Drive Team Editor: Russell Bennett Deputy Editor: Steve Allison Editorial Contributors: Russell Bennett, Steve Allison, Kyle Stone, Bruce Bennett, Christo Valentyn, Bob Allison
Art Contributors: Heide-Marie Botes AVC
Management: Russell Bennett, Steve Allison
Advertising Sales: info@drivemagazine.co.za Photography: Steve Allison Photographic, www.quickpic.co.za, direct from manufacturers All data contained in this magazine is for
T
he internet is indeed a weird and wondrous thing. But the way it’s viewed, particularly by a fairly traditionalist-dominated market like motoring, is downright nonsensical.
information only and every effort is made to ensure its accuracy. However reviews, comment and instruction are the views of the authors and may contain inadvertent errors, for which Drive apologises but takes no responsibility for any actions of any person resulting from the use of information contained herein. Any prospective contributor or correspondant submitting unsolicited material with a view to its publication
Our Drive Magazine sales rep has been out to a few clients now who are dead keen on getting some coverage in the magazine, as we’re now doing pretty decent numbers and continue to grow our monthly readership stats healthily while traditional print publications continue to see decline. So, naturally, these customers are dead keen to tap into this market through some objective editorial coverage.
automatically grant Drive license to publish such material in whole or in part in any edition of this magazine. Any material submitted is at the risk of the sender and Drive cannot be held liable or accountable for its loss or damage.
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But, when it comes to talk of supporting the magazine with advertising, exactly the same as is done in the world of print, a couple of these potential customers were quite literally flabbergasted that we, heaven forbid, would actually need some money in order to display their ad APRIL 2010
E ds W el c o m e and the fees of the flip-format host Issuu. But we also have no cover price.
in our digital magazine! There seems to be a complete disconnection here. Perhaps it’s also the fact that the magazine itself is free, coupled with a similar perception of the Web as a platform, that forms the foundation for this problem. Problem for us, at least. The thing is, even without our stylish design and the costs associated with this process, the same as a print magazine incurs, there are also little things like paying our contributors and staff for the valuable, totally original content they produce. But apparently we ought to just be able to download them some apple pie from the States for their families to tuck into. Or something. So I’d like to take this opportunity to just demystify things slightly here. A print magazine, running in the sweet spot, effectively pays for its distribution and print bill with cover sales. A digital publication like ours has no print costs, and minimal distribution costs bar hosting AP R I L 2 0 1 0
So the only feasible way to keep the magazine and site running, is through advertising revenues. These are, exclusively, the bread-and-butter of digital titles like our own. Yet advertisers fully expect that we charge either nothing or an absolute pittance, despite the fact that the magazine renders A4 ads in all the glory and clarity they were originally designed, with perfect colour reproduction and a high impact every time. Well nevertheless, enough of my ranting. We’ve got several interesting new cars this month and its obvious the C-segment hatchback market is hotting up, with the new Polo having been through our office for testing this month, the launch of the more value-oriented Polo Vivo, and Hyundai’s first foray into this patch, the local i30 launch (at last). Of course if your budget is particularly paltry, there’s also a road test on the Chery J1. Have a look, then go buy a Vivo. Trust us. We do hope you continue to enjoy reading what we’re putting together each month, and remember that passion is the most powerful fuel that there is.
Russell Bennett
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6 News Our selection of the most interesting motoring news of the past month, and there are some tasty surprises in here this month...
28 Drive news feature Michelin Power Pure unveiled
32 Drive Launch Feature Polo for the proletariat – New VW Polo Vivo, a worthy replacement for the revered Citi?
38 Drive Launch Feature It’s all in the is - Hyundai i30 set to take on midsized hatch challenge.
44 Drive Feature Ride like the wind – We get the opportunity to try out Honda’s Riding Academy.
50 Drive Feature Wake up and smell the exhaust fumes – The punitive “emissions tax” coming our way and ridiculously obvious government racketeering.
56 Drive columns Know the difference between irony and, well, a girder? Read Russell’ s column for a hint, while Steve ponders a growing trend of downright nastiness on our roads.
62 Drive Versus Big Surprise! - Chrysler 300C SRT-8 squares up to Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, with some surprising, and some not-so-surprising conclusions.
76 Drive Versus Street Touring – Kawasaki GTR 1400 faces Honda VFR 1200. As usual, we disagree with the norm in the end..
88 Drive Tests Dodge Journey CRD R/T
96 Drive Tests Citroen C5 2.0 HDI
104 Drive Tests Audi A4 2.0 TSI StopStart
112 Drive Tests VW Polo 1. 4 Trendline
118 Drive Tests Chery J1
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A 6
nyone remotely interested in performance motoring will at the very least have heard of Mercedes AMG’s 63 motor, their mad
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V8 that AMG seem intent on putting in virtually every single one of their vehicles. And for good reason, sure it could hardly be described as the most frugal engine around but who cares when the APRIL 2010
News performance delivered is so staggering. All good things must come to an end I guess, and not even the mighty 63 can escape its fate it seems, the new 63 will be a 5.5L biturbo V8. Of course being as it is that the new 63 has forced induction as opposed to the outgoing 63’s natural aspiration, this isn’t actually the downgrade it may seem like on first impression.
5.5L V8 equipped with two turbos is nigh impossible, but then every manufacturer on the planet essentially lies about fuel economy. So given that and the fact that in cars like the S 63 fuel economy is largely irrelevant we’ll let that little white lie slide. The S 63 will have a start/stop function in the “Controlled Efficiency” driving mode of the gearbox, which will obviously help cut
The new 5.5L V8, know at AMG as the
down on the fuel bill when sitting in traf-
M 157, will be making 420kW/571HP
fic, which is where the current 63 really
at 5500rpm when it debuts later this
suffered.
year. The big power is backed up by a mountain of torque, 900Nm at 2500-
So by now you’ve maybe noticed that I
3750rpm to be precise. Those fig-
quite like this new 63, but just in case
ures however are only applicable with
you hadn’t figured it out here are some
AMG’s Performance package fitted,
of the features of this motor you should
without the package power will be a
get excited about. For the first time
measly 400kW/544HP and only 800Nm
AMG is making use of direct injection
of torque. Why bother? Okay, in truth
with spray-guided combustion and pie-
even those stats are very impressive,
zo-electric injectors, which apparently
and all the Performance package does
helps with fuel efficiency due to su-
is dial up the biturbo boost from 1.0 to
perior thermodynamic efficiency. The
1.3 bar.
crankcase is all-aluminium, keeping the overall weight of the engine down
The first of what will no doubt be many
to 204kg dry.
AMG cars to receive the new 63 is the S 63, which will use AMG’s SPEED-
It’s sure to be an awesome engine, so
SHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmis-
much so that I really want one. Not ac-
sion. Now AMG claim that this com-
tually in a car or anything, I’d just put it
bination in the S 63 will return fuel
in the lounge and rev it whenever I felt
economy of 10.5L/100km, which for a
the urge.
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n a move that could possibly result in a series of the biggest crashes you’ve ever seen, Mercedes have taken the boss of AMG, you know, those insane guys from Stuttgart with no regard for rear tires, and put him in charge of their van division. Now given AMG’s penchant for putting their 6.3 V8 in absolutely everything they can get their hands on, and combine that with the inherent lack of handling, aerodynamics or just general dynamics in vans, well you can see there might 8
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be a problem here. Still, as Clarkson always says, when in doubt-power, and there should be no shortage of that. Volker Mornhinweg took over the Mercedes van division on the 1st of April, which had it been announced on that date I would have thought for sure it was an April Fools joke, but the news came before that. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see if it is true then.
APRIL 2010
News
T
he VW Polo has rounded off a dominant performance by VAG at the 2010 World Car of the Year ceremony held at the New York International Auto Show by clinching the illustrious World Car of the Year award. Audi clinched the performance award as well with their R8 V10, and let’s also not forget that in 2009 the Car of the Year award was bestowed upon VW’s other volume seller, the Golf VI. VAG really seem to have won the hearts and minds of the international press in recent years, and rightly so too. AP R I L 2 0 1 0
VAG also picked up awards in another, completely ridiculous category, the World Green Car of the Year. This award was actually not given to a specific model of VW’s but rather their BlueMotion product brand consisting of the Golf, Passat, and Polo. It is nice however to see the World Car of The Year organisation acknowledge that toxic batteries and heavy electric motors have nothing to do with saving the environment as BlueMotion’s aren’t hybrids, even if it was in desperate need of saving. DRIVE M AGAZINE
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MW have unveiled the 2011 5-Series Touring in Leipzig, and I’ve got to ask; is there anything BMW won’t do to make the 5-Series ugly. There’s no doubt just like every 5-Series it’ll be an engineering masterpiece, too bad it has to have the style equivalent to a wet dog.
on is boot capacity, an area in which the 5-Series Touring is well equipped. Boot capacity is 560 litres but can be increased to1,670 litres with the seats folded down. Unfortunately if you want more riveting information on the boot you’ll have to look elsewhere, I’m sure there are many innovations in the boot as the press release sure went on about
Right, this is a wagon, so first and
it, but really who cares. It’s big, on to
foremost on the priority list for a wag-
the engines.
10
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
News will produce 135 kW/184 bhp and feature common rail direct injection and an aluminium crankcase. The other diesel engine will be popped into the 530d Touring and make 180 kW/245 bhp. The proper engines in the 5-Series Touring will of course be petrol powered, the inevitable 535i Touring is there boasting BMW’s 3.0L twin turbo straight six. The 535i Touring is the range topper with 225 kW/306 bhp. Slotting in below the 530d is the 523i Touring with its naturally aspirated petrol motor with 150 kW/204 bhp. BMW are offering 5-Series Touring customers some nifty suspension features, along with a horrible design. Optional Dynamic Driving Control for example allows for individual suspension settings. Then there is as standard on the The engine options feature all the usu-
rear axle pneumatic suspension, which
al suspects; two straight six petrol mo-
means automatic self-leveling for the
tors and also two diesel options. There
5-Series Touring.
is a six cylinder diesel as well as quite shockingly a four cylinder diesel. A 5-Series should not have a four cylinder engine, minimum of six cylinders I say. BMW make such great sixes anyway, why do any less in one of your premium ranges? Nevertheless the 520d Touring, powered by the turbo diesel four AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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News
T
he New York Auto Show recently played host to the 2010 World Car of the Year Awards ceremony, and in the World Performance Car category Audi has romped off with the crown. Audi’s awesome R8 V10 took the prize, the second time the R8 has won this award following the original V8 powered R8’s victory in 2008.
ving V10. The 5.2 FSI V10 motor produces 386kW/525hp from its midship position, and a fantastic soundtrack I might add. All that power is of course channeled through Audi’s famous quattro permanent all-wheel drive system pushing the R8 on to a top speed of 316km/h. The R8 isn’t the only car with which
Those of you unaware of the R8’s cre-
Audi have captured the World Perform-
dentials which justify its title of 2010
ance Car of the Year award, in 2007
World Performance Car, pay attention.
the Audi RS4 received the prestigious
The R8 can propel itself from 0-100km/h
award. This latest 2010 victory brings
in just 3.9s thanks to a Lamborghini
to three the number of times Audi have
sourced (try getting Audi to admit that
won this particular award.
though) 5.2L direct injection high revAP R I L 2 0 1 0
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he Renault-Nissan alliance has entered into a co-operation deal with Daimler with the two groups respective small cars apparently being the focus of the co-operation. Daimler and Renault-Nissan are set to work together on the next generation of the smart fortwo and Renault Twingo, which includes the planned introduction of electric versions for these vehicles. Unsurprisingly in this age of platform sharing, powertrain development and thus powertrain sharing seems to be the main thrust of the partnership.
and diesel motors from Renault-Nissan will be heading for the new smart and Twingo. Daimler will provide engines for Infiniti to hold up their end of the deal, Infiniti is Nissan’s luxury arm so they might actually get some decent engines out of Daimler. Mercedes will also be getting engines in this partnership, their Vito van will be getting diesel power from Renault-Nissan. To make all this rampant engine sharing official, each organisation will take a small share in each others business, 3.1% to be precise, not 3% but 3.1%.
This obviously begs the question as
That was probably the Germans being
to which engines will be shared, given
precise just for the sake of being pre-
that this collaboration is in the field of
cise. In truth the deal is far more com-
smaller cars, I’m guessing AMG’s V8’s
plicated but let’s just stick with 3.1% for
aren’t going to be on the list, a shame
now. The fruits of this partnership how-
really, I’ve always wondered what would
ever are only said to be arriving in 2013
happen if Renault made a hot hatch
for the compact cars, as that is when
Sandero with a 6.3L V8 sitting where
the jointly developed smart and Twingo
the rear seats and boot should be. No,
models will be appearing on the roads.
that won’t be the case, but rather petrol 14
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APRIL 2010
News
H
UD’s have been around for awhile now but they’ve only really appeared on the windscreens of performance monsters and even then they were rather limited and rare. GM’s vision of the future hopes to change all that with an almost complete re-think of HUD’s.
fog, we could use the vehicle’s infrared cameras to identify where the edge of the road is and the lasers could ‘paint’ the edge of the road onto the windshield so the driver knows where the edge of the road is.” So how exactly does it all work? The windshield itself is coated in trans-
GM has been working with numerous
parent phosphors, whatever they are,
universities on this project aimed at im-
which emit visible light when activated
proving road safety, and is a full wind-
by a compact laser. This transforms the
shield system utilising night vision, navi-
entire windscreen into a large transpar-
gation and camera based technologies.
ent display. There is also automated
Thomas Seder, group lab manager-GM
sign-reading technology which can be
R&D explained an interesting scenario
integrated into the HUD, nicked from
in which all these technologies could
the Opel Insignia which debuted the
combine: “Let’s say you’re driving in
Opel Eye system in 2009.
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News
T
oyota South Africa has expanded their RAV4 range of vehicles with the RAV4 2.0GX Automatic, the automatic gearbox will only have four gears and will will join the range’s only other automatic the higher specced RAV4 2.0 VX Auto.
out 194 Nm at 4 000 rpm. As with the entire range, the GX is four wheel drive and also boasts McPherson struts in the front suspension. The RAV4 range was upgraded stylistically in 2009 and the GX benefits from these changes as well. There’s full col-
With a price tag of R309 800 for a RAV4 2.0 GX, you’ll get a tried and trusted 112kW/152hp 2.0L petrol motor, and that’s about it really. Toyota seem intent on pushing the proven reliability of this engine gearbox combination already found in the VX, and I don’t blame them considering Toyota’s continuing problems regarding their recalls. The 2.0L motor is a 16 valve VVT-i, Toyota speak for variable valve timing, and
our coding, rear light clusters utilising LED lights, and even 17 inch wheels. The GX has a multi-terrain ABS-system and even no less than seven airbags, and, well actually I’ve run out of things to say in truth. It is a Toyota after all, dependable and reliable but not all that exciting, unless your throttle’s jammed open of course. Then again that’s exciting in the same way that getting shot at is exciting, wears thin fairly quickly.
alongside its 112kW the motor torques AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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enault really do know how to make gorgeous cars, case in point the new Laguna Coupe has just entered the South African market and it is a stunner. The elegant and soft lines complementing the Laguna seemingly from every angle, and it’ll no doubt be specced to the nines as well. The only problem I can see on first impression is the motor, a 3.5L 18
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
V6, which in the stats at least is less than impressive. Considering however that Renault are targeting the Boxster with the Laguna I guess there’s power aplenty if you make a direct comparison. The engineering in the Laguna certainly is ambitious, boasting as it does Renault’s 4Control chassis, which is a joint development between Renault’s APRIL 2010
News engineers
their
rear wheels actually turn in the opposite
division-Renault
direction to the front wheels creating a
Technologies.
much tighter turning circle that wouldn’t
The 4Control chassis
usually be possible for a platform of
is essentially an elec-
the Laguna’s size. The turning circle
tronically
for the Laguna is thus a class leading
RS Sport
chassis
and
monitored allowing
for
10,1m. As mentioned for speeds above
dynamic control of the
60km/h the system works in a far less
chassis. Vehicle data
alien manner as they turn in the same
such as speed and
direction as the fronts.
steering wheel angle is fed into a computer
It isn’t just steering that 4 active wheels
along with other info
can be of benefit, when under heavy
such as yaw and steer-
breaking which also often includes
ing wheel movements,
emergency evasive maneuvers the dy-
all this data is then
namic system can automatically adjust
used to implement the
the steering angle of the rear wheels by
Laguna’s party trick, 4
up to 3.5 degrees to ensure directional
wheel steering. Once
stability.
the
most
effective
steering angle of the
So it seems to be packed with tech, but
rear wheels has been
then there is a reason 4 wheel steering
determined, an electric
systems aren’t all that common consid-
actuator motor on the
ering their potential advantages. The
rear axle swings into action to turn the
complexity of 4 wheel steering systems
wheels.
tend to result in unreliability and high maintenance costs. And remember this
The benefits of 4 wheel steering can be
is a Renault, a French car, rightly or
found at both low and higher speeds,
wrongly they hardly have a reputation
low speed maneuverability is improved
for reliability and mechanical integrity.
but when the speedo travels beyond 60km/h steering stability and precision
On to the engine, and quite frankly
is improved. For the low speed stuff, the
based on the figures given Renault
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N e ws could do better. Now remember that the Laguna is supposed to be a flagship model for Renault so one is supposed to be impressed, not underwhelmed. The Laguna sports a 3.5L V6, which is a good enough start, but maximum power is 175kW at 6,000rpm. From 3.5L, that’s not enough in my mind, in the age of forced induction the Laguna is running the risk of getting outrun by far smaller competition. I’m probably in the minority here, considering what the Laguna sets out to achieve, 175kW is about right, but I’m still not impressed. And up here on the highveld the Laguna could prove me right, we’ll have to wait for a road test though. The torque output is equally disappointing, if not more so, 330Nm at 4,00rpm. One can only assume this motor is going to require a lot of revs and the power will always seem unavailable with such low torque figures. The Laguna has however received the maximum 5 stars in Euro NCAP crash tests with a total score of 36/37. It’s well equipped too with premium features such as Bose sound and TomTom navigation. And all for only R499 900, a decent price indeed. Although for half a million, and I hate to harp on about this, but 175kW and 330Nm is not enough grunt. Then again at that price, with those looks, Renault could very well have hit the mark, power wise included. 20
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APRIL 2010
News
F
ord has done the deed, the sale of of their Swedish division Volvo has gone through to Geely, the Chinese firm paying $1.8 billion for Volvo. The sale, officially signed off on the 28th of March, includes Volvo intellectual property and assets, and will be concluded in the third quarter of 2010 with Geely taking 100% ownership of Volvo. AP R I L 2 0 1 0
Despite the ownership deal meaning a 100% stake for geely, Ford will continue to cooperate with Volvo post sale in the form of powertrains, stampings and various components. The aid is said to be part of the deal to ensure a smooth transition process.
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O
h the cruelty, Ford South Africa really do know how to rub it in don’t they. Petrolheads all over the land have for a long tim been bemoaning the fact that Ford refuse to bring the awesome Focus RS in, and now it seems it’ll never happen, although I think we’ve all known the current RS would never grace our shores. Ford have announced a special edition Focus RS500 to commemorate the end of production for the current Focus RS. Ford are only making 500 of these 257kW hot hatches, and it looks just awesome. Also, Revo Knuckles, who wouldn’t want a car with those? The RS500 still has a 5 cylinder 2.5L motor, but it’s been tuned just a little bit more than it already was, so that 22
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
power is now 257kW/350HP, which is a 15% power boost over the standard RS. Torque too has been beefed up, it’s now 460Nm compared to 440Nm in the standard model. The RS500 looks the part as well with a hulking silent assassin style finished in unique matte black ‘foil’ paint and matching 19-inch alloy wheels. Sadly, although to be expected, the 500 RS500’s destined to roll of the Ford assembly line in Saarlouis Germany will only be available in 20 European markets. As the RS500 is a limited edition each one will be emblazoned with a metal plaque on the centre console, hand engraved with each vehicles unique number. APRIL 2010
News
B
MW have the M division, Mercedes have AMG, and Audi have their RS range. It really was only a matter of time then considering everyone else has one, yes, the people’s car is getting a performance division, the R division.
The question however is what exactly the R division is going to do? VW already have the Golf R and Scirocco R prepped and ready to go shortly, and those two models are the only truly sporty foundations in the VW stable. I can’t see a Fox R anytime soon, maybe the forthcoming Polo GTI could get an
VW have formally established Volkswagen R GmbH who will specialise in exclusive sporty models from Volkswagen. The R factory is located not far from VW’s Wolfsburg headquarters in Warmenau and is packed to the rafters
R badge but beyond that I can’t see it. And besides, wasn’t the whole point of buying two premium sporty brands in Porsche and Audi supposed to allow VW to play in that market without doing it themselves?
with more than 350 staffers.
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ubaru have finally removed the cloth from their new Impreza’s, their performance flagship the WRX STI and WRX. The official reveal recently took place at the New York International Auto Show, and thank the maker the STI has a boot again, no doubt influenced by the huge success of the regular WRX’s return to boot sta24
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
tus last time round. For both the WRX and WRX STI there will be 4 and 5 door options available, so sedan or hatch. And whilst in truth these latest Impreza offerings from Subaru are hardly revolutionary, does anyone care when the STI was designed with the underlying concept of making the “The Fastest WRX STI Ever.” Also, they’re wider and lower, which is always good for APRIL 2010
News
street racers.
WRX STI
accused of having a suspension too soft for its performance orientation. Considering also that the STI had its perform-
A bold statement to make by Subaru,
ance demeanor honed to perfection at
fastest STI ever that is, and it seems
the Nurburgring, one can only presume
that one of the most important ways in
the suspension will be rather stiff this
which they aimed to achieve their goal
time round.
was to finely tune the suspension. The previous STI, the hatch, was at times AP R I L 2 0 1 0
Beyond
the
suspension
stiffening
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N e ws however Subaru has really gone to work, claiming several significant improvements in the STI over the previous STI. Firstly Subaru have done what all spots cars strive for, they’ve widened and lowered, the STI’s suspension has been dropped by 5mm to this end. Both front and rear suspension arms have been updated with the fronts now being of aluminium construction and the rear arm bushes have been switched to pillow-ball types. It doesn’t stop there though, coils have been overhauled, front and rear dampers too, but to avoid turning into a technical journal I think I’ll stop talking about suspension for now, just know that it’s all been done to get the STI back to its hardcore handling roots. The STI’s motor is far less bewildering, it’s still a 2.5L boxer producing 224kW/305hp@6000rpm with the aid of some
prodigious
turbocharging.
Then
there’s the STI’s looks to consider, which besides the lower and wider stance, there isn’t much to report. There are the usual facelift type tweaks here and there, such as the corners of the bumpers having been enlarged, hands up anyone who actually noticed that on their own. There are also lightweight 18 inch aluminium rims as standard now or 18 inch BBS wheels as options, both with a high lustre finish. A new colour is also now available, “Plasma Blue Silica” 26
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APRIL 2010
News
to be precise. In reality however eve-
ened by 38mm. In fact it seems that
ryone will only notice the gigantic rear
quite a bit has been widened, the new
wing so all this is academic frankly.
17 inch wheels are also wider and their
WRX
rubber too of course. All this widening does mean the WRX has put on some
The less manic Impreza WRX has also
weight, around 15kg but the grip and
been facelifted with both the 5-door
handling should be improved so the in-
hatch and 4-door sedan receiving a
creased weight is an acceptable trade
similar wide body kit to the STI, the
off.
new design includes a re-envisioned front end, which looks exactly like the
Sadly the powertrain has been left un-
old nose. But hey, that’s the definition
touched, to be fair it is a rather spec-
of an automotive facelift, change very
tacular one at that, but still, all we’re
little whilst claiming to have changed
asking for is a tiny bit more boost from
a lot, so Subaru are on the right track
the 2.5L motors turbo. The power then
here.
is still 195kW and 343 Nm of torque, just shy of 200kW, the excellent Sub-
The underlying engineering has been
aru AWD system can certainly handle
tweaked along the same lines as the
200, so what’s the problem?
body design, the track has been widAP R I L 2 0 1 0
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D r ive Fe a t ure
F
ive years after taking the market by storm when it introduced a dual-compound tyre, Michelin has just launched a brand new model, the Power Pure. This new tyre refines the concept of dual-compound rubber and offers us two-wheel fiends the best that modern technology can provide. There has always been a problem with motorcycle tyres. Bikes have to lean to go around corners and that’s the time you need the most grip. Go and get yourself a set of sticky race orientated tyres though and the centre wears out long before the sides. So do you just go for a harder compound touring tyre and sacrifice corner capability, or do you go for the ultimate cornering grip and just resign yourself to replacing them regularly at great personal expense? Neither, you go and get yourself a set of Power Pure tyres and you have the best of both worlds!
objectives designing the new tyre. Improve the grip, make it last longer and
The new Michelin Power Pure has been completely re-thought, from its components, structure, shape and rubber compounds to its manufacturing proc-
save some weight. All of which they achieved producing the most advanced sports tyre on the market. Pretty impressive stuff.
esses and design methodology. The Power Pure rear tyre uses a meThe Michelin R&D department had three 28
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
dium compound rubber across 40% of APRIL 2010
D r i v e F ea tur e
each side and the remaining 20% in the
generation of 1000cc sports bikes and
middle being a hard compound to avoid
let us loose on the Kyalami Race track
squaring the tyre off on long runs. The
to see if their clever engineers had re-
front tyre is made up of 25% mega-
ally achieved the results they wanted.
grippy soft compound on each side
The bikes in question were an Aprilia
with the centre 50% being a medium
RSV4, a BMW S1000R, a big-bang
compound.
Yamaha R1, a Suzuki GSX-R 1000 and of course the all conquering Honda
Michelin fitted the tyres to 5 of the latest AP R I L 2 0 1 0
Fireblade. The tyres were inflated to DRIVE M AGAZINE
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road pressures and all the bikes were left with factory suspension settings so that we could evaluate the rubber in a much more real world environment. At least, that might have been the idea, but we were on a track and we rode the bikes as if it was a track test! I was a little bit apprehensive about running road pressures on a track but my concerns quickly disappeared. All of the bikes performed superbly with one exception. The temperamental little Italian, which is to all intents and APRIL 2010
D r i v e F ea tur e purposes a race bike with mirrors.
sures, I was impressed.
It wants a precise race set up for serious track work and wasn’t
The other European entry, the BMW,
happy with road pressures. The
even outshone the Honda and with all
Aprilia made several attempts to throw me off and at one point I had the front and rear sliding in unison! Fun, but rather heart-stopping for an ordinary man like me. All of the Japanese machines handled the situation with aplomb and the Fire-
of its electronic wizardry managed tyre
blade was the class of the field.
wear amazingly well. By the end of the
I managed a 2:05 lap. Consider-
session the rubber looked as though
ing no changes had been made
it had only been used for a single lap
to the suspension and the road
scrub-in.
pres-
All in all the Power Pure is an excellent choice of rubber. The hard compound in the middle will ensure that your hoops will go the distance without squaring off. The softer compound on the sides offers race tyre grip in the twisties or on the track. It’s a simple but innovative solution from the rubber giant, and we approve wholeheartedly!
Steve Allison
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vw polo vivo
T
he final hammer blow has been made, it is done. The Citi Golf has been replaced by, well it’s a Polo. No point in beating about the bush, especially not in a Polo, VW SA has done the inevitable really. They’ve taken the now previous generation Polo, added some eyeliner, given it a new badge and sent it on its way. Job done, replace a 30 year old legend in the blink of an eye. Also, you can now get a boot if you want one, not that many people will inevitably, the A0 segment has always been dominated by hatches.
Then again, what else was there to do? What VW SA needed was a Citi for the 21st century, a volume seller to act as the gateway to VW the brand. And if one reads all the moaning about the Citi as its career wound down, it is easy to see the three main shortcomings of the Citi in the 21st century. It had no air-con, no power steering and lastly was when compared to modern standards not exactly the safest car on the road. Additionally for VW itself, there were problems with economy of scale and keeping a completely separate platform going all by itself. The Polo then solves all these problems in one fell swoop, air-con is an option, there is power steering standard and apparently has airbags although I didn’t crash to find out.
D r ive Fe a t ure
The Vivo itself however is what we need
bumpers, new headlight surrounds and
to investigate here, not the Citi. On this
the like, but for the most part and for
all I’ve got to say is that if it looks like a
practical purposes is the same car.
Polo, which it does because it is, well, it’s a Polo; if it walks like a Polo, which
It does go quite nicely though, with any
it does, because again, it’s a Polo and if
of the engines, although obviously it’s
it smells like a Polo, then it probably is
all relative. There are three different
a Polo. That rather vague obscure an-
engines across the range, the weak-
ecdote does have a purpose, my point
est being a 1.4L 55kW motor, then
is that the Vivo doesn’t bring anything
there’s a 63kW 1.4L and lastly there
new to the table, but that isn’t a criti-
is the 77kW 1.6L. They’re all mated to
cism. The previous generation Polo,
a manual transmission, there isn’t an
which is now the Vivo, has been a seg-
auto option but apparently that should
ment leader for four years now, and for
arrive next year. What we have at the
good reason. Sure there are the usu-
moment is more than enough for this
al facelift type changes, redesigned
segment anyway. It’s certainly not a
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D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
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D r i v e F ea tur e great high-speed vehicle, being a bit
to scratch for the segment. We hit an
loose with plenty of vertical up and
indicated 200km/h on a downhill in a
“In fact in this segment the Vivo really is one of the best performing cars out there,... “ down movement. It just doesn’t feel
1.4L, so the Vivo has power aplenty
planted at high speed, throw in some
to do it’s designated job, that’s com-
side winds for good measure (we were
mute on a budget. I was actually quite
in PE and the wind was howling) and
impressed with the power of the 1.4L
the Vivo can be a bit unsettling. We’re
relative to the 1.6L, so far as to say get
talking 160km/h + cruising here though,
the 1.4L as the 1.6L just doesn’t offer a
the Vivo was never intended to be that
huge upgrade for the additional cash.
sort of car. Overall the performance of
The 1.4L 63kW Trendline is 120 grand
the Vivo, regardless of engine was up
and probably the best bet. In fact in this
AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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35
D r ive Fe a t ure segment the Vivo really is one of the
er amenities. Not that people should
best performing cars out there, the only
complain, for two reasons. Firstly, and
gripe I had with the driving experience
I’ll go into more detail on this shortly,
was the sticky clutch pedal on the way
VW has gone to extensive lengths to
back up, not too much of a problem af-
do a workaround on the price to ease
ter awhile, just a little annoying.
the jump. VW are however out of the sub-100k market (The cheapest Vivo,
The launch of the Vivo had a possibly
a 2-door 1.4L hatch is R101 500), and
unintended benefit for VW. It was hot,
that’s not very Citi-like to me. Secondly,
in fact it was literally hotter than the sun
it’s what people have been asking for,
itself down in PE. On the road however,
safety features and power steering cost
despite the trying conditions, the Vivo
money people, be careful what you ask
was a pleasant and comfortable ride.
for I say.
The air-con worked wonders compared to say the Citi, which doesn’t have one,
In an attempt to alleviate the potential
and all the humps and bumps along
negative impact of departing from the
the way did little to upset the comfort
sub-100k, VWSA went to great lengths
level. The interior too was well put to-
to convince the journalists gathered
gether, with plenty of that famed Ger-
at their Uitenhage plant that the Vivo
man build quality present. It didn’t feel
wouldn’t work out more expensive than
right though when getting into the Citi’s
either the Citi or as they put it, a French
“As a replacement for the Citi, the Vivo is a good car, just a bit on the expensive side.” replacement and the handbrake levers
rival. They were comparing the Vivo
cover didn’t give the impression it would
to a Sandero if you can’t work it out.
one day come off, but I might be in the
There are several ways in which VW
minority there.
hopes to temper the price hike over the Citi, firstly they have put a lot of effort
So it is the quintessential Citi for the
into localising parts and components
21st century, the problem however is
supply, which means the Vivo should in
that it comes standard with 21st cen-
theory be cheaper to own and maintain,
tury prices as well as all those oth-
if not buy. Then there is the insurance,
36
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
D r i v e F ea tur e
according to VW, a Vivo will be signifi-
side. VW however say that the Vivo isn’t
cantly cheaper to insure compared to
a Citi replacement as it plays in the seg-
the Citi, as a result of the parts possi-
ment just above the Citi, and thus the
bly? The Vivo will also have much high-
price issue isn’t a problem. I completely
er resale value as the Citi heads for the
disagree, if you stop building and sell-
boneyard, this inherently higher resale
ing the Citi, then haul us all to PE to
value could also help coax insurers
show us what you’ll be doing instead
into lowering premiums. And if all that
of the Citi, that’s a Citi replacement. In
works then yes, the total cost of owner-
the end, as the cheapest VW in South
ship will be only marginally higher than
Africa the Vivo is affordable, comfort-
a Citi, but with much more quality than
able and has a proven track record for
a Citi. All the stats shown to us to prove
reliability. It’s just a shame that VW are
all this insurance saving however was
now out of the bargain basement seg-
based on Volkswagensure, their own
ment. Also, you can have a boot if you
insurance arm so it remains to be seen
want, in a Citi, are they mad?
if the independent insurers follow suit. As a replacement for the Citi, the Vivo
Kyle Stone
is a good car, just a bit on the expensive AP R I L 2 0 1 0
DRIVE M AGAZINE
37
Hundai i30
T
he Internet, we all know, is a very interesting place. One of the things that it allows us as publishers to do, is keep a close watch on just what sort of search engine terms our readers are using to come to our pages, an accurate and pretty much live report of the content you find most appealing and want to know about the most regularly.
D r ive Fe a t ure Since revitalising Drive Magazine in
for the dead Citi, the last-generation
this online format, we’ve had one post
Polo now rebadged Vivo, had several
astonish us all by persistently scoring
days of leading search engine hits, and
strongly on this search counter. The
then our blog report on the launch of
“The new Hyundai i30 is at last on South African roads,...” subject? Not a Porsche (although this
the Hyundai i30, the subject of this ar-
brand also does consistently well), a
ticle, once again toppled its more high-
Ferrari, a Merc, or a BMW. No, you lot
brow family member.
are all looking for information on the Hyundai ix35, which is yet to even come
That’s the same launch I’m going into
out (we’ve already secured our invite to
all the details on in this report. The new
the local launch next month)!
Hyundai i30 is at last on South African roads, and on paper at least looks well
Recently though, there have been chal-
equipped to cause quite a ripple in the
lengers to this throne. VWs replacement
C-segment hatchback space, astonish-
40
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
D r i v e F ea tur e
ingly a market segment which Hyundai
not completely original, but this can be
has never had representation in be-
attributed to how hotly contested this
fore!
segment is, and by so many players, that just about every interesting shape
As long as the i30 is a decent product,
possible has already been used on
the superb Hyundai brand name will
something.
bring the real problems for the competition. The company has built up an en-
The i30 is very distinctively a Hyundai
viable reputation in several key areas;
though thanks to its clearly branded
good build quality being linked to excel-
face, and moving back from the grille
lent outright reliability, top-notch cus-
and bonnet area is never anything
tomer service, a bold standard warranty
short of good-looking. There are just
and maintenance plan option package
two models available locally, and al-
to further enhance peace of mind, and
though the 16� alloys of the 1.6 are all
finally a reputation for solid value.
right, the 17-inchers with their dazzling chromed fins on the 2.0-litre i30 are
When we first clap eyes on the car
the ones you’ll really want. These rims
at the standard if decidedly anti-glam
alone are left to lift the sportiness fac-
premises of the Hyundai SA training
tor of the larger-engine for onlookers
facility on the East Rand, it looks right
and other road users to notice.
away as if Hyundai has scored with the i30. Certainly as a whole the design is AP R I L 2 0 1 0
In fact, everything else about the cars DRIVE M AGAZINE
41
D r ive Fe a t ure is pretty much identical.
Only
the
engine
changes, really. Both are 5-speed manuals, both have
leather
climate
interiors,
control,
audio
systems with iPod connectivity, feature ABS, EBD, and front, passenger and side airbags, and have mirrors which fold away on electric motors. Which sort of makes the fairly hefty price tag dif-
anything. If anything it highlights the
ference a bit hard to swallow. R189K to
lack of a sporty variant, which hopeful-
R229K – that’s R40 grand for an extra
ly Hyundai will address in the
16kW and some very attractive alloys.
next-generation of the i30 by
All right, and cruise control with wheel-
bolting a turbo on to this mill.
mounted buttons, and a standard sunOverall it’s not a bad drive. The
roof.
suspension and chassis are Now as nice as those chrome blades
decently absorbent of bumps
are, we can tell you that you’re likely to
and cracks in the tarmac while
feel a little short-changed if you plump
still keeping control well when
for the pricier i30. The 2.0-litre engines
things get more dynamic. Again,
were still very new and therefore very
it’s certainly not going for Mini
tight when we got to them, but then
immediacy but it slots comfort-
so were the 1.6s, and at Gauteng alti-
ably into the middle-echelon of
tudes you won’t often really notice the
C-segment territory, and even
extra shove. Neither car is exactly what
the bigger wheels of the 2.0-litre don’t
we’d call fast, and the bigger engine,
have a very detrimental effect on over-
although it makes a nicer, raspier ex-
all comfort.
haust note, doesn’t pull like a train or 42
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
D r i v e F ea tur e The interior is a really excellent place
on the cruise.
to be. Comfortable and seemingly built from nice, upmarket materials, it also
Not everyone will notice this, or rec-
features a modern architecture com-
ognise it as a problem however, even
plete with softly flowing blue mood light-
though a high cruising rpm invariably
ing from the dash and fascia. All the
makes for more fuel consumed than a
windows are electric naturally and the
more relaxed rev count, so it’s not a fa-
whole package is definitely a step be-
tal flaw.
yond what we’ve become accustomed to from Hyundai.
This fact aside well, we can see why so many Drive readers are keen to know
On the highway, it is then unfortunate
about the i30, and from first acquaint-
about the five-speed gearbox, espe-
ance it seems as though it should sell
cially the ratio of top (fifth) which sees
very well, in the process impacting the
even the pokier 2.0-litre spinning at the
sales figures of the established players which flood this market. All the big manufacturer names just about – think of a mainstream car maker and they probably have a couple of C-segment hatchback options.
Russell Bennett
Liked Handsome, Eurocentric styling Interior comfort levels Potential future GTI competitor
Disliked 4000rpm mark with 120 showing on the
Five-speed box is a limitation,
speedo. This makes for a fairly intru-
and an irritation when cruising
sive, buzzy engine note intruding into
Not as pokey as you’d like
the otherwise very refined cabin when AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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D r ive Fe a t ure
Honda rider Academy
H
onda is a company that takes safety seriously. They don’t just sell you a bike and let you get on with it, they teach you how to stay safe when you ride. And I’m not just talking about throwing in a track day voucher as a sales incentive. No, this is real training with qualified instructors.
out ever having sat on a bike. With the ink still wet on your learners you can go and buy any size of bike and take your chances out on the public road. Some might find this a frightening experience whilst others end up on their backsides with the bike on top of them. Not only is their the risk of injury, new riders could be put off motorcycling forever. It doesn’t have to be this way - buy a new Honda and you qualify for a course
Riding a motorcycle for the first time
given by the Honda On-Road Academy.
can be a bit daunting particularly since
This course is designed with new riders
you can obtain a learners license with44
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
D r i v e F ea tur e
in mind but is a valuable refresher for
enough that an inexperienced rider
more experienced riders, particularly if
could find that they are about half a mile
you are self taught and may never have
behind the bike. Obviously if you’re sit-
learned the correct techniques.
ting on the machine you can’t be behind it but what I’m talking about here is that
The course starts off with an intensive
by the time he/she reacts, the bike is
theory classroom session and a series
already 800 Meters further up the road.
of practical on road training exercises.
Riding fast requires honing skills and
Once the course has been completed
reaction times so that you are in con-
you are issued with a certificate of pro-
trol of the bike. Honda sells excellent
ficiency, which should earn you brown-
superbikes and they know riders buy
ie points with your insurance company.
them with high speed riding in mind so the Advanced Superbike School is an-
Modern Superbikes are fast. Fast AP R I L 2 0 1 0
other arm of the On-Road Academy. DRIVE M AGAZINE
45
D r ive Fe a t ure The ideal environment for the training is a racetrack. That way you can learn all the skills without worrying about traffic or potholes. Superbike training takes place on the Kyalami racetrack and is run by the Michelin Superbike School excellently managed by ex racer Dirk Du Plooy. All instructors are themselves
experienced
racers.
School was for me. And it goes without
In common with the road-riding course, nothing can be achieved without understanding the basic principles so the day
saying that track skills translate into being more proficient as a road rider as well.
“....after each track session there is a classroom session so that skills practised on-track can be built on.” starts off in the classroom. And not only that, after each track session there is a classroom session so that skills practised on-track can be built on. Now I have been riding for a while so I rather big-headedly decided that the road riding course was beneath me. I love track riding and am always looking to hone my skills and go faster so I decided that the Advanced Superbike 46
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
So, I donned my leathers and went along to Kyalami to see what it’s all about. I managed to snag myself a Honda CBR600RR but before throwing a leg over I was summoned to the classroom. The first class went through the basics of counter steering, which surprisingly so many riders don’t actually understand, looking where you want to be rather than straight ahead and a basic introduction to the correct APRIL 2010
D r i v e F ea tur e lines through corners.
than the rest of the group, the instructor waved me past. Within 2 laps I had
After the classroom it’s out
lapped my group. My instructor decid-
onto the track but it’s not a
ed that I should actually be riding in B
free for all. Each rider is al-
group. And that’s the great thing about
located an instructor and al-
the Honda Academy, you can move up
though it’s not one on one,
to faster groups within the Michelin Su-
there are 4 riders per instruc-
perbike school.
tor; so you do stay with the same instructor for the day. The instructor leads the group out on the first lap and shows the riders the lines through corners. After the first lap, the instructor drops to the back of the group to watch the riders and see what sort of mistakes they make. Back in the pits the instructor takes you through any mistakes that you made and any areas where you could improve. After that it’s back into the classroom where you start learning the theory behind more advanced techniques. And so the day goes on. I’m going to be bigheaded here but I’ve ridden track before so realizing that I was a bit quicker AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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D r ive Fe a t ure
“The CBR600 has excellent fuelling and punches above its weight.”
ing behind and watching my mistakes. After each session, there was a thorough de-brief and by Moving up into a faster group doesn’t
the end of the day I had
mean that you are on your own though.
shaved 5 seconds a lap off my previous
I was allocated another instructor for
best.
“Moving up into a faster group doesn’t mean that you are on your own though.” the remainder of the day. Together we
Five seconds a lap is significant par-
worked on getting my lap times down.
ticularly on a 600cc machine but some
He worked with me, riding in front, rid-
credit must go to the bike. The CBR600
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D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
D r i v e F ea tur e
has excellent fuelling and punches
able to carry third gear into the corner
above its weight. Body position worked
eliminating the need for the extra gear
well for me as well, being tall, I appre-
change.
ciated the slightly longer reach to the bars. The bike also has reasonable mid
Learning to ride correctly increases
range. Wesbank corner is a tricky dou-
confidence and keeps you safe. Hell,
ble apex corner that you want to en-
there are enough hazards on the road
ter in second gear but before the exit
so do what you can to stay alive. The
you need third. Now you don’t want to
Honda On-Road Academy is your best
put your foot under the lever while the
choice whether you just want to learn
bike is leaned over (which is why race
to ride or you want to hone your skills
riders use and upside down shift pat-
as a superbike rider.
tern). Whilst the Honda doesn’t have the torque of a twin or triple, it was AP R I L 2 0 1 0
DRIVE M AGAZINE
49
D r ive Fe a t ure
A
ll new cars sold in South Africa that produce more than 120g of carbon dioxide per kilometre are going to be subject to a carbon tax. You see there was a recession last year and the economy isn’t exactly booming this year. The problem with that is that the greedy politicians have not been able to extort as much cash from the public to feather their own nests. The extravagant lifestyle of fast cars and wild parties is under threat! Not only that, the voting public 50
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
are waking up to the fact that the government hasn’t delivered on its promises, so now they need more money to support their fat cat lifestyles, and they are beginning to realise that they might have to start repairing roads, providing services as so on. “Where oh where are we going to get all of this money from?” they ask. And of course the answer is, we’ll just force the taxpayer to dig deeper into his pocket. And you really want to tax the so-called rich because let’s face it; most of them APRIL 2010
D r i v e F ea tur e
aren’t going to vote for the current gov-
All you have to do is type “climategate”
ernment anyway.
into Google to see that for yourself.
The solution in their eyes is to tax cars
Now I often criticise our government
that pollute the atmosphere because,
for not having their finger on the pulse
they say, that carbon emissions are
but this time I will have to let them off.
“The extravagant lifestyle of fast cars and wild parties is under threat!” going to cause the planet to overheat
You see, even though climategate ex-
and we’ll all die. The problem is that
poses the biggest lie of our time, gov-
the theory of man-made global warm-
ernments around the world are trying
ing has already been proved to be a lie.
their best to keep a lid on it and con-
AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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51
D r ive Fe a t ure tinue spreading the lie. Climate change
to restrict the distance that its citizens
has been used to restrict peoples’ life-
could afford to drive and at the same
styles, which Hitler stated was the best
time fill up its coffers, people would
way to create a dictatorship. But more
protest against it. The way around that
than that, climategate has been used
is to spend several years scaremon-
by governments and corporate compa-
gering, another theory put forward by
nies for huge financial gain.
one A. Hitler, because people living in fear are easier to control. The scare-
So how does it all work? If a govern-
mongering has been going on for a
ment announced that it was going to tax
while and we’ve been persuaded that
the hell out of fuel because it wanted
the planet is getting hotter and it’s all our fault. Once we have been persuaded that we are directly responsible for the problem , we simply accept that we must pay, in hard cash, for our mistakes. Corporates don’t miss a trick. Once they see that people are prepared to pay for what they perceive to be a man made problem, the manufacturers offer products that save us from ourselves. Of course there is a huge price premium on these products but no one minds. It gives us a warm fuzzy feeling that the money is for the greater good. What is amazing is the gullibility of the public at large. We were all told that global warming would be cata-
52
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
D r i v e F ea tur e strophic and that sea levels would rise.
is to ridicule those scientists and the
But surely straightforward logic would
news media only report the scientists
tell you that it’s all a lie? The sea level
that are “on side”. Free press my arse!
hasn’t risen in any significant way and
There are more scientists opposed to
every time there is a big global warming
the argument than those in favour so if
push by American and European gov-
it were a free press, surely their voices
ernments, it’s followed by a particularly
would be heard. Authorities that seek
cold winter. It’s as if God is trying to tell
to spread misinformation use vague
us something and yet the public on the
statements like “most scientists agree”.
whole swallows the governments’ lies
In other words, “we don’t have any real
“The sea level hasn’t risen in any significant way and every time there is a big global warming push by American and European governments, it’s followed by a particularly cold winter.” without question. Eventually when the
evidence”. Who are most scientists an-
public do start to question, the solution
yway? Can you give us names and tell
is simple – change the name to climate
us how many took part in the survey? I
change; job done. Everyone is happy
think not.
again and digs deeper in their pockets to pay punitive environmental taxes.
In fact one particular scientist not in the climate change camp pointed out that
As yet, none of the scientists seem
global warming really is no real prob-
able to explain exactly how the climate
lem. Global cooling on the other hand is
will change nor how it might affect us.
a serious threat. We would need more
There are, in fact, several scientists
energy for heating and we would have
who point out — using real data —
less capacity to grow food.
that climate change is not man-made but simply a phenomenon of nature’s
Even when the whole climategate scan-
cycles. The solution to that problem
dal happened, the mainstream media
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D r ive Fe a t ure were conspicuous by their silence. Even
panic mode trying to discredit the sto-
if they didn’t agree with the evidence,
ry and cover it up. A British politician
surely a story of that magnitude war-
got on his soapbox claiming that it was
ranted a few column inches. The whole
just a conspiracy theory. He compared
scandal kicked off when an insider at
us sceptics with people like Holocaust
the Climatic Research Unit of the Uni-
deniers! But as a Daily Telegraph com-
“Every litre of wasted fuel puts R1.54c in their pockets.” versity of East Anglia leaked thousands
mentator said, it cannot possibly be a
of emails, which demonstrated that data
conspiracy theory when a conspiracy
has been misrepresented and even fal-
has actually been proved.
sified over a period of several years. Oh, and the temperature data was un-
Even if we were to assume for a minute
accountably erased. This from one of
that all of the evidence was correct and
only four centres around the world that
that we were destroying the planet. What
supply climate change data to the UN.
alternatives are being offered to driving our cars? We don’t have a viable public
Once the scandal was exposed, politi-
transport system and even in the more
cians and interested parties went into
advanced European countries, public transport only works for a small percentage of people. If our government really is concerned for the environment, who gave planning permission for all the out of town shopping
centres?
What is being done to help industry reduce emissions? What is
Hybrid Cars 54
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
being done to reduce APRIL 2010
fuel-wasting traffic congestion? The answer, as you already know, is absolutely nothing. In fact there are those that believe the government actually wants traffic jams. Every litre of wasted fuel puts R1.54c in their pockets. Again, were we to accept the theory of man-made global warming and all buy electric cars, where does the electricity come from? In the main, coal-fired power stations, which pollute the atmosphere at double the rate of road transport. It’s that old theory, “If it doesn’t come out of my exhaust pipe, I’m not responsible”. Then there is the huge environmental impact involved in the actual manufacturing of electric and Hybrid cars. Even if you are in the climate change camp and want to save the world, trust us, burn petrol! So there we have it. Man made global warming or climate change is a lie. It has been exposed as a lie and yet we continue to pay taxes both on new vehicles and fuel. Taxes that are based on lies, lies and nothing but lies. And there’s still more to come...
Steve
A PR I L 2 0 1 0
D r ive Column
W
hile driving south on the N3 this week, a route which for the last 6 months I’ve pretty much fastidiously avoided due to the traffic tragedy of roadworks but was, unfortunately unavoidable on this particular trip, I was twice surprised.
day evening, was more than bearable, in truth the ride was pretty pleasurable overall! Quite a shock. But the first surprise was the one which tickled my irony gland until I could barely contain the overflow from this stimulation. There’s a sign, you see, a big one, next to the highway, just before
The second part of my surprise was
this treacherous traffic zone, close to
about the traffic flow itself, which
the Modderfontein offramp.
seemed unfeasibly free around the dreaded Van Buuren road offramp.
It’s a pretty decent attempt at comedy
Until I realised that the schools were
in truth. The sign, you see, is mangled
still on holiday, thereby removing a big
and messy, and read the short message
chunk of the regular daily traffic on this
from The Aveng Group, the builders of
road. Nevertheless, the new 5-lane
the highway, and you’ll understand. It
sections seem to work pretty well over-
states; “We didn’t build this sign. But
all, and congestion, at 5:15 on a Tues-
we did build this highway.”
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D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
D r i v e C ol um n Yet, very much like the mangled sign it-
struction flaws, those lanes as straight
self, this piece of road remains blighted
as the tracks of a Sidewinder snake
by lanes which zigzag erratically and
hurrying across desert sands and the
huge tarmac “steps” which, similarly,
tarmac cliffs which have simply been
wander randomly hither and thither,
left as they are, I envisage the future
and are a huge danger to any vehicle
of this highway making the claims on
travelling at more than 60km/h.
the sign even more obviously preposterous. Wait until you’re jammed up for
And then, here’s this sign, right next to
three hours right beside this big, bold
the road which people can with their
claim because the rain the night before
own eyes see is, well, not exactly per-
created a pothole which has swallowed-
fect, deliberately pointing out manufac-
up a big-rig hauling 60 tons of fuel. Oh,
tured imperfections on the part of the
your sides will rupture with the mirth!
signs proprietors to highlight the per-
And when you’re then made to pay a
fection of their work. It’s a very com-
R10 toll for sitting in the gridlock well,
plex web we weave, I guess.
will your fragile human body be able to contain the hilarity of it all?
That’s like me putting up a busted, illfunctioning website with new features
You may say this is pure speculation.
which don’t exactly work, and claim-
That I’m just a pessimist and this sce-
ing that I’d built the internet! Or like a
nario will not unfold. That there’s light
farmer idly allowing his lands to fall to
at the end of the tunnel. All true, al-
rack and ruin, planting some cherries
though it is postulation based on hard
in a flowerpot in his kitchen window,
evidence. Anyway let’s not get caught
and claiming to be an integral element
up on the future just yet, I really hope
in the feeding of the starving African
that it doesn’t happen, because I’ll be
masses. Or like Zimbabwe, claiming
right there beside you giggling mania-
that the pit of a country they’ve created
cally until my overstressed coronary
from a thriving, robust economy is the
system collapses as well. Not some-
perfect model of African governmental
thing I’m really looking forward to with
glory. Oh, wait a minute...
any sort of relish, let me tell you.
Apart from the clear design and con-
Russell Bennett
AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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57
D r ive Column
I
s it just my imagination or is there a growing anti-motorcycle feeling developing in Gauteng? I say Gauteng since Cape Town drivers seem to be remarkably courteous to two-wheeled road users. Just lately I have noticed more and more car drivers that seem to position themselves on the road so as to make it very difficult for bikes to pass. It may be that they just don’t notice that we’re there, I’m not sure. Not long ago though I was making my way between the cars on a dual carriageway approaching a set of lights. A car made a deliberate attempt to move over and block my progress. As I pulled up next to him his window happened to be open. I leaned in and asked him what he thought he was doing. He replied, “Why should you get there before me?” I said, “Because I bought a bike and you didn’t.” One of the problems seems to be that 58
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
the traffic situation is so bad and there is so much frustration that drivers are unwilling to offer any other road user any courtesy, bike or car. Interestingly enough, the taxi’s that so many road users complain about always seem to be willing to move over and let bikes past. Bikers themselves don’t do themselves any favours either. It used to be common practice to wave to a car driver that moved over but this practice is less common than it used to be. Not only that, some of our two wheeled friends roar past cars and gesticulate rudely when the driver acts in a way that they feel aggrieved by. Some bikers have even been known to break mirrors off cars in the heat of the moment. And before you know it, it becomes a vicious circle. Car drivers lose respect for bikers and stop co-operating. BikAPRIL 2010
D r i v e C ol um n
ers get more annoyed with car drivers
fact that bikes have virtually no impact
blocking them and so it goes on.
on road wear. You see, no one in South Africa wants to make a living; they all
A bike is a very logical alternative to
want to make a killing. SANRAL in more
spending hours in traffic and the more
ways than one!
people that ride bikes, the less cars there are on the road. That eases con-
Now it seems that shopping centre
gestion to the benefit of all road users.
managers have jumped on the greed
Now you would think that authorities
bandwagon. I begrudge paying to park
would recognize this fact and try to
a car at a shopping centre. If you want
encourage two-wheel transport. Noth-
me to spend money, at least let me park
ing could be further from the truth. Pot-
my car for free! But worse than that,
holes have become a way of life and
these shopping centers are now charg-
local councils don’t seem to care how
ing bikes the same as cars for parking
many motorcyclists are injured falling
even though we take up a fraction of
down them. Road works are laid out in
the space. They have even gone to the
a manner that increases the danger to
expense in some centers of extend-
motorcyclist and the road surface is of-
ing the barriers so that bikes can’t ride
ten dangerous. Do they care? I think
round them. If you want a tip, shop at
not.
the Festival Mall in Kempton Park, they offer free bike parking. I for one will be
SANRAL seems to be motivated by
boycotting all other centers.
greed alone and charge the same in tolls for both bike and cars despite the AP R I L 2 0 1 0
Steve Allison DRIVE M AGAZINE
59
62 Drive Versus Big Surprise! - Chrysler 300C SRT-8 squares up to Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, with some surprising, and some not-so-surprising conclusions.
76 Drive Versus Street Touring – Kawasaki GTR 1400 faces Honda VFR 1200. As usual, we disagree with the norm in the end..
88 Drive Tests Dodge Journey CRD R/T
96 Drive Tests Citroen C5 2.0 HDI
104 Drive Tests Audi A4 2.0 TSI StopStart
112 Drive Tests VW Polo 1. 4 Trendline
118 Drive Tests Chery J1
D r ive Te st
Chrysler 300C SRT-8 versus Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG 62
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
Dr i v e T e s t
T
he V8 SuperStars saloon cars we watched, heard, and felt rumbling about Kyalami a few months back included a rather eclectic mixture of basic hardware in the pitlane. The Germans dominated, BMW M3s, M5s, Audi RS4s, with some wonderful Italian brio added in the form of the Maserati Quattroporte entrants, and even a dash of English style from the bulky but graceful lines of the screaming, supercharged Jag XFR. AP R I L 2 0 1 0
DRIVE M AGAZINE
63
D r ive Te st But two of the cars caught my eye in
lents of these international racers up
particular. One because, strictly speak-
against one another, in SA, in our own
ing, couldn’t really have been a sa-
meaty paws. See how they compared,
loon. Although called a C 63 AMG, the
how they performed at truly stock set-
bodywork was clearly closer to a CLK
tings, and just generally enjoy the
63, although I didn’t exactly mind as to
pleasures of the oversized V8 in a lum-
me the CLK-DTM is one of the finest
bering saloon.
looking racecars in the world. And the other, because of its outlandish quality,
Fortunately we weren’t able to get a
even amongst such exceptional com-
C 63 AMG, since we aren’t its biggest
pany. The Chrysler 300C, the SRT-8 of
fans, but we were able to arrange the
course with its 6.1-litre Mopar V8 and
brand-new Elegantly Dynamic E-Class
such brutal styling you can’t help but
with the same motor, and since it’s most
fall in love a little.
certainly a four-door with the identical lump up front we figured it was close
It did give us an idea though, so we set
enough. After all, there were V8 M3s
out to get the two road-going equiva-
and last-gen V8 M5s on the same track,
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D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
Dr i v e T e s t so why not C and E-Class Mercs?
shattered. The decidedly more sobrelooking E is by far and away the most
But returning to the racing for a moment,
blatantly, vociferously and highly-tuned,
of the two cars here, Chrysler’s Mopar-
high-performance big-cube over-mus-
powered 300 C SRT-8 and Merc’s high-
cled thug of a machine. It starts with
tech, latest-generation E-Class stuffed
a revvy flourish, settles into raw, bari-
with the legendary but potentially overu-
tone bassline still with an engineered,
tilised 6.3-litre naturally-aspirated AMG
almost lightweight keening, setting the
V8, you only directly associate one of
otherwise refined and well-insulated
them with the acrid stench of burning
cabin thrumming to its all-encompass-
oil, tortured rubber and unburnt race
ing beat. If you dare to give the throt-
fuel that gets spectators so naturally
tle a gratuitous blip at this point, you’ll
high in America’s favourite OTT motor-
experience shock. In fact we don’t rec-
sport, NASCAR racing.
ommend you do it in a covered parking lot, at least not too much, for fear of
But the moment you fire up the en-
damaging your eardrums.
gines, your assumptions are forever AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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65
D r ive Te st
It revs astonishingly quickly, consid-
ine it belching a substantial jet of flame
ering its considerable capacity, and
from the four large tailpipes which are
what feels like just a brief exploratory
the endpoint of this new AMG system.
jab sends the tacho spinning furiously
It’s one of the most incredible sounding
round to 6000rpm, with every ounce of
V8s ever, and without doubt an acous-
the violence of the barely-silenced NAS-
tical leader of the current competitors.
CAR racer V8s. And that’s without even a load on the engine. When you come
The SRT-8 for instance, despite look-
off, the rear end lights up with loud,
ing like 2000kgs of automotive muscle
sharp reports like a barrage of small
trying to squeeze into 1500kgs worth of
arms, and despite the leather-lined
bodywork so pumped, distended, and
luxury you’re sitting in you can imag-
excessively over-massaged is the bod-
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D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
Dr i v e T e s t ywork for this sportiest
over some fairly serious distances. The
model. The bulky body
300C is refined, cultured almost, al-
even manages to make
though there is a trace of motorsport
the enormous, fabulous
edge approaching its top end, and the
20-inch alloys complete
sizeable capacity does rock the car
with SRT engraved on
about on its springs. It feels heavy on
one spoke just right,
torque although lacking significantly
and bulges so menac-
in outright free-revving response. The
ingly you swear it’s ac-
AMG 6.3 on the other hand, is positively
tually looking for some
manic, zinging through its rev range in
children to eat. But fire
milliseconds while emitting the unmis-
up the 6.1-litre V8, and
takable sounds of a V8 packing racecar
there’s a distinct lack
power.
of aural savagery. With just two, fair-sized but
When the engine is loaded up, under
compared to the huge
normal driving conditions, transmitting
quad-pipes of the AMG
power to the gumball rear tyres via a
downright
dual-clutch
apologetic,
7-GTronic
transmission,
tailpipes through which
it sounds even better still. The V8 is
to sing, the Mopar mo-
always a presence, even at burbling
tor is far more distant,
speeds, but the temptation to crack the
much more muted than
throttle wide is rewarded every single
the ebullient AMG powerplant.
time with supercar levels of pulverising thrust and a soundtrack which is com-
“It’s one of the most incredible sounding V8s ever, and without doubt an acoustical leader of the current competitors.” Even just revving the motor in neutral
pletely at odds with the sober E-Class
reveals an enormous amount of what
suit. Yes it has cues which mark it out
we’re going to find out over the next
distinctively as an AMG, the quad pipes
few days with these cars side by side
are the first hint, the big, sexy rims, and
AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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67
D r ive Te st a more aggressive front apron with gaping intakes to cool the substantial brakes. But it remains a decidedly understated and demure form, considering the beast straining to be unleashed within. Which makes it all the more shocking when that motor starts to shout. It’s really a modern Q-Car, something the AMG boys have been pulling off since they were but a racing/tuning outfit, and not Mercedes’ M-division yet. The SRT-8 relies more on its freakishly
over-proportioned
exterior than the Merc does. Naturally styling will always divide opinions but in my eyes, the 300C in SRT-8 guise is positively gorgeous. Massive, imposing, bluff, with those tiny pillbox windows of the cabin perched atop just about the closest automotive equivalent to a tank I’ve ever seen. A racing tank, judging by the hugely flared arches. It is just a bit of a pity that they didn’t carry this fringe lunacy over to the rear, where a pair of very ordinarylooking tailpipes tell you noth68
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
Dr i v e T e s t adaptive
dampers
in here with a similar range of settings on tap, and an AMG button be
which
can
customised
to
your favourite bouquet of settings, because it does get a bit annoying having to switch the ‘box over to Manual, the suspension over to Sport Plus, and the ESP to off every time you set off on ing of what the Mopar engine has to of-
any journey.
fer. There’s a seriously impressive HarInside these two performance saloons
mann/Kardon stereo system installed
the tale continues apace. The Merc just
as well, satellite navigation, radar-guid-
oozes quality, impregnable build, cut-
ed adaptive cruise control, PDC, pow-
ting-edge engineering, and the priciest
ered and heated seats, you name it the
materials swathed over every surface
E-Class pretty much has it. And Mer-
you touch. It also swims in high-tech of
cedes has come a long way from the
course, that new 7-speed ‘box features
square, older-gent cabin architecture
four modes of operation ranging from
of the late 80s and 90s, it now just feels
Comfort through Sport and on to Sport
like a supreme place from which to get
Plus and finally Manual, where you’re
down to some serious driving work.
made responsible for controlling your chosen ratio via the lovely, positive-
One thing the Chrysler also is, is plush,
feeling aluminium paddles mounted be-
although the material qualities cannot
hind the steering wheel. There are also
be compared. Nor can the integrated
AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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69
D r ive Te st
technology installed as standard. Yes,
trying to keep the revs down to protect
it also has the PDC, SatNav, a Boston
the meagre remains of fuel which al-
Premium audio setup, even the same
ways seem to be floating in the tank.
active speed control setup. And the seats are probably even more comfort-
You only have to crank up the stereo to
able on long journeys, but are plump
note the quality differences though. The
and generously padded to the point of
Chrysler’s starts to strain at anywhere
not supporting you much laterally when
near full volume, and within a couple of
pushing on.
minutes a nasty crackling noise sets in which can only be eliminated by turning
The gearbox is the old 5-speed auto-
the radio off and then back on, and not
matic, no clever dual-clutches or ad-
venturing into the upper reaches of vol-
justable shift patterns here though.
ume again. The Merc is always a rich,
You can stir the cogs manually if you
clear, full sound and is never thrown off
like, via the stick itself Tiptronic-style,
its game.
but the fully automatic mapping is welltuned for sporty driving so you only re-
All well and good we know, but at last
ally choose to go manual when you’re
we get to the most important bit. The
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Dr i v e T e s t
driving. The object of this pairing, to
probably more impressively the chas-
see how these two which share track
sis and suspension are able to take the
space in the V8 Superstars series com-
substantial forces this speed serves up
pare on the road. And just how vast a
in their stride. In Sport Plus in particular,
chasm doubling-up the purchase price
the E is utterly composed, and actually
actually creates.
stays with you even if you do overstep the limits of the sticky rear tyres, which
First, the E 63. It’s astonishing, and
isn’t all that hard with so much instan-
easily the best platform I’ve yet driven
taneous torque on tap. But it drifts like
for this bombastic AMG motor. Where
an old M5, friendly and sublime, in fact
the C 63 always feels overengined and
taking a deliberate prod of the loud
lacking a tied-down chassis, and the SL
pedal to unstick the rear end so strong
version always plays second fiddle to
is the mechanical grip on offer.
the big twin-turbo V12 of the flagship, the E 63 is just thoroughly rewarding
And fast, ooh boy. Faster than anything
from any angle. Considering the mass
short of a fully-fledged exotic. Backed
of the vehicle, the engine delivers ac-
by a blood-and-thunder soundtrack
celeration of the haymaker variety, and
which many of these machines would
AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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D r ive Te st give critical parts of their male anatomy
It’s a sort of an old-school muscle-car
for.
charm really, whereas the Merc is muscle for the 21st century. The rear axle
In truth, it’s a dynamic performance so
of the Chrysler hops and tramps under
commanding, the SRT-8 doesn’t stand
hard acceleration over rough tarmac,
much of a chance with it’s more last-
the Mercs is just raw control. Driving
gen underpinnings and systems. Al-
back to Johannesburg from the Harte-
though the ride feels quite firm initially,
beespoort shoot location in the 300C,
the weight can get on top of the springs
the bumpy single-lane road leading
and make for a wild ride over rough-
past Gerotek and Pelindaba gets scary
er
tarmac
or
when being hustled
merciless-
ly through the bends. The 6.1litre engine feels unexpectedly lazy low down in the rev range, which
isn’t
helped by just how quiet it is, although when it does open up its throat at about 4500
enough at 160km/h to back off. While
rpm there’s a lovely keening timbre to
going in the opposite direction in the E
the rich V8 backbeat which hints at
63 just a couple of hours earlier, I re-
motorsport roots. It’s at this point that
membered the only discomfort I experi-
the motor really starts hauling as well.
enced at 200km/h was solved by crack-
Hard. And if you keep the engine in this
ing the suspension back to regular
zone you’ll destroy a tank of petrol in a
“Sport”. No, in every on-road situation,
couple of hundred kays, but you’ll be
including a straight-out drag race on
having a real hoot in the process!
the smoothest of smooth surfaces, the E 63 just runs rings around the SRT-8.
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D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
Dr i v e T e s t And
flat-out?
Well,
once I’d disabled the silly “Winter tyres” limiter on the AMG (why would an SA-spec car be running rubber designed for snow and ice?) this car runs up to 250km/h almost effortlessly.
And
you
could hold it there all day were it not for little inconveniences like other road users, speed cameras, or robots.
AMG. Both deliver confidence-inspiring stopping power at any speeds, although I’m certain the E 63s would last longer on a track without fade, the weight of
The Chrysler requires a lot more commitment especially beyond the 200 – 210km/h mark, where the squared-off
the Chrysler must severely punish even as fine a system as the Brembo setup is in sustained use.
bodywork starts to tell against even the ample power of this V8. I bottled out at just north of 230km/h on the GPS, because it starts to feel a bit like running on the ragged edge at that velocity. It’s amazing how much confidence the latest technology brings, even when you’re running with ESP disengaged.
It’s at this point, however, that I really have to throw a spanner into the AMG whitewash being prepared for chucking all over the 300C SRT-8... In the more esoteric measurement of pure fun, raw driving pleasure and sheer likeability, if not in the more scientific analysis of outright dynamic potential, SRT-8 pur-
In fact the only dynamic area where the two run quite close, is braking. Giant Brembos pull the Chrysler up, while the Merc employs similarly overt carbonceramic setups designed and built by AP R I L 2 0 1 0
chasers are definitely getting the better deal. Remember that you could almost have two SRT-8s for the price of the AMG, and the huge fun-factor the Chrysler delivers looks like an absolute DRIVE M AGAZINE
73
D r ive Te st bargain! The emotive qualities manifest most strongly in the appearances of the two vehicles, and the around-town driving duties. The Chrysler is a shape which you just can’t help but glance back at every time, and although I appreciate the Q-car appeal of the E Class it just isn’t as instantly arresting or thoroughly charming as the big Yank. And then when you’re just trundling through traffic, the lavishly padded Chrysler seat manages to adapt to what you’re asking of it, whereas the AMG just always seems to want you to be going faster for it to be happy. It’s also worth remembering, that while I may have been lamenting what seems to be a lack of firepower in the 300C this whole article, this is only relative to a machine as superlative as the E 63 AMG. Against, say, a Lumina SS with it’s similarly gargantuan 6.0-litre Chevy V8, the SRT-8 would be positively blistering. It is not, in isolation, a tardy car, and is in fact more than enough performance for most mere mortal drivers, most of the time. Big-hearted, honest, and cutting a very handsome swathe through traffic.
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D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
If, like their racecar counterparts, these two cars were put on a track side by side, it wouldn’t even take half a lap for the E 63 to win outright. But when it came to driving one home for the night, only the very brand-conscious and elitist would honestly have no problem choosing between the two. Personally, I would (and in fact did during the testing week) opt for the Chrysler more often than not. Perhaps it has to do with the sub R1million pricetag, perhaps the lack of computer wizardry keeping the chassis in check, but you can somehow have even more fun pitching the 300C down a dark, windy, potentially roadworksravaged road than the high-and-mighty AMG.
Russell Bennett APRIL 2010
Dr i v e T e s t
Liked Mad power, Madder soundtrack
Disliked Thirst, Price
Drive Vitals
Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
Engine Capacity Power Torque Kerb weight Driven wheels Transmission 0-100km/h Price
V8 petrol 6208cc 386kW@ 6800 rpm 630Nm@ 5200 rpm 1840 Kg Rear 7 speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 4.5s R1 169 000
Liked Butch, cartoonish looks Value proposition
Disliked Thirst Muted soundtrack
Drive Vitals
Chrysler 300C SRT-8
Engine Capacity Power Torque Kerb weight Driven wheels Transmission 0-100km/h Price
V8 petrol 6059cc 317kW@ 6000 rpm 569Nm@ 4600 rpm 1955 Kg Rear 5 speed AutoStick 4.9s R599 900
AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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Kawasaki GTR 1400 v Honda VFR 1200
O
ver the tank sports bikes are a lot of fun, particularly on a track or fast breakfast run, but ride them any sort of distance and your back and arse start to take strain. I have done several long trips on sports bikes and found that I couldn’t walk for a couple of hours afterwards. Cruisers work well for long distance rides but they don’t
really have much high speed cornering ability. So if you want to go a long way and still have fun through the mountains, you want a sports tourer. So we got hold of the new Honda VFR 1200 and the recently updated Kawasaki GTR 1400. Both are top of the range sports touring bikes that cost a round R160 000 but which is the one to buy?
D r ive Te st
Kawasaki GTR 1400
What you get is a bike with more ac-
What we have here is a big power-
ronyms than you can shake a stick at
ful sports tourer with the emphasis on
but let’s go through them in layman’s
touring rather than sports riding. But
terms. You get for example 2nd-Gener-
don’t be fooled the GTR 1400 is blis-
ation K-ACT, which stand for Kawasaki
teringly fast. It’s big; it’s powerful and
Advanced Coactive-braking Technol-
yet surprisingly easy to ride. It has all
ogy and really just means ABS. Clever
the electronic wizardry and gadgets to
ABS I admit but ABS nevertheless. The
keep even the most committed techno
ABS system links the front and rear
head entertained. Not only that, the
braking systems but there are 2 modes
electronic wizardry works in the back-
to choose from. In Standard mode the
ground keeping you safe without inter-
electronics give more priority to rider
fering with the riding experience.
input. In other words if you pull the
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D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
APRIL 2010
Dr i v e T e s t front brake lever, most of the braking effort goes to the front with the back brake only being applied when necessary. Should you choose not to think for yourself and let’s be honest you might want to spend more time admiring the countryside, the High Combined Mode links the front and rear brakes for maximum effect regardless of how you are actually applying the brake. KIPASS is my favorite acronym and it stands for Kawasaki’s Intelligent Proximity Activation Start System. What you get is an electronic remote which you keep in your pocket. The remote needs
signed as a safety feature keeping you
to be within range of the bike before
upright when the road conditions get
you can start the engine or open the
slippery. KRTC is on by default every
storage compartment. It isn’t keyless
time you switch on the bike. You can
“KIPASS is my favorite acronym and it stands for Kawasaki’s Intelligent Proximity Activation Start System.” go; you still have a key, which has to be
switch it off but why you would want to
turned on before the starter button will
on a shaft driven sports tourer is be-
work. The key can be removed so that
yond me.
you can open the fuel filler and remove the panniers.
The instrument panel has a pair of large analogue dials for speedometer
KTRC is much easier to understand, it
and tachometer. Between the two is
is of course traction control. Don’t be
an LCD screen with a wealth of infor-
fooled though, this no Moto GP derived
mation available. You get all that you
system for high speed riding. It’s de-
would expect from a fuel consumption
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computer, instant as well as average
you do use economical mode, the ECU
fuel consumption, remaining range and
changes to a leaner fuel map, not that
so on. And that’s not all; you even get
you really notice.
information like tyre pressure monitoring.
Not enough gadgets for you? The Kawasaki has a windscreen that is eclec-
For those of you that believe global
tically height adjustable. The headlight
warming is going to destroy the planet,
height can be adjusted using a dial in-
“The GTR is big and you notice that as soon as you throw your leg over.” there is an economical riding indicator.
side the fairing. There is an accessory
A little icon flashes up on the screen
socket for your GPS or any other elec-
reassuring you that you’re being frugal
trical equipment. Should the weather
with the fuel (or berating you for wreck-
turn frosty, heated grips will keep your
ing the globe if you aren’t). For those
hands toasty.
realizing that the small saving is not going to make much difference and want
The GTR is big and you notice that as
to use the power available, the econo-
soon as you throw your leg over. It is
my indicator can be switched off. When
heavy as well which you notice when
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Dr i v e T e s t pushing it into the garage. Out on the road though, you really don’t feel the size and weight.
Riding
the bike is effortless and before long you’ll be lane splitting with the best of them. What you do notice is how comfortable it is. This is a bike that would take you between Jo’burg and Cape Town without
trou-
bling your piles or straining your back. Take your partner back
on
the
and
probably
you won’t
even notice them there. You never really get used to just how much power you have on tap. Power delivery is smooth and easy to manage but as long as you keep the grip twisted, the big 1400 just keeps on deliverAP R I L 2 0 1 0
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ing until, before you know it you’re at
Wind protection is so good that I’m sure
silly speeds.
you could ride through fairly heavy rain
And silly speed really isn’t a problem.
without getting wet. In fact there is so
Although the ride is reasonably soft,
much protection that taking your hand
soft enough to keep your fillings in
off the bar to wave at a car feels like
place even on South African roads, the
your arm is being pulled off. And that’s
bike’s stability is amazing. Bumps and
with the screen at its lowest setting. I
ripples don’t upset the bike at all. This
raised the screen at about 160 Km/h
is a bike that instils confidence and you
and my body actually fell forwards. The
can get a move on without your knuck-
gills along the side of the fairing ensure
les turning white.
that hot air is vented out to the side rather than across your legs.
So with all of this straight-line ability when you do stumble across a moun-
The GTR 1400 is big, comfortable and
tain pass you might expect it to be lack-
effortless to ride. It’s a brilliant long dis-
ing. Well, it is heavy and you do notice
tance machine that won’t let you down
the weight and the physical size of the
when the road starts to twist. Load it up
machine but it is remarkably competent
and go somewhere a long way away,
through corners.
that’s what it’s best at.
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Dr i v e T e s t
Honda VFR 1200
when you’re munching miles. When
The Honda VFR 1200 is Honda’s take
you’re miles from anywhere, knowing
on the sport touring concept with the
how far you can go before running out
emphasis on sports rather than tour-
of fuel is comforting to say the least.
ing. It might be a reasonably big shaft driven bike but the first thing you notice
Even the panniers, which by the way
is how narrow the bike is, especially
you have to pay extra for, look like an
when compared with the GTR. You sit
afterthought. They stick out like Piet
low down and the tank is tall in front
Koornhof’s ears so far that I managed
of you. There is definitely a feeling that
to drag one along the side of a concrete
you are sitting in the bike rather than on it. What you don’t get is a bike loaded with gadgets, which makes it appear lacking compared to the Kawasaki. You do get ABS but then Honda even fit ABS as an option on the Fireblade so no
surprise
When
the
there. weather
turns cold you’ll have to wear thicker gloves, no heated grips here. Traction control? No, you don’t get that either. Hell you don’t even get a trip computer, which is quite a handy thing to have AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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D r ive Te st actions from the
worlds
press but to me the VFR is a thing of beauty. And I’m
sure,
just like the Blade, more and people
more will
appreciate its looks as time goes by. The only fly in the ointpillar in a car park. The VFR is one of the few bikes I have ridden where the panniers are wider than the mirrors. Being so narrow, the VFR is brilliant
ment is the exhaust. There seems to be a competition to see who can make the biggest, ugliest exhaust and for now, Honda is
“Being so narrow, the VFR is brilliant at lane splitting so with panniers fitted, you need to be careful that you don’t clump a car door with them.” at lane splitting so with panniers fitted, you need to be careful that you don’t clump a car door with them.
winning that one hands-down. Perhaps they are in cahoots with the aftermarket manufacturers. “We’ll put a really crap
But that’s not the full story; I loved the VFR and really didn’t want to give it back. The styling has met with mixed re84
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
pipe on the bike to keep you guys in business”. I know all the tree huggers want quiet bikes that emit nothing more APRIL 2010
Dr i v e T e s t me wrong; keep the grip twisted and it will get up to speed with ease. I managed to get it up to 270 Km/h quickly and effortlessly. Unlike a superbike though, it does it without trying to lift its front wheel or throw you off the back. Show it some corners and it’s almost as if the bike starts to smile. It’s as if it than pure mountain air but really. The
says “watch this, this is
fairing has a snub nose dominated by
what I was made for”. It doesn’t turn
the headlight. The colour-coded mirrors
in like a superbike but that’s not really
are a nice touch and the single sided
what you want on the road. The riding
swing arm shows off the attractive rear
position lends itself to hanging off the
wheel.
side and the narrow, low bars give you
But bikes aren’t just for looking at or posing down the pub, they are for riding and that’s where the VFR really shines. There is power on tap all the way through the rev range and in common with the Kawasaki, it is always there but never intimidates. Don’t get AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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seat
is
comfortable enough
but
when you get where
you’re
going, the GTR rider
will
be
more
relaxed
than you. Having said that, if there was a mountain pass along the way, you
would
have a bigger smile on your face. To me, the VFR 1200 is probthe feeling of riding a sports bike. Roll
ably the most
on the throttle once it’s tipped in and it
relevant road bike available today. It’s
holds the line with a sure footed feeling
nimble enough to ride to work and back
from the taut chassis.
every day. It’s fast enough to keep up with your mates on the breakfast run.
There is of course a compromise. The
It will cruise all day long at twice the
VFR feels firm and doesn’t soak up
national speed limit. And of course it’s
the bumps like the Kawasaki. It’s not
comfortable enough to go away for
uncomfortable, just firm. You could go
the weekend. Add to that superb cor-
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Dr i v e T e s t
nering prowess and you have a pretty
of the VFR. The Kawasaki is a brilliant
complete package. On the downside,
bike but it would be far more suitable
“So which one should you buy?” it’s not particularly economical and the
for the rider that spends every week-
lack of a trip computer makes fuel plan-
end exploring the length and breadth of
ning difficult.
the country.
So which one should you buy? Well
Price wise the two bikes are comparable
that really depends on the type of rid-
but really the VFR’s closest competitor
ing you like. For me the Honda is the
is the ZX 14 or the BMW K1300S.
clear winner but then I am a sports bike rider and I like the sporting emphasis AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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Dr i v e T e s t
Dodge Journey CRD R/T
A
rriving hot on the heels of the gloriously charming 300C SRT-8 this month, comes the Dodge we’d booked but subsequently forgotten the name of. About six times. The Dodge Journey.
Now although I might not personally share them, I can completely understand why some people’s tastes would tell them that this car is pretty darned handsome really. It is basically a tin box, but the hard-edged angular but still vaguely athletic details help raise the aesthetic impact nicely.
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To the “wrong” eyes though, it does look
to put up with to try it out.
more than slightly anonymous. Hence the name thing.
If the exterior is opinion-dividing, opening up the doors and climbing inside is
Sorry what was I talking about again?
more clear cut. Although our first ride took place as an office unit, and the
Nonetheless when the Journey did ar-
trip out to our designers’ was met with
rive, mercifully a couple of days early
general, if guarded approval, a little
in fact, it wasn’t met with huge disap-
more time with the vehicle and it starts
pointment at the Drive office. Because,
to show a few cracks. Not literally of
in a rare twist of fate, the right one had
course, although the feel of the materi-
shown up. Of the three available mod-
als suggest these wouldn’t be very far
els, a pair of 2.7-litre petrol V6s and
off.
this two-litre turbodiesel, the oil-burner was very unusually (for us) the test car
There is a healthy smattering of tech-
of choice. Thanks mostly to the fitment
nology and practicality however. The
of a Getrag 6-speed double-clutch
Journey is a decently roomy car. At
transmission. You only get this gearbox
first, from the familiar styling, you could
with the diesel, so low revs and lots of
be forgiven for thinking it’s as small as
torque was what we were going to have
a Caliber. But it’s not. There’s plenty of
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Dr i v e T e s t plete with connectivity for MP3 players. Connectivity which, interestingly, called a true-blue Apple iPod an “Unrecognisable device”, although a PC-formatted iPod didn’t suffer the same ignomy. No matter, there’s also integrated Bluetooth and a voice-command system for controlling your phone without touching it on the go, and a rear-facing camera feeding images to a pretty dismally lowquality and pixellated screen. There’s also satnav, operated via the space inside, and provided you don’t
same screen, and all the safety stand-
need any boot space at all, even a third
ards like ABS, ESP, airbags and the like.
row of seats available.
There’s a tyre pressure monitor warning system to ensure you aren’t run-
The tech comes in the form of a MyGig
ning along, more dangerously and not
entertainment system with integrated
to mention more expensively, on barely
hard drive for storing MP3s and com-
noticeably underinflated rubber at any
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D r ive Te st point. And finally, rear-seat passengers
2008. Back then, there was even an
can enjoy their own dedicated climate-
agreement in place with Getrag, to
control zone, the Journey featuring a
supply DCT products exclusively to the
3-zone setup with separate controls for
North American car market, which is
rear seat occupants.
why Dodge and Volvo (still Ford-owned of course) were the initial benefactors
In terms of mechanical technology, the
of the latest devel-
common-rail turbodiesel motor devel-
opments. But this
ops a pretty weedy 103kW but a beefy
deal collapsed in
310Nm. And yes, it’s also as mundane
the recession.
and anodyne a driving experience as you’d expect of this sort of engine, gutsy
The upshot is that
enough when the boost is up, quite
we’ve already got
clattery and completely lacking in any-
other cars on the
thing at the top of its rev range which
road today also with
could be called interesting or entertain-
variants of Getrag
ing, and of course a massive chasm of
DCT ‘boxes. Sporty
no power at all before the turbo spools
cars like M3s, Z4s,
up.
Ferraris, even the eagerly anticipated
And the technical highlight? Getrag is
Merc SLS will have
certainly a company which motoring
one. And the truth
enthusiasts across the world will know,
is, thank goodness
having been the developers behind a
for the recession,
stack of very enjoyable silky-smooth
because the Jour-
six-speed manual transmissions for
ney is by far the furthest from a rea-
some legendary real-world and exotic
sonable application of this technology
performance icons. So the debut of the
as is possible, and it would have been
company’s dual-clutch efforts here is
a sad loss for gearbox development in-
definitely worth noting.
deed if the exclusivity agreement had remained intact.
Of course, this car was originally released to the American public back in 92
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
Now naturally this brick-like body is APRIL 2010
Dr i v e T e s t not hiding a super sports car chassis.
ful measure of acceleration begins!
No, the Journey is big, heavy, and is supposed to be comfortable. But the
Yet after pull off the box is programmed
combination of the gearbox, which is
a touch too sporty, revving the diesel
undoubtedly very good on its own, and
motor at rpms where it’s completely run
the crippling turbo lag is taking things a
out of puff most of the time rather than
bit too far, particularly on pull off. The
capitalising on the 2000 – 3000rpm
‘box doesn’t allow for that all-essen-
torque, the consequences of which
tial clutch-slip to get over the massive
are that you use the manual selection
torque hole, which is crushing right the
mode to knock the gears about yourself
way through to 2000rpm on the nose,
to save the wasted cash in fuel.
and the 0-100km/h dash seems to take 4 or 5 seconds before the engine even
Sure, the shifts themselves are smooth
gets on top of things and any meaning-
and seamless, the trademark of a DCT
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system, even if this added refinement
As a whole, in fact, the Journey CRD
is somewhat offset by the clattery mo-
R/T is a comfortable place to spend
tor. And if you don’t mind the lethargic
several hours getting places, whether
pulloff and your right foot seldom sways
via the open road or through the knots
into any sort of performance mode, it
of rush hour Jo’Burg traffic. Fuel con-
does make for very relaxed and un-
sumption is also quite reasonable con-
“Fuel consumption is also quite reasonable considering the bulk of imposing Yankee metal you’re propelling along.” fussed driving, the gearbox just shuf-
sidering the bulk of imposing Yankee
fling up to the highest gear as soon as
metal you’re propelling along. We did
possible in the interests of the economy
however feel that the low-rent interior
your avoidance of the throttle is taken
and FWD-only drivetrain didn’t quite
to imply.
live up to the R400K pricetag, espe-
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Dr i v e T e s t cially considering that MyGig setup is a
that’s the important bit.
R10 grand optional extra. For you, the Journey will represent an Of course there are those customers
affordable, practicality-oriented step up
who get and enjoy the values that are
from a crossover like the Caliber to full-
built-in to American vehicles, enough
fledged Dodge SUV ownership. And if
to overlook flimsy materials and floods
I wasn’t so interested in driving any-
of daft warning labels that also come
more, I could totally see why the Jour-
with them. It’s just about entirely to do
ney CRD would be very attractive.
with their swaggery natures, and the Journey manages to capture that de-
Russell Bennett
spite the rather un-American choice of powerplant. It still looks like it should be powered by a Hemi V8 though, so
Liked Fully loaded spec Chunky handsomeness
Disliked Lethargic pulloff Coarse engine
Drive Vitals
Dodge Journey CRD R/t
Engine
4 Cylinder Turbo Diesel
Capacity
1968cc
Power
103kW@ 4000 rpm
Torque
310Nm@ 1750 rpm
Kerb weight
1905 Kg
Driven wheels
Front
Transmission
6 speed Getrag dual-clutch
0-100km/h
11.5s
Price R399 900
(R10 300 for MyGig, as fitted to test car)
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Citroen C5 2.0 HDI Auto
T
he Citroen C5 is a car you buy with your heart, not your head. It doesn’t have the same status as the big 3 German brands and the resale value is always a concern. But what you get is a car that’s a little bit different, a little bit more exclusive. What it says about you is that you have the ability to think for yourself and that you don’t follow the crowd like a sheep...
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Not only that, you don’t really want to
The C5 is beautiful, and it has a typi-
buy your next car just because it will
cally French character about it. Citroen
have a higher resale value in years to
has decided to stop being embarrassed
come now do you? If you do, you’ll have
about being French at last. The car is
to ride around for 3 years or so in a
styled to represent its heritage rather
car that wasn’t your first choice just so
than emulate other countries designs.
that it will be worth a bit more when you
A pair of large headlights and the Cit-
come to sell it. And, you’re quite likely
roen emblem dominates the long bon-
“The C5 is beautiful, and it has a typically French character about it.” to find that this perceived extra value is
net. Under the bumper there is a huge
a false comfort. All cars depreciate and
air intake mouth garnished on each
all owners are shocked at what they are
side with fair sized fog lights. The cur-
offered as a trade in.
vaceous body slopes to the rear and ends up with a high boot. This model
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Dr i v e T e s t plenty of equipment and once that is taken into account, the price starts to look quite reasonable. But what you do get is that French flair, that feeling that you’re driving something more interesting than, well, anybody else. The C5 comes standard with just about everything that opens and shuts. Standard equipment includes electric front seats with memory on the driver’s side and they’ll even give you a massage on the way home after a tiring day! You get Bluetooth and iPod connect and the CD player can handle MP3 discs. You get cruise control that will put the brakes on when you’re going down a hill. The headlights
have
a
follow-me-home
differs from the older generation car in
function and they look round corners
that it has a boot rather than a hatch-
when you turn the steering wheel.
back, much more sensible really, and less shopping-trolley, more alternative
executive
saloon. The rear windscreen is concave and the whole package is finished-off
with
17-
inch wheels. Our test car, the 2.0 Diesel, may be priced in line with the competition but you do get AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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The 2.0 litre diesel engine produces 120kW and 340Nm of Torque. Although the 0-100 time is quoted as a pedestrian 10 seconds, the car feels sprightly. It’s not sparkling, but more than adequate and having lumps of torque gives the feeling of more power. Anyway this is not the sort of car that you use for drag racing. You do always feel that you have enough power for dayto-day driving and it does perform well as a high-speed cruiser. The six speed automatic gearbox suits the car well, which is a good thing since there is no manual option. 100
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
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Dr i v e T e s t I’m going to stick my neck out here and say that the build quality is right up there with the best, significantly better than the outgoing model. There is a quality feel to the interior. The leather is top quality and all of the switchgear feels like it will last the life of the car. The car rides extremely well even though the 2.0l isn’t fitted with Hydractive suspension, just conventional steel springs and dampers. It soaks up
bumps without jarring your spine and should you feel in the mood for some spirited driving it handles corners without fuss. The seats are comfortable and interior noise is virtually non-existent. The 2.0l Diesel is reasonably economical as you might expect. The French know something about oil burning engines given that petrol in France is much more expensive than diesel. Our ed managed to drag 10 liters of fuel through per hundred k’s while trying to emulate Sebastien Loeb but driven more sensibly – by me – the consump-
“The 2.0 litre diesel engine produces 120kW and 340Nm of Torque.”
tion was low 7’s. On a longer run you should be able to get it down to about 5l/100. The C5 is different and that’s a good thing. When you stop at a set of lights
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you won’t be amongst several cars all
of the controls are in exactly the same
the same. You stand out from the crowd.
place regardless of the wheel position.
It tells people that you are an individu-
The number of controls on the hub is a
al, that you don’t just choose your car
bit daunting at first but after a few min-
because you want to fit in. This is a car
utes you should have it all worked out.
for free-thinking drivers that appreciate
All of the audio functions are replicated
a car for it’s style and ability rather than
as well as everything you need to oper-
badge alone.
ate the cruise control.
The interior is where you really start to
The instrument panel has orange LCD’s
appreciate that you are in a car that’s
in the middle with analogue needles
a bit special. Citroens have always
around the outside. It looks really cool
been a bit quirky but once you start to
and works well. Our ed did complain
live with one, the quirkiness all starts
that you actually have to look at the
to make perfect sense. The seats are
needles to know what’s going on rather
stylish and have a typically French
than just the angle of the needle on a
look and feel to them. The large centre
traditional panel, and that when you’re
steering wheel hub is fixed so that all
really focussing that takes several mil-
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Dr i v e T e s t The new C5 is a quality car. It’s big, comfortable
and
loaded
with
equipment. If you run with the pack, buy the as
same all
those
around you. If on the other hand you are a leader not a
liseconds longer for your eyes to focus. I do see his point but I had no problems gleaning the information required. Should you decide that you don’t need the information from the trip computer you can switch to a digital speed readout.
follower
you appreciate style and function over peer pressure, the C5 might just be the car for you.
Steve Allison
Drive Vitals
Citroen C5 2.0 HDI
Engine
4 Cylinder Turbo Diesel
Capacity
1997cc
Power
120kW@ 3730 rpm
Torque
340Nm@ 2000 rpm
Kerb weight
1609 Kg
Driven wheels
Front
Transmission
6 speed Automatic
0-100km/h
10s
Price
R369 000
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Audi A4 2.0 TFSI Stop Start
F
uel consumption, I’m sure we all know, is no constant. Those EU combined-cycle consumption figures are not only unobtainable in the real world, but also depend largely on the angle at which the driver’s right foot is attached to his leg.
D r ive Te st A heavy throttle foot can make the
down ever so slightly by eliminating the
“greenest” petrol or even electricity-
wastage of all the idling our engines
consuming car a CO2 emissions night-
have to do in their daily duties.
mare, it’s that simple. And anyone who drives with the cognisance in our opin-
It basically works like this. You pull up
ion required to drive safely on any road
at a robot, or behind gridlocked traffic,
network around the globe, likely knows
slip the manual gearlever into neutral,
the correlation well. But companies like
and release the clutch. Then, provided
Audi still have to fit clever digital set-
the engine is up to it’s most efficient
ups to help the so-called driver to learn
operating temperature and the climate
how to optimise their driving style! I just
control on any setting other than “Low”,
don’t quite understand it.
the engine will be turned off. All the electronics, your radio, ventilation sys-
Anyway, the clever economy-oriented
tem, etc, remain powered, so as the
software packages aren’t all this A4
lights go green and you dip the clutch in preparation for pulling off, the motor is quickly spun into life and you’re away. Regular
readers
will probably be expecting huge criticism from us, selfproclaimed
haters
of all emissions-reducing technology, but we really only 2.0 TFSI has to offer to save our plan-
complain about these things when they
et from the evils of emissions. This is
directly impact our driving enjoyment.
also a Stop Start equipped car, a semi-
Stop Start is as meaningless to your
active solution for driving consumption
daily drive as the meagre 0.2l/100km
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Dr i v e T e s t
consumption improvement Audi claims.
easy to ignore. In principle we still don’t
If you’re in need of some environmen-
see why we need a supercomputer to
tal smugness, by all means slot neutral
tell us to shift as quickly as possible
and laud it over the emissions-spewing
into the highest gear if we’re running
dinosaurs around you before heading
on fumes, but hey.
on your way again. Otherwise you can just ignore it completely, keep first se-
In fact, some of the adjustments to this
lected as you normally would, and your
A4, made for the sake of the environ-
life wouldn’t be changed in any way at
ment, we actually quite like. The mus-
all! That’s the sort of emissions control
cular turbocharged 2.0-litre four, es-
we like, it’s totally non-intrusive.
sentially the unit fitted to the Golf 6 GTI and so producing 155kW and a broad
Even the indicator on the dash which
spread of torque, is mated to a six-
suggests shifting to more efficient gear
speed manual ‘box with revised ratios
ratios isn’t that bad – because it’s very
allowing the 120km/h cruise to need
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just under 2000rpm in top.
is strictly FWD. And of course, the DSG ‘box is out and a good old manual your
This gearing makes it a bit slower than
only option. All this is good, very good.
a GTI off the line of course – second runs right up to 120km/h for instance,
Speaking of the transmission, it’s a nice
but at the top end they give this A4 the
positive six-speeder except for the sec-
legs to run easily into a 250km/h lim-
ond to third shift. For some reason, our
iter. In fact, 260 on the speedo is just
example just never felt like it was prop-
about the top, of fifth, relegating sixth
erly engaging third, and as you dropped
to a cruising-only overdrive.
the clutch after a snap shift there was always the fear that you’d end up rev-
It’s a holistic approach too, so Audi has
ving the engine sky-high against neu-
also examined what other convenience
tral. It never actually happened, but
features impact fuel economy, and
that’s what the feel through the stick
stripped these out as well. Like electri-
suggested.
cally-adjusted seats, for instance, and the heavy Quattro drivetrain – this A4 108
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That ubiquitous 2.0-litre turbomotor is APRIL 2010
Dr i v e T e s t and superb, upmarket cabin, the A4 also differs from its VW stablemate at the front. Although limited to FWD, the A4 does without the clever XDS electronic differential. It provides a great insight into why the GTI has this new development fitted, as although the revised A4 chassis initially feels even livelier and more alert than a GTI (thank that meticulous attention to the positioning of weight at the front end, which Audi applied when it launched the currentgeneration A4 to quell all the cries of “too much understeer” in their Quattro models especially), it ultimately can’t match the freakish cornering capabilities of the iconic hot hatch. even more muted and refined than it is in a GTI too, although there’s some distant enthusiasm to the gathering roar when your foot is ignoring the gearchange
It is progressive, with surprising feel through the wheel after the ridiculously light helm of the S4, and quite a hoot
indicators
completely. The generous shove in the back it provides is still encouraging for the keen driver however, where the 1.8T really lacks any measure of excitement or sparkle. Apart from the much more stylish exterior AP R I L 2 0 1 0
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to hustle along a favourite back road.
reduction in fuel consumption is nev-
In fact, completely unexpectedly, I think
er going to save our apparently dying
it’s the nicest drivers’ A4 on the market.
planet, at least they highlight that the
It feels much lighter and more agile than
German manufacturer is trying, and not
Quattro variants, the engine is refined
just with its extreme e-Tron concepts
by torquey especially here at altitude,
but across the entire model spectrum.
“...the A4 2.0 TFSI Stop Start is a trick, a vapour, a tiny step.” and it’s another of those really stealthy
If little touches like this can give the
lookers very much like the original A4.
petrol engine a few more years of fea-
Understated, but still stunning. It’s low-
sibility, they’re worth it in my book.
er and broader than previous generation models, visually sporty despite the
Certainly, Stop Start is no panacea, no
planet-assisting technology focus.
coverall environmental solution. But then you have to doubt if there is such
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a thing at all. Electric cars still require APRIL 2010
Dr i v e T e s t pollution-spewing powerplants to fuel
this A4, even we enthusiasts aren’t go-
them, hybrids still run good old petrol
ing to fight against it.
or diesel at their hearts... Perhaps little details like this and the continuing ad-
Easily the most fun of the eco-minded
vancements of cleaner, more efficient
cars we’ve driven so far, the A4 2.0
engines will yield the needed results
TFSI Stop Start is a trick, a vapour,
without completely giving up on per-
a tiny step. But it is stepping the right
sonal mobility as we know and love it
way, and is still a brilliant car.
today.
Russell Bennett Besides, if the tech is embedded into cars as competent and comfortable as
Liked Eco-smugness just a dip of the clutch away Torquey engine Most feelsome dynamics of the A4 range
Disliked Idiot’s guide to driving economically Dodgy third gear synchro
Drive Vitals
Audi A4 2.0TFSI Ambition
Engine
4 Cylinder Turbo petrol
Capacity
1968cc
Power
132kW@ 4000-6000 rpm
Torque
320Nm@ 1500-3900 rpm
Kerb weight
1430 Kg
Driven wheels
Front
Transmission
6 speed manual
0-100km/h
7.9s
Price
R341 500
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“Yes, it is a bottom of the range vehicle but it punches above its weight admirably...�
T
he Polo we had for this road test was the cheapest in the range, the 1.4 Trendline. Now normally that would immediately set off alarm bells in the Drive office, a bottom of the range volume seller, but what this nuggety little 1400 does is quite remarkable actually. Yes, it is a bottom of the range vehicle but it punches above its weight admirably, and on first inspection does so at a very aggressive price. On closer inspection however when considering several of the options we had installed the pricing goes from aggressive to fairly average, competitive but not a basement bargain. Still, the performance on offer from the Polo was more than expected.
D r ive Te st segment that’s what really hits home. And in this regard the Polo scores laudably, particularly on fuel economy. Whilst consciously attempting to be frugal, it isn’t difficult to consistently return below the 6L/100km mark. What’s great about the Polo’s engine though is that even if you’re
“Commuting then in the Polo is a breeze...” not concerned with saving fuel, it is still light on the fuel bill, pushing hard from every robot I still got economy hovering around the 7L/100km point. The key you see is torque,
not
tiny
engines,
something that the worlds ecomentalists haven’t quite grasped. The strong motor means that it isn’t necessary to rev the motor to death to go As the Polo falls into the relatively affordable volume seller bracket, it needs to achieve two goals out the blocks; it has to be well priced and fuel-efficient. Sure, there is so much more to judging a car but at the end of the day, in this 114
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
anywhere, lower rpm means better economy, simple as that. With 132Nm of torque at 3200rpm the Polo has one of the meatiest motors in its class, sure its power of 63kW at 5000rpm isn’t that great compared APRIL 2010
Dr i v e T e s t
to competitors but if fuel economy is of
steering just isn’t that direct. This of
primary importance then this engine is
course has been done to improve low
exceptionally good.
speed; dreary commuting in traffic, and it does work. The light steering, even
That’s not to say that the Polo is just
lighter clutch, responsive breaks and a
about economy, the performance of
gearbox that slips the cogs in and out
the Polo is actually very impressive,
in a docile manner makes for easy driv-
“With 132Nm of torque at 3200rpm the Polo has one of the meatiest motors in its class...” being quick enough off the line. The
ing. Commuting then in the Polo is a
controls however are a bit too light
breeze, especially when combined with
all round for fast driving, the steering
the hallmark of VW’s German nature,
at times feeling somewhat numb. The
their almost flawless build quality. The
handling is good, but sometimes the
Polo is just a nice place to be in, or at
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D r ive Te st least it is when considering the price bracket within which it falls, few cars in this segment are this comfortable to commute in. So the Polo confidently checks the efficiency and comfort boxes, but does it succeed in the aforementioned price department? The answer to that isn’t as cut and dry as the admirable fuel economy and build quality. The base price is very well positioned at R144 900, and for a sub 150k car the Polo offers a quality level above its price. The problem is that a lot of the little things I took for granted and generally improved my opinion of the Polo were in fact rather
pricey optional extras. With some quick arithmetic it turns out that our Polo was more like a 160k car, which it is worth but at that price the Polo is no longer a bargain anymore. The price is competitive, just not a nobrainer. And it’s not as if the options I’m talking about are gimmicks easily discarded either. Just shy of ten grand for air-con, another four grand for an mp3 radio/cd player and seven grand for a 60,000km service plan. Now you see what I mean, the
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Dr i v e T e s t options
quickly
add up.
of shopping. The steering wheel and seats, the most visceral conduits for a driver to connect to a car, just felt good.
Technically
then
the Polo is a wellengineered
Overall the Polo looks good and does so whilst offering a comfortable drive.
vehi-
cle at a reason-
To sum up the Polo in theory is a little
able price for the
difficult, whilst overall it impresses on
performance
and
all fronts, the options list keeps pulling
availa-
at me. A reasonably specced Polo isn’t
ble, but that’s the
too expensive but it’s getting there.
objective
story.
Still, the Polo’s price performance ratio
one
is well intact. After all is said and done,
needs to consider
when VW picked up the Polo I was sad
the styling and in-
to see it go, and that says a lot for a car
terior ambience. The new VW family
in this segment, possibly all that needs
styling is there in full force and whilst
to be said. There was over half a tank
the rear isn’t that purposeful for me the
of fuel in its belly though, so maybe that
front is sharp and works well. The in-
had something to do with it.
quality
Subjectively
side too appealed to me. There was enough room for rear passengers and
Kyle Stone
the boot could fit an adequate amount
Drive Vitals
VW Polo 1.4 Trendline
Engine
Four nat asp
Capacity (cc)
1,398
Power (kW)
63 @ 5000rpm
Torque (Nm)
132 @3600rpm
Kerb weight (kg)
1049
Driven wheels
Front
Wheel/tyre dimensions
175/70 R14
0-100km/h
12.5s
Price
R144, 900.00 + options
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Dr i v e T e s t
Chery J1
I
n the last month, two colleagues in magazine motoring journalism land up in Gauteng have been put through the rigours of our young democracy. Hijacked, bagged, carted around by the elite SA caste – criminals; although one of them actually found his hijackers more courteous than the police he encountered later that evening. Without wanting to make very much of a joke out of this appalling state of local affairs, it was with some misery that, after stopping, alone, to photograph the Chery J1 in a muddy field at nightfall, I didn’t have the same experience. That at least would’ve meant some excitement, some adventure, nothing like a direct threat to your life to get the blood pumping after all, and some neverhaving-to-drive-this-thing-again kind of fuzzy feelings in my very own fantasy land. Pay over R100K (R118 for our highspec model) for a car which, if you love cars for their passion, the thrill of their freedom, the flow of their chassis... you will absolutely hate, and you’d feel really cheated. We’d say with the J1 you’d have every right to feel this way.
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D r ive Te st So let’s see. This TX model J1 does
lever is to your hand.
get you electric windows and mirrors, a CD player, aircon, power steering, ABS
From outside there’s little distinctive
and a pair of front airbags for safety.
about it – it could well be an i10 or a
Feels like it needs it too, I had more
small city car from any other manufac-
butt-clenching moments in this at 120
turer really, but it isn’t altogether of-
than you’ll ever know in an M3 pinned
fensive either. Nor are their obvious,
against its 250km/h limiter. Oh yes, this
glaring panel gaps or bits falling off by
model even has rear-facing PDC! Fan-
default. Sure it could do with some big-
cy.
ger wheels to fill those big arches more
Otherwise the interior is, a little weird
but
quite
likeable, sort of a rehash of several sporty Europeans in one. The small instrumentation complete with tiny markings
aren’t
the easiest to read but look quite fresh and elegant, but whoever designed that
handbrake
ought to be put in charge of designing the next global shopping
trolley
so irritating, and wonky-feeling, this weird flat plastic 120
D R I V E MA GA Z IN E
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Dr i v e T e s t convincingly, but you can’t have the
rear. In short, you’re nowhere at all.
world for R118K. Let’s take for instance accelerating in
“There’s so little power on tap that trucks will flash their lights at you in the left lane pulling away from robots,...” However it then takes all of the length
third gear. Push the throttle to the bulk-
of a standard 100m sprint, once you’ve
head, and you’ll find the motor isn’t
made yourself as comfortable as possi-
really willing to spin beyond 5000rpm
ble behind the wheel (not very), to know
in third – anything beyond second in
that this is a car with only one, singular
fact. You can get rid of this problem,
purpose in mind. Moving its passen-
by pressing hard against the already-
gers, from here to there, using some
pinned accelerator, which compresses
form of powerplant and four round rub-
some of the carpet beneath it or some-
ber things to roll upon. And even doing
thing and suddenly the engine noise
that, it’s obvious that it operates “on the
changes distinctively and you can rev
cheap”.
up to the 6000rpm mark.
It’s positively abominable to drive.
Doesn’t exactly make you feel good
There’s so little power on tap that trucks
though. Not only is your car about as
will flash their lights at you in the left
powerful as an oxygen-deprived moth,
lane pulling away from robots, thinking
it’s poorly built as well! Great!
you’re a decrepit old plonker with half an inch of right-ankle flexibility, even when
In fact the total lack of puff the J1 dis-
you’re caning the Chery to its limits. In
plays is actual seriously dangerous out
the robot-to-robot racing pecking order,
in the cut-and-thrust of real-world traf-
you’re somewhere below 20-year-old
fic. You’re just never where you need
smoke-belching faceless Toyota and
to be in the J1, usually either languish-
Ford pickups and those 3.5-ton trucks
ing in the black smoke of big trucks in
you see with chassis’ angled 30-de-
the left-hand lane because you know
grees different at the front than at the
that a 6-year old on a bicycle would
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D r ive Te st have more chance of accelerating up
utes of enduring that offensive blare of
to the speed of upcoming traffic in the
full-throttle in a J1 to finally achieve the
fast lane should you go for an overtake,
velocity, it seems as though a brief lift
or urging the car on to crawl past real
of the throttle or, heaven forfend, a cor-
slow-lane dawdlers with the flashing
ner of any variety will wipe 20km/h off
lights of faster traffic, like horse-carts,
your speed leaving you 5 more minutes
dazzling your rear-view mirror! These
of fuel-heavy full throttle to get back to
ridiculous limitations make even expe-
the enforced speed limit.
rienced drivers nervous wrecks out in city driving, first-time car owners which
Despite the absolute lack of any sort
the J1 is targeted at are going to be to-
of forward thrust, it’s a rough and un-
tally put off the concept of driving at all
pleasant motor generally (Euro II spec-
if this is their day to day experience.
ifications compliant, apparently), and combined with ridiculous gear whine
Just how bad is the performance? Well
totally unnecessary on a standard five-
put it this way, it’s actually really tough
speed ‘box mated to a motor with bare-
to stick to the 120km/h South African
ly enough torque to blow down dande-
freeway speed limit in the J1. After min-
lions. Hit the brakes and the front disc/ rear drum combo make a painful grinding sound and are quite tough to modulate, while the ride is very bouncy on anything but highway tarmac. If what you really want is an econo-box on wheels which no matter how much petrol pumps through your veins will never ever inspire you to try and have a moment of fun with your car, well you’re likely to get better quality from rebranded Eastern European marques, even if you miss out on some of the perceived luxury items.
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Dr i v e T e s t
What the J1 does perfectly, is highlight
of motoring, and takes the automobile
just how gaping a hole the loss of the
from being romantic icons of freedom
Citi is – the Mk 1 cost about the same
and the mechanical embodiment of the
as this car, with build quality from an
spirit of adventure, right down to being
entirely different engineering epoch,
Nothing. More. Than. Cars.
similar equipment, and generous helpings of fun, character, and giant-slaying
Cheap. Cars. At that.
latent sporting potential. And I just can’t get past the fact of how This Chery is quite literally, the antith-
dangerous the entire sensation of driv-
esis of all of these. It saps the fun out
ing actually feels despite the low speeds
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D r ive Te st the Chery is capable of. There is such
from now on, come to think of it.
a thing as too slow, and a motor putting out the power of a weak commuter bike
Perhaps at R60 – 80K it could be com-
in a 1000kg car platform is, well, it. It
mendable for sheer unadulterated val-
turns you into no more than an obstruc-
ue. But at R118K, we can’t recommend
tion in traffic, and actually seems to at-
this as a purchase in any way. And any
tract a lot of anger and aggression from
magazine putting it anywhere near the
fellow road users even when not direct-
top three in any shootout consisting of
ly getting in their ways.
four or more cars, is just looking to attract some advertising budget.
Having driven one, I think I’ll feel the same about Cherys and their drivers
Russell Bennett
Liked That it went back without anyone dying in it
Disliked Low-rent interior Engine seems even weaker than 61kW Bumpy ride Massive body roll
Drive Vitals
Chery J1 TX
Engine
4 Cylinder petrol
Capacity
1297cc
Power
61kW@ 6000 rpm
Torque
114Nm@ 3800 rpm
Kerb weight
1040 Kg
Driven wheels
Front
Transmission
5 speed manual
0-100km/h
Not quoted. Around 20s, at a guess
Price
R116 900
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