Wheels - March 23, 2017

March 23, 2017

• PORSCHE MACAN: Luxury for less • VOLVO XC60: Updated for families • CAR TALK: Bad news, or very bad news • GENEVA CAR SHOW: Hot rides

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CARS » TRUCKS » SNOWMACHINES » ATVS

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Thursday, March 23, 2017

2017 Porsche Macan Porsche lowers price, adds 4-cylinder option Ann M. Job, ASSOCIATED PRESS

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he Macan, Porsche’s smallest SUV, is more affordable and more fuel efficient for 2017 and is stocked with more standard equipment, including a rearview camera.

The new base model, called simply the 2017 Macan, has the Macan’s first four-cylinder engine and carries a

starting retail price, including destination charge, of $48,850. That’s $4,745 less than the starting retail price of the 2016 Macan which came only with V-6s.

There is less power in the new base Macan than in last year’s base model and less power than in the other four 2017 Macans with six-cylinder engines.

But the 2-liter four cylinder is turbocharged, and the 252 horsepower and 273 foot-pounds of torque generated provide plenty of get up and go and strong cruising speed in typical Porsche fashion. In fact, if the test vehi-

cle was any indication, drivers need to keep a close eye on the speedometer, because this new Macan easily gets to 85 miles an hour on highways without the driver realizing it.

The special blended character of this Porsche — part SUV and all sports car — remains intact. This new Macan, at just over 15 feet in length, feels like a higher-riding but still tenacious, road-hugging Porsche, agile and responsive.

The smaller engine is lighter weight than the 3-liter and 3.6-liter sixes, so the base Macan with no options weighs

just 3,902 pounds — 210 pounds less than a Macan with a V-6.

The lower weight and fuel efficient four cylinder produced better fuel economy ratings from the U.S. government: 20 miles per gallon in city driving and 25 mpg at legal highway speeds.

That compares with the 17/23-mpg ratings that the 2015, 2016 and 2017 Macans received.

The gas tank is sizable, at 19.8 gallons, and the Macan four-cylinder PORSCHE »3

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Thursday, March 23, 2017

PORSCHE Continued from 2 engine uses premium fuel. But for the first time, the Macan’s travel range on a single tank of gasoline tops 400 miles.

Even the test Macan, which was driven in a sporty manner and averaged 20.7 mpg, could go more than 400 miles without a fill-up.

Consumer Reports magazine predicts Macan reliability should be average, and Porsche tied with Lexus at the top of J.D. Power and Associates’ 2017 Vehicle Dependability Study released last month.

Introduced for the 2015 model year, the five-seat Macan with standard active all-wheel drive already is a best-seller at Porsche. During calendar 2016, U.S. Macan sales of 19,332 surpassed that of any other Porsche.

Through February, U.S. sales were up an additional 42 percent from the first two months of 2016.

Badge-conscious, luxury buyers can enjoy the Macan with all manner of optional luxury trappings, though prices quickly rise. As an example, a base, 2017 Macan with $3,120 Carmine Red special paint, $5,400 wheels, leather

Red Garnet interior and Burmester premium surround sound system is priced at more than $69,000.

After just a bit of turbo lag, power in the test SUV came smoothly and forcefully through the seven-speed PDK automatic transmission, and the engine sounded powerful.

Brakes had strong stopping power, and steering reacted quickly to even slight inputs from the driver.

The array of 19 buttons clustered around the Macan gearshifter in the center console is an impressive presentation, yet easy to understand.

The upgrade for only $260 to standard interior with luxor beige Alcantara seats is a bargain for a rich-looking interior.

Critics have complained the Macan’s maximum of 53 cubic feet of cargo space is small, but the test Macan carted three desk chairs and seven boxes of supplies just fine.

Early in March, Porsche announced a U.S. safety recall of 17,871 Macans built from 2014 to Oct. 20, 2015. The vehicles’ detection mats in the front passenger seats could fail, meaning front-passenger frontal airbags might not deploy during crashes.

FACT SHEET 2017 Porsche Macan BASE PRICE: $47,800 for base model.

AS TESTED: $53,620.

TYPE: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, five-passenger, compact crossover sport utility.

ENGINE: 2-liter, double overhead cam, turbocharged, inline four cylinder.

MILEAGE: 20 mpg (city), 25 mpg (highway).

TOP SPEED: 142 mph.

LENGTH: 184.3 inches.

WHEELBASE: 110.5 inches.

CURB WEIGHT: 3,902 pounds.

BUILT AT: Germany OPTIONS: Premium package (includes Bose surround sound system, Porsche Dynamic Light System, automatic-dimming mirrors, front and rear heated seats) $2,590; Porsche Connect $1,020; Carrara White metallic exterior paint $700; standard interior in black/luxor beige $260; 18-inch S wheel $200.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Thursday, March 23, 2017

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Thursday, March 23, 2017

SUV moves to 4-cylinder engines Ann M. Job THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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o l v o ’s l e a s t e x p e n sive SUV, the XC60, is updated for 2017 with all fuel-efficient four-cylinder turbocharged engines and simpler trim levels for easier buyer choices.

Unfortunately, the shuffling of trim levels and engines also boosted the starting retail price from $37,595 in the 2016 model year to $41,945 for a base, front-wheel drive, 2017 XC60 T5 Dynamic or Inscription model. The lowest starting retail price including destination charge for an all-wheel drive 2017 XC60 is $43,945, up from $39,095 for a 2016 model.

The five-seat XC60 is due for a major update, but the 2017 version still is a recommended buy of Consumer Reports magazine and scored five-outof-five stars in crash tests by the U.S. government.

Among the attractive features of the XC60 are optional, built-in, back-seat child booster seats that are unique

because they can be adjusted to two heights to accommodate children as they grow. These seats are part of a $1,550 climate package that also adds heated front seats, steering wheel and windshield.

Another noteworthy feature, and one that is standard on every 2017 XC60, is City Safety. It uses an infrared laser to

FACT SHEET 2017 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD Inscription BASE PRICE: $40,950 for T5 FWD Dynamic or Inscription; $42,950 for T5 AWD Dynamic or Inscription; $46,350 for T6 AWD Dynamic or Inscription.

AS TESTED: $53,690.

TYPE: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, five-passenger, compact crossover sport utility.

ENGINE: 2-liter, double overhead cam, turbocharged and supercharged, direct injection four cylinder.

MILEAGE: 20 mpg (city), 27 mpg (highway).

TOP SPEED: NA. LENGTH: 182.8 inches.

WHEELBASE: 109.2 inches.

CURB WEIGHT: 4,175 pounds.

BUILT AT: Belgium.

OPTIONS: Advanced package (includes adaptive cruise control, Harman kardon premium sound system, collision warning with full auto brake and pedestrian and bicyclist detection, driver alert control) $2,500; climate package with child booster seats (includes heated front seats and steering wheel, heated windshield, dual, two-stage, child booster seats $1,550; preferred option package (includes electric folding rear head restraints, headlight cleaning, 12-volt power outlet, front park assist) $1,450; Osmium Gray metallic exterior paint $595; 20-inch Avior alloy wheels $250.

DESTINATION CHARGE: $995.

monitor the closing rate of the XC60 to the vehicle just ahead in slow-speed driving between 2 and 18 miles per

hour. If the driver takes no action, the system can apply the brakes abruptly to try to avoid a crash or mitigate one.

Also standard on the base XC60 for 2017 are leather seats, a panoramic sunroof and blind-spot monitoring that is an option on many competing SUVs. The XC60 is right-sized and friendly for many families. At 15.2 feet in length, the XC60 is on the large side of compact, with 41.2 inches of front-seat legroom and 67.4 cubic feet of cargo space at the rear. The back liftgate opening is sizable to allow for easy packing, and back-seat legroom of 36.4 inches is decent.

The 2017 XC60 is beefy looking, yet easy to maneuver in tight spaces, with the steering mostly needing a light touch.

There is a definite Scandinavian flavor in the wood inlays inside and in the older-style, Volvo ventilation controls.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Thursday, March 23, 2017

White smoke on starting, you and your car soon will be parting Dear Car Talk:

When starting my Camry cold, white smoke billows from the rear tailpipe.

What is this? -- Sherry CAR TALK: This is the universal signal to grab a new auto-loan application, Sherry.

Well, maybe not. But white smoke usually is caused by vaporized coolant, which often is the result of a blown head gasket.

At the middle of the engine, you have the cylinders, which combust gasoline and air. All around those cylinders are passages for coolant, to keep the cylinders from overheating. And when everything is correct, the twain never shall meet: Coolant stays outside the cylinders, and the combustion materials stay inside.

But when there’s a breach — like a blown head gasket — the coolant, which is under high pressure, will seep into one or more of the cylinders after you turn off the engine. Then, when you restart the engine, that coolant gets combusted, along with the gasoline and air. And that makes white smoke.

So, the first thing to do is ask your mechanic to do a head-gasket test. If he believes the head gasket is bad, then

VOLVO Continued from 5 With the elimination of the five- and six-cylinder XC60 engines this year, all engines now have four cylinders and U.S. government average city/highway fuel economy ratings range from 22 miles per gallon to 26 mpg.

Buyers get a 240-horsepower, 2-liter, turbocharged four cylinder with 258 foot-pounds of torque in 2017 XC60s with front-wheel drive. A 302-horsepower, 2-liter, turbocharged and supercharged four cylinder with 295 foot-

you’ll have to decide whether to put $1,000-plus into the car.

That’ll depend on how old the car is, what kind of shape it’s in, whether you still love it, and how much credit is available on your home-equity line.

Of course, once he opens up the engine, he might find that it’s worse than a blown head gasket: that it’s a cracked head, or a cracked block — which both are way more expensive. So be aware that there’s some uncertainty going into any such operation.

And depending how close the call is regarding whether to fix the car or dump it, you may want to issue a DNR in case the mechanic discovers a crack in the head or block. I’ll think good thoughts for you, Sherry.

anything other than the “high” setting.

Poking around the internet, I found what is possibly the world’s easiest car repair: Open the hood, unplug the resistor, remove two screws, wiggle out the old resistor and replace it. I did that, and it works. Life is good!

Now for the problem. That resistor is enormous, replete with big coils that look like heating coils. Is that how this whole thing works — the resistor slows down the fan by diverting (and wasting) some of the power to heat?

I always thought I was saving power, and improving my fuel economy, by running the fan on lower settings.

But if this is how it works, the fan is always drawing maximum power no matter what setting I use. Say it ain’t so! — Dale

I have a 2002 Dodge Ram Wagon.

The fan blower stopped working on

CAR TALK: Well, let’s start with the good news, Dale: You fixed your car.

Hooray!

The bad news is that you discovered the dirty secret of how the fan switch works.

When you set the fan on high, electricity goes straight through the fan switch and continues on to the fan motor. If you turn down the fan speed, the same amount of electricity goes to the fan switch, but the switch engages one or more of its resistors and diverts

pounds of torque is standard in 2017 XC60s with all-wheel drive.

The XC60s with the lower-powered engine carry the T5 moniker, while the SUVs with the turbocharged and supercharged engine have a T6 label. Both engines use an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The test XC60 T6 AWD Inscription was a mid-range model that, with options, topped out at more than $53,000.

Leather-covered seats provided fatigue-free resting spots and every passenger had a properly positioned head restraint. The rear-seat, pull-down,

center armrest/cupholders/storage spot was unexpectedly wide so elbows of outboard passengers didn’t bump into each other.

The standard panoramic roof gave an airy feel to the interior. With passengers sitting up a ways from the pavement, views out the vehicle were good.

Fitted with optional, 20-inch tires, the tester was a competent city driver and highway cruiser where some road imperfections and noises were transmitted to the passenger cabin.

The turbocharged and supercharged four cylinder powered the hefty, more than 4,170-pound XC60 well, though

Dear Car Talk:

some of that electricity, turning it into heat.

That heat is just electricity going to waste — unless you happen to be cooking a 40-pound pheasant under your hood. But because less electricity ultimately makes it to the fan motor (because some is diverted as heat), the motor turns more slowly.

I should add that when you cause the fan to turn more slowly, the fan motor probably will last longer. So running the fan more slowly isn’t all bad or wasteful.

But if your only goal is to avoid wasting electricity and fuel, you’d have to run your fan on high speed all the time.

And install a windmill between the seats to recapture some of that power.

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turbo lag was noticeable.

In demanding driving that was a majority of the time in city and suburban traffic, the test vehicle averaged only 18.5 miles per gallon, which was nowhere near the federal government’s rating of 20 mpg in city driving and 27 mpg on highways. This amounted to just 342 miles of travel on a single tank of fuel.

Some 2017 XC60 were among 74,027 Volvos recalled last November because seat belt buckles might separate from their brackets. This could lead to frontseat passengers not being properly restrained during crashes.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Ferrari or Opel SUV? Geneva’s hottest rides David McHugh ASSOCIATED PRESS

GENEVA — A Ferrari with the speed, power and roar of a racecar. An urban sport-utility for regular folks that Opel hopes will help it return to profit. A rugged but upscale Mercedes-Benz pickup truck.

They were among the most significant of the 900 vehicles scrutinized by journalists and analysts this week at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show.

Here’s a look at several of the more eye-catching vehicles:

Opel Crossland X

Struggling German automaker Opel hopes to tap one of the hottest market segments with this very small SUV. SUVs are increasingly important in the European market, rising from 7 percent to 20 percent in the decade from 2007.

At 13 feet 10 inches long, the Crossland X is 6 inches shorter than Opel’s mainstay Astra compact, making it easy to park in Europe’s often crowded and narrow streets. And it is 4 inches taller, offering the higher seat position that makes some drivers feel more comfortable in traffic.

The Crossland keeps off-road features such as protective covering over the wheel wells and lower doors. But Opel is clear that this one is meant for city streets; the marketing concept aims at people who load up on groceries at an organic farm outside town or use the generous rear cargo space to lug suitcases on vacation to Tuscany.

The Crossland X has a panoramic glass roof and an eight-inch touchscreen on the dash that lets occupants use the Apple CarPlay or Android Auto apps.

The vehicle was developed as a collaborative project with PSA Group, which has reached a deal to buy Opel from parent company General Motors Co. That means it’s a sign of things to come. To return Opel to profit, PSA Group will need the higher per-vehicle earnings that come from SUVs as compared to ordinary mass-market cars. Opel hasn’t made a full-year profit in Europe since 1999.

The New Ferrari 812 superfast is presented during the press day at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland March 7. CYRIL ZINGARO/KEYSTONE VIA AP

Ferrari 812 Superfast

The name says it all — it’s the car Ferrari says is “the most powerful and fastest” in its history. The huge 6.5 liter engine will take the vehicle to a top speed of 211 mph, and from 0-62 mph in 2.9 seconds. The big engine has been tuned so that it produces “a full, rich exhaust sound that exploits the acoustic clout delivered by its increased displacement.” Electronic side slip control will make all that power a little easier to handle, and active flaps at the front of the underbody shift to improve the car’s aerodynamics.

Mercedes-Benz Concept X-Class

Daimler AG’s luxury brand is positioning this mid-size pickup as more than just a workhorse; they hope it appeals to people who want to combine commercial use and off-road capability with personal transportation such as taking the kids to school, towing a boat or shopping for groceries. And so the X-Class has an electric winch and big tires to lug up to 1.1 ton of freight, but also comfortable nubuck leather seats and room for five people.

Marketing materials envision customers like an Argentine cattle rancher, a soybean farmer in Brazil or a South African winemaker. The key markets are seen as Brazil, Argentina, Australia and South Africa. The

company says that mid-size pickups are the largest single vehicle segment in Australia with 14.1 percent, and second-biggest in Argentina with 11.6 percent.

The company says it hasn’t made a decision on whether it will sell the truck in the U.S. The X-Class will go on sale in Europe later this year.

It will be manufactured in cooperation with the Renault-Nissan Alliance at a Nissan plant in Barcelona, Spain and at a Renault plant in Cordoba, Argentina.

Range Rover Velar

This luxury SUV fills a size niche between the Range Rover Evoque and the Range Rover sport. It carries two to five people in a luxurious interior with two 10-inch touchscreens and sound from a 1600-watt Meridian Signature sound system. Eight devices can connect to the on-board WiFi hotspot.

The crisp acceleration, especially in the larger engine version, along with electronic stability control, should make it easy and fun to drive despite its size and high seat position. The larger, six-cylinder engine option goes from 0-60 mph in 5.3 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph.

There are two interior options: one in leather and another in fabric using wool-blend cloth and a suede-like cloth made from recycled materials.

The design is understated: the usual long, sloping shoulder line and unobtrusive door handles that retract when not being used.

Analyst Ian Fletcher at IHS Markit says the vehicle is a reminder that “people like to drive.” The Velar, he said, could appeal to well-off customers who may have driven a sports car when they were younger: “Now they’ve got a young family but they don’t want to give up driving enjoyment.”

The cost —$57,000. And it goes up from there.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Thursday, March 23, 2017

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