaged soft character lines on the bonnet, and some well-defined flares at the rear. Both front and rear ends have been redesigned and we think the front is more in line with the current Honda design DNA with a steeper windscreen to begin with, while the rear seems to have lost its predecessor’s charm. We can empathise with Okumoto’s overall treatment in the new arrival which now connects much better with the second generation Jazz and more with the current Euro Civic hatchback. Dimensionally, the car is 5mm shorter in length and width, while the wheelbase has been shortened by 30mm and rear track also reduced by 10mm. Even with 195/65R15 wheels, the car’s ground clearance has been reduced by 4.2mm. If skeptics think that the changes in the sheetmetal aren’t enough to whet their appetite, then, the changes inside the car should leave them drooling. This car now definitely has a potential of representing the finest interior packaging in the segment. First, the cabin feels spacious, thanks to new light coloured fabrics and more glass in the greenhouse, thanks to

brandwatch

2011 MINI Countryman 2011 Peugeot 3008 2012 Honda Civic 2011 M-B C200 AMG

STORY}

CIVIC

first drive

{ROAD TEST}

FIRST DRIVE

Fusion metal

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Top headlines

Give us an assessment of your team-mate Musaed Al Murar, and his performance in his ﬁrst rookie year. you in the Porsche GT3 Cup series? A“Actually it helped that I was driving a lot of races and gained a huge amount of experience. The Supercup was the reason why I was able to improve my driving skills so much.“

{COVER

International Regional

Going et rk upma

“Again, I think experience is the key to being successful. The more you practice the better the results you‘ll achieve. I deﬁnitely gained a lot from my ﬁrst season in the series and it paid off in my Porsche GT3 Cup campaign in the Middle East.“

What went wrong? “It was a mix of bad luck and technical issues, including a blown engine. It’s hard to explain how it all came together on one weekend.“

Al Qubaisi: “I had mechanical problems in Istanbul and an accident in Barcelona, and then suffered a broken drive shaft on the introduction lap in Monaco. It was obviously not the best start to my second Supercup season, but , I need to take responsibility for the collision in Spain and learn from it, and I am conﬁdent that we will be able to improve the performance soon.” Looking ahead to the 201112 season in the Porsche GT3 Cup series, how much will your SuperCup experience this summer help you?

How disappointing was it for the season to ﬁnish the way it did for you in Dubai?

News

spent due to technical issues or collisions. I feel very good about this team.“ You’ve had a disappointing start to the 2011 Supercup season. Tell us what happened.

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World news} Aston Martin Cygnets participate in Eco-Rally

Hyundai, Jeep and Chrysler show biggest gains in J.D. Power APEAL report

ston Martin enters two new Cygnets into the fifth annual Bridgestone Eco-Rally this weekend. In the marque’s debut appearance at the event, the Cygnets will cement their place as the ultimate city cars, a tailor-fit solution for urban driving. The Bridgestone Eco-Rally will allow spectators and enthusiasts a chance to see the Cygnets as they pass from the heart of Oxford to central London. The rally showcases the world’s best eco-friendly vehicles in association with ‘Start’, an initiative inspired by HRH The Prince of Wales to celebrate eco-friendly living. Hand-crafted for the city with the highest quality materials and attention to detail, Cygnet is bespoke, exclusive, and offers a degree of choice not previously available in a small package, coupled with carbon emissions of just 116 g/km and fuel economy of 56.5 mpg. One of the Cygnets entering the event will be dressed in Seychelles Blue, the paint colour of the Aston Martin DB6 Mark II Volante recently driven by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their wedding day. Aside from the two formal entries, a third Cygnet will also be supporting the event in eye-catching ‘Flouro Orange’, the hallmark of London-based designer Tom Dixon. Meanwhile, at the prestigious Royal Automobile Club last month, international motorsport legend, Sir Stirling Moss took delivery of his newly purchased Aston Martin Cygnet; a surprise birthday present for wife, Lady Moss. The car was hand-rafted at Aston Martin’s headquarters in Gaydon, taking 150 hours to complete and the specifications for Lady Moss’s car include Sir Stirling’s choice of Aston Martin Racing Green, harking back to the company’s sports cars that Sir Stirling raced in the 1950s, as the paint colour. The exterior has been complemented by a simple and elegant interior hand crafted in Obsidian Black leather with a contrasting coarse silver stitch.

D Power keeps a perfect track of new cars and the companies that make them. For several years, one of their annual reports is called the APEAL study, which looks at automotive performance, execution and layout, and this analytic look at makes and models is tallied up within a 1,000-point scale. The average score for the entire industry currently sits at 781, which is an improvement over last year’s average of 778. Sitting at the top of the APEAL scoreboard for the seventh year in a row is Porsche, with a rating of 879. It’s not surprising to see the German automaker sit in the pole position, but a few other automakers have made vertically positive moves. Hyundai earned 793 points this year, which is a 33-point improvement over the 2010 study and puts the Korean automaker well above the industry average. Other major winners are Jeep and Chrysler. Jeep jumped 32 points for a 2011 score of 759, and Chrysler climbed 27 points, to 775.

While the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Initial Quality StudySM (IQS), which was released in June, found that all-new and redesigned models have more problems, on average, than do carryover models, the 2011 APEAL Study finds that these same models are more likely to offer the styling, performance and features that customers are looking for.

Range Rover Evoque production commences

he new Range Rover Evoque passed an important milestone last month when the first production vehicle was driven off the line at Land Rover’s Halewood manufacturing plant in Liverpool. Halewood Operations is central to the success of the Evoque, with the workforce doubling to more than 3,000 employees in order to deliver the new model. Seventy-five per cent of production is destined for export

to more than 170 countries around the world. The launch of the Range Rover Evoque is just one of 40 new product actions that Jaguar Land Rover will carry out in the next five years in the most ambitious market offensive in the history of its two brands. The car is powered by either petrol or diesel engines. The petrol uses the 240hp 2.0-litre turbo direct-injection engine from the latest Ford Mondeo.

Designer License Plate Rear View Camera

6 speedTransmission Transmission 6 speed

Trip Computer

RearComputer Parking Sensors Trip

Viva!

Now, on display at all KIA Showrooms.

Spoiler

Rear View Camera

www.facebook.com/kiaoman

• 1.6 Lt CVVT Engine • 6-speed Auto Transmission • 2 DIN MP3 CD Player w/ USB I-Pod Connectivity • Power Folding Mirrors • Steering Audio Remote • Fog Lamps • Spoiler • Floor Illumination • Designer License Plate • Day Time Running Light • Back Warning Sensors • Alloy Wheels • Trip Computer • Stylish Side Stripes • Rear View Camera

Daytime Running Lights

H a l a Cerato

World news} Is this the all-new Honda CR-V?

Gen II BMW 1 breaks cover

n preparation for September sales in UK, the allnew, second generation BMW 1 Series is expected to occupy a distinctive niche within its segment. BMW says that the car has been re-engineered extensively to combine agile, precise handling, improved aesthetics and innovative technology. It remains the only rear-wheel drive car in its class and, with a range of advanced TwinPower petrol and diesel engines, offers a sporty but fuel-efficient proposition boosted by BMW’s EfficientDynamics technologies fitted as standard. The new BMW 1 Series is marginally bigger than its predecessor. Industry watchers believe that the 1 Series is being moved up to make space for new models in the pipeline.

n fact, it is. In a rare gesture, Honda has released an image of the new CR-V Concept, providing the first official glimpse of styling direction. The all-new, fourth-generation CR-V is set to go on sale in the US by the end of 2011, and in Europe in Autumn 2012. The new CR-V Concept embraces a distinctive and bold styling direction. Compared to the previous generation, the concept model takes on a more aggressive stance with deeper sculpting of the body lines and a bolder

How to ruin a Maserati Quattroporte

More new MINIs on the way soon

s a regular e-bay surfer, one does come across weird stuff sometimes. And here’s a classic case of how an Italian luxury performance sedan is expected to continue its remaining days. Someone in US got this bright idea of converting a Maserati Quattroporte into a limo. The modders used a cut and shut method whereby the car’s original chassis was cut in half and several feet of limo body grafted. The result: nothing looks original and as if to make matters worse, the owner installed an illuminated Maserati Trident in the interior. From the images, some of the features include seating for 10, a total of three televisions, beverage holders, bar and a glass partition between the cabin and driver. The Quattroporte’s Ferrari-built V-8 engine appears untouched. Asking price for this car on Ebay was US$105,000!

front fascia. The lower front bumper wraps smartly upward to convey SUV capability, while the overall lower front bumper design now integrates more smoothly into the fascia for improved aerodynamics. Equipped with more efficient engines compared to the current model, the new CR-V is expected to deliver improved fuel economy. The new CR-V Concept will be on first public display at the Orange County International Auto Show in Anaheim, California, on September 2011.

t the end of 2012, MINI‘s third-generation models should begin to hit markets. The new models will be based on a new frontwheel drive platform internally coded as UKL. The new MINI line-up is expected to offer up to 10 different models, one of which is expected to be a MPV-styled van. The MPV that could actually help revive the ‘Traveller’ badge. The original Mini Traveller better known as the Morris Mini-Minor Traveller officially was a small van that in some iterations came with bolt-on wood body parts. Even with the expanded line-up, MINI is expected to continue naming the cars the traditional way just as it did with the Clubman and Countryman which were borrowed from the original Austin-Morris line-up.

We are expecting the successor to the production MINI Paceman due out towards the end of this year and there’s also some indication of the new powertrains. As part of the downsizing movement, it is expected that most of the new MINIs will be powered by BMW’s new turbocharged three-cylinder engines [which should deliver comparable performance to the four-cylinder engines found in today’s models]. Both petrol and diesel units will be offered as before and an an electric version is not ruled out. Meanwhile, four-cylinders will not go out of favour and we will still see a turbocharged unit producing up to 230hp. John Cooper Works variants will continue to exist and expand into other variants such as the Countryman.

regional news}

Caught testing For the extreme heat testing and reliability of cars, a team of engineers and test drivers from Chrysler Group headed towards several locations in the Middle East. Automan caught up with the group in Oman Author Chandan B Mallik

f you are in the automotive manufacturing business, then the name of Death Valley National Park in the US is close to the heart of countless test engineers who have the responsibility of putting disguised cars of the brands they represent through the most grueling tests imaginable. Besides testing cars in sweaty tedious and tough climatic conditions and simulating various weather conditions in the lab [from minus 40°C to 50°C], the test team is also somewhat responsible for ensuring car paparazzi hell-bent on grabbing shots of vehicles that haven’t yet been shown publicly be avoided as much as possible. While the cat-and-mouse game plays out all summer in Death Valley National Park between car manufacturers and press, the Middle East is also emerging as an important player in many automotive firm’s testing programmes. What we found out was during a lunch break that it’s not a 9.00am to 5.00pm routine job as the team shared some of the job details which were more that just a sneak peek into 10

this usually veiled part of producing cars. The chief test engineer was responsible for some specific data collection from the cars as to their thermal performance in the region’s scorching conditions [heat and humidity]. While the engineees mentioned some of the tasks, and after witnessing the hooked up equipment including a variety of sensors, laptops and miles of cables, we are pretty sure that the programme included feedback from their latest engines, transmissions and air-conditioning. The portfolio of models for the test included Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Durango, new Chrysler 300 and 200 and the tests were conducted for three weeks across the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The programme began in the UAE before moving onto Oman, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Engineers confirmed that these locations were specifically chosen as they comprehensively cover the driving conditions that are specific to the region - this included peak time traffic

driving, highway driving, long-term shopping mall idling and off-roading in mountain and sand environments. Key criteria such as AC performance, engine system cooling, material and paint durability, electronics, drivetrain and transmission were among the attributes that the team evaluated. Interestingly, the Wrangler [JK] was being tested with the new 3.6-litre V6 Pentastar package. Although no specific technical details were shared with us with the exception of what equipment was being used and how

many sensors were gathering sensitive data, we were pretty sure that the engineers were testing a new engine calibration to see if it helped with cooling as the car was put through a test meant to simulate steamy stop-and-go city driving as well as in the desert to judge the output of its air-conditioning. While we are aware that new eight-speed transmissions are to be introduced in the cars in a phased manner with the Durango being one of the first recipients, we were surprised that this lot of test cars didn’t have this transmission. Whatever the tests, usually secrecy is an obsession, but since the test models are already in some markets, the vehicles were not masked by yards of black vinyl with foam inserts over the bonnets, sides and rear to hide design details. It goes without saying that besides looking at their own vehicle’s performance, Chryslers’ test team also benchmarked performance of relevant models of key competitors such as Toyota and Nissan. And while believing that’s there’s no substitute for local knowledge. The test team was supported on the ground by the after sales team from Chrysler Group Middle East and the distributors of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles in the UAE (Trading Enterprises and Western Motors), Oman (Dhofar Automotive), Saudi Arabia

Breaking News

hinese automotive brand Geely returns to the Sultanate after a hiatus of two years, thanks to a new initiative. With successful strategic transformation in 2007, the company has not only has changed its official distributor for Oman, but is also working out new a spare parts logistics centre with a UAE-based organization. Geely, which also now owns Sweden’s Volvo has been involved in an aggressive export drive since 2007. In fact, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group has created three sub-brands for its automotive division representing various aspirations – Dihao, Shanghai Englon and Embrand – in 2009. Geely is ambitious to become the best Chinese self-owned brand with global competitiveness by 2015 and is

(United Motor Company) and Kuwait (Al Mulla & Behbehani Motor Co. W.L.L.). While the testing was underway, a dedicated customer-focused programme, “The Voice Of The Customer”, was also staged to gather valuable feedback and enhancement suggestions from end-users of Chrysler Group products. Jack Rodencal, Managing Director of Chrysler Group Middle East summed up the effort by saying: “Chrysler Group already runs an intensive on-going programme to improve the quality and performance of its vehicles on a global level - testing, both in laboratory conditions and on physical testing grounds in the US, takes place on a continuous basis. Our colleagues in the US recognise that the demands placed on vehicles in our region are unique, and the results gathered here will play a major role in developing future models that will be available here.” The data gathered during the Middle East thermal testing programme adds up with data collected from the testing carried out in Chrysler Group’s US testing facilities. The analysts identify areas for enhancements [if required] which are relevant our the region’s requirements, according to Maher Abdalla, director - after sales at Chrysler Group Middle East.

A typical heat test An engineering team will usually run two tests. In one, a SUV will be loaded and its performance going up steep winding roads will be noted [in UAE it would most likely be Jebel Hafeet and in Oman, the new Amrat connector]. Engineers would have to pay extra attention to temperatures of transmission fluid and engine oil all the way up. Variances in temperature readings will be taken and matched. In the second concurrent exercise, readings will taken inside the cabin of a test car at different times of the day and also that of a rival. Data will include air-conditioning efficiency, time taken to cool the car and perhaps some data on heat insulation or heat rejection. To get those readings, engineers will take the trouble to get into cars whose interiors can approach as high as 60°degrees. Then they will follow a routine where at say, each few minutes, they would let the car idle, then check the temperature monitors, then head down the road for quarter mile, turn around and come back, then take another reading. While quantification of statistics are important and most relevant, some findings can be subjective. For instance, a data collector could record how hot he felt on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 being the most sweltering, as the car cooled gradually.

Towell Auto introduces Geely Embrand in Oman keen to implement the overall strategy of “no price competition, no price cuts”. The company says that the Emgrand sub brand is designed to include in a series of attractively priced and kitted mid and high-grade models. For Oman, the range of cars include the C-segment EC7 in both sedan and hatchback and entry luxury EC8 models with engine displacements ranging from 1.8-litre to 2.4litre. Powertrain technology from Mitsubishi is quite evident in the cars. Meanwhile, the entry level jelly bean styled Geely Panda hatchback comes with a 1.3-litre engine and manual transmission.

World news}

Postcard from Goodwood

As always, the glorious Goodwood Festival of Speed in UK played out to a huge crowd of ecstatic fans in perfect weather conditions

ord March’s estate driveway in Goodwood, UK was busy once again for the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed. Held from June 30 to July 03, it not only attracts car lovers from all over the world, but also the likes of high profile motoring celebrities such as Formula One drivers Lewis Hamilton, Dario Franchitti, John Surtees and Sir Stirling Moss and many more thrilling the throng driving a broad array of old, new and future motor cars. This year it was Jaguar who sponsored Goodwood as preferred marquee, signed off the event with ‘MASSIVE ART’, a 28-metrehigh tribute to the E-Type, which weighed an estimated 150 tonnes besides celebrating the 50th birthday of its iconic E Type in style. Jaguar also added to the suspense by running just about every Big Cat of any race success or significance up the famous hill climb event. There was also a special class in the Cartier Style at Luxury Concours d’Elegance for the E-Type. Another anniversary celebrated will be Jaguar’s first Le Mans victory sixty years ago. Goodwood was brilliant end to end - from a continuous surge of older and latest F1 machinery up and down the hill, to the number of Indy 500 cars there to celebrate the centennial of that great race. But that’s not all - Goodwood played host as usual to a significant number of great machines, men and series with gluts of WRC, sports and endurance cars or bikes regularly running up the hill, with the special rally stage, the latest sports and supercars strutting their stuff throughout the day and a complete motor show to woo fans throughout the day. Jaguar’s arch rival Porsche also confirmed that it too is returning to the racetrack in the not so distant future as it once again gears up to once again tackle Le Mans. Meanwhile, the 2010 Ferrari F10 singleseater, driven by Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver, Marc Gené, also wowed the crowds at the Goodwood Festival and Ferrari also took their latest luxury sports car, the forthcoming 2012 Ferrari FF as part of the Supercar Paddock. Of course the old rally stage ran all day long as usual, there were air displays the likes of the RAF’s wonderful Vulcan bomber and much, much more to keep the crowd happy in spite of that sweltering Goodwood midsummer spectacular going down in blazing heat.

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Past, present and future

GM’s Chevrolet brand is approaching its 100th anniversary and Automan drives down memory lane and retraces a century of major milestones across the Middle East of this popular automotive brand

he Chevrolet Centennial will be celebrated on November 3 when it will commemorate the many milestones and achievements that the illustrious brand has accomplished across the Middle East. July 27 served as a momentous day when GM officially began its 100 day countdown to the brand’s 100th anniversary. Chevrolet has become part of the fabric of life in the Middle East and has influenced the region’s automotive history ever since the first Chevrolet vehicles were introduced in the early 20th Century. The automotive brand owes its existence to a Swiss racing driver and a Boston-based entrepreneur who founded 14

Chevrolet 100 years ago. Back in the early 1900s, Louis Chevrolet was making a name for himself as a daring race car driver and innovative engineer. He began racing for the Buick team, owned by Boston financier and entrepreneur William Durant. But the two men decided to form a partnership off the track and founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in Detroit, Michigan, on November 3, 1911. One year later, the first ‘Classic Six’ rolled off the factory floor in Detroit. The fourcylinder ‘Baby Grand’ and the two-seater ‘Royal Mail’ and the ‘L Light Six’ soon followed. These were the forerunners to some of the Middle East’s most popular vehicles; the Chevrolet

Caprice, Suburban, Camaro and the Corvette. Chevrolet’s popularity was not just confined to the United States; during this time a growing number of vehicles were making their way to the Middle East. Initially imported into the region by diplomats and U.S. embassy staff, Chevrolet soon began to capture the imagination of kings, princes and kings across the region, igniting the Middle East’s love affair with American vehicles. By the 1920s, Arab entrepreneurs were importing Chevrolets to sell to a new emerging class of people who were keen to express their wealth and social status through the purchase of a car.

General Motors, which by this point had acquired Chevrolet, could not ignore the growing popularity of Chevrolet in the Middle East and established a corporate head office in Alexandria, Egypt, in 1926 to service the growing number of customers in the region. GM began to appoint the first official dealers for its brands including Egypt’s Oakland Fouad I & Imad Eddin, which was selected as the first Chevrolet dealer covering the entire Middle East. To help promote its vehicles, GM also organized the region’s first Auto Show in Egypt that showcased all of its vehicles, including a trio of four-cylinder cars from Chevrolet.

GM’s strategy was working. By the later 1920s, awareness of Chevrolet was rising fast and its reputation was soaring. As a result, more Chevrolet dealers were appointed, including Wassef Beshara in Jordan, the Khairallah brothers’ Syria Auto & Electric Co dealership in Syria, Kedorie & Ezra Mir Lawee in Iraq and Al Khalid in Kuwait. “Chevrolet’s success was built on the cornerstones of value, reliability, performance and expressive design. For millions of Chevrolet customers in the Middle East and around the world, it continues to represent these same qualities today,” says John Stadwick, President and Managing Director of General Motors

Middle East Operations. Chevrolet was now blazing a trail through the Middle East and was revolutionizing transport, shortening travel times, opening up vast areas of previously inaccessible desert, and changing the lives and fortunes of the region’s people for ever. In particular, Chevrolet was gaining a reputation for its desert worthiness. Chevrolet vehicles were proving themselves to be more than a match for the grueling Middle Eastern environment and were fast replacing camels as the most convenient desert transport. Not only could they reach places that were originally only accessible by 15

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camel, but they could do so in a fraction of the time and in greater comfort. Chevrolet’s desert reputation was confirmed in 1938 when the British Army in North Africa ordered 500 Chevrolets with desert equipment. They were among the first Chevrolets specially engineered to handle the harsh conditions of the Middle East’s desert interior. The Chevrolets were quite successful as reliable transportation for water, ammunition and troops that thousands of 4x4 and 6x6 Chevrolet trucks and command cars were ordered by the British Army during WWII. To improve desert endurance, Chevrolet developed new tyres along with the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company that could endure the heat and rugged terrain of the desert. Later, Chevrolet also helped to develop the famous ‘camel foot’ tyres. But Chevrolet’s influence on the region’s automobile landscape did not stop. In 1936, Chevrolet revolutionized transport again with the introduction of the Suburban - the world’s first sports utility vehicle (SUV). The Suburban was capable of comfortably carrying up to eight passengers and it started the Arab obsession with the SUV. It was an ideal vehicle for traditionally large Arab families

and became a popular mode of transport for the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. By the 1950s, sales of the Suburban and other Chevrolet vehicles began to soar as prosperity levels in the Middle East were boosted by the discovery and extraction of oil across the region. To meet this demand, GM appointed more Chevrolet dealers in countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar. This ensured that customers across the entire Middle East could have access to Chevrolet vehicles and be provided with a world-class service. Along with the Suburban, Chevrolet introduced new vehicles that captured the imagination of customers in the region, such as the Corvette in 1953, the Caprice in 1965 and the Camaro in 1967. These new vehicles helped to elevate the brand among the region’s drivers who were now affectionately referring to Chevrolet as “Shafar” in many parts of the Arabian Peninsula. “Chevrolet features in Arabic songs, poetry and film as much as it does in the United States. That’s because Chevrolet has shaped the region’s automotive landscape, revolutionized the way that people travel and

affected their lives in many positive ways,” says Stadwick. “Chevrolet has had as much influence in the Middle East as it has had on the States with vehicles such as the Suburban and the Caprice engrained in the hearts and minds of Arab drivers.” To ensure it could meet the sales and service needs of all Chevrolet customers in the region, GM opened a new regional headquarters in Dubai in 1991 – General Motors Middle East Operations. From here it supports the growing number of Chevrolet showrooms and service workshops across the region. The opening of GM’s Middle East Parts Distribution Centre in 2003 ensures that all Chevrolet customers receive vehicle parts in a timely fashion. “This year’s centennial is a great chance to reflect on the passion and emotion that has made Chevrolet what it is today,” adds Stadwick. “It’s also an important opportunity to look ahead as we build on the promise of the Chevrolet brand to make it as relevant tomorrow as it has been for 100 years for customers here in the Middle East.”

BATTERY POWER

Aluminium-Celmet

composite

material

could

boost the range of electric vehicles by 200 per cent, according to new trials Author Chandan B Mallik

ange anxiety perhaps is the biggest fear that owners or drivers of such vehicles dread as it can leave a vehicle’s occupants stranded well short of their destination. This could also be one of the reasons for a low response to a widespread adoption of EVs, despite its perceived benefits. However, battery suppliers for EVs are furiously working overtime in finding possible solutions to extend battery life in existing chemistry formulations [lithium mostly], while others are looking at alternative materials which not only help retain more energy than what’s available currently, but also to some expect in the scale of economies and costing. A promising new material has been developed by Japanese firm Sumitomo Electric. This new discovery could go a long way in helping dispelling such fears by potentially improving the capacity of lithium-ion batteries by 1.5 to three times, and therefore extending the range of EVs by an extra 50 to 200 per cent. That means such an application could give a Nissan LEAF EV a range of up to 175-352km or a Tesla Roadster a range of 589-1,178km. The material in question is called Aluminium-Celmet that features an Aero barlike, three-dimensional mesh-like structure that forms interconnected, open and spherical pores. Sumitomo Electric had previously been producing its proprietary Celmet material

made from nickel or nickel chrome alloy. Its high porosity of up to 98 percent and favorable filling, retaining and current-collecting performance when used with an active material, led to Celmet recently being adopted as a positive electrode current collector in hybrid vehicle nickel-hydrogen batteries. It is also easy to process the porous metal into various shapes by cutting and stamping. Using a similar process used for producing nickel Celmet, the company has now succeeded in developing Aluminium-Celmet that shares the high

porosity of Celmet, but is lighter, offers greater electrical conductivity and excellent corrosion resistance - all attributes that make it attractive for use in lithium-ion batteries for EVs and other batteries operating at high charge/

discharge voltages. Sumitomo Electric says that by replacing the Aluminium foil used for the positive electrode in conventional lithium-ion batteries with Aluminium-Celmet’s three-dimensional mesh-like structure increases the amount of positive active per unit area. According to the company’s trial calculations, the material could increase the capacity of electric vehicle onboard battery packs 1.5 to 3 times. This could extend the range of electric vehicles using the same volume battery pack by an extra 200 percent, or maintain the existing range while reducing the battery volume by one to two-thirds. While electric vehicles are the most immediately obvious use for extended capacity batteries, Sumitomo points out that such technology also holds advantages for reducing the physical footprint of home-use batteries for storing power from solar and other renewable sources, as well as fuel cells. Similarly, the material can also be used for improving the capacity and reducing the footprint of capacitors. Sumitomo Electric has set up a smallscale production line in Osaka in an effort to accelerate development of Aluminium-Cemet with an eye towards mass production and commercialization for such applications.

brandwatch

Holden recharts its business plans

Design studios churning out more international models for GM brands Author Chandan B Mallik

o fewer than five current General Motors global vehicle designs are slated to come out from GM Holdenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Melbourne-based design studios. These assignments are part of multiple international projects for Chevrolet and Opel. The secret international projects are expected to include a new Cruze wagon that is due by 2013 after the runaway success of the global small car. While the Port Melbourne studios that are working to capacity, design themes penned by Holden stylists working here and in overseas GM studios have lit a fi re under GMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staid image, particularly in the US andMiddle East, with headturners such as the forthcoming Malibu midsizer, Cruze hatch, Barina light car (also known as the Aveo and Sonic). Meanwhile, it is reported that even before

the first Australian-penned hatchback version reaches production inAdelaide, Holden has revealed it is pitching for the design and manufacture of the nextgeneration Cruze small car. Holden is taking part in a global competition within General Motors to create the look of the 2015 model Cruze, with a decision due by the end of 2012. As of now, it is not clear whether Holden is presenting proposals for all body variants, but there is a fixed styling theme in place for which the undisclosed number of GM outposts â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including the Fishermans Bend design and prototype centre in Melbourne. Holden chairman and managing director Mike Devereux revealed the plan at the local debut of the Adelaide-made JH Cruze hatchback sometime ago.

Holden vital for GM

enior General Motors executives have reaffirmed the US auto giant’s commitment to Holden’s manufacturing operations in Australia. This comes following a meeting with federal industry minister Kim Carr in Washington last month. GM’s vice-president for global public policy, Robert Ferguson, and vice-president of international government relations and public policy, Arturo Elias, met with the minister to discuss the company’s recent investments in Australia – aided by significant federal government funding – and

“prospects for future growth, particularly with regard to exports”.

Poor quality cost Holden its domestic and ME business

Quality and service problems played a large role in undermining what had been a successful GM Holden push into brand and quality conscious Middle East markets, according to one of the company’s senior purchasing executives. The admission came during a frank exchange between parts suppliers and three senior purchasing officers from the local vehicle producers at last month’s AutoCRC national conference. While optimistic about the industry’s future beyond 2015, all three urged parts suppliers to redouble their efforts to stay competitive

and come up with products that can help set Australian cars apart from their rivals. “We had the Middle East business, anchored in Melbourne, and we lost that; we lost it because of poor quality,” said GM Holden’s Michael Filazzola. “It was also in the way we way we actually executed the program. That gave us a bit of a realisation that the rest of the world has passed us by.” He said GMH executives thought they were doing a good job when they were not. “We stood still, we thought we actually were doing a good job, but we really weren’t,” Filazzola said. “It was nothing complicated. It was simple focus. We lost our way. We assumed things would happen, as opposed to executing and doing the followup. But we cannot lose sight of the domestic market. If we don’t have a domestic market, we won’t have an export market, and that means we won’t have manufacturing. The domestic market is extra-important.”

Is the Suzuki-Volkwagen tie-up souring? It seems the partnership between Suzuki and Volkswagen is going through turbulance. According to The Truth About Cars, VW is a bit upset that the corporate tie-up between the two automakers hasn’t borne more fruit. If you believe the whispers sneaking around the web right now, the German company even went so far as to leak its frustrations to the German press, saying that partnership is “a big disappointment” and that Suzuki expects full access to VW tech without having to reciprocate. Suzuki, meanwhile, says that’s not the case. Osamu Suzuki himself took to his company’s blog to say that the two automakers entered into the agreement as equal partners, and that Volkswagen has no say over how Suzuki conducts its business. Haven’t we heard this ‘merger of equals’ [hint Daimler and Chrysler] pun before? Meanwhile, Suzuki,is among several Japanese automakers evaluating their production strategies for coping with natural disasters after this year’s earthquake and tsunami. According to Automotive News, Suzuki is investing around $494mn to shift its factories and research centre away from the coastal city of Hamamatsu. The report notes that scientists estimate that there’s an 80 percent chance that an 8.0-magnitude earthquake will befall the coastline between Tokyo and Nagoya in the next 30 years, but for Suzuki, the larger concern is radiation contamination associated with a failing nuclear reactor.

Audi wants US plant? A weak dollar and dollops of corporate incentives and cost-effective experienced workforce is good enough these days to lure manufacturers from high-cost sites in Europe or Japan to North America. Now it’s the turn of Germany’s Volkswagen Audi Group’s Audi brand to make up its mind. Despite an inventory problem, Audi has been considering US as one of its possible new production sites for past four years. Sharing VW’s new Chattanooga plant for the purpose. was also considered. However, the global economic downturn put the idea on hold, at least temporarily. Last month, a report from Detroit indicated that Audi has finally decided to build a plant in the US. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has indicated that all decisions in this respect would be made within three years.

brandwatch

he freshly minted second generation CLS-class might be expanded to as many as eight variants across two body styles by next year if the company can get its hands

on the CLS wagon, quaintly dubbed the Shooting Brake. Although the German giant is yet to confirm the timing or introduction of the stylishly sleek Shooting Brake variant,

it makes no bones about its interest in doing just that, as soon as possible.

Frank Bernthaler, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Middle East and Levant on the Shooting Brake The freshly minted second generation CLS-class might be expanded to as many as eight variants across two body styles by next year. What versions are being launched in ME? Daimler Middle East and Levant has just launched both 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG and CLS 500 models in the Middle East, and from August onwards the CLS 350 will add to the product line-up. Given the universal appeal of the CLS-Class, MercedesBenz is expanding our pioneering role in this segment with this new generation’s model range through some exciting new variants on the very successful four-door Coupé platform. This could be possible if the MercedesBenz can get its hands on a CLS wagon variant, which has been quaintly dubbed the Shooting Brake. How much is Mercedes-Benz interested in launching such a car and why? In 2004, Mercedes-Benz established a new vehicle segment with the four-door Coupé CLS and created a design icon. Sales to over

170,000 customers around the globe prove how enthusiastically this car has been received and the CLS continues to make waves with its fascinating design and consistent ‘wowfactor’. Mercedes-Benz aims to extend this success story with the CLS Shooting Brake and complement our product portfolio with another appealing model. This new car is based on the great tradition of a stylish, cultivated sportiness which has always characterised the great Mercedes Coupés, and it takes this unique legacy an exciting step further. The decision to build the CLS Shooting Brake underscores the leading role of Mercedes-Benz in regards of innovative passenger car concepts and design – that is exactly what our customers expect from us - while at the same time it points the way towards the future design idiom of Mercedes-Benz. If affirmative, when is it expected? As of 2012, the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake will roll-off the assembly line in the Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen Plant, Germany.

Would it make its way to the ME/GCC? The CLS range as a whole has received a very warm reception in the region. At this stage though, we are still evaluating whether this exciting new CLS Shooting Brake model will come to the Middle East and expect that decision to be made later this year.

Toyota’s forthcoming sports coupe name finalised

oyota’s first rear-drive sports coupe since the MR2 will most likely be called the Toyota 86 – not Celica – when it arrives in showrooms next year. The clue comes from a patent and Trademark Office filing made by Toyota earlier this month. According to reports Toyota Motor Corporation filed an application with IP Australia to register the 86 name in 2010 with the title being entered on the register of Australian trademarks on March 17 this year.

AE86: the drift champion that still inspires

The Toyota Sprinter Trueno / Toyota Corolla Levin was a compact sports car produced in Japan from 1983 – 1987. Popular by the name AE86 or hatchi-roku (86) [in Japanese]. This lightweight car sized about the current Yaris compact is said to be the biggest influencer by far in developing a market for sport compact cars in the US and Canada. The AE86 was powered by a then state-of-the-art 1.6-litre normally aspirated twincam engine co-developed with Yamaha producing between 83-115hp. This vehicle has since become an icon of the JDM community, and is famous for drifting thanks to Keiichi Tsuchiya (Drift King). Tsuchiya and his AE86 invented the organized drift competitions in both Japan and in North America.

“Nissan Power 88”

issan Power 88 is the name of Nissan’s recently announced new business plan. The bold plan outlines what is plans in its operations for the next six years and calls for an increase in the automaker’s global market share to eight per cent by 2017 [as well as an equal eight per cent increase in operating profit, hence the 88 in the business plan’s title]. Should all go according to plan Nissan will deliver on average, a new or updated model every six weeks for the next six years! Of course Nissan’s premium brand is also included in the plan – ten models are dedicated for Infiniti’s line-up. Eventually, Nissan is hoping

that its Infiniti brand will have expanded into 71 global markets, up from 36 today.

Hyundai moves into centre stage in global market What does Carlos Ghosn of Renault-Nissan Alliance, Alan Mulally of Ford, and Martin Winterkorn of Volkswagen have in common? Well, they certainly qualify as the three most notable automotive executives who love talking about global dominance these days officially. But when the microphones are turned off, you can bet that the one competitor they’re all talking about, and perhaps most worried about, isn’t Toyota any more — it’s Hyundai. It may be some time before Toyota recovers enough from its safety recalls and earthquake problems and this creates an opening for the Korean juggernaut which has been gaining remarkable highs in market shares globally for at least the last three years. Its global production has doubled in the last decade, thanks to vastly improved quality, better content, a focus on the most mileage-conscious parts of the market, and a willingness to innovate and take chances.

brandwatch

he Oscar equivalent for engineering excellence for engines, 2011 International Engine of the Year Awards, was decided by a panel of 76 motoring journalists from 36 different countries. Categories include The Best New Engine, Green Engine and Sub 1.0-litre. Picking up the 1.0- to 1.4-litre category was, for the sixth year running, was Volkswagen’s 1.4-litre TSI engine. This engine powers the Polo GTI, Golf 118TSI and Golf wagon 118TSI and Jetta 118TSI. Awarded the 1.4- to 1.8-litre category was BMW and PSA Peugeot’s 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine for the fifth year in a row. This engine powers the MINI Cooper S. Taking out the best 1.8- to 2.0-litre class award was BMW’s new 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel fourcylinder which rockets the 1 Series, and the new X1. Winning the 2.0- to 2.5-litre award was Audi’s 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine for the second year running. This unit is available TT RS. Taking the 2.5to 3.0-litre award was BMW’s 3.0-litre direct-injection twin-turbo petrol straight-six engine. In fact, this engine powers the soon-to-arrive 1 Series M Coupe. Picking up the 3.0- to 4.0-litre award is once again, the BMW M3 4.0-litre V8. This is the fourth year in a row and tenth time overall the engine has been selected for this award. At the top of the performance categories, Ferrari’s 4.5-litre V8 was awarded the ‘Above 4.0-litre’ and ‘Best Performance Engine’ accolade. The Ferrari 458 Italia is the recipient of this engine. The overall 2011 International Engine of the Year award was given to the Fiat TwinAir 875cc two-cylinder engine.

Overall rankings for the International Engine of the Year Award over the years since it started in 1999 consist of the following:

BMW Volkswagen/Audi Toyota and Honda Daimler/Mercedes-Benz Fiat/Alfa Romeo BMW PSA and Mazda and Ferrari Porsche and PSA Peugeot/Citroen GM and Subaru

52 24 22 9 7 4 3 2

Aston Martin secures funding for future models

t’s no secret that since 2003, Aston Martin‘s highly flexible VH architecture/platform has served exceptionally well for almost every model [with the exception of the One-77 -Although it’s based on the principles of the VH platform it actually shares little with it in actual hardware]. It is now reported that Aston Martin is pursuing a new or replacement platform and the company has confirmed that it has obtained the funding for the purpose. The backing comes from a bond issue, which will help bring in $487mn from investors. With the capital in place, sources anticipate Aston will begin working on its next generation of vehicles in 2012, with the first of the new models to debut in 2015 or 2016. While, the funding is in place and probable datelines agreed, the million-dollar question at this point is where that new platform will come from? Aston Martin has several options. It could develop the new architecture in-

house, or adapt the aluminium platform from the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG [as part of a new arrangement being discussed with Daimler to produce a new range of Maybach and Lagonda limousines together]. Meanwhile, Aston Martin could also opt for an IPO to raise funds as reports of Aston Martin attempting to go public and file an initial public offering (IPO) date back almost as far as when the classic British brand was first sold by Ford to a consortium led by Prodrive founder David Richards. The automaker is now on the verge of a massive expansion plan, starting with the development of a brand new DB9 and a sales launch into the lucrative Chinese market, and reports of a possible IPO have flared up again. To fund this expansion, Aston Martin recently issued up to $485 million in secured notes though going into the future more funding may be

required and according to its CEO, Dr. Ulrich Bez, an IPO may be the way to go. “We are still thinking of an IPO,” Bez revealed to news agency Bloomberg recently. With the automaker about to receive an import license for China, which would essentially allow it to establish its own national sales arm, there’s major potential for its sales to take off, in which case Aston Martin needs to be prepared for financially. At the meeting, Bez was also quick to point out that Aston Martin was under no pressure from shareholders to carry out an IPO and that it had enough funding already for its current expansion plans.

Ford in patent infringement case over SYNC and safety systems

ord’s recent tech drive in new cars is well documented, especially applications such as Sync, blind spot recognition, MyKey among others, but these systems have been developed by third party entities. Now, the problem is that US-based Eagle Harbor Holdings, LLC and its subsidiary MediusTech LLC [technology suppliers] have filed a federal lawsuit in Tacoma against Ford for infringing on several automotive technology patents being used in Ford, Lincoln and Mercury branded vehicles. The lawsuit alleges that Ford has used systems like blind-spot identification, MyKey, Active Park Assist and others without

permission of its patent holders. Dan Preston, chairman and managing member of Eagle Harbor Holdings, claims to be the inventor of most of the patents asserted in the lawsuit. According to details in the law suit, Preston began talks with Ford’s engineers in 2002 about some of the ideas and products. Those talks ended in 2008 with no results. Dan Preston’s lawsuit further claims that he had the patent rights [of the systems used in Ford] and that the early 2009 Ford introduction of the SYNC in-car connectivity system was infringing on patents.

GM unhappy over VW CEO comments on Opel

aguar Land Rover has recently confirmed that it will spend £1.5 billion per year on product creation over the next five years. The investment which will amount to over £7.5 billion will help deliver 40 significant product actions in the next 5 years. As part of JLR’s growth strategy, the group is exploring a number of areas of development but have nothing further to comment at this stage. However, contrary to several media reports which have suggested that £50mn have been earmarked for an engine plant in the UK or a cost effective production facility in China, JLR has not released any information with regard to an engine plant or a plant in China officially so far. But it seems that eventually the programmes will go ahead. This is because currently engines used in cars of both brands are from Ford. It is logical that Tata Motors

will devise a plan to deprive them soon as possible by trying to develop in-house a new generation of engines which could be smaller and more efficient going with the current downsizing trends. The future Jaguar supercar, the C-X75 that is expected to roll out in two years is expected to lead the way in new powertrain technologies, including some form of hybridization or electrification as suggested in the concept. Meanwhile, Tata’s chairman, Ratan Tata has revealed in the company’s most recent annual report that Jaguar and Land Rover current reliance on engines supplied by former parent Ford for their respective line-ups will change eventually as in the future the luxury vehicles could feature engines developed jointly with Tata. According to Tata, the goal would be to “optimize the synergetic strengths between JLR and Tata Motors in India”.

GM has released a statement calling VW CEO’s comments on a possible Opel sale “regrettable”.” In an edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn commented on rumors regarding Opel, which continues a regrettable pattern of fanning speculation as Opel makes solid progress in its restructuring, in generating improved operating results,” said the GM statement. Winterkorn had speculated in an interview with the German newspaper that Chinese automakers would love to get their hands on Opel’s technology and intellectual property as well as its assets in Europe such as its distribution network. It is no secret that Chinese automakers have ambitions to sell cars in Western markets in the future, as do the Japanese and Korean automakers today. Winterkorn also said it wouldn’t be wise for GM to lose 5,000 engineers in a sale of Opel when engineers are in short supply in the industry. GM is troubled by the loss-making Opel division but is too reliant on its technology for its global brands like Cadillac and Chevrolet to sell it off. GM says it is committed to turning the unit around. “Opel has been part of the GM family since 1928 and remains important to the company. GM is pleased with Opel’s solid progress over the last year in turning around its business, and the company continues to invest in outstanding products for the European market,” GM said in a statement.

brandwatch

e don’t know why think-tanks at Italian supercarmaker Lamborghini succumbed to the bean bag argument related to numbers. Lamborghini, the Italian supercar maker has always been respected for it numbers! A very recent announcement has sent shock waves throughout the motoring world and the brand’s aficionados in particular. Lamborghini has confirmed that it was discontinuing manual transmission options in its future cars. The news broke out when Lamborghini’s R&D director Maurizio Reggiani revealed to an USbased magazine that the decision indeed had been made to go out all automatic in order to ensure the utmost drivability and performance. Reggiani notes that “a manual transmission breaks the electrical chain that connects the engine to the road, and that you can’t rely on a driver to always shift gears without glitches”. Although purists have to take this with a pinch of salt the idea of a missing third pedal, Lamborghini thinks that most buyers

Automan’s take To take away that final piece of driver control which is the ability to shift the gears and to match the revs to the speed on entry to a corner whilst shifting down, heel-and-toeing to get the perfect seamless shift, we firmly believe is a real mistake by Lamborghini. Irrespective of what the numbers suggest, Lamborghini with its glorious heritage and solid engineering backing from its parent group shouldn’t be following Ferrari on this line, they should stick to what they are good at. And with this note a small piece of advice from us for those who might want a manual Lamborghini – we will recommend the And for those who want a manual Lamborghini – we can recommend the LP550-2, with a manual gearbox LP550-2 for the job. aren’t even likely to notice the difference, thanks to the razor sharp manual-like automatic transmissions available these days. Reggiani also added that from a commercial perspective, customers buying manual transmission options currently represent just 1-2 per cent of all Lamborghini production. This now means that Lamborghini’s newest and soon-to-arrive Aventador model will be available exclusively with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, and the same will be true for the company’s Gallardo replacement, which is due next year. So, it’s farewell to the familiar classic open metal gate with the ball gearstick for now. However, the super sports car fraternity isn’t entirely convince that this is the way to go. Porsche, as we know are looking at alternatives has always offered manual gearboxes and have said that they will continue to do so, even if it is limited to some of their hardcore GT3 models. They will be combined with a PDK option for the first time in the new 991 model, but the option will still be there for that minority per cent of drivers who want to feel like they are having a direct input in their cars.

Aston Martin confirms Zagato production

ston Martin confirms production of a strictly limited number of the new V12 Zagato following its successful unveilings. After winning the award for Design in the Concepts and Prototypes class at the prestigious Villa D’ Este Concours and then going on to prove its durability with the successful completion of the gruelling 39th ADAC Nürburgring 24 Hour race, Aston Martin confirms that there is overwhelmingly encouraging interest from customers to confirm production of the V12 Zagato. Based on the acclaimed V12 Vantage and sporting a beautifully handcrafted aluminium and carbon fibre body, the V12 Zagato will be produced in very limited numbers for discerning customers. Orders are now being taken on a strictly first come first served basis and production is expected to commence during summer 2012 at Aston Martin’s global headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire.

Of the V12 Zagato, Aston Martin’s Chief Executive Dr. Ulrich Bez, said: “Such style, exclusivity and fastidious craftsmanship ensures it will be one of the most highly coveted models in Aston Martin’s 98-year history. A fabulous celebration of the iconic DB4GT Zagato, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, the V12 Zagato is the perfect inspiration for the next 5 0

years of Aston Martin.”

Porsche to offer next generation Boxsters with forced fed four pots?

ith the next-generation Porsche Cayman caught by spy photographers recently running ‘round the ‘Ring, new reports or rumours about its platform and powertrains are beginning to surface. According to a leading UK-car magazine, both the Boxster and Cayman will ride on a wheelbase that’s 60mm longer than its predecessor (up to 2,415 mm), with the overall length growing slightly and curb weight dropping by around 15kg. However, the magazine also contends that the next major Boxster/Cayman facelift is due around 2015/2016 and a host of new drivetrains will follow suit in view of the new

In honour of the performance and racing heritage of previous collaborations, the first two V12 Zagatos were developed as endurance race cars from the start and went into their track debut just a week after being shown to the public for the first time on the shores of Lake Como, Italy at the Villa D’Este Concours.

legislation and downsizing trends. A bigger bore twin-turbocharged 2.5-litre flat-four capable of delivering in excess of 350hp and equal torque could replace the current 3.4litre flat-six. Furthermore, a smaller, 1.6-litre version could also make its way into the oftenrumoured 356-inspired speedster [nearly forgotten mid-engine Volkswagen and Audi’s sub-TT]. And one shouldn’t be surprised if a hybrid-assist option is also offered. But for the time being, the current flat-six will continue, although we strongly believe that a four-pot could debut inside the Boxster first and the Boxster-based Cayman in the following year.

Tata Motors moves Supreme Court over land issue Singur in West Bengal, India has gained international media attention and some notoriety ever since Tata Motors started constructing a factory to manufacture the world’s cheapest car, the $2,500 Tata Nano at this location. Farmers agitation motivated by local politicians forced Tata Motors to relocate the project to the state of Gujarat. But the problem doesn’t end there. One of the promises made by the newly elected Trinamool government in the state was to return 400 acres of leased land belonging to unwilling farmers. Now cornered, Tata Motors has approached the honourable Supreme Court in New Delhi India seeking an order to restrain the newly elected government of West Bengal from taking back and distributing farmers the land, which was earlier allocated to the company by the previous government to set up the prestigious Nano car project. The company, which had failed to get any relief from the Calcutta High Court, said that it had challenged the Singur Land Rehabilitation and Development (SLRD) Act, passed by the state Assembly for taking back possession of the land and distributing it among farmers who owned them before the acquisition.

{COVER Editorial 2012 mini

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The all-new 2012 new crossover from MINI Cooper, the Countryman represents several firsts for the brand and possibly the segment. Automan checks out the S version and discovers more Author Chandan B Mallik Photography author, Nabeel Ferzan & Manoj Raja

portfolio with models such as classic MINI, the MINI Cabrio and MINI Clubman. Hildebrand and his team added a real 4-door version to the MINI brand: the MINI Countryman, which was launched in September 2010 and within months in the Middle East. So what’s the Countryman all about? Is it an attempt to woo disenfranchised fans of the car’s early days or is it just following the new trends in the business? Is it a hatchback or is it a SUV? There are many questions that are bound to cross every MINI aficionado’s mind and there’s a good reason for it. First MINI variants are far and few and the brand has never had a SUV in its portfolio. The Countryman is perhaps the first

attempt by the British brand which now tries to bridge the gap between a hatchback and SUV in one go. For a marketing pundit, it’s a logical extension of the current family of lifestyle models.

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Architecture Like its predecessors, the Countryman is a two-box design and is built on a new AWD platform [we also have a feeling that this architecture will be passed on to new models within the group soon]. The car sports new dimensions and is marginally bigger in basic dimensions. It’s 15in longer, four inches wider, and six inches taller than the regular MINI hardtop. The wheelbase has been stretched by 5.1in and there’s a modest increase in ground clearance also.

Powertrains

Styling As the first MINI to measure more than four metres in length, the design profile follows the principle established for the classic Mini – which is creating maximum interior space and functionality on a compact footprint. And one of the ways of doing this was pushing the wheels to the corners as far as possible helping extend the wheelbase. In the Countryman, this formula also transcends in the Countryman and there’s MINI written all around and this aspect should gel well with MINI purists. There’s a happy face made up by rather large through-the-bonnet headlamps and upper and lower grilles. The bonnet appears oversized, but we think it’s more cosmetic than utility as it keeps the major styling elements in proportion. In the side view, the wheels and tires are showcased beneath prominent black arches. Side repeater lamps are surrounded by lots of chrome neatly aligned with the A-pillars. A high waistline supports three side windows and two full sized doors per side. A large hatch provides access to the cargo area which offers 16.5 cubic feet of space with the rear seats up and 41.3 cubic feet of haulage volume with the rear backrests folded. With no less than eleven body colours, three choices for roof colour, there’s a wealth of bespoke exterior configurations for individual tastes. 28

Under the bonnet of the Cooper S Countryman comes with a fairly high-tech engine. It’s lightweight all aluminium, has twin chaindriven camshafts and used a single twin-scroll turbocharger, direct fuel injection. The turbocharged 1.6-litre direct-injected engine that produces 181bhp at 5,500 rpm and 177 lb-ft. of torque from 1,600-5000 rpm when mated to an Aisin 6-speed automatic transmission. MINI claims that the S shaves off almost three seconds of standard Countryman’s 0-100km/h sprint time at 7.0sec. And not to forget, in full-throttle overboost conditions, this engine delivers 192 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,700-4,500 rpm. The hardworking engine uses BMW’s Valvetronic intake valve control technology.

Interior Designer quirkiness or trendy? Inside, the Countryman is all MINI and hence a large [almost nine inch diameter] centre-mounted speedometer and accompanying gauges either side. While most of the quirkiness expected of this brand is present and accounted for in the Countryman’s, we do note there are a few notable ergonomic improvements. The key toggle-type switches for radio volume and tuning have been moved to more sensible locations and the surrounding finish is matte black instead of silver. Also, the climate control thumbwheels have been changed to a more functional rocker design with a similar appearance. The round theme is generously applied throughout the cabin. Cloth upholstery on the seats, a leather-bound steering wheel and contrasting door and center console inserts complete the package. The Countryman can also claim to have some unique designer features such as the centre rail, which extends from front to rear instead of a conventional centre console and opens up a number of storage boxes, cupholders, external audio devices, mobile telephones and other comfort features on the way. There’s enough space, head and leg room for four adults plus some cargo space. Front seats are cosy bucket type with lots of bolstering. Despite bigger dimensions one does wonder why no middle seating in the rear row was provided? The answer to that is: logical flow and instead of attempting to cram in three compromised back seats, designers went with the comfort approach. As a result, the rear seats are highly flexible with with adjustments for fore-and-aft position (5.1-inches) and backrest rake. On the practical side, if maximum legroom is not required, then the longitudinal adjuster allows occupants to stretch the cargo space. While, the backrests fold, but they are not perfectly flat. The hinged partition can be dropped to bridge the gaps and to provide a fairly level extended load floor. There’s no spare wheel in the boot as the car is shod with runflats. With the rear seats folded down, the Countryman offers a sizeable 41.3cft of cargo space, which is 8.5cft more than a Clubman, and 17.3cft more than a hardtop, but its 16cft less than the Honda Jazz. The handbrake is mechanical and its lever is aircraft inspired. The Mini Countryman is available with three high-end audio systems all of which provide CD, MP3, and auxiliary input connections and six speakers. The Connected feature described above is available with and without navigation and it includes both Bluetooth and USB connectivity. Map information is stored in flash memory with updates enabled by the USB interface. The 6.5in nav screen not only guides you to your destination, it’s also useful for displaying call list information, business cards, and even album covers.

Chassis and suspension The basic suspension layout parallels existing MINI models with struts in front, trailing arms located by two lateral links per side in back, and coil springs at every corner. The aluminum rear differential housing is rubber isolated while front and rear cross members bolt solidly to the unibody structure.

AWD technology The Cooper S Countryman comes with permanent all-wheel drive system that features an electrohydraulic differential positioned directly on the final drive varying the distribution from front to rear in an infinite process. Under normal driving conditions up to 50 per cent of the engine’s power goes to the rear wheels, while under extreme conditions up to 100 per cent. Making sure all four wheels stay glued to the road is a front axle with McPherson spring struts and forged track control arms, a multiarm rear axle and EPS Electric Power Steering complete with Servotronic. Other standard features include stability and traction control, as well as an electronic slip differential.

Safety The 2011 Mini Countryman is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick, which means it receives the top score of “Good” in front, side, roof and rear crash tests and has standard electronic stability control. The federal government has not tested the Countryman. The car comes with a number of features that help you avoid accidents and protect you if one occurs. Standard features include dynamic stability control, dynamic traction control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution and a tire pressure monitoring system. The Countryman also has seven airbags and an innovative a crash monitoring system designed to unlock the doors and turns on interior and hazard lights after an accident. If the airbags deploy, 29

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Automan’s take Arguably, MINI’s Countryman defies easy categorization. It’s too small for an SUV, too large for a hatchback. We are aware that it’s a crossover, but it’s considerably smaller and less family-friendly than crossover SUVs. The Countryman will accommodate four adults even though it looks like MINI with prioritized comfort over maximum seating capacity. Whatever, the equation, it’s something more than the usual mix of thrills and spills. Beyond its occupant friendliness, the Countryman’s most groundbreaking brand-first is its optional all-wheel-drive system, ALL4. While traditional MINI’s have been short of practicality, the Countryman makes up for that and much more.

Driving impressions Even before we set in the car, our expectations were quite high for the Countryman. Part of this confidence was a result of our experience a couple of weeks earlier with Peugeot’s all-new 3008, which shares the common 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. And our previous encounters with the MINI fraternity have never disappointed us in terms of speed, agility, and all-around exuberance. The first thing that strikes when enter the car is its hip point and abundant shoulder room besides superb all round visibility. To start the car you need to slot in the key fob and then push the start button. Engage the gear and push the throttle and then let BMW’s Valvetronic intake technology (varying lift and valvetiming -- eliminating the traditional throttle), direct injection, adjustable exhaust timing, electronically controlled oil and water pumps, and in the case of the S, a twin-scroll turbocharger that prohibits exhaust pulses from contaminating the evacuation of neighboring cylinders take over. With a raspy note from the exhaust, the Countryman means business and given the fact that a lot of people have still have reservations with downsizing and displacement, we would recommend them strongly to have a go in this car. The car’s acceleration is damn impressive and so is the gearbox which prompts racing car type exhaust blips with each gear shift via paddleshifters. However, we do note that there’s turbo lag and that’s not surprising considering the extra weight the car has to carry around. While considering the same engine in the hardtop Cooper S is only carrying around 1,212kg, compared to the Countryman S’s curb weight of 1,342kg, so a little bit of wait-and-go is perfectly acceptable as long as it doesn’t dilute the fun elements of the car. We also noted that the paddle-shiftable automatic now drops into neutral when at a stop, presumably to help reduce energy losses. We especially liked the car’s flat torque curve from 1,600rpm all the way to 5,000rpm. The car’s electric power steering offers good feed back and adds assistance via the rack-and-pinion steering gear’s pinion shaft. The Country also benefits from a new antitorque-steer programme which we believe came in response to perennial gripes on that subject by many MINI critics. Our test car was equipped with the new All4 AWD system which consists of a multi-plate clutch near the aft differential which, when activated by a low energy-consumption servo, can ultimately deliver 50 per cent to the torque to rear wheels. On the go, one of the points in our agenda was to ascertain whether the car could perform like a go-kart as its siblings? Even with the heavier and stiffer run flat 205/55 17in tyres and extra height, the car could cope well with what it was thrown at. The best part is that the more you drive this car, the more you like it and fully knowing that the Countryman may not chase down Porsches with such ferocity, but it still feels very close to its siblings. While body roll isn’t drastically increased [expected since the centre of gravity is higher and everything gets amplified], the sharpness of a standard Cooper is lacking. It’s not expected either since the law of physics says that mass is always moving through bigger, higher arcs, and hence the longer wheelbase takes more space to rotate and that’s not out of context for a SUV. But that doesn’t mean that the Countryman is not happy to enter a corner sideways or exit it in a four-wheel drift! Since it’s an AWD, we decided to take it for beach duties and found the car quite comfortable for the job. And on the dirt roads, it had the traction and power to fling rocks and romp like a pro.

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Fusion metal

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rench automaker Peugeot may be a latecomer in the crowded and fiercely competitive crossover SUV segment, but it has actually benefited from the weaknesses of others and in a way moved forward its Prologue concept inspired production 3008 model. Peugeot, the lion logo brand celebrated its 200 years of history last year and seems to be able to pull out aces whenever needed. Considering Peugeot’s traditionally strong compact and hatchback heritage in Europe, its largest market, the brand has been eyeing the crossover SUV segment with an interesting approach. Not really trying to take competition head-on [it would have been an expensive and futile attempt trying to knock out commercially super successes such as Nissan’s Qashqai in particular], Peugeot’s approach has not been to create an all-new platform or build on a badge engineered product within the Peugeot Citroën Group [PSA]. Instead, it preferred to work on PSA Group’s platform 2 [internally coded as the T84]. Technically, the closest relative to the 3008 on this short wheelbase platform is the 308 hatchback. That’s what we call flexible architecture! Peugeot watchers have maintained the fact that in Europe the 308 hatchback has been a slow seller despite its brilliant engineering and packaging. And Peugeot is also aware of the fact that it is the 2WD models in the crossover segment has experienced the greatest growth because consumers are looking for the functionality and practicality that an SUV provides in terms of size and space, but not necessarily a thirsty 4WD that will probably see less than five per cent of its lifetime usage off road anyway. And this is a strong reason why the 3008 sits between the 308 Touring and the 4007 in terms of size, function and price. The 3008 is 4,365mm long with a slight cab forward bias and has a wheelbase of 2,613m. Although it was a ground up project like the RCZ, design wise it is not as radical as it retains Peugeot’s characteristic styling DNA. A large single front grille helps create the effect of a luxury off-roader, and the sheetmetal has been bloated to give it a proper SUV look. With bling factor in mind, the car’s wheel arches have been designed to accommodate 16in, 17in or 18in diameter wheels. Despite its boxy appearance and dimensions, the slippery styling in the sheet metal and raked front windscreen results in an impressive drag coefficient of Cd 0.296. Peugeot cabins have matured over the years and the 3008 show signs a nice blend of design and well-chosen, soft touch plastics and upmarket trims and fabric materials. Some of the controls are standard issue in PSA cars, so it’s as always good to look at and they feel precise. The instrument cluster has a striking three-dimensional design and is chrome lines. The centre console is a little wider than usual and runs high between driver and front passenger. The gear lever position is in easy reach and the deep storage console doubles up as a chiller box and also hosts the auxiliary input socket for MP3 or IPods. Peugeot’s 3008 is the first car in its class to have a head-up-display in the top-trim version. This display is via a retractable screen behind the instrument cluster only gives out reading for speed and a distance warning. Unlike cars with adaptive cruise control, the role here is purely advisory only. Hence the system doesn’t intervene via the brakes perhaps because Peugeot thinks it better for the driver to retain control of the car. The digital read out’s position, brightness and activation is controlled from a bank of smart-looking, chromium-plated toggle switches on the dashboard. The car’s cabin for a five-seater is extra generous in terms of head and leg room. The fixed panaromic glass roof which use athermic glass comes with an electrically operated blind. The speedometer markings follow the French tradition of odd numbering. What is missed out here is a multifunction steering wheel

first drive

and paddle shifters and perhaps a traditional lever operated handbrake. The car doesn’t come with hand brake lever or foot brake lever. But, PSA’s electric automatic parking brake system is there which relieves the driver from engaging or disengaging the system manually. Functional aspects have been well looked into. There’s a drop-down lower tailgate which opens out flat and is strong enough for two people to sit on. The rear seats fold down, of course, and you can set the strong trunk floor to the same level as the folded seats and opened lower tailgate to make a long, level, load floor. The rear tailgate is split like that of the 4007 SUV, so while the top section lifts up like a hatch, the bottom one drops down to form a convenient loading platform that can hold 200kg. The trunk floor adjusts to three positions with ingenious tilt-and-slide movements. Other than that, other nice touches include a trunk light that doubles as a removable torch (like the C3 Picasso) and a split-level shelving system in the trunk. In all, total trunk space is around 512-litres and this jumps to 1,604-litres when the rear seats are folded down. The seating is raised up higher than that of a normal hatchback At the heart of the Peugeot 3008’s eco-efficiency drive is the most advanced engine technology in the market segment which also leads the displacement downsizing trend perfectly. This 1.6-litre twin scroll high pressure turbo [THP] engine with variable valve timing is good for 156bhp at 6,000rpm and torque of 240Nm at 1,400rpm when mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic mode. A button operated sports mode is also incorporated in the systen which allows gears to hold longer within a wider torque range. Peugeot claims that the car can accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 9.5sec and reach a restricted top speed of 202km/h. The 3008’s suspension set-up is very much car like and comprises of independent MacPherson struts with an anti-roll bar at the front and a torsion beam at the rear. There’s no four-wheel-drive option with the standard 3008 for Oman as of now. Peugeot will offer an advanced model with boosted `outdoor’ abilities later which essentially includes what the manufacturer calls Grip Control traction control system. It’s similar to Land Rover’s dial-aterrain system and also has five operating modes, each designed to optimise traction on a particular road surfaces. The 3008 has been put through its paces and earned the full five stars in the EuroNCAP safety tests. We are actually quite keen to know whether it was tested as a large hatchback, an MPV or as an SUV? End of the day, it doesn’t really matter as long

Controls A bit of cost saving that users won’t really mind. In fact, drivers familiar with the stalks from PSA family will completely feel at home.

Style The design of the car suggests that is positioned at the crossroads between several existing vehicles: a SUV, a MPV and a hatchback.

Dashboard and displays Although, the car is based on the 308, it has its own cabin design and no carryovers. For a lifestyle SUV, it is well laid out, ergonomically flawless and quite unique.

Toggle switches In living memory, it seems that European designers love toggle switches over flush fit setups. These items bring in a lot of character to the cabin.

Cabin flexibility Multiflex interior can be converted at will. A three-position load area floor and flat folding rear seats help offers generous load volume space. Space under the parcel shelf can be increased from 512 litres to 1,604 litres behind the front seats.

first drive

<< Through its non-conformist approach and its resolute styling, the Peugeot 3008 is designed as a pioneering vehicle that offers an original solution and optimal versatility to customers in search of modernity, practicality and driving pleasure >>

Breaking News Peugeot Oman, Part of the Zubair Automotive Group, is offering huge incentives this Ramadan. All car’s sold including the 3008, will now include five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, five-year/100,000km service, the first year’s insurance, registration and a guaranteed trade in value. Offers vary from model to model and the promotional period will run from the 1 August up to 29h September. Bob Seshadri General Manager of Peugeot 36

Oman said: “The Holy month of Ramadan is a truly special time of year and we wanted to give customers even more value through peace of mind by providing them with a guaranteed trade in value when the time comes for them to upgrade their Peugeot. We encourage all customers to come to the showroom to take advantage of the special Ramadan packages.”

as the job has been done properly and, not to forget the car has an ESP system, assorted airbags and Isofix child seat fittings. Driving impressions The wide front door and very convenient hip point in this car ensures that getting in and out is an effortless affair. Anytime we’d give top marks for this feature. Secondly, despite a large and sharply raked windscreen, the cab forward design has ensured that the front occupants are protected from harsh sunlight. The car’s seat height is almost as high as a Mitsubishi Pajero and also marginally higher than Suzuki’s Vitara. All the seats are very comfortable and the only reminder of the car’s close proximity with the 308 is the steering wheel angle in relation to the centre line of the driver, which is at. 24.8°. In a way, it would have felt like a 308 on stilts had the interior not been different! Acceleration from the 1.6-litre, 150bhp, turbocharged engine proves a significant point that smaller displacements are not to be underestimated anymore. Power delivery is linear and almost lag-free except in the low range under 2,000rpm. Using inputs from three sources – Peugeot, Citroen and BMW – this engine [which also powers the new MINIs] offers the best in direct injection and turbocharging technology. Power is abundant and the car never feels short of breath and the response to the tap of driver’s foot is simply awesome and so are the surefooted brakes. On road, the 3008 surprisingly turns out to be very accomplished for a high-riding vehicle. It’s steering is pretty accurate, well- weighted and gives a good feel of the road and responds to driver’s input very nicely in most conditions, however, the steering is entirely not without fault. At times, we observed that as soon as any degree of lock is applied, it lightens off and goes a bit numb, not assisting the driver or giving him the feel of connectivity to the road. It’s a shame, because the steering is actually quite direct and it turns in very sharply. But despite the lack of feedback, you’ll know what kind of road you’re on by the very stiff and solid ride. While many inexperienced drivers will avoid the idea off roading with a 2WD vehicle [unless in a distress situation], the 3008, we

think the 3008 has the ability to change that perception with its deceptive Swiss pocket knife versatility. First, in the equations, there’s ground clearance of around 150mm and short front overhang with a length reduced to 916mm and rear overhang of 836mm, it puts the car’s arrival and departure angles in the 4x4 league. Properly controlled, the car just glides over terrain and absorbs ruts very well. The overall handling impression is a nice compromise that isn’t sporty but it doesn’t feel like a people-mover either. One thing the suspension of this car is able to alleviate the typical problem associated with almost every tall car –coping with the high centre of gravity. Peugeot’s engineers answer to this issue is “Dynamic Rolling Control”, a system that cleverly utilises the force pressing on one wheel, to press the other extra hard to the tarmac. And unlike the models fitted with the Grip Control system which allows the driver to adjust electronic stability programme and traction control according to road conditions, we found it not really necessary when we ventured on to off-road trails. On the comfort level, the 3008 benefits from the most efficient air-conditioning unit fitted to a platform 2 vehicle derivative and the panoramic glass roof besides keeping the interior feeling light and spacious doesn’t allow heat to permeate in the cabin, thanks to its heat rejection properties and the insulated protection from an electrically operated roller blind. Verdict If anything, in our view the 3008 is a grownup hatchback with an attitude. This car is further evidence that Peugeot is rediscovering how to make innovative cars having lost the plot for a few years. In true French vehicle style, it may appear quirky but it is unique as it benefits tremendously from a potent co-developed downsized powertrain without loss of performance or handling. While it may not have all the fancy gizmos or features like hill assist, we think by keeping the overall packaging traditional and simple, it will appeal to small families looking at a stylish European brand with economical running costs. Price guide: OMR10,430.

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g n i Go t e k r a upm

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t the Detroit Motor Show earlier in January, a lot of visitors thought it was lacklustre since there was a significant drop in large truck and SUV debuts, something visitors to this show are used to. And then it seemed that carmakers were in a hurry to bring out as many new small entries in response to a sudden rush of demand -- partly driven by rising gas prices and partly due to the economic downturn. Kia Motors is among the few active carmakers quick to realize that there is a paradigm shift in buying trends and the car maker has also realized that that the slice of the new-vehicle pie now represented by small cars has grown by 50 per cent over the last five years. Naturally, nothing attracts automakers attention like a growing market with genuine volume potential. While baby boomers and the generation aged 15 to 30 are the two biggest demographic groups driving the demand in US and other countries, in the GCC, the focus for buyers is a bit different and the good news for customers is that the new crop of small cars are not the bottom-feeding econoboxes that we have known previously. While, it’s no secret consumers now moving down from larger vehicles don’t want to give up any of the comfort and convenience perks they’re used to, carmakers such as Kia are looking to boost small-car customer confidence by generously adding equipment and refinement. This factor helps make

Breaking News Last month, Kia Motors was one of the keys winners in the first-ever Automotive Brand Contest. This new international brand and design competition was organised by the Rat für Formgebung (German Design Council), which is also responsible for the Designpreis der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (German Design Award). The judging panel of the first Automotive Brand Contest declared Kia Motors a winner in two categories – brand design and exteriors. For the exterior category, the compact Sportage CUV, the forthcoming Rio B-segment model and the all-new D-segment Kia Optima sedan were chosen.In the Brand Design category, where strategy and focus of the brand’s overall design is rated, Kia was ranked ‘Best of Best’. “We are all exceedingly proud that Kia Motors has done so well in this new competition, which is very important within the automotive

small cars much more attractive proving the adage small is now big, and that’s not at the cost of price or performance. The 2011 Kia Cerato is a vital model in the Kia line-up as a volume seller and hence the company time to

time keeps the line-up busy with new kit or hardware upgrades. The last major upgrade was the introduction of the efficient all-new six-speed gearbox in the car.

Recognition for Kia designs industry. By changing our basic design focus, we have given our brand a face, a distinctive identity. All four awards are a fantastic

acknowledgement of our strategy to position design as a core Kia brand promise,” said Kia’s Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer.

What’s in?

what’s out?

Styling Kia’s Chief Design officer Peter Schreyer [also responsible for styling of the Sportage, Optima, Cadenza etc] team in Kia’s California design studio led by Tom Kearns designed the current Cerato. For a C-segment - the overall package and features is quite stunning and now SBG have made it even better by introducing an up-spec variant. Engineering Kia Motors understands customer requirements quite well and engineered the car on a front-wheel-drive unibody platform. Powertrain options Depending on market, the Cerato is offered with several refined engines and upgraded transmission. All of them benefit from the latest in powertrain technology to help deliver an outstanding combination of performance and class-leading efficiency. The features

mentioned in this model are available in the 1.6-litre engine version as of now. Interiors & features With a wheelbase of 104.3in, an overall length of 178.3in, width of 69.9in and overall height of 57.5in and slight cab forward design, the Cerato offers one of the roomiest interiors in its class with seating for up to five passengers. Capitalizing on its spacious interior, the car pampers its riders with a host of interior features, starting with comfortable, nicely appointed full cloth seats with contrast bespoke stitching. Six-way adjustable driver’s seat, engine stop-start switch, tilt only steering column with paddle-shifters, IPod and auxillary audio inputs and power points are among some of the key features. Additional luxurious touches include power windows and door locks; remote keyless

Body type:

sedan

entry; air conditioning; steering wheelmounted audio and cruise controls; dual front and rear cup holders, rear view camera and audio sensors and powered sunroof. Handling & performance The Kia-engineered body offer high torsional stiffness enabling the car better handling, smoother ride quality and greater refinement than its competitors. Actually, it is very composed and the specially tuned suspension is perfectly adjusted for responsive handling on Oman’s curvy roads even with its large 17in wheels. Additional refinements are fitted throughout the car to help ensure a comfortable ride with good noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) reduction qualities. The paddle-shifters on the steering wheel are not for just show purposes, they work quite well and allow the driver to access extra torque during downshifts.

Automan’s take For a very reasonable price tag of OMR6,725, this is a package that ticks on almost all the packages and touches the entry point in a semi-luxury market. In fact, Japanese brands such as Honda or Mazda who offer similar sized cars should be a bit worried as it is hard to match the content and features of this model and price band. 41

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t u b , l l a Sm e v i t c e f f e

Editorial

Nominee

2011 gmc

terrain V

mid-Size SU

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t’s no secret that General Motors has endured tumultuous change during the past two years. As part of the massive reorganization, it dropped Pontiac from the portfolio and initiated the process of divesting non-performing assets such as Hummer and Saab. The landscape for GM is now lean and much more competitive and the carmaker is working hard to reposition itself into relevance by launching trendy new models across its brands.

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GMC is among those few American brands whose business was solely based on large SUVs built on truck architecture. With the changing buying trends, pressure from legislation and environment, in the past few years GMC’s product portfolio has been revisited with the inclusion of lifestyle crossovers such as the Acadia. The compact crossover movement within GMC has gained momentum with the arrival of the compact Terrain, its smallest so far.

While the Terrain is all-new for the GMC brand, the hardware used in building it has been sourced from within the group. At least two other vehicles – the now discontinued Pontiac Torrent and first-generation Chevy Equinox [not sold in Middle East] have been in circulation for a while and with proven credentials it’s not surprising that GMC chose to build its smallest SUV using this foundation. However, many in the business would argue that the GMC Terrain is nothing more than an

old-school badge engineering GM product. But unlike many previous GM badge engineered products this one is fundamentally different because it has been conceived as a premium lifestyle vehicle on a clean slate. While knowing fully well that it has to deliver a fine balance between lifestyle aspirations and performance the car’s packaging including design profile has been meticulously crafted inside out. At first glance, there’s a feel of solid mass with dollops of road presence. The Terrain’s styling is consistent with GMC’s so-called Professional Grade tagline and although technically a compact, the Terrain looks much bigger and it comes with a balanced athletic stance. Sheetmetal is characterized by bold character lines, muscular wheel arches, typically representing GMC’s design DNA. While body surfacing is angular, it appears quite refined, especially up front with a strong face that features precise, squared-off edges and a dominating three-element chrome grille and pumped up valances. Over all, the Terrain looks comfortable enough to shake up the small-to-midsize crossover SUV segment that Honda and Toyota have long dominated. The other thing which goes in favour of the Terrain is its basic Theta-platform based architecture which has allowed designers to create a genuinely spacous interior for five people in two rows with an overall area that’s larger than compact crossovers, yet smaller than midsize SUVs. While the 1,726kg Terrain is not available with a third-row seat and inside, the cabin of the car will actually surprise many who might have had some reservations about GMC’s design abilities. The hip and entry and exit points of the car are very friendly, despite the apparent height of the car. In fact, the general layout, fit and finish is so good that it make some of the rival cabins seem a bit dull and unimaginative by comparison. The test car’s rich interior seemed to be influenced by industrial sculpture and exudes refinement – one just needs to look at detailing such as contrast stitching and soft touch materials that have contributed in creating an elegant look and feel in the cabin. While we don’t have to worry about the interior Equinox [despite the fact is it mostly carried over in the Terrain], even by the trendy segment standards, the interior design is modern and attractive. The futuristic extra busy centre-console and its numerous controls are the centre point and there’s no shortage of kit or utility areas in the car depending on trim level. The dash and controls are lighted in orange, with bright white instrument numerals. Our only niggle with the central console was that since most of the buttons are flush-mounted and tightly

The step-in height, however, is relatively low, making entry, exit and rear-seat loading a bit easier than with the truckbased SUVs grouped, they can be difficult to decipher at a glance, especially at night.And depending on trim level, there’s an assortment of full power accessories, power front seat height with lumbar adjustments, a tilt-and-telescoping steering column, a back-up camera integrated into the rearview mirror, CD stereo with radio and an auxiliary audio jack. Our test car had roof rails, 18in alloy wheels and eight-way power driver seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, Bluetooth, automatic climate control and an eight-speaker Pioneer sound system. Lifestyle elements include LED mood lighting in cubbies, floor areas and doors. Functional areas have also been well taken care of. Although the car is strictly a five-seater, the

standard MultiFlex sliding second row seat which also split folds 60:40 can be moved fore or aft nearly eight inches. While they fold neatly but the platform created isn’t 100 per cent flat as the tall headrests are intrusive. However, we liked the idea of a movable cargo shelf. Overall, interior packaging is impressive, but for purist, the Terrain isn’t quite fault-free. Its maximum cargo capacity, for instance, isn’t as generous as that of some competing models. Cargo space behind the backseat is 31.4c-ft, and that figure grows to 63.7c-ft with the rear seats folded. That’s about six c-ft shy of the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4, but still bigger than smaller crossovers such as the Ford Escape.

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On the powertain front, the car benefits from the all the updates which GM has incorporated in redesigned Equinox. This means under the bonnet there’s a choice of a four-cylinder engine that offers best-in-class fuel economy and decent acceleration. Moving upwards, there’s also an available direct-injected V6 [our

test car] that’s similarly competitive in terms of fuel economy and power. For the entry level models which are available with the 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine, there’s 182hp and 172lbft of torque available. Meanwhile, the bigger 3.0-litre V6 is good for 264hp and 222lb-ft of torque. Both normally aspirated engines are

mated to six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel-drive; while all-wheel drive is offered as optional. Front and rear independent suspension systems meet the asphalt via a family of large wheels. Our tester was fitted with 18in alloys and we were told that the wheel wells can

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itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not d n a r e d il u b k as a truc n w o n k ly t g with a ic n r li t y s t s s a r e w ld C o M b rain has r Till now, G e T r e v o s s o r t the c surprising tha face e iv t c in t is d e r larger and mo

also accommodate 19in combos as well. On the safety front, the Terrain comes standard with antilock disc brakes, stability control, front seat side airbags, side curtain airbags and rear parking sensors Driving impressions As the Terrain rides on a long 2,857mm wheelbase and has wide front and rear tracks, its ride is very much car-like. It also offers a high seating position, giving the driver the same kind of vision and command of the road as traditional body-onframe SUVs. Another benefit is that the long wheelbase and wide tracks reduce body roll for a stable, confident driving experience. For an engine that offers peak torque fairly high in the rev range, the V6 pulls from low revs smoothly and quite well. The 2010 GMC Terrain accelerates well with the V6. While the V6 is a bit short on lowend torque compared with some other similar crossovers, but otherwise it’s one of the strongest in this segment. One can live with the powertrain comfortably as power from the six-cylinder engine is abundant, and the direct-injected powerplant offers a broad torque curve that keeps the transmission from nervous hunting of gears. Actually, the smoothness sometimes reminds one of the Nissan VQ and Toyota [2GR-FE] V6 set ups and we won’t be surprised if someone at GM admitted to that. In general the transmission shifts smoothly, though kick-downs to lower gears require some patience, but in no way it could be labeled as sluggish. GM has suggested it was a conscious choice in order to avoid accidental downshifts and reducing fuel economy in the process. We liked the way the powertrain has been calibrated allowing the Terrain to respond well to demand for sudden power for overtaking at highway speeds. On the move, the 2011 GMC Terrain is impressively quiet and boasts a comfortable ride indicative of a much bigger, more expensive SUV. An abundance of acoustic insulation and an innovative noise-canceling system also make the Terrain one of the quietest compact crossovers around. Ride quality is firm but not as luxurious as the Cadillac SRX. The Hankook tyres at times felt like the MINI Countryman’s runflats than standard rubber compounds. As a result there were occasional bouts of road irregularities filtering through loud and clear. We suspect that part of those characteristics were due to the low-rollingresistance spec intended to maximize fuel economy. Cornering is quite predictable and secure, enhanced mostly by a relatively wide stance. As a city cruiser, the car feels substantial around town, reasonably agile, with a progressive turn-in and minimal body roll at normal speeds. All things considered, we think the Terrain offers a comfortable dynamic balance, appropriate for a multi-purpose SUV. While all-round handling capabilities are mostly as expected, but we think that most drivers should be satisfied by the vehicle’s all-around competence both on and light off-road. Verdict Considering the time line when GM re-enginereed a vehicle like the new GMC Terrain, we are confident that it has the potential in playing a key role in kickstarting the company’s sales once again. It’s nice to see how GM is gradually redefining itself through the new cars like the Terrain which have the potential in turning the public’s perception of the automaker as it moves into this new era. In our view the GMC Terrain actually represents two-tiers of the crossover segment. On the basis of its engine configuration it competes with compact SUVs such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4 and fast emerging South Korean models such as Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage. It also competes with midsize lifestyle sport-utilities such as the Ford Edge and Nissan Murano. The Terrain is a pure five seater and is not available with a third-row seat. The larger GMC Acadia is better for families who might need to seat seven or eight. GMC says that higher-quality materials and many long-life powertrain components reduce the need and frequency for servicing. Besides that there’s the backing of GM’s powertrain warranty. While, the segment is also price conscious, in terms of packaging, equipment and overall performance, the Terrain is pretty good value for money.

also driven

e p a c s E s e m a g

Ford Motor Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smallest SUV sold in Oman is the Escape. Despite the rise and rise of trendy crossovers in the segment in the region, this upgraded 2011 MY car foregoes conventional wisdom in several areas. Automan finds the package amusing Author Chandan B Mallik Photography Shakeel Al Baloushi and author

t’s no secret that the five seater crossover SUV segment has been very active worldwide, and even non-traditional car brands are coming up with innovative and trendy solutions, some never seen before. While this aspect has opened up fierce competition in the playing field, it does also mean end of the road for those who aren’t either moving their respective games up as benchmark standards have moved up north dramatically. And, despite the proliferation, there are some brands and traditional models that are somehow surviving the odds and soldiering on, contrary to the thinking that they are near extinction. And one of the names in the business still going strong with old school theme is Ford Motors Escape SUV [and mechanically identical Mazda Tribute and Mercury Mariner]. While, it is at least another two years before the current second generation gives up on its current roots which is essentially a car-derived shared [code CD2-type] front wheel drive platform with an all wheel drive option. Considering the new wave of designs that are coming from Ford’s studios, the updated Escape seems to have received some styling cues from the Explorer, Edge, and Expedition. While the Mazda Tribute is generally considered the sportier of the two [Mercury has been discontinued as a brand], Ford has given the Escape a career boost for 2011 and the remainder of its career lifecycle which is at least another two years. The Escape will soldier on with its current squarish profile and tall glass areas. Although it doesn’t look like its following a tallboy stance, the front end has incorporated most of the style changes such as a new grille with larger headlamps, and the slab-sided sided monotonous sheet metal appears cleaner with the bold and rounded wheel arches. The lower bumpers and rocker panels are now painted to match the body on all models, rather than moulded in cheap matte finish. Overall, the current Escape is still quite handsome compared to its predecessor and even manages to mimic Ford’s larger, truck-based sport utility vehicles, although not as trendy as the Edge or soonto-arrive Explorer. But the bigger news is that Ford has upgraded most of the essential hardware of this vehicle, including safety kit and powertrains. Unlike some brands, safety-conscious Ford included electronic stability control system way back in 2008 when the Escape was launched. And at the 2008 Washington Auto Show, Ford introduced new changes to the Escape for the 2009 model year and the powertrain set-up was the focus area. At the time, Ford’s new six-speed 6F automatic replaced the four-speed automatic on both the in-line four and V6 models. The 2.3-litre Duratec engine was also replaced by a new and more efficient 2.5-litre Duratec 25 series engine which boosted standard power to 171hp along with 232Nm of torque. The interior of the car has also received a comprehensive check-up and its upright stance continues to offer occupants decent headroom, despite the relatively high floor. While, rear occupants could use a little more leg room, more than that we would have expected some improvements in build quality in the Escape’s sheet metal and also in choice of plastics and upholstery used in the trims. In all, The Escape conveys the atmosphere and ambience of a conventional, truck-based SUV, with a bit more rugged look than many other crossovers such as the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4.

also firstdriven drive Interestingly, environmentally conscious Ford claims that the upholstery material in the Escape is made from 100 per cent recycled material. The car’s front seats offer adequate cushion and lumber support, but we felt that the seats were smaller than those usually found in similar cars. Driver’s instrumentation and layout are quite basic with gauges clustered in binnacle. Ford’s new signature backlighting style is applied here with the purpose of sharpening the analogue displays but the effort is somewhat subdues due to the typography font on the gauges, and particularly the speedometer. The dial’s cluttered design is confusing at times. While the dashboard is tall and squarish, it feels perfectly in place and when it comes to placement and function of switches, the Escape through its simplicity is good. The steering wheel also hosts controls for cruise and audio systems. The audio jack is placed at the bottom of the central console, but there are no extra power points. Storage space is aplenty, with lots of cubbies within reach of the front passengers. Pop-down overhead bins are provided for sunglasses and other knickknacks. New for the 2011 model year is MyKey, which allows parents

of teenage drivers to set electronic limits for vehicle speed and stereo volume. Despite its ageing design and very average build quality, there are quite a few features in the car that with think will surely earn a nod of approval from actual users. Cargo capacity is generous at 66.3 cubic feet, with 29.2 cubic feet just behind the rear seat. Creating extra cargo space is also easy by folding the 60:40 rear seats. Further, the base of the bottom can be removed to make a perfectly flat load floor. There aren’t a lot of frills in back, but some of the essentials are there such as a full spare tyre which is under the chassis. The runner pad on the bumper provides secure footing for anyone who might want to step up and put something on the roof rack. The two-

piece tailgate design is handy and still in the trend. The rear glass can be popped open independently with the key fob. Escape’s unibody structure serves as the first line of defense for passengers, surrounded by a safety cage rigged with force-deflecting energy management zones fore and aft, plus reinforced side panels and doors. Front riders have dual two-stage frontal air bags plus seatbelts with load-limiting retractors and buckle pretensioners, while in the rear there are anchors to

tether a child’s safety seat. Side-impact air bags mounted on outboard front seats and Ford’s Safety Canopy -- consisting of curtain-style air bags concealed in headliners above front and back rows -- are also on tap as standard gear. Equipment promoting active safety includes the quick EPAS rack and pinion steering and brakes tied to an anti-lock brake system (ABS). Other safety tools range from a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) to integrated blind spot mirrors for better blind spot visibility and the MyKey programmable vehicle key Driving impressions General all round visibility is good in the car, thanks to the generous windows. Unlike some cars, the rear headrests aren’t obtrusive. Although, the rearview side mirrors have blind-spot corners for a wideangle view, in our view it still isn’t the perfect solution for managing blind spots. However, the car’s squared-off styling at the rear helps make it clear where the corners of the vehicle begin and end. On the move, it seems that Ford engineers have invested a lot of their time and efforts in making the Escape quiet inside. And to do that it has invested in specific sound deadening measures including the windscreen, which is reported to have an acoustic laminate sandwiched between two layers of glass. The headliner also has extensive sound-deadening capability, and the carpeting is quite thick. The net result is a quiet, relaxing interior, but the driver will notice that the car still lacks some key items [which are offered in most of its competitors these days], such as a telescoping steering wheel or fore/aft adjustments in the second row rear bench seat. Folding the rear seats is a multistep affair when compared to the simple flip-down design of other new crossovers. The driver and front seat occupant may find the seating position is too tall, which gives the driver a typical truck feel of sitting above the controls. While the revised powertrain package in test car offered 171hp from its four-cylinders via the sixspeed automatic transmission, from the zero to 100km/h acceleration perspective, this Escape appears a bit sluggish and takes about nine seconds to achieve this marker. While the car is pleasant to drive in and around the city, it somehow lacks the polish and sophistication of newer models from Chevrolet, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, Subaru or Toyota. Among compact crossovers, the Escape feels the most truck-like even though the electric power steering helps a bit in making parking or slow speed manoeuevres easy and a balanced suspension that works well both on and off-road. While the car may have earned high scores in safety and represents an impressive benchmark, it’s the braking department that has it trailing the competition. Where nearly all of its rivals have four-wheel disc brakes, the Escape inexplicably uses drum brakes in the rear that simply don’t have the power to bring it to a stop quickly. Off road, the car’s capabilities actually surprised us. This is because the Escape doesn’t have off-road specific driver’s aids such as diff locks or range selectors. It does have good ground clearance and low gearing options for such manoeuevres. Actually, the AWD uses a smart traction system which distributes the engine’s power between front and rear wheels selectively depending on road conditions or tyre slippage. All these come with Ford’s AdvanceTrac electronic stability control device with Roll Stability Control (RSC), which measures vehicle motion on both the yaw and roll axes and corrects the vehicle very efficiently. Verdict Considering that this is still a bit of old school with some pleasant features, the 2011 Ford Escape does offer some value for its money. Punters looking at convenience and safety with modest capabilities will find the overall package interesting. 53

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Civic Sense

Editorial Nominee 2012 honda civic mid-Size car

he ninth generation all-new 2012 Honda Civic finally arrived in the region last month, setting rest speculation about the new model’s availability due to unforeseen production issues in Japan as a result of the devastating earthquake and Tsunami in March and its aftermath. Honda along with other Japanese carmakers are limping back to normal production and with the arrival of the new Civic, at least there’s some relief at camp Honda. The outgoing eighth-generation Civic, which was introduced in 2006, was a segment revolution for the model series in terms of it striking design, presentation and overall packaging. It was a mould breaker considering the fact that most automakers usually style their mainstream C-segment models conservatively as they have to appeal to a wider audience. By far, very few C-segment cars have demonstrated a radical styling theme as the outgoing Civic did. Looking at how the segment has shaped up in the past couple of years, it seems that emotion is a now a key factor in driving manufacturers to consider more than one factor for a successor. Current market research suggests that while changes may or may not lead into any significant performance increase, but an emotional increase is expected by the driver and occupants when a car is actually driven. Honda’s recipe for the eighth generation Civic did very well in these terms, and at the same time the emotional quotient of competitors has also gone up significantly besides the arrival of new models in the region. There’s no doubt that from both design and engineering standpoints, the outgoing model has been extremely successful throughout its six-plus year career and we have been wondering what approach Honda would take for the replacement Civic. More than a hint of that came at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit where the new generation Civic sedan and coupe were first unveiled to the public as concepts. It seems that Honda has decided to play safe and continue with the outgoing car’s profile and graft it with some current design DNA. In fact Honda’s lead designer Toshiyuki Okumoto San entrusted for the exterior styling described the new stance as a “one motion form”. In fact, Okumoto has tried to make the new car a bit more youthful with some aggressive touches to its sheet metal. Without disturbing the predecessor’s wedge-shape profile radically, it seems that Okumoto San’s designer touch has softly massaged soft character lines on the bonnet, and some well-defined flares at the rear. Both front and rear ends have been redesigned and we think the front is more in line with the current Honda design DNA with a steeper windscreen to begin with, while the rear seems to have lost its predecessor’s charm. We can empathise with Okumoto’s overall treatment in the new arrival which now connects much better with the second generation Jazz and more with the current Euro Civic hatchback. Dimensionally, the car is 5mm shorter in length and width, while the wheelbase has been shortened by 30mm and rear track also reduced by 10mm. Even with 195/65R15 wheels, the car’s ground clearance has been reduced by 4.2mm. If skeptics think that the changes in the sheetmetal aren’t enough to whet their appetite, then, the changes inside the car should leave them drooling. This car now definitely has a potential of representing the finest interior packaging in the segment. First, the cabin feels spacious, thanks to new light coloured fabrics and more glass in the greenhouse, thanks to

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The 2012 Honda Civic plays its exterior design close to its predecessor and adds prominent character lines along its sides a revised design of the fixed quarter glass, while the A-pillar appears thinner inside and its housing now also sports a tweeter. While, the previous Civic’s interior, especially its dashboard was 100 per cent revolutionary in design, the new car’s design is an evolution on an existing theme. Front and rear passengers benefit from additional legand shoulder room and taller drivers and front passengers will appreciate the extra three inches of additional shoulder room. Honda has realised that rivals especially from South Korea have significantly upped their respective games with mouth watering design, kit and features. Honda tries to narrow that with what it refers to it as its new I-MID, or Intelligent Multi-Information Display system along with some other first time features even in the base models. Essentially, it is an extension of sorts in terms of specific equipment, form and function. The dashboard continues to be split level as before with digital speedo readout. A five-inch LCD screen has been added on this level which is used as information centre and also doubles up as the screen when the rear camera is activated. An ECON-function is a new highlight in the car which looks at optimizing energy consuming systems such as

engine and air-conditioning with the view of fuel efficiency. It’s more of a driver’s aid and has two ways of conveying information to the driver on how to optimize driving. On either side of the speedometer is a horizontal strip of colour changing LCDs. Depending on how the car is driven, it will change colours from green to various shades of blue representing most economical to least economical driving modes. The technology behind this is said to include automatic adjustments to engine and air-conditioning in particular. Steering wheel has also been revisited and now it is extra busy with buttons for several duties. A toggle on the left-hand steering wheel spoke allows the driver to sift through a wide variety of vehicle info, and other electronic gadgetry includes Bluetooth handsfree phone capability, auxillary imports and a decent 160-watt audio system. Among the ergonomic improvements, the quirky crane necked handbrake lever which was awkwardly positioned next to the shifter gate has been repositioned further back [it should have been there in the outgoing model] and this time around the lever is a traditional and not a designer one, but we do have some reservation as to why the sliding cover over the cup holders

has been discontinued. Besides these, the rest of the cabin’s layout and familiar controls is decent and virtually the comfort levels, seat design and bolstering are all carried over. On the cargo front, while boot space in the sedan rose from 14.15 litres to 354 litres, but it’s still way behind the new Elantra’s 419 litres. and the Chevy Cruze’s 425 litres. The trouble is that despite all the improvements to keep the Civic in the game, it still doesn’t pull it ahead convincingly and the reason for that is the rest of the packaging. Carried over for this region is the powertrain set-up, but there has been some slight tweaking in mapping, compression ratios. While torque is unchanged, power output is up by 0.72 per cent only. However, what is significant is that peak power and torque now come at higher revs. The SOHC i-VTEC engine is good for 139hp at 6,500rpm and 173Nm of torque at 4,300rpm and to increase fuel efficiency, the engine boasts increased intake airflow, enhanced valve timing, and better exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) flow. The fivespeed automatic is also carried over and that’s disappointing because the automatic in the 2012 Focus is a more modern and efficient sixspeed, as are the ones in the Hyundai Elantra

or Chevy Cruze. The new car with its ACEdesigned safety structure which use five per cent more high-strength steel, Honda claims the Civic’s body is seven per cent lighter and 10 per cent stiffer in static rigidity, and 11 per cent stronger in dynamic rigidity. That’s not all, a new electric power steering (EPS) system, a redesigned front subframe, and a thin-walled fuel tank all combine to shave some weight, but other kit in the car have made the car slightly heavier than the outgoing edition [1540kg depending on trim level], which comes as a bit of a surprise as the general trend in the efficiency drive is also to cut flab wherever possible without sacrificing comfort or safety. A front strut and multilink rear suspension carry over with only minor enhancements, but the previous edition’s hydraulic power assisted steering has given way to an electric set-up. Safety, on the other hand, is a strong point and although the 2012 Civic doesn’t yet have crash-test ratings, the company predicts the new model will earn the highest-possible ratings with it standard safety kit which includes six airbags, stability control, ABS, braking assist and brake-force distribution. Driving impressions

The Civic sedan line-up sold in the Middle East since 2006 has never been ambitious in terms of driver involvement as it came with a middle order powertrain set-up. While, there was some expectation of inclusion of a fun-todrive factor in the incoming model in view of the new benchmark standards made by rivals in the segment. Sadly, it is difficult to detect as the car is absolutely and totally predictable with no surprises or false moves. While reading the spec sheet, we are aware that a fatter mid-range torque curve now exists between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm and at practical level should have provided more usable oomph for daily driving. But actually, the difference between the outgoing and incoming model is hardly noticeable, however, what livens up the ride a bit is the quick electric-assist steering, a civilized degree of body rigidity and benefits of a shorter wheelbase. The car is a bit sharper than its predecessor. Considering that the car has gained some weight and modest bump of 2hp to compensate that, on road acceleration car doesn’t feel that different. In our opinion, Honda should have considered introducing a Tiptronic function in this set-up to spruce

up things a bit more. While tyres are also a factor, one would have expected the front end to be a bit heavier on the power steering, but there’s a pleasant surprise out here. Since the new Civic has opted for electric power system instead of hydraulic, the steering weight feels marginally better. In the old car, steering feedback and turn-in was good and the new system manages that and perhaps a shade better. Driver’s front view is now better as the fixed quarter glass area on the front door has been increased. If the car wasn’t low, one could mistake it for an MPV from inside. The integration of key functions is much better executed and the simplicity in operating it also scores some marks. Although, it falls far behind equivalent Audi or Mercedes or Lexus systems as far as technology application or gimmickry goes, and considering Honda’s very cautious and conservative approach of doing things, we would say something is better than nothing – you get Bluetooth connectivity and an auxiliary input socket for MP3 or IPods, but a shame, there’s no storage capacity.

Automan’s take The eighth generation Civic was by far a notable and impressive attempt by Honda to energise its C-contender. Honda tried and successfully raised the bar and also pricing significantly on the pretext of premium content, but some users of the car have complained about build quality. Cracking rubber seals, fading plastic and shoddy paintwork have marred the image of this model. It may be recalled that prices of the seventh generation began at an average of OMR4,500 [in 2005-06], the eighth generation at OMR5,800 [in 2006 at launch] and now the ninth generation starts from OMR 7,100. We hope Honda has sincerely rooted out its build quality niggles in the new model.

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STORY} All new (i-MID)

Intelligent

Multi-Information

Display

This is standard on EXI and VTI models and displays a variety of information such as audio, trip aalso be personalized by uploading a wallpaper of choice.

Econ Mode Although Honda Middle East is actively promoting this as an efficiency feature, we are not quite convinced with its efficacy as we are aware that the Econ Mode is an application used in hybrid cars using a combination of petrol engine and integrated motor assist [IMA] such as the CR-Z. In the CR-Z, during Econ mode operation, the engine’s responsiveness is tuned for optimal economy, the electric motor assist gives priority to fuel efficiency and the air-conditioning system can reduce its overall load on the engine. In our view, Honda should promote it as its trademarked Eco Assist, which is a fuel economy information system designed to help the driver develop and maintain a fuel-efficient driving style. The system monitors driving style, and can display the impact of a driving style on the vehicle’s fuel economy. The system also provides feedback that can help the driver make adjustments to driving style. The feedback provided by Eco Assist simply and effectively helps drivers accelerate and brake in ways conducive to enhanced fuel economy. Fuel-saving activities like smooth acceleration and braking make the inner ring glow green. Somewhat less-efficient driving makes the meter glow blue-green. Aggressive starts and stops that consume extra fuel make the meter glow blue. By observing the inner ring’s response to driving practices and seeking to achieve a consistently green colour, drivers can receive assistance in developing driving habits that typically enhance fuel economy.

Engine Single Overhead Cam (SOHC) 1.8-litre in-line fourcylinder with 16 valves, i-VTEC®, and a dual-stage intake manifold. This carryover engine has been marginally revised to widen the mid-range torque and now produces 139hp at 6,300 rpm and 128 lb-ft of torque comes at 4,300rpm.

Body structure

Most aerodynamically and aggressively styled. Underneath, some revisions have taken place in the ACE structure. Front sub frame is lighter and torsional rigidity has been increased. The car now uses 55 per cent high-strength steel, up by 5 per cent of the previous generation. This contributes to a seven per cent reduction in weight of the structure. Although the body structure is now lighter, static and dynamic rigidity are 10 per cent better. Overall weight of the car is higher.

Centre console We particularly like the “smart interface” approach where the interior has been divided into different areas for key instrument displays above the steering wheel, secondary information located lower in the area visible through the steering wheel, and a third area to the driver’s right. Overall, the controls on the now extra busy centre console are clear and easy to operate, with a cleanly simple layout and highly intuitive operation.

2012 Honda Civic vs competition

Chevrolet Cruz One of Chevrolet’s new global models specifically developed to satisfy European tastes in design and chassis performance. This compact notchback is a product of a multinational design

team, based in Korea with input from Germany, US and Australia. The svelte looks are accompanied by class-leading features such as flush fit of panels, with exceptionally tight gap tolerances, and generous

rear passenger leg, head and shoulder room, despite a signature sloping roofline. The 1.6-litre engine develops 113 hp at 6,400 rpm and peak torque of 153Nm at 4,200 rpm.

Nissan Tida The current Tida was launched in 2006, around the same time the eighth generation Civic was launched. The car was offered in two body styles [hatchback and notchback] and two engines. Although not as

stylish as the Civic, this Nissan’s popularity was due to it simple layout, generous space, nonfussy attitude and low cost of maintenance. The Japanese-built Tiida has been replaced by a Mexican-built version for

the 2011 model year, the benefits of which include a lower price and more available features. Like the Civic, the Tida is offered with a standard 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, with a 6-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic.

Mazda3 This stylish model from Japan actually shares its platform, engine and some mechanicals with the European-built Ford Focus. The model was facelifted for 2010 and in the exercise it received

a brand new front end, a redesigned rear and a completely new interior. However, it still comes with a carryover 1.6litre 4-cylinder engine. Also offered in two body styles – hatchback and

sedan – the car continues with its 4-speed automatic as standard. However, the level of interior kit has been enhanced and apparently there’s a fully loaded ‘R’ trim available only in Saudi Arabia.

Hyundai Elantra A few years ago, this model from Hyundai wouldn’t have even been considered as a worthy rival. In less than two generations, Hyundai is in the forefront of many things including engineering, reliability and

now styling. The all-new Elantra was launched in 2010 and is a fine example of Hyundai’s application of ‘fluidic sculpture’ in a compact car. Not only the car looks and feels good, it actually raises the

segment’s benchmark in several areas. The standard engine for the car is a 148 hp 1.8-litre 4-cylinder with 178 Nm of torque, apparently capable of a 6.9 litres/100 km rated fuel economy.

Toyota Corolla Technically, the current generation Corolla is at the end of its successful life cycle, so Toyota has decided to freshen up its hot-selling model while leaving core components such as its 1.8-litre engine and four-speed automatic transmission intact. But as a facelift exercise, some

performance upgrades have been incorporated last year and now comes with more power, revised styling and a host of new features. As before, the model is offered with new powerful dual VVT-I engines displacing 1.6- and 1.8-litre respectively. Besides a bump in horsepower, the

focus is also on better fuel efficiency and smoother performance. A new sixspeed manual transmission replaces the five-speed of the earlier model. And the hottest news is that the 2011 Toyota Corolla is available at unbeatable price packages starting from OMR5,350. 59

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STORY}

Design and styling Similar in profile, but with marginally increased dimensions. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s introduction of strong character lines in the sheet metal and the face is a mix of City and Accord stling. Twin exhaust tip no more. The car is now shod with bigger 16in wheels.

Engineering Despite the current trend of flab reduction, the new Civic is heavier. Powertrain mostly carried over with some changes in mapping. Both output and torque now come at lower revs. Hydraulic power steering replaced with electric and eco-mode system included for fuel efficiency.

Ergonomics Despite revisions, the car doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel too different than its predecessor. The overall performance is hardly jaw dropping.

Interiors Dashboard is striking as before and is an evolution. More kit has been added and plastics have different texture. Fabric interiors much brighter and youthful, while electric powered steering wheel now extra busy. Quirky mechanical handbrake gives way to normal type. Some convenience features in central console of old model conspicuously absent.

automan souq New range of Plasma TV’s from LG Electronics launched

Plasma Display Panel’s (PDP) cells, the Pentouch TV also offers a more sophisticated slim design at a lower price than conventional units. The Pentouch TV uses a protective scratch-free glass screen, as well as RGB expression and optimized brightness

for crisper images. Visual comfort is further enhanced via

t h e a u t o sharpness control function and color materialization technology. In balance with the unit’s stylish TruSlim Frame design, the Pentouch TV uses an eye-catching four-leg stand that has been specially designed to ensure the TV doesn’t tip over when owners or their children are using the Pentouch feature. OTE Group in Oman is the exclusive dealer of LG range of air-conditioners, electronics and home appliances in Oman. With a nationwide network of showrooms and service facilities, OTE Group ensures that LG customers are never far from getting a wide range of high quality after-sales service. It is this strong partnership that continues to lead more customers to join the OTE-LG family.

Sayarti introduces cutting edge VISIONX lighting systems

Sayarti, a part of the Zubair Automotive group, and a leading player in the one-stop auto care business in the Sultanate of Oman, has been appointed the official and exclusive distributor of VISIONX lighting systems. The US-based company manufactures state-of-the-

art LED and HID lighting systems for automotive, commercial, marine, mining and off-road applications. Car racing celebrities such as Andy McMillin, Travis Pastrana, BJ Baldwin and Patrick Richard have used and endorsed these products and the range offered in Oman includes VISIONX reflex, Vision X Xmitter low profile prime LED Light Bars, Vision X EVO Prime LED Light Bars and multi colour LED lighting systems. Creative lighting applications such as Flex-Motion are used under the car or in wheel wells or around custom speaker enclosures or under seats are also now available.

OMASCO launches new Panasonic LUMIX cameras A new range of LUMIX G Series professional Digital SLR and compact point-and-shoot cameras were introduced last month. With new release models ranging from the newly-created S Series up to the high end and extremely successful, travel zoom TZ range, the new line up boasts of the best in the industry picture quality coupled with better zoom capabilities, wider angle lenses and professional consumer features, such as GPS and a touch screen with shutter activation.

automan souq

T h e s e c r e t behind the CINEMA 3D TV is LG’s patented Film Patterned Retarder (FPR) technology. FPR provides a crisp and sharp 3D image when viewed through lightweight polarized glasses, allowing viewers to watch TV for longer, and in greater comfort. Further improving the picture quality is LG’s 3D Light Boost, a thin film covering the screen that ensures images are shown at full brightness. It is the world’s first ‘Flicker Free’ TV, as certified by Intertek and TUV, two world-renowned European certification agencies, and has the lowest cross talk. The CINEMA 3D TV is viewed through glasses that tip the scales at just 16gm and have no electrical parts. LG’s Smart TV range provides users with access to thousands of movies, customizable apps, videos, and the ability to browse the Internet with an easy to use interface. A keyboard is not needed to surf the Web, but a QWERTY keyboard App is available for download on Android smart phones or iPhone. LG’s Smart TVs include features like

the Smart Share function which allows users to wirelessly stream content from their digital devices including PCs, tablets, digital cameras and mobile phones for viewing on their television screen. Smart Share also includes Media Link, which provides additional information, such as cover art or liner notes for content being streamed. The new Pentouch TV, is a innovative plasma set that offers all the advantages of PCs and the internet, while letting viewers control content directly on the screen using a special pen. By incorporating L G ’ s

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Editorial

Nominee -benz c200

mercedes

mid-Size ca

amg

n o i t c a r o f d e t Kit for d e s i v el re v e l y r eal t r n e e h e t h t , bu t ives t u g o t i b k a an. y k m l d o a o t t b u o A d igne nds ore t i s f m e , s d t i e b G c enhan ushi An AM lass sedan a e c n a -C orm uthor and Shakeel Al Balo f C r e 1 p 1 t 0 s 2 de raphy a o m Photog ik e ll a M h t nB Chanda Author deal is

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<< Efficiency-enhancing measures including new engines, the improved 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission and the ECO start/stop function >> 64

hen the current and refreshed Mercedes-Benz C-Class line-up was launched in 2008, Mercedes avoided the use of the word facelift and chose to call it “a new generation” which is fair enough when you consider that the car has more than 2,000 new parts in it now. While, the basic architecture of the C-Class is carried over, the newsworthiness in the car is both over and under the skin. The upgraded model range focuses around efficient technologies – be it flab reduction or powertrain efficiency or hightech accoutrements in the interior. Efficiency is now written all over the C-Class. Depending on markets, the Sport C-Class models are also known as Avantgarde editions in the EU and Middle East and C-Class punters in Oman will also benefit from a upspec model with AMG-designed body kit and some specific tweaks in the suspension. For marketing purposes, it’s sold as AMG Sports package and the major benefit to punters is that the AMG kit comes factory fitted and is designed to perfectly match the car’s lines and complements the motorists desire of really itching to ride out with a whole new look. Some of the styling refreshing has already been done in the model and is also highlighted in the AMG kitted version. The new model is easily identified by the newly chiseled bonnet with bolder contours to highlight the re-styled cluster headlamps with a ‘C-shaped side light/

broad LED indicators. The front bumper is also sports a new design with horizontal LED daytime running lights and low, side air inlets to provide a sportier look. At the rear, the car gets a set of new bumpers and tail lamps with centrally placed LED indicators While the bolt-on body kit adds a sporty dimension visually, the car is distinguished from a stock version in several areas. The AMG grille with a centrally-mounted three star logo is unique and so are the deeper front and rear bumpers, under-door rocker panels/skirts Efficiency being the buzzword these days at Mercedes-Benz, so there’s lots of it beginning with flab reduction. The bonnet and some other body parts are now made in lightweight aluminium. And as part of the BlueEfficiency drive, the aging five-speed automatic transmission has already been replaced by the carmaker’s super efficient 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic. The C200 AMG’s engine is technically new and displaces 1,796cc. The four-cylinder twin-cam 16valve engine is forced fed via turbocharging and uses direct-injection for fuel feed. While turbocharging and direct injection systems are a major component in BlueEfficiency drive, the powertrain’s power and torque output remain unchanged. But what has changed is related to overall efficiency in fuel consumption and emissions reduction. Emissions are down to 167gm/km now. What is interesting is

{ROAD TEST} the fact that this engine configuration was introduced over a year ago [remember the CGI badging?] and to eliminate confusion in the current model series, Mercedes-Benz duly dropped the CGI badging. For the record, the engine offers 184hp at 5,250rpm and 270Nm of torque at 1,800rpm The Avantgarde grade actually starts the car off with a higher level of craftsmanship and materials combination. Soft Nappa leather and real wood trims are part of the deal and while there are several CLS-inspired cues in the new C-Class, the new design dashboard features much-improved material for a softer feel and includes a totally new instrument cluster with better resolution. As part of the standard kit, even the base C200 features anti-whiplash head restraints, dual-zone climate-control air-conditioning, rain-sensing wipers, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and transmission knob, while the AMG gets a flat bottomed three-spoke multi-function steering wheel with cruise control and Bluetooth connectivity and front seats which are anyway superb with various ventilation and contour options get some extra bolstering. Other kit includes aluminium sports pedals, panaromic roof, extra bolstering in the front seats. To give it some more authenticity the car comes shod with AMG designed five-twinspoke asymmetric alloy wheels shod with low profile 225/40 R18 tyres up front and 255/35 R18 tyres at the rear. And that’s not all. Careful inspection reveals that the suspension has been lowered a bit and behind the shiny alloys are perforated brake discs with aluminium brake calipers. Simulated aero tweaks are suggested by a fixed lip spoiler on the boot lid.

Automan’s take Oman-based Zawawi Trading, the official importers order most of its C200 models with this AMG designed kit, ordering this kit for a stock car would be in the region of OMR1,500.00 and also includes extra things such as lowered suspension, bigger brake calipers up front and extra seat bolstering. We would like to think of this package as a bit of a performance sedan that offers a decent blend of luxury with a splash of grin-inducing excitement. For a price tag of OMR16,500, this is a package that ticks on almost all the boxes and touches the entry point in a semi-sports luxury market. However, a couple of things are a bit archaic in this price bracket – the COMAND controller’s operations take took too many clicks and rotations and given the fact that Audi’s has recently introduced touchpad systems in its A6, A7 and A8, this aspect of the revised C-Class seems behind the curve.

Driving impressions Despite belting out identical numbers when it comes to output and torque as before, the car feels quite different than its stock sibling. While it sprints from zero to 100km/h in 8.2sec, we bet it won’t set any records in a straight line, and at the same time one shouldn’t expect it to push you back into the seat when you tap the accelerator pedal vigorously. Keeping in mind that this is a street car with a small engine, it is not underpowered for day-to-day routine jobs, but it surely won’t light fire on the track. But, the gratification for the driver comes from the lowered and recalibrated suspension which gives the car above average street handling credentials. Usually, luxury models in the Mercedes-Benz line-up have prioritized ride comfort and hence the shock absorbers are designed to allow free suspension movement over smoother surfaces while firming up on rougher roads so the car doesn’t bounce and wallow about. But in the test car, the priority of the suspension is quicker reactions and higher cornering ability, without losing the compliance that maintains ride quality and automobile integrity. Drivers definitely have an advantage [you can call it sporting ability] with the 18in wheel package that adds a half-inch to front wheel width, a half-inch to rear tyre width, and employs low profile tyres. On the contrary, it handles much better and as a sport version, it does offer great road feel, and particularly its steering feedback to a point that BMW’s perceived advantage is no longer as distinctive anymore. Despite being thrown about, the new C-class handles well and hardly loses its composure. Definitely, we can say, this rear wheel drive C-Class confidently competes with anything thrown towards it in the segment.

<< The premium character of the exterior is the AMG body kit and for the interior is swanky steering wheel from the new CLS >> 67

! NG I C N OU T THAT N AN VEN GE E N A UE THE LL CH L A WI YOU V R CA W HO OUR Y

YOUR CAR’S SEAL OF EXCELLENCE!

MORE THAN 250 MODELS, 40 BRANDS, 15 CATEGORIES AND ONLY ONE WINNER IN EACH CATEGORY! announces the thrills and prestige of its own Car of the Year awards. With enough packed in to take you through the year and a unique format of selection, Automan’s COTY awards will reward the best models on offer in Oman in 2011 Look out in every issue of Automan till August 2011. When we test drive cars, we will not only judge each car for how good it is for you as a buyer, we will also possibly select it as our editorial nominee in one of 13 categories:

13 Categories for Reader Voting If the car deserves the tag, we will tag it as “Editorial Nominee” for the category it best suits. Look out for this logo on each story: EDITORIAL NOMINEE NAME OF THE CAR CATEGORY

01 Small Car of the Year 02 Mid-size Car of the Year 03 Large Car of the Year 04 Premium Car of the Year 05 Luxury Car of the Year 06 Hot Hatch of the Year 07 Sports Car of the Year 08 Performance Car of the Year 09 Small SUV of the Year 10 Mid-size SUV of the Year 11 Large SUV of the Year 12 Premium SUV of the Year 13 Performance SUV of the Year

We will keep a running tally of all the editorial choices till August, after which, we will allow you, the reader to select further nominees through SMS and online at our website, all the way through till our October issue. And that’s when things get really exciting! The nominees in each category will go through a selection procedure that will result in one clear winner in each category. Additionally, our editors will also give two unique awards :

14 Best debut Model in Oman 15 Editor’s choice

At a glittering, year-end ceremony, the winners of each category will be awarded the Automan ‘Car of Year Award’ in its class. www.automanweb.com

Hamilton surprises with German victory

e was t, ther a h as t d tcome eyon three b about the ou by 3.9s. r e h t t ano n won y doub ver an orld champio 8s ahead of ad of e e n h a r be y. 08 w ne 5. n the w Web much in pla the 20 rossed the li ride home o der sa f r y r o c e a ’s d v o u e n d s o fl go to lon che Lare reshuf , with Alons runnin at A bber, but hit nd Mc r a e e t f a n s im a t o s t d k st We Hamil i’s Felipe Ma sidepo hile lo p. hit bac by d Bull’s slowdown la was settled meanw make up. milton a rrar e a e d R F H a h is n w l e o h o as t e e h t it t L t u p d u w d e n n ’s la B l s n ou ate fuel o /Vette im to mak on a lt t McLare y at his critic victory at a n, Jenson and had gr s u s s r n a Red fi the rt llis, The M w on the pe gether but ticall ive to ce afternoo the sta r was again for soft Pire e o t r empha y judged dr c a n s r in o s it d g ped g on crew ull Ferrari’ d into the p quicker, han Webbe stop, again o stop e s beautif ry Nurburgrin ribed to his . n e im t lo d t iv u n A d o hugely no this nd d p esc both his sec eir ma assa was a ilton a ctively, and own la d h mostly which he d t d m a t in g o H a in g g . M e a Re low ce Bull Lap 30 and 32 resp place. ahead in a ra during his s e lead from fourth an out e. All three . rrari’s 31 ’ h h e y t m im t s F f s made h p d ir a fi s a e e a ‘e L d b h as n Sutil strategy e rac grab start n ointe got t on ia h p r ia e n t n t p ld d o h e r s a t t u r A o a il o t f is a , b d Ham them o-stop bber a ed Bull’s Se track McL the pattern ng as they c rce were Behind s use of a tw place for Fo R ark We a s lo which ind a , s to set d e n r u h Bull’s M Alonso and ird place on m a t y a o g d six eh fast soft t do th fro tremen n excellent , beatin nds. B ran as ond sets of Fernan rapped over ry in places a d drive f Nico . ompou le to keep e e c d r c k e r u e a s e t s m c a e d r r s to fo pp so me their e ha t batt Vettel ho, e grid htly sli fter a ercede than th ught a grea fourth. t as th as slig ea India a -stopping M chumacher w silver faster o r f o f that w t shower jus Alonso mad sed a ep lS ree Mass t bay n as he two gh the th and Michae e to ke them, ring Vettel a very li ok third whe rd later rep alf n 10. T by Kamui he pac red r g t r u e T d e b a v s in ia h o h o t Ro rec out un ha pea arly Span Vettel ttel, sp ded through Japanese rst wit en with a amilton cle ber ap tdown e ut the fi b V b e e , e W e k im li k n H u he , as oun mista l lost t ninth lap, th took ere ho after t behind s the c urned d Vette e cars w and he auber , S t Alonso or a while. A s, McLaren t r s a i’ him an urn 10 on th t s h s as f p e wa T . ad Kobay ade a superb to fade the final sto again, as h h spin in ake problem y lost the le w m g o r ly t u e k il o r n iv r ic lo h r b a a t s u d beg and nd q er a ment t , u a rear o f 1 o a r r m 5 e p n b n p la o o a eb tely Hamilt to stop on L Hamilt on the 12th and W media s later but im ne. Later, rst p ber , fi b la e e e n o h a t W w O to chic went t to Turn m the ad Alonso exit fro him going in took the le n e ok stralia 14. Th overto the Au top on Lap r, e v e how pit s n early after a 70

Motor sports -F1 ninth place just ahead of Vitaly Petrov who had tough battles with Button, Schumacher and Kobayashi on his way to 10th and the final point. Sergio Perez was 11th in the other Sauber after an off-course moment, while Jaime Alguersuari was Toro Rosso’s top finisher in 12th ahead of Force India’s Paul di Resta who had to fight back from a spin in the third corner after the start. Pastor Maldonado was Williams’ sole finisher in 14th after Rubens Barrichello hit mechanical trouble early on, the Venezuelan heading home Sebastien Buemi who survived a clash at the chicane which put out first-lap spinner Nick Heidfeld. After a post-race investigation by the

stewards, Buemi was handed a five-place grid penalty for the next round in Hungary. Heikki Kovalainen had an uneventful run to 16th for Team Lotus, ahead of the battling Virgins of Timo Glock and Jerome D’Ambrosio. Tonio Liuzzi chased them hard, having overcome a challenge from HRT team mate Daniel Ricciardo, but the Italian retired with electrical problems, leaving the improving Australian rookie to finish 19th ahead of Lotus debutant Karun Chandhok who had a few off-course adventures. The highest profile non-finisher was Button, who got stuck behind Petrov early on and lost a lot of ground before finally finding a way by. He was running sixth on the road when he was called in to retire on Lap 35, due to hydraulic problems. Hamilton’s win moves him to third in the title chase on 134 points to Vettel’s 216 and Webber’s 139, with Alonso on 130 and Button grounded on 109. Red Bull extended their constructors’ points score to 355, with McLaren on 243 to Ferrari’s 192. Mercedes pulled further ahead of Renault, with 78 to 66.

McLaren partnership and new base for Virgin Virgin have signalled the seriousness of their intent to become real Formula One contenders by announcing a new, long-term technical partnership with McLaren Applied Technologies. It will see the Anglo-Russian team benefit from access to McLaren facilities, knowledge and capabilities, such as their test rigs and driver-in-the-loop simulator, supply chain experience and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) techniques, including race strategy tools. McLaren management and production staff will also be embedded within the Virgin team. “Our technical partnership with McLaren is very exciting indeed,” said Virgin team CEO Andy Webb. “McLaren is one of the most prestigious and successful marques in Grand Prix racing history, with an enviable record of success over many years. We can benefit

enormously from McLaren’s far-reaching techniques and capabilities and I have no doubt that this partnership will see us take the technical steps necessary to make a significant leap forwards.” Earlier this year Virgin parted ways with previous technical partners Wirth Racing Technologies (WRT) and technical director Nick Wirth. However, the team have now acquired WRT’s Formula One business, including its leading-edge technical centre in Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK. The Banbury premises will continue to be utilised by Virgin for the next two years, during which time the team will progress their plans to develop a tailor-made new facility more suited to the team’s long-term Formula One tenure and allowing all elements of their operation to come together on one site.

FIA confirms 1.6 turbo engines for 2014

The FIA, motorsport’s governing body, has confirmed that Formula One racing will move to new engine regulations in 2014, with the current 2.4 litre V8s being replaced by more efficient 1.6 litre, turbocharged V6s. The FIA had originally planned a switch to four-cylinder engines in 2013, but has approved the revised formula in light of concerns formalised last week by various interested parties. “Following a fax vote by its members, the World Motor Sport Council has ratified the engine regulations recently drawn up in consultation with the main stakeholders in Formula One,” read an FIA statement. “The new power plant will be a V6 1.6 turbo unit with energy recovery systems. This

new formula will come into effect as from the start of the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship season.” The new energy recovery systems (ERS) will replace the current kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS) and are expected to be more powerful. Combined with the legalisation of turbocharging, they will ensure overall power outputs remain similar to current levels, despite an anticipated drop in the permitted rev limit. Formula One’s last turbo era ended in 1988, a season dominated by the 1.5 litre V6 Honda-powered McLaren’s of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. The sport returned to naturally aspirated engines in 1989, with a new 3.5 litre formula.

Alonso storms to superb Silverstone victory

ernando Alonso was always the dangerman for Red Bull after qualifying so close to them, and on race afternoon he put Ferrari back in Victory Lane with a beautifully-judged performance that owed a little to a delay during Sebastian Vettel’s second pit stop. Vettel appeared to settle for second place once it became clear that he could not catch the red car, having lost crucial time in the pits when there was a problem with a rear wheel. He was 16.5s adrift of the Spaniard by the flag, but had team mate Mark Webber on his tail and threatening to pass until team boss Christian Horner instructed them to “maintain the gap,” as they struggled with their tyres in the closing laps. Behind them, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton had a real dust-up for fourth place. The Englishman had driven

beautifully from 10th on the grid, making up places hand over fist in the early stages when lunchtime rain obliged everyone to opt for Pirelli’s intermediate rain tyres. The rash of stops to change them began on Lap Nine, and meant that nobody thereafter had to use the hard slicks but could run as many softs as they had available. Hamilton overtook Alonso on the 15th lap and ran third behind Vettel and Webber, but Alonso retook the place on the 24th lap, just before Hamilton pitted for a second time, and the Spaniard remained ahead after his own stop on the 27th lap. After Vettel’s delay that lap, Alonso moved into a lead he never thereafter surrendered. Vettel fell to third behind Hamilton because of his problem, but the Red Bull driver pushed ahead after their final stops.

Vettel got very close to Hamilton on Lap 35 exiting Woodcote but couldn’t make it stick, and opted instead to stop for tyres again on Lap 36. Hamilton did likewise on Lap 37, but the German moved ahead in the stops, and then Hamilton was instructed shortly afterwards to back off in order to conserve fuel. He could do nothing about Webber, who overtook on the 46th lap, and that set up his fight with Massa. Down into Vale on the last lap, Massa pushed ahead but Hamilton refused to give up and pushed down the inside of the left-hander. They made brief contact which damaged the McLaren’s front wing, but as Hamilton dived back for the inside line exiting the first part of Club Massa stayed to the outside but ran wide and then into the run-off area. They crossed the line officially split by 0.024s, with Hamilton

Motor sports -F1 Behind Di Resta, Timo Glock and Jerome D’Ambrosio were 16th and 17th for Virgin, as Tonio Liuzzi drove hard in his HRT to keep the Belgian honest and finished a lap ahead of rookie team mate Daniel Ricciardo. Neither Team Lotus driver made it home, Heikki Kovalainen dropping out early with gearbox problems and Jarno Trulli likewise hitting mechanical trouble with an engine oil leak. Sebastien Buemi joined the other five retirees after slicing his left rear tyre in a racing incident with Di Resta, and had to stop when the rubber flew off the rim of his Toro Rosso. Vettel, of course, continues the lead the title chase, with 204 points, from Webber on 124, as Alonso jumps the McLaren drivers with 112 to their 109 apiece. Red Bull extend their constructors’ lead, with 328 points to McLaren’s 218 and Ferrari’s 164. dramatically maintaining fourth. What at one stage looked hugely promising for McLaren turned into a major disappointment when Jenson Button had to retire at the end of the pit lane on the 39th lap, while running second during the rash of final stops and fighting for a top four position; his car was released from the pits too soon, and the nut had not been fitted to the right front wheel. Further back, Mercedes’s Nico Rosberg kept his cool despite massive race-long pressure from Sergio Perez’s Sauber, with Nick Heidfeld taking ninth for Renault after fending off Michael Schumacher. The Mercedes driver had earlier damaged his nose and earned a 10-second stop/go penalty for spinning Kamui Kobayashi as they fought over seventh place ahead of Rosberg and Perez; Schumacher recovered but later the Japanese driver retired. Jaime Alguersuari took the final point after a determined chase of Schumacher ultimately proved fruitless, and just held off Force India’s Adrian Sutil and Renault’s Vitaly Petrov by the flag. Earlier there had been a mix-up in the Force India pit when Paul di Resta, running a superb seventh early on, was accidentally given Sutil’s tyres and lost a lap while this was rectified. The bitterly disappointed Scot was only 15th. There was also a close finish between the Williamses. Their hopes of points evaporated very early on, and Rubens Barrichello and Pastor Maldonado rarely featured after the opening laps and finished in that order, 13th and 14th, 0.8s apart.

Williams to revive Renault engine partnership Williams are to switch from Cosworth to Renault power for the 2012 and 2013 seasons it was announced on Monday, reviving one of Formula One racing’s most famous partnerships. Between 1989 and 1997, Williams and Renault won four drivers’ and five constructors’ titles together.

The new, long-term chassis-engine agreement includes other business and marketing opportunities, with a view to continuing after the introduction of the new, energy efficient, turbocharged V6 engines to Formula One in 2014.

Qantas to give Webber wings

Qantas has announced it is to assist Red Bull driver Mark Webber in his ambition to obtain his pilot’s licence. Webber is an ambassador for the well known airline, which has been the title sponsor of the Australian Grand Prix for the past two years. Webber, who took on his Qantas role in February this year, spent some time at London’s Heathrow airport on Wednesday in the cockpit of a Qantas A380 with one of the airline’s training captains. Now he is set to transfer his skill set from the grid to the skies. “Flying is something that has always fascinated me,” said Webber. “It was so exciting to have the opportunity to fly over the Albert Park Formula One circuit in a Qantas B737 simulator earlier this year and it really

consolidated my passion to fly an aircraft one day. “This is a new challenge for me and as a Qantas Ambassador I’m grateful to have the support of the team at Qantas and learn from the best in the business.” Qantas Chief Executive Officer, Alan Joyce, said Qantas was pleased Webber had expressed a genuine interest in flying. “Qantas will provide mentoring support with one of the airline’s training pilots and time in the Qantas flight simulators,” he explained. “Qantas will also recommend an approved pilot training organisation in order for Mark to learn to fly. “I’m sure Mark’s driving skills and his excellent hand/eye coordination will put him in good stead in learning to fly an aircraft.”

Vettel wins PIPS Alonso in Valencia

Motor sports -F1

ebastian Vettel scored his sixth victory of the season in Valencia , without anyone getting anywhere close to his Red Bull. Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso battled with Mark Webber, however, and ultimately prevailed as the Australian’s RB7 misbehaved in the closing stages and prevented him attempting to regain the second place he had held on two occasions. Lewis Hamilton was 46.1s behind Vettel on a day when McLaren lacked pace, heading home Felipe Massa’s Ferrari and team mate Jenson Button. The Alonso/Webber fight was the main focal interest at the front as Vettel simply ran off and hid. Webber held it, under pressure, from Lap One to 20, but then Alonso overtook after exploiting his DRS going into Turn 12. The Spaniard then stayed there until his second pit stop on Lap 29, whereupon Webber went back in front having stopped a lap sooner. His third and final stop on Lap 42 promoted Alonso again, and as Webber had run wide going into the pits and lost crucial time, the Ferrari driver was able to stop on Lap 45 and then stay ahead. Webber then fell away quite dramatically, as his car developed a gearbox problem. He was so far ahead of Hamilton, however, that his podium place was never in doubt. Nico Rosberg finished a lonely seventh for Mercedes, ahead of a mighty scrap between Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari, who ran a great twostop strategy, and on-form three-stopper Adrian Sutil, who was only 0.4s behind him in his Force India as they finished eighth and ninth, a lap down. Nick Heidfeld had an undramatic run to 10th and the final point for Renault, ahead of Sergio Perez who drove his Sauber heroically with only one stop and deserved a point for the effort. In another of those no longer so rare races in which nobody retired, Williams’ Rubens Barrichello headed home Sebastien Buemi in the other Toro Rosso, Paul di Resta’s Force India, Vitaly Petrov’s Renault (in which he had made a terrible start and immediately lost places), Kamui Kobayashi’s twostopping Sauber, a delayed Michael Schumacher who had the front wing of his Mercedes damaged by Petrov as he rejoined after his first pit stop, and Pastor Maldonado’s Williams. Heikki Kovalainen beat Team Lotus team mate Jarno Trulli to 19th place, while Timo Glock saw off Virgin partner Jerome D’Ambrosio, who was involved in a mighty scrap early on with Tonio Liuzzi’s HRT before pulling clear. Liuzzi thus took 23rd, well ahead of team mate Narain Karthikeyan. Vettel now has 186 points to Button and Webber on 109, Hamilton on 97 and Alonso on 87. In the constructors’ stakes, Red Bull have 295 to McLaren’s 206 and Ferrari’s 129.

Face to face

Racing to Perfection After a much brighter second season in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East which brought his first win on home territory in Abu Dhabi, Emirati driver Khaled Al Qubaisi is sharpening his skills again in Europe this summer. He talks here about his highs and lows, his hopes for better fortunes in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup after a frustrating start, the champion in the making in his team, and how heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to inspire other young Emirati drivers.

Looking back, how do you assess your 2010-11 season in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East overall? “It was a very important season for me because I was able to improve a lot from the season before and clinched my first race win. That was a great feeling and it gave me confidence for the new Supercup season too.” How important was it to get your first win in the Porsche GT3 Cup series? “It was important to experience how difficult it can be to lead a race and to hold off all the other drivers trying to catch and overtake you. A great experience, though.“

After your technical problems in Round 1 in Istanbul and the accident which put you of Round 2 in Barcelona, how disappointed are you with your start ? “Well, it was obviously not the best start to my second Supercup season, but I am confident that we will be able to improve the performance soon. Istanbul was of course disappointing as the car was brand new and you don’t want to have technical issues with it. As for Barcelona, I need to take responsibility for the collision and learn from it.“ How much did you benefit from the SuperCup last year and how did this help

“We had a very bad weekend in Dubai and unfortunately this was the one weekend when we had four races, so there was lot more at stake than usual. Of course it was disappointing. If the last four rounds had covered two weekends, as normally happens, I could have finished the season better. But I always look at the positives, and it was a weekend where we gained a ton of experience.“

“Of course, I can see clear improvement in my performances. That’s what I was aiming for last season and I’m very happy overall.“ How much have you been looking forward to the Porsche Mobil 1 SuperCup series this summer? “The competition in the Supercup is quite fierce and it makes me proud that I am racing there. Furthermore, it offers me the chance to learn so much. There are a lot of good race drivers there, including my team-mates Sean Edwards and Jeroen Bleekemolen. I really profit from their experience.“

Al Qubaisi: “I had mechanical problems in Istanbul and an accident in Barcelona, and then suffered a broken drive shaft on the introduction lap in Monaco. It was obviously not the best start to my second Supercup season, but , I need to take responsibility for the collision in Spain and learn from it, and I am confident that we will be able to improve the performance soon.”

“Again, I think experience is the key to being successful. The more you practice the better the results you‘ll achieve. I definitely gained a lot from my first season in the series and it paid off in my Porsche GT3 Cup campaign in the Middle East.“ Give us an assessment of your team-mate Musaed Al Murar, and his performance in his first rookie year.

What went wrong?

Despite the way it finished you must have been a pleased with your performances in general - much more consistency, a lot of podiums and that win in Abu Dhabi.

You’ve had a disappointing start to the 2011 Supercup season. Tell us what happened.

Looking ahead to the 201112 season in the Porsche GT3 Cup series, how much will your SuperCup experience this summer help you?

How disappointing was it for the season to finish the way it did for you in Dubai?

“It was a mix of bad luck and technical issues, including a blown engine. It’s hard to explain how it all came together on one weekend.“

spent due to technical issues or collisions. I feel very good about this team.“

you in the Porsche GT3 Cup series? A“Actually it helped that I was driving a lot of races and gained a huge amount of experience. The Supercup was the reason why I was able to improve my driving skills so much.“ What are your targets for the 2011 SuperCup? Al Qubaisi: “Overall, I’m looking to gain more valuable experience and develop as a racing driver. At the same time I want to get among the points, and help the team as much as I can in the championship.“ Tell us about your Abu Dhabi team in the SuperCup “We have a great team with ambitious drivers and dedicated personnel. We get along well and help each other during the race weekends. The atmosphere is great and I never hear anyone complaining if extra hours need to be

“Musaed did a great job in his first season. He dominated the rookie championship. Now he just needs more experience to help him continue to improve.“ How good can he become and what can he achieve in the Porsche GT3 CCME next season? “I am pretty sure that, with the right amount of training, he can become champion in the next three years.“ Do you believe other young Emiratis might be attracted to the series by the exploits of yourself and Musaed? “I hope so. It all depends on an individual’s dedication and determination. Obviously it would be better to start in motor sport at an early age.”

Loeb wins in Finland

Sebastien Loeb has extended his lead at the top of the Word Rally Championship to 27 points following a stunning second win on Neste Oil Rally Finland, which finished in the city of Jyvaskyla.

riving a Citroen DS3 WRC, Loeb started first on the road on all three days of the high-speed gravel event but battled to his 66th victory at world championship level alongside co-driver Daniel Elena. In doing so he becomes the first non-Nordic driver to win the event twice. Loeb, from France, began the final day with a 1.5s lead over team-mate Sebastien Ogier but feared he would drop time cleaning the surface gravel for his rivals behind. However, overnight rain cancelled out any possible delay to the extent he was able to extend his margin thanks to a staggering display on stages 12 and 13. But with some stages badly rutted for the afternoon loop, Loeb still faced a tough fight to maintain his lead. However, when Ogier picked up a front-left puncture on stage 17, Loeb was almost in the clear despite Ford’s Jari-Matti Latvala cutting his advantage to less than 10 seconds in the closing stages. “It feels very good,” said Loeb at the finish of the event-closing Power Stage. “For sure it was a very difficult race with the other drivers dropping behind me to make me clean the road. But finally we won and in the end it was a big relief and maybe the best win of my career.” Latvala began the final day 2.6s behind leader Loeb in third position but his efforts to move ahead were hampered by a lack of traction at the rear of his car. Adjustments to the rear differential preload at midday service solved the problem and the Finn was able to mount a late attack, taking second place from Ogier on stage 18.

“It was a tough weekend and I woke up a little bit too late,” said the works Fiesta RS WRC driver. “Of course it’s a disappointment not to win but it’s been a great rally.” Ogier could barely hide his disappointment at the finish having been convinced that he could take his first win in Finland. “Of course I have not given up but this is not a good result for the championship,” he said. “With my road position today I should play for the victory but it was finished after the puncture.” Mikko Hirvonen started the first of Saturday’s 11 stages in sixth position and almost one minute behind fourth-placed Petter Solberg. But a combination of Hirvonen’s pace - he was fastest on eight stages today - and differential problems for a lacklustre Solberg allowed the Finn to snatch fourth in the second factory Fiesta. While Hirvonen, who hails from Jyvaskyla, was frustrated not to have challenged for first place following his stage one off, he was fastest on the Power Stage to bag three bonus points. Solberg was a disconsolate fifth with Mads Ostberg impressing at the wheel of his M-Sport Stobart Fiesta. Although the Ostberg’s bid to demote his fellow Norwegian Solberg for fifth ultimately failed, he nevertheless set several strong stage times. “I am very happy because we were able to mix it with the big five on this rally,” said Ostberg, who wore a black armband throughout the rally as a mark of respect to the victims of the twin terror attack in his country recently. Ostberg was followed home by team-mates

Henning Solberg and Matthew Wilson who finished seventh and eighth respectively. Kimi Raikkonen came home ninth but codriver Kaj Lindstrom reckoned the ex-Formula One world champion could have claimed seventh had he not damaged the front of his ICE 1 Racing Citroen in an off on stage 17. Super 2000 World Rally Championship winner Juho Hanninen completed the point scorers in 10th overall at the wheel of his Red Bull Skoda, one place ahead of FERM Power Tools World Rally Team’s Dennis Kuipers, who impressed on his Rally Finland debut aboard his Fiesta. Team Abu Dhabi’s Khlaid Al Qassimi marked the four-year anniversary of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority’s support of the world championship by finishing 14th. PG Andersson was 15th in his R4-specification Tommi Makinen Racing-run Subaru Impreza. An overheating problem forced MINI WRC Team bosses to retire Kris Meeke and Dani Sordo before the finish. Both drivers had been on course for the top 10 before they hit trouble following an extremely encouraging display by the John Cooper Works WRCs. Neither of the two Volkswagen Motorsportrun Skoda Fabias reached the finish. Joonas Lindroos crashed out on day two, while a broken radiator forced Andreas Mikkelsen’s retirement at the end of stage 17. The Norwegian had impressed throughout despite being told not to push in an effort to secure a finish for the German squad, which was using the event as part of its preparations for a full WRC entry from 2013.

Motor sports -WRC

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Motor sports Lorenzo rides to second victory of 2011 at Mugello A fantastic race saw Jorge Lorenzo stalk down Casey Stoner to clinch his second win of the season at the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM, while Andrea Dovizioso passed his team mate on the last lap to finish second.

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moto gp Spies lands first MotoGP victory

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Ben Spies took his first win in the MotoGP class, with the two Repsol Hondas of Casey Stoner and Andrea Dovizioso occupying the lower two steps on the podium at the Iveco TT Assen race.

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{Chicane}

Buying ti me on credit This month, I have chosen to go a little further afield than usual with the topic I am handling in Chicane. As it is the column is meant to address almost everything that impacts the world of motoring without actually being a piece about motoring. The topic in question meets the criteria and is thus both contemporary and important. In a world obsessed with money and power and every combination of the two - there is no man more powerful, I have been led to believe, than the President of the United States. In my lifetime, that truism has only been reinforced umpteen times by people who have presided over economic power, the world’s most prolific war machine and a currency that is the world standard, much of which is largely interlinked. For four years POTUS (that’s President of the United States) is supposed to be able to pretty much run things as he pleases. Or so I thought. However, the recent brouhaha over whether the US can agree to increase its debt has shaken my understanding of POTUS, the world’s economic outlook and perchance has increased my belief in an afterlife. To my non-economist brain, the concept that one can borrow money with almost no limit is staggering. How much money is there in the world? If the US has more than 14.3 trillion dollars of debt and is now ready to borrow more, when will the balance ever come to zero? Picture a normal wage earner trying to borrow money from a bank, or indeed a customer buying a car on finance. Would anyone lend them money or the car if the question was about how much more they plan to borrow rather than their intention to repay? I know the situation isn’t so simple, but can anyone blame the world’s money markets for being so jittery? If you look at the US itself, the country is battling to restart its economic recovery, trying to rebuild infrastructure and industry with the hope that it will boost employment and growth. By the nature of the model, it calls for increased government spending on all fronts. As for the government in question, a slow market is usually a lot cheaper to buy goods and services from and the results are seen more effectively. The automotive industry in the US also seems to have understood the need to change on all fronts – products, production processes and operations. But will the market stay economically sound? With so much linked to the dollar, we also are being affected in our outposts around the world. Whether it is the increasing price of commodities, precious metals, oil or indeed of Japanese made products which we all love to buy, everything is becoming dearer. As it is, importers are groaning under the strength of the Yen, while Japanese exporters are being hit hard at a time when their economy needs the business the most. And China’s Yuan continues to stay apace with the dollar making China made goods ever cheaper. I would wish for a continued strong dollar. Of course, like so many other expats I too am impacted on my pocket every time my home currency strengthens. If I had the power of visionary foresight I wouldn’t have been so lax about leaving savings in dollar denominated accounts. But now it’s not just us, countries are wondering what they should do – like buying hoards of gold even at these inflated rates. When you look at all that’s happening perhaps sinking your money in a new car this season is just about the most enjoyable way to see your money go! I had also mentioned something about the afterlife at the outset of this note. You would have to be a believer considering the sort of debts that countries are racking up. Are we going to leave all these to be settled by future generations? And are they likely to ever be able to do so? And won’t they want to meet the people who put them on the spot? Perhaps what we need is the attitude of a crony who owes me money for almost the whole past decade – whenever I asked him for the amount, even part of it, I would get the answer “Don’t worry, your money is safe. Imagine it’s in your bank.” Or even better, “Don’t worry, If you die I’ll give it to your children.” After that I do two things – never lend money and as a result I really don’t worry.

Raj Warrior is editor of Automan and has been in the thick of the Automotive journalism field from the past 15 years. Want to comment or have your say? Email at raj@alroya.net. Identify yourself or your message will be trashed and your id blocked 82