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Friday 1 August 2014
Friday 1 August 2014
Friday 1 August
Jeep’s new wild child Cherokee Longitude
Review, page 4
Steve Glover of Steve’s Marine Supplies tries out the load space of the all new 2014 Jeep Cherokee. There’s a famous Indian saying: “There is no such thing as ‘part-Cherokee’. Either you’re Cherokee or you’re not. It isn’t the quantity of Cherokee blood in your veins that is important, but the quality of it…your pride in it…”. We don’t think Chief Jim of the North Alabama Cherokee Tribe was actually talking about the latest Jeep, but his words are eerily
fitting, considering the mixed blood of the 2014 Cherokee. Howls of indignation billowed from the purist Jeep camp when word spread that Chrysler’s shotgun marriage to the crazed Italians at Fiat had spawned a wild child – the iconic Cherokee taking on a radical, new, sleek and funky European styling and Italian refinement of the drive train. Almost as much
outcry as the day Harley Davidson popped out an electric motorbike. Some of the traditionalist Jeep fraternity complained bitterly that the white man ‘speaks with forked tongue’, when trying to pass off the stylish, curvaceous and slippery new design as a real Jeep. After all, the original four-wheel-drives that helped win WWII were boxes with wheels on
the corners, with all the aerodynamic qualities of a flying brick, and drive systems known less for their finesse rather than bulletproof reliability in extreme terrain. And so it was that the Jeep Cherokee, a statelier sibling to the Wrangler, still had some fairly jaunty corners, proudly “robust” mechanics and that ‘Go anywhere’ badge of honour. Continued page 4
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For editorial and news tips email: hamish@thesun.co.nz
No.1 The Strand, PO Box 240, Tauranga 3140
Beyond the Bay: August 9-10: Hampton Downs: Mothers Chrome Expression Session Always fancied cruising around Hampton Downs with your mates? This weekend of action could be just your chance – with a full programme events ranging from passenger cruises to burnouts, drifting, circuit and drag racing sessions. For details, go to www.chromenz.co.nz
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www.baydriver.co.nz Advertising bookings and enquiries contact Lucy Pattison on 07 578 0030 email: lucy@thesun.co.nz
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August 10: Winter Drag Wars: Meremere Dragway Meremere’s Winter Drag Wars nears the end of the six-round series with the fifth winter drag meet. This fun event is open to street legal cars (Warrant of Fitness and vehicle registration needed), and motorbikes. For details, go to www.framautolitedragway.co.nz August 17: Motorsport BOP dual sprints: Hampton Downs The annual dual sprints event is held in conjunction with the Hamilton Car Club with entries limited to 60 cars, which will compete across all classes for the fastest time. For details, go to www.mbop.org.nz August 23: VINZ Gold Rush Rally of Coromandel: Whitianga Rally headquarters is at Mercury Bay Sports Park, Moewai Park Rd, Whitianga, New Zealand. The Coromandel Peninsula will host the fifth of six rounds in the New Zealand Rally Championship in what is hoped to be a regular round of the national series. Rally participants will take on more than 135 kilometres of special stages, on forestry and public roads around the Mercury Bay area. For details, visit www.nzrallychampionship.co.nz To submit an event for listing, email details to hamishcarter@thesun.co.nz at least two weeks prior to the event.
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Off-road endurance rewarded Tauranga’s multi-talented motorsport driver Ben Thomasen is reminding his off-road competitors he’s a top contender after winning the New Zealand Offroad Racing Endurance Championship in Nelson. Ben, who was on target to claim the national off-road series last year when a mechanical problem forced him out of Raglan’s last round, is off to a strong start in the series winning his UTV class in the two North Island events to date, where he’s earned maximum points. The remaining series races will be held in Matata and Christchurch in October. “We had a very good weekend in Nelson,” says Ben. “I didn’t go down there with any expectations, but of course you always hope you can win – but anything can go wrong,” says Ben, who is stoked with his success at the two-day, 500km race on July 19-20. While the endurance championship didn’t earn him points for the national series, Ben says it’s a boost to his confidence although he knows he still has a long way to go. Ben started strongly after winning a one-hour qualifying sprint on July 19, but bitterly cold
conditions and exposed nature of his Polaris had him battling an unexpected foe. The race, promoted as the country’s toughest off-road event, presented an extra challenge of sub-zero overnight temperatures adding a hazardous 10mm-thick ice to the race. “I got a face-full of ice on one lap,” says ben, who reckons “it flew off the puddles”. Ben led from the start, fending off strong competition from drivers in the smaller Utility Terrain Vehicle category and the bigger class cars and trucks section, ranging from V8 supercharged utes to race cars. He says the handling ability of the UTVs gave him an advantage on the tight, challenging hill course in pine forests, despite lower top speeds. Finishing the two-day event in seven hours and 52 minutes, the only driver to finish in less than eight hours, Ben’s win is also the first major endurance title won by a UTV in New Zealand off-road racing. After competing strongly in the Extreme rally series last year, damage to Ben’s race car prompted him to park it up this year. It meant he was unable to defend Tauranga Clubman’s rally title at the weekend, instead opting to co-drive for Waihi’s Gary Skinner. But Ben hopes to get back into competing on-road next year.
A recent win by Tauranga’s Ben Thomasen in his Polaris UTV in Nelson makes him the first UTV driver to claim a major national endurance race title.
By Hamish Carter
Phil Campbell and his The Roofing Store Evo 9 dominated the Tauranga Clubman’s Rally on Sunday. Photo by www.alittlebitsideways.co.nz
Phil claims hometown win A winning performance by top Tauranga rally driver Phil Campbell at Sunday’s Tauranga Clubman’s Rally has the talented driver excited about returning to the national rally series later this month. Phil, who dominated the rally by winning five of seven stages, says his success at the event centred around TECT All Terrain Park being a major confidence boost. “It’s great to have my first rally win and I’m really looking forward to getting back out and doing the next rally in Coromandel.” Phil won the Motorsport Bay of Plenty-organised rally by 42 seconds ahead of Sloan Cox, followed by Brian Green (+2.23), who was trailed closely by upcoming young Tauranga Driver Mitch James (+2.34), then Ian Wood (+2.43). His large winning margin understates the strong competition from Sloan, who Phil only managed to beat by two seconds on four of the stages. After finishing fifth in the rally last year, Phil says his move from a 2WD to his 4WD Group N Mitsubishi Evo 9 has made a big difference. “We have the car going along really well now after some issues with the rear diff in Wairarapa and I’m really looking forward to giving it a good run at Coromandel.” Sitting in for regular co-driver Venita Fabbro at the last race was Lars Thiel-Lardon from The Roofing Store – his car’s main sponsor – who also earned an award for top novice co-driver. Phil says it’s particularly satisfying to win the hometown event, which was his first rally in 2008. “It really is a fantastic feeling to get a first win and especially to do it on my home rally.” Phil and his team now turn their attention to the second-last round of the Brian Green Property Group New Zealand Rally Championship – the VINZ Goldrush Rally Coromandel on August 23. By Hamish Carter
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Bay Driver
The American-Italian Stallion
A new breed from mixed bloodlines As a previous owners of a Wrangler and Cherokee, we were keen to see the result of the American-Italian mixed blood breeding programme. That chance came with the first batch of new-look Cherokee at Farmer AutoVillage in Hewletts Rd. The range starts from the $45,000 mark with four petrol variants, from the Sport with a 2.4L four-cylinder engine; up to the Trailhawk, the full-on, off-road version with 3.2L V6 and a bevy of trailblazing bits. Diesel options are also due later in the year in 2L turbo. All the new Cherokees have nine-speed auto with Electronic Range Select; halogen projector headlamps and swanky “signature” daytime running LEDs, which help give it that swept-back new look. Electronic stability control and roll mitigation, hill start and trailer sway control are standard across the range.
Uncle Jeep’s care package
They’re all five-star safety rated, with seven airbags – front and rear side curtain and front seat-mounted side air bags – and front seat active head restraints. The media centre/electronics provisions are impressive with storage compartments featuring power connections; touch screen stereo, voice command and the works. Our test vehicle is the Longitude with 3.2L Pentastar V6, Active Drive 4WD system, which on top of all those features listed also boasts dual zone auto temperature control, body colour mirrors and door handles, and a stack of other refinements. The fold-flat passenger seat with in-seat storage seemed a very useful feature. Once recovered from the awe of the striking, almost aggressive outward styling, I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel. Seated at the controls, the leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob feel good. The fabric seats are snug and encompassing; the best feel and adjustability of any of the mid-sized SUVs we’ve reviewed lately. I wouldn’t rush into leather again; there’s something reassuring about your lower regions firmly cocooned and not sliding off the rawhide. Controls and instruments were perfectly laid out and once we’d absorbed the sheer volume of information on hand, we realised it was all very logical, easy-to-find and use. It became a voyage of discovery. Fascination soon sets in, as I re-discover features our older Cherokee had, such as constant tyre pressure readouts and every conceivable fuel management piece of data, plus many new delights. With controls at my fingertip on the steering wheel, after a few days I realise the
Cherokee is an incredibly driver-friendly machine. Eager to get out on the road and try this new-fangled nine-speed auto, which I admit to being a bit sceptical about, we took a quiet cruise around town to settle in. The Pentastar is lovely and smooth, quiet and has a tonne of pep on hand. The gear changes are virtually indiscernible, but you know there’s a lot going on… a lot more than with a five or six-speed box. Out on the expressway and a chance to give it a squirt, and the V6 auto is simply stunning. The wolf comes out of its sheep disguise, with a lovely snarl and smooth delivery of power. The Longitude can really boogie, and as a tow vehicle would have plenty of grunt. The Pentastar is truly impressive, very willing power on hand and a wide power band. It’s a huge improvement on the old in-line six that colours our thinking from the earlier times of Cherokee and Wrangler. (Although I still secretly hanker for the rumble of the Hemi). So too, is the fuel economy with the new generation petrol engines. However, it was the handling and cornering that really surprised. This, after all, is a Jeep, right? Corners are those annoying bendy bits that need going around, to get on with the straights. Not so, the new Cherokee. The cornering was delightful, balanced and even with a bit of jandal, felt well-controlled.
Nine stage auto
There’s a slight acknowledgement of the gear change down when coming out of a bend or attacking a hill, when no doubt the Cherokee is dropping down not one gear but probably two or three in quick succession. The upshot of this is the vehicle seems to always be in exactly the right gear for optimum delivery of power. We experimented with the manual shifter and found it very smooth; and it was great to be able to select a perfect gear – it seemed like a half-gear – for the task. This mid-size SUV would be an ideal wagon for the Bay and Coromandel, and I look forward to the chance to try that nine-speed gear range over Pumpkin Hill one day. Interestingly the Cherokee didn’t seem to often get into top gear in auto, although it was quite happy to push along the highway in ninth in manual. The highway cruising and the bend negotiation was surefooted and predictable, again, one of the best handling experiences of any of the SUVs we’ve reviewed recently. Claire was quite taken with the interior of the Longitude and liked the classy stitching on the dashboard leather trim and commented on the feeling of “safe and solid”
with doors that shut with a reassuring clunk. She remarked on the perception of surefooted handling and also approved of the V6 growl when it meant business. Being a mid-sized SUV it was easy to park and manoeuvre in town, tight spots, narrow tracks and driveways. The lock was sufficiently tight to swing it around in some close places. If I had to find a fault with this wagon it would the same complaint I have with so many of the new generation SUVs. Rear visibility. Reversing and backing trailers is hampered by the high rear doors and tailgates that obstruct the view. It seems visibility is sacrificed for the up-swept rear-end fashion designs. It’s mitigated partly by rear view cameras and the proximity warning systems, but it’s still not the same as the good old driver eyeball system.
Bending the light
The headlamp set-up is a very cool arrangement. The main lamps are lower down in the array, with fog lamps lower again, and very clever cornering lights that automatically follow the steering direction as you’re negotiating tight bends. We were taken aback at first, when pulling into the driveway, to find the letterbox and the gateposts lit up like a Christmas tree. A brilliant feature on dark, twisty trails as well as tight city lanes. So has Chrysler managed to swish up the Cherokee without losing the essence of quality Jeep bloodlines? Millions of dyedin-the-wool Jeepsters will hate this, but I think they have. Proof will be in the sales, and I predict Chrysler will reap the benefits of nailing a market gap with the new-look Cherokee. After all, if you really yearn for unadulterated Jeepness, there’s always the iconic Wrangler – resplendent in stubborn squareness, flying brick aerodynamics, round headlights (as they should be) and the famous seven-slot grille. And, you can still see out the back of it! Jeep has managed to completely re-design the Cherokee to better match the market demands for mod looks, smooth power, economy, off-road capability and on-road performance, while keeping enough of the Jeep heritage pumping in the background to hark back to Chief Jim’s ideals. The new Cherokee probably shouldn’t have been called that, for it resembles little of the former models. But beneath the clever and sleek European looks and performance is still a core philosophy. Deep down, you know you’re driving a Jeep. By Brian Rogers
Thanks to Farmer AutoVillage and Steve’s Marine Supplies for the stunt work. brian@thesun.co.nz
“There is no such thing as ‘part-Cherokee.’ Either you’re Cherokee or you’re not. It isn’t the quantity of Cherokee blood in your veins that is important, but the quality of it . . . your pride in it. I have seen full-bloods who have virtually no idea of the great legacy entrusted to their care. Yet, I have seen people with as little as 1/500th blood quantum who inspire the spirits of their ancestors because they make being Cherokee a proud part of a their everyday life.”
~Jim Pell: Principal Chief of the North Alabama Cherokee Tribe ~
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Bay Driver
Fording the gap between brands
By Hamish Carter
Gus Old and his wife Wendy are passionate about all things Ford, especially their two Mustangs.
They say a tiger can’t change its stripes, but Gus Old knows better. These days the Welcome Bay crane driver and his wife Wendy are proud owners of two Ford Mustangs, but 30 years ago he was passionate about nothing more than Volkswagens – particularly his beloved Beetle. “I was racing a VW Beetle when we met and it was a bit of a standing joke,” says Gus, recalling how Wendy’s brother ‘Mustang Murray’ Hartley said the only thing wrong with Gus was he wasn’t a Ford man. “He [Murray] has been drag racing Mustangs for a long time,” says Gus. “That was how I met Wendy; when I was drag racing at Meremere.” Looking back to his days racing the Beetle, Gus says it was a lot of fun for what it was. “For very little money and running on a low budget we did okay, but we didn’t set any speed records,” says Gus, who managed a top quarter mile speed of 13.8 seconds in his 1835cc dragster. Gus went on to pit crew for Murray, developing an admiration for the Ford brand from the sideline. Since then he’s owned a wide range of Fords from Escorts and Cortinas to Lasers and Fal-
cons, describing a large part of their appeal as their relatively simple technology, making them easy to fix. The pair got their first Mustang about six years ago when they shifted to Whakatane and found a 1969 Mustang Grande in a shed at the back of Rotorua. Gus says restoring the Mustang and joining the Bay of Plenty Mustang Club provided great ways to meet people. Last year Wendy added a 2003 Mustang S95 to the family garage. The classy Mustang is a great everyday car, but Gus prefers driving his classic era executive sports car Grande for the effort needed to actively drive it. He’s enjoyed taking it on some great road trips, including an odyssey to Invercargill three years ago. Now active in Tauranga’s Ford Muscle Car Club, the couple joined other members and Ford enthusiasts last weekend on a pilgrimage over the Kaimai Ranges to celebrate the brand at Henry Ford Day in Hamilton. They’re now looking forward to putting the Mustangs through their paces at the club’s annual dual sprint day on September 14, when they’ll be aiming for some serious speed across the Taupo Motorsport Park track. For details, visit www.fordmusclecars.org.nz
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