JANUARY 3 - 9 | 2020
2020 Renault Kadjar Intens
Ŷ APPEALING: Renault Kadjar has styling that will appeal to francophiles. By EWAN KENNEDY RENAULT has added a third model to its SUV range, the mid-sized Kadjar which neatly sits between the French marque’s compact Captur and large Koleos. According to Renault the name is a mix of ‘Kad’ meaning quad and ‘Jar’ meaning agility. Kadjar is offered in Life, Zen and Intens variants. Life and Zen have halogen headlights, Intens gets LEDs. Life and Zen roll on 17-inch alloy wheels, two-tone on the latter. Intens has 19-inch alloys. Renault Kadjar shares the same platform as the Nissan Qashqai as the French and Japanese companies have worked together for over a decade now. Prices range from $29,990 for the Life, the Zen for $32,990, and Intens at $37,990.
STYLING Styling is neat and attractive, but somehow we had expected a bit more French flair to make it stand out from its many competitors. At the front it’s clearly identifiable as a Renault with a standout version of the company diamond in the centre of the grille. The turn indicators are integrated into the LED daytime running lights. There are front and rear skid plates, lower door protective mouldings, black wheel arch extensions and anodised satin grey roof bars. The luggage area is similar in size to others in the class, but it has a number of clever permutations including the ability to split it into two separate compartments. ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS All Australian Kadjars get a 1.3-litre turbo-pet-
rol engine with 117 kW of power at 5500 rpm and 260 Nm of torque at 1750 revs. It’s mated to a seven-speed EDC dual-clutch automatic. Interestingly, in Australia Nissan Qashqai comes with a 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine and continuously variable transmission. SAFETY Standard safety features across the Kadjar range include six airbags; Electric Stability Control; ABS brakes with brake assist; front and rear parking sensors; reversing cameras; active cruise control; distance warning and automatic emergency braking. Additional safety on Zen and Intens add side parking sensors, lane departure warning and blind spot warning while Intens also gets easy park assist.
INFOTAINMENT Infotainment features are displayed on an attractive 7-inch colour touchscreen that’s embedded within the dashboard. The touch-sensitive buttons on the left side are far too small and awkward to use. Renault’s respected R-LINK 2 system with the option of voice control. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available. An Arkamys entertainment system is installed in the lower spec models and BOSE in the Intens. Both systems drive seven speakers. DRIVING Interior space is well managed with good front headroom even in the top-spec Intens with its panoramic sunroof and enough rear legroom for most occupants. Ŷ Continued page 2
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2020 Renault Kadjar Intens Ŷ From page 1 There’s fast response from the high-tech 1.3-litre after a minimal amount of turbo-lag. Kadjar it’s simple to drive in the city and suburbs as the automatic responds promptly to the engine’s needs. It cruises smoothly during country running and gives an easy relaxed feel that makes the miles slip under the wheels with a minimum of fuss. There’s a nice feel of body control around bends and the occasional bumps were soaked up without any jarring. Very French in this way as the folks in that country do like their comfort. Fuel consumption is listed at 6.3 litres per 100 kilometres, with CO2 emissions of 143 grams per kilometre. On test we used five to seven litres per hundred during easy country running; six to eight in hilly areas and eight to ten litres per hundred in the suburbs. Pretty good figures for a vehicle of this size, albeit one that really is more of a tall hatchback than a true SUV. All Renault vehicles have a five year / unlimited kilometre warranty, five year / 150,000 km capped price servicing and up to five years roadside assist - provided that servicing is carried out at Renault dealerships. SUMMING UP Kadjar looks good, is pleasant to drive and seems sure of attracting buyers looking for something that’s not sourced from Asia or Japan. Note: Prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Renault dealer for drive-away prices.
AT A GLANCE MODEL: Zen five door wagon ENGINE: 1.3 L turbo-petrol, four cylinders in line MAX POWER: 117 kW @ 5500 rpm MAX TORQUE: 260 Nm @ 1750 rpm DRIVELINE: Seven speed automatic. FUEL TANK: 55 litres ECONOMY: 6.3L/100km (combined)
Mazda updates MX-5
Porsche Macan GTS on its way
Ŷ BEAUTIFUL: Little Mazda MX-5 sportscar still turns heads Ŷ THE LOOK: Further lowering of the suspension gives Porsche Macan an even more aggressive look By EWAN KENNEDY AN updated Mazda MX-5 will go on sale in Australia in early 2020. However, changes are relatively minor, with an emphasis on the interior. There are revisions to interior materials with RF GT models getting Burgundy Nappa leather punctuated with a light grey stitch to create a more luxurious cabin atmosphere. Across other parts of the range, both Tan and Black leather options have also been revised, adding perforations that give a sporty texture and boost to comfort. The GT range also gets stainless steel scuff plates to minimise damage during entry and egress. The biggest external difference is revision of body colours. There’s a new Polymetal Grey Metallic we first saw on the Next-Gen Mazda3 hatch All model grades have a new-look key fob and Mazda badging.
By EWAN KENNEDY
The updated Mazda MX-5 is available in Roadster (Soft Top) and RF (Retractable Hard Top) body styles, equipped with a SkyActiv-G 1.5 or SkyActiv-G 2.0 petrol engine, paired with a choice of six-speed SkyActiv-MT manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Entering its 31st year of production, the Mazda MX-5 can be credited by being the car that revived the open top sports car. Prior to the Japanese designers and engineers coming up with crash safety that worked there had been the feeling that open cars would be a thing of the past.
THE new Porsche Macan GTS is available to order now. It is priced from $109,700 and will arrive in Australia in the first quarter of 2020. The 2.9-litre V6 bi-turbo engine delivers 280 kW (380 hp) – an increase of 15 kW (20 hp) compared with the predecessor model. The maximum torque of 520 Nm (plus 20 Nm) is available over a wide range from 1750 to 5000 rpm. Combined with the newly adapted PDK dual-clutch transmission and the optional Sport Chrono package, the Macan GTS can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds, three tenths faster than before. It has a top speed of 261 km/h. The Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) damping control system has been specially tuned to work with the added power.
The chassis has also been lowered by 15 millimetres for greater lateral dynamics. Adaptive air suspension is optionally available with chassis lowering by a further 10 millimetres. Combined with the standard 20-inch RS Spyder Design wheels and the huge cast iron brake discs (360 x 36 millimetres at the front, 330 x 22 millimetres at the rear). As an option, braking can be further improved by means of the Porsche Surface Coated Brake (PSCB) with tungsten carbide coating or the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB). A multifunction sports steering wheel has its rim in smooth leather. Shift paddles are standard. Sports seats, exclusive to the GTS, with eight-way adjustment and pronounced side bolsters for stable support during dynamic cornering. Comfort seats with 14-way adjustment are also available at no cost.
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January 3 - 9 | 2020
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Audi A1 answers the right questions in class
Ŷ STYLING: The new A1 Sportback has moved away from the regular Audi styling with a different look, especially up front By DEREK OGDEN
years, or $1990 for five.
THROUGH careful cultivation, the Audi A1 hatch (Sportback in Audi-speak) sets out to be every buyer’s new best friend. And because the maker spent lots of time and pots of money on feedback from potential buyers, mainly male says Audi, it might just have hit the sales jackpot. The result is the MY19 (say MY20) Sportback, due to high demand around the world, only recently dropped in Down Under. The second-generation A1 comes with three petrol drivetrains, all with direct injection and turbocharging, linking optimum performance with fuel efficiency. We tried out the mid-range variant, the 35 TFSI, powered by a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged intercooled engine with innovative design made of composite material. Peak power is 110 kW and top torque of 250 Nm from a nicely low 1500 rpm. The motor is mated with a seven-speed S tronic dualclutch automatic transmission. The mid-range A1 Sportback, at $35,290, plus on-road costs, lives up to expectations of a premium compact vehicle with a high level of standard equipment, including 17-inch alloy wheels, powered and heated outside mirrors, DAB+ digital radio, with six-speaker audio, multi-function steering wheel and cruise control with speed limiter. There’s a convenience key, wireless smart phone charging and auto dimming interior mirror. The test car, however, was complemented with a Style package 2 ($2990) adding LED headlamps with rear dynamic indicators, LED colour interior lighting, 18-inch alloy wheels, plus heated, power adjustable, folding exterior mirrors with passenger-side kerb view. Technik and Premium Plus packages are also available for some models. The A1 Sportback is offered with the Audi service plan package, at $1480, for three
STYLING With male buyers firmly in mind, the A1 Sportback has taken on a more aggressive demeanour. In the eight years since it first appeared, the car has grown considerably, with the latest design taking on the looks of the legendary Audi Sport quattro. The busy front takes away some of the sameness about earlier Audi models, adding its own character, which is undeniably sporty. This was emphasised even more with the test car being fitted with the Audi Style package 2 ($2990), which included 18-inch Sport alloy wheels, LED headlamps and rear dynamic indicators. Exterior heated mirrors folded away and incorporated a view of the kerb on the passenger side when reversing. INTERIOR Occupants are the ones to gain in the new car’s expansion over the previous model, with additional head (7 mm), shoulder (36 mm) and elbow (29 mm) room. Wheelbase extended by 94 mm makes a difference also. Seats are set low, sports style, and the steering column offers generous telescoping adjustment. Instruments are driver-centric and storage includes bottle holders in the front doors. Pity about the tiny centre console offering. INFOTAINMENT These days, infotainment and connectivity are paramount in any vehicle, with the latest technology available from the entry-level A1 up. Apple Carplay and Android auto are on offer, while the Audi MMI system is displayed and controlled via an 8.8-inch touchscreen, and driving info projected clearly on a 10.25inch digital instrument cluster. Available with the 35 TFSI and standard on
the 40 TFSI is MMI Navigation plus, with 10.1inch touchscreen, Audi virtual cockpit, 3-D navigation with Google Earth mapping and wireless connectivity. Audi connect plus uses online connection to the driver for such things as fuel pricing, parking information, weather and destination entry via Google maps on a smartphone, plus the ability to pinpoint traffic jams. In Australia, this connects to the Telstra mobile network for data services, the cost being covered in the price of the vehicle for at least the first three years of ownership. SAFETY Audi A1 Sportback has earned a five-star safety rating thanks to a suite of innovative driver assistance systems designed to protect occupants as well as pedestrians and cyclists. These include autonomous emergency braking, lane departure and advanced presensing features. There are six airbags, plus Isofix points on the outer rear seats. Parking in tight spots is made easier with front and rear sensors and reversing camera standard across the full A1 range. DRIVING There is little to fault in the way the new 1.5-litre TFSI turbocharged engine and seven-speed S tronic transmission go about their business, the A1 happy to engage in stopstart city traffic but with a little extra to please the driving enthusiast on the open road. Fuel consumption is rated at 5.8 litres per hundred kilometres on the combined urban / highway cycle. The test car came up with around seven litres in the city and five litres at motorway speeds. Ride and handling are top notch, the car showing little tendency to come unstuck even when pushed to the limit on fast bends and undulating country roads. However, there was some noise from
around the exterior mirrors and varying amounts of road noise, depending on coarseness of the surface. Audi says the second-generation A1 Sportback is roomier than its predecessor and, at 335 litres, has more luggage space, the downside being the replacement of a spare wheel by a tyre inflator. Behind the front seats things take on a mixed message. Head room is okay, but leg room is lacking and the cargo area is a squeeze to take anything bigger than a couple of small travel bags, or minor shopping. The small door opening also creates some difficulty getting in and out of the back. Little touches like convenience key, Audi phone box light wireless smartphone charging and auto-dimming interior mirror set the A1 apart from many of its rivals in the market segment. SUMMING UP The new A1 Sportback has a larger interior than the first-generation A3 and is only slightly smaller than the second-generation Audi A3, making for a versatile vehicle particularly suited to city and suburban conditions, all with a pinch of performance spice.
AT A GLANCE MODEL: A1 35 TFSI, 5dr Sportback ENGINE: 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol, four cylinders in line MAX POWER: 110 kW @ 5000-6000 rpm MAX TORQUE: 250 Nm @ 1500-3500 rpm DRIVELINE: Seven-speed S tronic 7-speed automatic, front-wheel drive. FUEL TANK: 40 litres ECONOMY: Combined Fuel Cycle (ADR 81/02):5.8 L/100km
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Safety tips for ATVs and SSVs By EWAN KENNEDY CHRISTMAS holidays are often an opportunity to visit friends and family on properties around the country – properties where ATVs and SSVs are used as versatile farm machinery. The temptation for younger riders to take these vehicles for a spin can sometimes be too much – and have fatal results. That’s why the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) is urging parents to observe the known safety practices when operating ATVs and SSVs these holidays. It is especially important to supervise younger riders and ensure they only ride age appropriate vehicles and wear appropriate safety equipment. Unfortunately, children are over-represented in off-road vehicle fatalities every year in Australia. Of the 15 ATV and SSV related fatalities in 2019, ďŹ ve were children riding vehicles designed for adults. Four of these were operating or riding as a passenger in an SSV; and one was operating an ATV that was recommended for older age groups. Alarmingly, it appears that in the four SSV incidents, the occupants had not used the seatbelts, doors or netting that are ‘built in’ safety devices designed to reduce harm. The result – the occupants were ejected or crushed in the incident.
SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR SSV AND ATV USE: SSV t 0QFSBUPST TIPVME CF ZFBST PG BHF BOE hold a valid licence. t 1BTTFOHFST NVTU CF UBMM FOPVHI GPS UIF seat belt to ďŹ t properly and to brace themselves if needed by placing both feet ďŹ rmly on the oor and being able to reach the hand hold. t %PO U DBSSZ NPSF QBTTFOHFST UIBO UIFSF are seats available, and never in the cargo area t "MXBZT XFBS B IFMNFU FZF QSPUFDUJPO and other protective gear. t ,FFQ EPPST BOE TJEF OFUT DMPTFE ,FFQ your whole body inside the SSV. t %PO U ESJOL BOE ESJWF t 4UJDL UP PĘš SPBE BSFBT BOE EPO U VTF sealed roadways. ATV t 3JEFST NVTU CF ZFBST PG BHF UP PQFSate an adult size ATV. t "MXBZT XFBS B IFMNFU FZF QSPUFDUJPO and other protective gear. t /FWFS DBSSZ B QBTTFOHFS PO B TJOHMF TFBU ATV. t #F USBJOFE BOE GPMMPX UIF NBOVGBDUVSFS T guidelines and warnings. t /FWFS PWFSMPBE ZPVS WFIJDMF BOE SFEVDF loads on difficult or steep terrain. t 1BSFOUT TIPVME FOTVSF UIBU UIFTF TBGFUZ guidelines are carefully followed.
More recalls of Takata airbags By EWAN KENNEDY THE Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has received notiďŹ cation that an additional 78,000 vehicles on Australian roads may be ďŹ tted with faulty Takata airbags. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has advised vehicle manufacturers that these faulty airbags may have been installed in earlymodel Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Eunos (Mazda), Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Toyota vehicles manufactured between 1996 and 2000. These airbags can cause serious injury or death to vehicle occupants. Owners of affected vehicles are advised to immedi-
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has a safe place to ‘stop, revive, survive’,â€? Ms Greene said. New ‘mega roadside rest areas’ have started opening alongside highways across the country providing separate areas for cars, caravans and trucks as well as providing toilets and undercover seating areas. “We have identiďŹ ed 12 mega sites around Australia with some big enough to ďŹ t more than 20 semi-trailers and they’re designed so that the truck’s cabin faces away from headlights on the highway so drivers can get some quality sleep.â€? Ms Greene said holidaymakers and motorists using old-style rest stops could help by parking to one side. Truck driver Peter Caldow said: “If there is a caravan or cars that aren’t parked in the correct area it makes it a bit harder for us.â€?
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MOTORISTS, particularly those towing caravans, are being urged to be smart about how they share roadside rest stops with trucks this Christmas holiday season. New statistics released today by Australia’s leading transport and logistics insurer, NTI, show 83 per cent of fatiguerelated accidents involving trucks in the lead up to Christmas last year happened between 10pm and 6am despite only one-sixth of the country’s freight being moved during those hours. NTI’s general manager Janelle Greene said over-crowding at rest areas was a major problem in managing fatigue at this time of year. “Fatigue-related crashes are twice as likely to be fatal and it is critical everyone
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ately contact their dealer or brand. Anyone who owns one of these vehicles is urged to immediately check their car at the Takata industry website www.ismyairbagsafe.com.au/ and follow the new link to the ACCC website. The FCAI and its members are working to update the www. ismyairbagsafe.com.au once all affected vehicles VINs are known. Even owners who have previously checked their vehicle should re-check now as their vehicle may have been added. The Takata airbag recall is a world-wide initiative which has affected 100 million vehicles, over three million of which are in Australia. Of these, Australian car makers have now rectiďŹ ed more than 2.5 million vehicles.
Call for motorists to use new ‘mega roadside rest areas’ By EWAN KENNEDY
Ĺś These working vehicles can also be used for fun rides, but care should be taken when driving them.
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