OCTOBER 18 - 24 | 2019
Hyundai Ioniq – three shades of green
Ŷ Hyundai is raising the bar with three different EV options in its clever Ioniq hatchback.
By ALISTAIR KENNEDY erative braking. Combined fuel usage is listed at 3.4 litres per 100 kilometres. Ioniq Plug-In has the same engine as the Hybrid with combined output of 104 kW and 265 Nm. Like the Hybrid it uses regenerative braking to charge the batteries but can also be plugged into any external power point to provide around 63 km of electric-only travel. While the primary power source of the Hybrid is the engine the Plug-In runs on the battery with the engine only kicking in when additional power or torque is required or when the battery has been flattened. Charging takes just over two hours. Fuel consumption is listed at a frugal 1.1 litres per 100 km. Ioniq Electric relies entirely on battery power to produce its peak outputs of 88 kW and
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295 Nm. With an approximate range of 250 km it falls well below the 400+ km range of the Hyundai Kona Electric SUV although an imminent upgrade will increase by about 20 per cent. Like the Kona the level of the Ioniq Electric’s regenerative braking can be adjusted through steering-wheel mounted paddles. All three models comes with the choice of Elite or Premium specification levels with preon road prices starting at $33,990 for the Hybrid Elite and topping out at $48,990 for the Electric Premium. STYLING Ioniq has a sleek fastback profile designed not just for its looks but also, with a drag coefficient of 0.24, to enhance aerodynamic performance. The major difference in appear-
ance between the three variants is at the front where the Electric, which needs minimal airflow, doesn’t have a grille. At the rear is an integrated spoiler that blends in seamlessly with the wide taillights. It looks great from the outside but does seriously affect rear visibility from inside. The Premium models have a tilt-and-slide powered sunroof. SAFETY All Hyundai Ioniq models have achieved the maximum five-start ANCAP safety rating with seven airbags, front and rear-parking sensors and – given the restricted rear visibility – a very welcome rear view camera with dynamic guidelines.
Ŷ Continued page 2 E/21d12837-V93/4119
HYUNDAI has taken itself to the forefront of automotive battery technology with its Ioniq hatchback being the only vehicle to be offered in Australia with three different variations of electric power – petrol/electric hybrid, petrol/ plug-in electric hybrid and fully electric. Although the name does have a Greek sound to it, Ioniq is actually a blend of ‘ion’ and ‘unique’. The word ion refers to an atom or molecule with a net electric charge while unique is one of the most misused words in the English language – but we won’t go into that here. The entry level Ioniq Hybrid uses a conventional Pruis-type mixture of petrol/electric with its principal power source coming from a 1.6-litre four-cylinder direct-injection petrol engine of 77 kW combined with a 32 kW electric motor for a total power output of 109 kW. The batteries are recharged through regen-
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2
Ford Mustang R-SPEC is on its way downunder By EWAN KENNEDY FORD Mustang R-SPEC is coming to Australia from early 2020. With a strictly limited run of just 500 units it is the result of a collaboration between Ford Australia and Herrod Performance. It will have Ford dealer networkbacking and be the first supercharged Mustang. Distinguished by a series of exterior design and interior elements, each Mustang R-SPEC will be individually numbered and badged. Recommended Manufacturer List Price (MLP) is just $99,980. Power from the third-generation Coyote V8 engine has increased beyond the standard Mustang GT’s 339kW, and will surpass the 345kW output of the Mustang BULLITT to take the crown as the most potent Mustang offered by Ford in Australia. “The Mustang R-SPEC is a vehicle that we’re immensely proud to deliver to enthusiasts,” said Ford’s R-SPEC program lead, Anna Hercan. “We’re even happier to deliver an ownership experience that brings the peaceof-mind and assurance of our dealer network, so that they can customise, own and enjoy this special edition Mustang with confidence.” The development work and program has seen considerable testing and validation at
Ford’s You Yangs Proving Ground, with exterior design work carried out at the Broadmeadows-based design studio. “The R-SPEC has to stand out visually, even at a standstill,” said Ford designer Dave Dewitt, who led the exterior enhancement package. “That starts with the stance, and the unique 19-inch Ford Performance alloy wheels combined with the Ford Performance suspension package. “The MY2020 colour palette lends itself superbly to the black treatment, but the details go beyond this. While the alloys and sidestripes are matte finished, the off-set striping, mirror caps and the rear spoiler have been given a gloss treatment to add more visual impact to the changes.” The exclusive rear spoiler is balanced at the front of the car. A unique lower front valence with larger air intake and black surrounds for the LED daytime running lights lead into the Over-The-Top stripes. The digital instrumentation can also be used to set the Active Exhaust, which has been upgraded over the standard Mustang GT’s quad-tipped unit for greater performance and a distinct version of that signature Mustang V8 rumble. Standard Launch Control function can be accessed via the digital display, enabling a
Ŷ Mustang R-SPEC certainly stands out visually. rev-point to be set and marked on the digital tachometer. The Mustang R-SPEC uses a Ford Performance Roots-type positive displacement supercharger, which provides greater, smoother throttle response, drivability and engagement for potent yet refined, comfortable daily-driver characteristics. “We’ve worked together to ensure that we have a consistent product that delivers a driv-
ing experience that meets the expectations of a factory-delivered product,” said Rob Herrod. “The R-SPEC has to be great to drive, as well as delivering the added power and creaminess of the supercharger – it’s what customers expect, and what we have worked on as a team to deliver.” Interested? It might be an idea to stop reading this - and pick up the phone to make a date with your favourite Ford dealer.
Hyundai Ioniq – three shades of green
Ŷ From page 1 Also standard is the Hyundai SmartSense safety package that includes smart cruise control; autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection; lane keep assist; blind spot monitoring; forward collision warning and rear cross-traffic alert. The two outer rear seats come with IsoFix child seat restraint anchors. INTERIOR Adding to Ioniq’s green credentials much of the Ioniq’s interior has been crafted using a variety of eco-friendly materials including recycled plastic, powdered wood, volcanic stone and sugar cane by-products. Elite models have cloth trim while Premium gets leather. All models have two 12-volt outlets at the bottom of the dashboard with Aux and USB sockets between them. Storage areas include two cup holders in the centre console and bottle holders in all four doors. The driver’s seat in the Elite is manually adjustable, the Premium’s is powered. The second row is comfortable with enough room for two adults without too much of a squeeze. Rear legroom is reasonable although the Ioniq’s coupe-like roofline will make life uncomfortable for anyone approaching 1.8 metres
in height. There’s a wide folding armrest with a pair of cup holders. The Hybrid provides 456 litres of cargo space, expandable to 1518 litres with the 60:40 split rear seatbacks folded and loaded to the roof. Plug-In space drops to 341 / 1401 litres and Electric to 350 / 1410 litres. INFOTAINMENT Display is through an eight-inch split colour touch screen with excellent graphic quality and logical navigation. Likewise the separate heating, ventilation and air-conditioning controls are well-placed and easy to operate. Satellite navigation with SUNA live traffic updates, Apple Car Play or Android Auto and DAB+ digital radio are all fitted as standard. An Infinity premium audio system with eight speakers and external amplifier provides good quality sound. DRIVING Our test car was the Ioniq Hybrid Premium. As is the norm with hybrids the car starts under electric power and can confuse the new adopter because, despite its silence, it’s ready to move off. Unless you’re slowly manoeuvring, around a car park for example, the engine will kick in almost immediately upon acceleration. First impressions are good with access
to the driver’s seat not needing an excessive amount of bending and the seat is comfortable and supportive. Unfortunately the parking brake is of the old awkward foot-operated variety – why? Once under way the Ioniq Hybrid is comfortable and easy to drive with the regenerative braking the only indication that you aren’t driving a conventional petrol car. Two drive modes are available, Eco and Sport. Given that green was our colour of the week we spent most of the time in Eco mode earning ourselves an 80 per cent efficient driving rating. Switching to Sport mode sharpened up the performance noticeably, with paddle shifts adding to the driving enjoyment. Despite all our efforts we couldn’t match the Hybrid Premium’s listed fuel consumption of 3.9 litre per 100 kilometres, averaging around the mid 4s. As with all Hyundais, Australian local engineers were involved in Ioniq’s suspension setup and the MacPherson strut / multi-link set-up coped well with the occasional pot-holes and patchy road surfaces.
terms of price and driving range. Although the Ioniq Electric is between $10,000 and $11,000 dearer than the Hybrid the difference in range is much more significant. When we picked up our Hybrid in Sydney the range showed up at around 930 kilometres. We returned it a week later having travelled around 300 km with the range still showing 720 km. By contrast the current Ioniq Electric has a range of only around 230 km although that is anticipated to increase to about 310 km when an upgraded version arrives in a few weeks. Adding to the value equation Hyundai has upped its standard warranty period from five to seven years although, at this stage at least, only until the end of the year.
AT A GLANCE ENGINE: 1.6 litres petrol four cylinder inlinel, 1.56kWh electric motor MAX POWER: 77 kW @ 5700 rpm MAX TORQUE: 147 Nm @ 4000 rpm DRIVELINE: 6 speed dual clutch automatic FUEL TANK: 45 litres
SUMMING UP While electric cars are no doubt the future the present clearly remains with hybrids both in
ECONOMY: 3.2 L/100km (combined)
3
October 18 - 24 | 2019
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Nissan Altima 2013 - 2017 NISSAN Altima has been on sale in Australia since November 2013. At the time SUVs had yet to take over the Australian new-car market and the Altima competed with other family sedans. Chief competitors are the Toyota Camry, with Ford Mondeo, Mazda6, Subaru Liberty and VW Passat also in the mix. Altima has seating for four adults with good leg and headroom, five isn’t too much of a squeeze, but as is often the case two adults and a child in the rear works better. A fascinating feature of the Altima is that the US space agency NASA helped to design its front seats. With a big emphasis on comfort the seats have what NASA calls a neutral posture, a relaxed position that the human body takes in a weightless environment. The seats help reduce muscular and spinal loads and improve blood flow. Altima owners tell us they are pleased with their seats and that they step out of their cars on long trips feeling relaxed and ready for more. Sales were never strong and the Altima was pulled out of the Australian new-car market midway through 2017. In a funny sort of a way Nissan Altima is still being imported, but only as a V8 and only for Supercar racing. Extreme Aussie changes mean it's light years from the road cars in just about every way. The Kelly brothers have been welcomed in this race series to put some more marques in the mix. Styling is a strong point of the Altima and it takes its own route, with wide horizontal chrome dominating the grille and a large badge in the centre. Indeed, it was a forerunner in the styling department as just about everyone else has taken up the biggrille look in recent times. Nissan Altima is available in four variants: ST, ST-L and Ti have a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine. The four-cylinder Altima engine has 127 kW of power 230 Nm of torque. The big gun is the Altima Ti-S which has a powerful 3.5-litre V6 that puts you in control of 183 kW of power and 312 Nm of torque.
MOTORING TRADES & SERVICES
By EWAN KENNEDY All models have a CVT (continuously variable transmission, driving the front wheels. This makes sure you get the exact amount of the engine’s torque to suit road conditions and the amount of performance you want. If you disagree with the ratios selected by the CVT you can choose from different driving models. The V6 also has manual mode that can be operated by steeringwheel paddle shifters. Nissan is well established in Australia, having been here since the Datsun days of the early 1970s. Nissans were built here for many years, though the Altima was an import from Japan. Consequently there are experienced dealers in many areas Downunder. There’s the usual concentration of Nissan dealers in the big metro areas, but the popularity of Nissan in the SUV field, with the rough, tough Patrol standing out means there’s a fair number of dealerships and mechanics in the bush. Spare parts are generally available and prices about average, perhaps a little higher at times, for the class. Some of the more unusual bits may not be available back of Bullamakanka, but can often be shipped there in a couple of business days. Best that you leave just about everything to those who know what they are doing in the way of repairs and maintenance because Altima is a complex model with a lot of high-tech features behind the imposting grille. As the Nissan Altima hasn’t been a big seller in Australia insurance companies will have had varied experiences with them. Meaning there’s a larger than average spread in prices. Shop around - but be sure to do correct comparisons. WHAT TO LOOK FOR Altima is built to a high standard and we hear of no routine problems. But it's wise
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Ŷ 2013-17 Nissan Altima to have a professional inspection after you have done an initial look over to root out anything obviously wrong. Our favourite starting point is the frontleft wheel, it and/or the tyre can be damaged by poor parking. Which may also be a sign of crook driving. Walk around to look for body damage, or signs of repairs such as ripples in the panels, tiny paint spatters on unpainted areas such as the glass. Look over the complete interior, including the boot for signs of harsh treatment. Check that the engine fires up within a couple of seconds and idles smoothly. The four-cylinder should be good, the V6 is exceptional in its balance. The CVT should be all-but unnoticed as it changes from ratio to ratio, but if it seems slow at changing, and/or holds onto gears too long there may be problems. Using the owners’ handbook as a
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EXPECT TO PAY 2013 ST: $5000 to $9000 2015 ST: $7000 to $12,000 2016 ST: $8000 to $13,000 2015 ST-L: $12,000 to $14,000 2015 TI-S: $12,000 to $18,000 2017 TI: $14,000 to $20,000 2017 TI-S: $15,000 to $22,000
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