Motoring March 2018

IN THIS ISSUE: THE NEW JAGUAR E-PACE | DACIA TOPS LIST OF MOST AFFORDABLE CARS | THE VAN OF YOUR DREAMS! 0% DEPOSIT ON THE FIAT 500 | FIAT DOBLO NAMED "LIGHT VAN OF THE YEAR" | ALL-NEW RENAULT MEGANE GRAND COUPÉ

The Malta Independent on Sunday. March 2018

IMPRESSIVE FEATURES, PRESTIGIOUS STYLING.

THE ALL-NEW RENAULT MEGANE GRAND COUPÉ also inside

Highway 1: CALIFORNIA DREAMS

CALIFORNIA VINEYARD SPOTLIGHT: WENTE VINEYARDS

FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA

I L U RAFI Z E N AVI L U G – PROSECCO COUNTRY - HOME TO THE SHARP-PEAKED DOLOMITE MOUNTAINS AND VINEYARDS PRODUCING WHITE WINES. THE GREAT VARIETY OF LANDSCAPES MATCHES THE RICH AND VARIEGATED CULTURAL HERITAGE THAT WAS DETERMINED BY A COMPLEX HISTORY AND BY THE CONFLUENCE OF DIFFERENT CIVILIZATIONS IN THIS TERRITORY. FOR THIS REASON, FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA LOOKS LIKE A SMALL UNIVERSE WITH MANY DIFFERENT TRADITIONS: IT IS THE “LAND OF CONTRASTS”. A DRIVING TRIP IN THIS REGION IS WONDERFUL. IMPRESSIVE MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPES TO THE NORTH, DOMINATED BY THE CARNIA AND JULIAN ALPS, THE MAJESTIC CARSO PLATEAU WITH ITS ROCKS AND THE TENS OF CAVES PRODUCED BY EROSION, A VARIEGATED COASTLINE, SCATTERED WITH MANY LAGOONS, ROCKY AND SANDY BEACHES. Bueriis. Photo: Tommaso Urli

Five reasons to visit Friuli Venezia Giulia ROMAN RUINS AT AQUILEIA Aquileia, with its immense archaeological site and its Patriarchal Basilica, is an artistic and historical treasure trove. It was added to Italy’s register of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1998. It was also one of the largest and richest Mediterranean cities within the Roman Empire.

The archaeological excavations have not brought to light everything regarding the Roman Era city; nevertheless those that have been found are certainly one of the best-preserved testimonies to Ancient Rome’s grandeur.

Among the jewels of this city are Aquileia’s Patriarchal Basilica, built c. 1000, and brilliant with its magnificent 4th-Century mosaics.

COASTAL PATHS, LAGOONS AND MOUNTAIN DRIVING Friuli Venezia Giulia offers diverse landscapes to explore.

Drive to the Carnic Alps to embark on a high-altitude trek through woodlands and upland meadows to see the Dolomites, or drive down the coastline to explore beaches and lagoons and the cliffs of the Duino Regional Nature Reserve.

WINE TASTING Friuli’s Friulano, Ribolla Gialla and Malvasia can be found on smart wine lists all over the world. Experiencing them first hand at wineries scattered around the region is a wonderful experince. The Collio Goriziano, Colli Orientale and Carso DOCs growing regions are less than an hour’s drive apart, but offer an incredible variety of landscapes and winemaking styles.

Venice. Photo: Camille Minouflet

A FOOD LOVER'S DREAM The cooking traditions of Friuli Venezia Giulia are influenced by the Slavic, central European and Venetian cultures. The cuisine relies on simple recipes and genuine ingredients: meat, dairy, sausages and legumes, used to create tasty specialties. Some typical dishes of the area are polenta, “porcina”, a dish made with boiled pork meat and sausages served with sauerkrauts and mustard, and the several soups rich in vegetables and legumes. The most important typical product of the region is Prosciutto of San Daniele, well-known and exported worldwide, followed by Montasio cheese and Sauris smoked ham.

TIME FOR A SPRITZ IN UDINE Although Udine lost its regional-capital status to Trieste in the 1950s this city remains Friuli’s cultural capital today. Enjoy the Tiepolo frescoes including the Oratorio della Purità chapel and enjoy the city’s friendly wine bars.

Lago di Fusine. Photo: Federico Bottos

Udine. Photo: Giulio Magnifico March 2018| motoring 03

FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA VINEYARD SPOTLIGHT

Fantinel winery THIS FAMILY ESTATE WAS FOUNDED IN 1969 BY WELL KNOWN AND ADMIRED HOTELIER AND RESTAURATEUR MARIO FANTINEL. DRIVEN TO PRODUCE WINES THAT WOULD DEFY THE EXPECTATIONS OF HIS TASTEFUL CLIENTELE, MARIO PURCHASED THE INITIAL VINEYARDS IN THE DOLEGNA COLLIO AREA. IN 1973 MARIO'S SONS LUCIANO, GIANFRANCO AND LORIS EMBARKED UPON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE FANTINEL STORY BY ACQUIRING SOME OF THE FINEST VINEYARDS IN COLLIO, GRAVE, AND COLLI ORIENTALI AS WELL AS OPENING A WINE BAR IN SAN DANIELE DEL FRIULI. FANTINEL’S EFFORTS COMPRISE MULTIPLE ESTATES— INCLUDING FLAGSHIP FANTINEL AND BOUTIQUE LA RONCAIA—THAT WORK TO DEFINE FRIULI’S COMPLEX TERROIR AND HIGHLIGHT THE DISTINCTIONS AMONG THREE OF FRIULI’S DOCS— COLLIO, GRAVE, AND COLLI ORIENTALI. EACH LABEL IS DEDICATED TO EVOKING THE NUANCES AND TRADITION OF A PARTICULAR GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, TO CULTIVATING SPECIFIC INDIGENOUS OR INTERNATIONAL VARIETALS, AND TO EXPLORING A DISTINCT STYLISTIC ORIENTATION.

Marco Fantinel

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antinel winery was born from the passion of Mario Fantinel, a well-known restaurateur in Friuli Venezia Giulia, who in 1969 purchased the first vineyards to raise the standard of the products offered to his customers. Love for wine was soon inherited by his sons, Luciano, Gianfranco and Loris, who increasingly expanded the family property. Nowadays, with the third generation represented

by Marco, Stefano and Mariaelena, Fantinel has become an internationally prestigious company.

Over the years, the production of and the demand for Fantinel wines has grown steadily. Today the wines are

Luciano, Loris and Gianfranco Fantinel. Three generations and forty years of history have transformed a small cellar into a leading player on the Friulian wine scene.

enjoyed around the world while the Fantinel family continues in their ceaseless efforts to advance the cuisine and culture of Friuli. Its pulsating heart is in Tauriano, near the ancient village of Spilimbergo, famous for its prestigious Mosaic School.The winery manages over 300 hectares of vineyards with ideal microclimates for the best maturation of the fruits divided into the renowned Grave, Prosecco, Collio and Colli Orientali DOC zones.

FANTINEL ONE & ONLY PROSECCO SINGLE VINEYARD VINTAGE BRUT

The Glera grapes used for the Fantinel One & Only Prosecco Single Vineyard Vintage Brut are hand-harvested from single vineyard estate in Tauriano, Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Sourced from Fantinel Estate vineyard, in Tauriano, near the ancient village of Spilimbergo.The Fantinel One and Only, offers a new Super-Prosecco DOC, with limited quantity produced, the Prosecco is produced to the highest standards. Straw-yellow with green flecks, this is a premium single vineyard Prosecco. It has a vibrant nose, with floral notes against a background of ripe fruit and brioche; the elegant palate shows ripe apple and pear fruit flavours.

Glera is a long-standing synonym of northern Italy's Prosecco grape, and the name by which it is now officially known.This green-skinned variety has been grown for hundreds of years in the Veneto and Friuli regions, most famously to produce sparkling Prosecco wines.

FANTINEL TENUTA SANT HELENA FRIULANO Friulano (formerly Tocai Friulano, and also known as Sauvignonasse) is a grape variety most famous for its role in the white wines of Friuli, northeastern Italy.These wines, usually varietal, are lively and fruit-driven with notes of citrus and almond, and often a touch of minerality. A dynamic white with citrine glints, with delicate hints of white blossom and almond and a smooth, slightly bitter mouthfeel.This is the quintessential Friuli wine, part of the history of the region.

Visit the Fantinel winery at Via Tesis, 8, 33097 Tauriano di Spilimbergo, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy,Tel: 390 427591511. Fantinel wines are imported by Attard and Co and available from Sistina Wine & Co.,The Strand Gzira. Opening hours: 10am till late. WEB: www.sistinawineco.com FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/sistinawineco TEL: 2131 4161 04 motoring | March 2018

Introducing the

Photo by Shaun Spiteri Photography.

NEW JAGUAR E-PACE ast Friday 23rd February, Jaguar had the opportunity to unveil the latest addition to the Jaguar family, the New E-Pace.

The E-Pace was revealed at Muscats Motors showroom in two variations, Ultimate Black and Fuji White.

Demajo Group sponsored our Tanqueray Gin Bar, serving Britishthemed cocktails by the mixologist Richard Pons. British style canapes and finger food were also in store for our attendees during the evening.

The Jaguar E-PACE is a five-seat compact SUV that packs the design and performance of a Jaguar sports car into a spacious, practical and connected allwheel-drive vehicle.

Trademark Jaguar driving dynamics and stirring design put the brand’s sports car DNA in a practical design packed with advanced technologies. The E-PACE, the newest member of Jaguar’s SUV family following the F-PACE performance SUV and I-PACE Concept all-electric SUV, takes design inspiration from the F-TYPE sports car.

“We designed the E-PACE to be a Jaguar for active people who need space and practicality, but see no reason to compromise on performance. Its proportions, stance and lines express this

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WE DESIGNED THE EPACE TO BE A JAGUAR FOR ACTIVE PEOPLE WHO NEED SPACE AND PRACTICALITY, BUT SEE NO REASON TO COMPROMISE ON PERFORMANCE. ITS PROPORTIONS, STANCE AND LINES EXPRESS THIS AS A DRIVER’S CAR, WHILE THE INTERIOR OFFERS TRUE JAGUAR LEVELS OF LUXURY AND SPORTINESS

Photo by D.Catania – www.facebook.com-dcataniaphtography

as a driver’s car, while the interior offers true Jaguar levels of luxury and sportiness.”

Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar Digital connectivity can be found throughout the cabin, ready for every need of the modern family. There are up to four 12-volt charging points and five

USB connections.

The E-PACE’s Active Driveline allwheel drive system is a technological first for Jaguar. The intelligent set-up combines phenomenal traction with Jaguar’s unmistakable rear-wheel-drive character. The system’s torque-biasing

capability delivers optimal stability, dynamics and fuel efficiency in all conditions.

The E-PACE features the very latest safety and driver assistance technologies.

A stereo camera underpins the advanced Emergency Braking system, which also provides pedestrian detection, and supports Lane Keep Assist and Traffic Sign Recognition, as well as the Adaptive Speed Limiter, and Driver Condition Monitor features. Front and Rear Parking Aids, including a rear view camera will be standard on every vehicle, providing peace of mind during difficult manoeuvres.

If it looks like a Jaguar, it should drive like a Jaguar. The E-PACE won’t disappoint anyone here – it’s a Jaguar to its very core.

Both the E-PACE and E-PACE RDynamic are available with S, SE and HSE specification packs and a choice of five powertrains, including three diesel and two petrol Ingenium engines.

The Jaguar E-Pace is now available at Muscats Motors Ltd, sole agent for Jaguar in Malta, priced at €43,900. For more information contact the Jaguar sales team at Muscats Motors on: 23264589/8/7/5 or via e-mail: info@mml.mizzi.com.mt

Mr Carlos Mizzi, JLR Brand Manager and Mr Maurizio Micallef, Chief Operating Officer March 2018 | motoring 05

DACIA TOPS LIST OF MOST AFFORDABLE CARS TO RUN IN 2018 • DACIA DUSTER, SANDERO AND LOGAN MCV REVEALED AS THE UK’S THREE MOST AFFORDABLE CARS TO BUY AND RUN • CAP HPIS PENCE PER MILE (PPM) LIST REVEALS THE CHEAPEST CARS TO BUY AND RUN IN 2018 • THE LIST RATES CARS BY MOTORING EXPENSES OVER A TYPICAL THREE YEAR OR 30,000 MILES OWNERSHIP PERIOD • FIVE YEARS AFTER LAUNCH DACIA STILL OFFERS THE MOST AFFORDABLE CARS IN THE UK

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onfirming its status as the UK’s most affordable car brand, Dacia has taken the top three spots in cap hpis Pence Per Mile (PPM) ratings, which reveal the cheapest cars to buy and run in 20181.

The PPM list rates cars on a combination of purchase price and dayto-day motoring expenses such as insurance, road tax, servicing, fuel cost and even depreciation over a typical three year or 30,000 miles ownership period.

Taking joint first place is the Dacia Duster 1.6 SCe 115 Air with a running cost of just 20.63p per mile. With a total cost of ownership of £6,189 over three years or 30,000 miles, the rugged, no-nonsense Dacia Duster isn’t just the most affordable SUV available to buy in the UK but also the cheapest car to run. With strong residual values and efficient engines, the Duster is an ideal choice for savvy SUV buyers.

Next on the list is the UK’s most affordable car, the Dacia Sandero 1.0 SCe Access with a running cost of just 20.63p per mile. With a total cost of ownership of £6,189 over three years or 30,000 miles, the simple car champion proves its credentials in low day to day running costs too.

In third place is the Dacia Logan MCV 1.2 Access with a cost per mile of just 24.03p. With a total ownership cost of £7,209, this practical and roomy estate car offers boot space to rival competitors in the class above but for a significantly more affordable outlay.

Commenting on the results, Louise O’Sullivan, Head of

Dacia UK, said: “It’s great to see that our range of nononsense cars are proving to be affordable every day for drivers, not just in the initial purchase. By keeping things simple we’re able to provide the most affordable cars available to buy in the UK today, combined with proven reliability.”

The award-winning Dacia range consists of the Duster SUV, the Sandero supermini – still the most affordable new car on sale in the UK, the Sandero Stepway, the UK’s most popular Dacia model, the Logan MCV and crossover inspired Logan MCV Stepway. Dacia has now sold more than 120,000 cars to customers across the UK.

MEET THE VAN OF YOUR DREAMS! • ALL NEW MS-RT TRANSIT CUSTOM ON SALE THIS SPRING • MOTORSPORT TECHNOLOGY GIVES BESTSELLING TRANSIT A PERFORMANCE LIFT • EACH VAN IS HANDCRAFTED IN THE UK here’s an old proverb that ‘style maketh the man’, and in the case of the new MS-RT Transit Custom, it’s quite clearly a case of ‘style maketh the van’ as well.

The new MS-RT Transit Custom is a vehicle that allows its owner to get the job done, but also look good in the process.

Based on the already handsome Ford Transit Custom, the all-new model from MS-RT uses technology and aerodynamic influences from Ford’s works-backed rally team M-Sport to create a performance version of the country’s most popular commercial vehicle.

The new MS-RT Transit Custom’s exterior styling includes a full front bumper and grill replacement with integrated factory fog lamps, extreme front diffuser, wide body arch extensions, sills, rear diffuser and rear spoiler, all of which are manufactured by MS-RT at its UK factory in Pontypool, South Wales.

It also comes with a British-made twin sports exhaust system, along with unique MS-RT exterior branding and decals.

The MS-RT Transit Custom also gets exclusive new 18-inch Anthracite OZ

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06 motoring | March 2018

Racing alloys with 103 XL load-rated Hankook Ventus S1 evo2 tyres, along with Eibach performance lowering springs. The combination improves handling and responsiveness, while at the same time ensuring the Transit Custom still delivers where it needs to by maintaining its payload capacity.

Inside, the performance theme continues with a handcrafted MS-RT nappa leather and suede seat facings, along with a distinctive MS-RT sports steering wheel with carbon fibre inlays.

The rally-inspired interior theme is completed with MS-RT branded floor mats and dash clocks.

All MS-RT vehicles come with Ford’s latest SYNC3 entertainment system with satellite navigation, dual side loading doors, loadspace lighting, a 230v power convertor, parking sensors, reversing camera, heated windscreen, heated seats and upgraded HID headlights with integrated daytime running lights.

Under the bonnet, the van has Ford’s 170PS EcoBlue 2.0 litre TDCi engine, giving 405 Nm of torque. A choice of sixspeed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox can be specified. There are also a number of cabin layouts – two-seat panel van, three-seat panel van, five-seat double-cab and six-seat double-cab, with

a choice of long or short wheelbases and a tailgate or twin back doors.

MS-RT Founding Director, Ed Davies, said: “The new MS-RT Transit Custom takes an already excellent van and turns it into something really special, which owners are bound to cherish, and which businesses will use to make their brands really stand out.

“We’re extremely excited about the launch of the new Custom and what it means for MS-RT, as well as our many loyal customers. In addition, it’s also great news for the British economy, as every single vehicle is hand-finished in our factory in Pontypool, South Wales.”

0% DEPOSIT ON THE FIAT 500

ICONIC MODEL NOW CARRYING A €3000 DISCOUNT AND AVAILABLE AT 0% DEPOSIT

FIAT’S DOBLO CARGO S NAMED ‘LIGHT VAN OF THE YEAR’ THE FIAT PROFESSIONAL DOBLO CARGO HAS BEEN NAMED 'LIGHT VAN OF THE YEAR' FOR THE THIRD SUCCESSIVE TIME AT THE PRESTIGIOUS WHAT VAN? AWARDS 2018.

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nd, in a highly successful London awards ceremony for Fiat Professional, the brand's popular Fiorino was highly commended in the 'Small Van' category, demonstrating the depth and appeal of Fiat Professional's light commercial vehicle line-up.

The Doblo Cargo's payload of up to one tonne, the load volume of up to 5.0m3, and the range of efficient 1.3-litre and 1.6-litre diesel engines have made the multi award-winning van top choice not only for fleet operators, but for the awards' judging panel too.

The judges were impressed by the new Doblo Cargo's classleading attributes including excellent dynamics and comfort - courtesy of its sophisticated bi-link suspension - the segment-leading load and volume capacities and its solidity, robustness, and extensive range.

"The fact that the Doblo Cargo has won the Light Van Award for three years in a row provides compelling evidence of

its enduring quality," says James Dallas, Editor of What Van? "Top notch handling and a high standard of build quality are among the Doblo's virtues but it is the breadth of range that really sets it apart - with load volumes of 3.4m3 to 5.0m3 and payload capacities extending from 750kg to a meaty 1,005kg."

Accepting the award for Doblo Cargo, Richard Chamberlain, Country Manager, Fiat Professional, said: "We are hugely proud of both the Doblo and Fiorino and are delighted to see them claim two more high profile awards for our brand.

"These awards are particularly special as they are given by a panel of experts who truly understand the LCV market and who know what van customers are looking for. The awards are further evidence of the strength and competitiveness of Fiat Professional's van line-up, which has recently been bolstered by the arrival of the Talento and Fullback pick-up and underline the huge strides the brand is making as it grows and enhance its reputation."

Professional range please visit the FIAT showroom in Psaila Street B’Kara and/or to send an email on fiatsales@motorsinc.com.mt

pring is round the corner and what better way to usher into the new season on board a brand new FIAT 500!

If you have always seen yourself driving a FIAT 500, Motors Inc. are giving you the best reason ever as they are announcing an unmissable opportunity where you can buy a brand new 500 model at a starting price of €10,950 which includes the scrappage scheme.

This amazing price on the 500 has been reduced from €13,900. But, besides the fact that you will be enjoying an incredible saving of €3,000, Motors Inc. are also making it even easier for you to buy this

trendy car by offering it against a 0% deposit basis.

Motors Inc. is not only committed to deliver great quality to its customers but quality at great and accessible prices. The FIAT 500 belongs out there and this is why Motors Inc. has decided to make it extremely accessible to all those who are after a trendy, hip and fun city car to buy the FIAT 500 at the lowest price it has ever been sold and without any deposit.

The FIAT 500 may be viewed at the FIAT showroom in Psaila Street B’Kara (Opposite Eurosport) or call on 22692213/4 to book a test drive.

For more information of the Fiat

TOP NOTCH HANDLING AND A HIGH STANDARD OF BUILD QUALITY ARE AMONG THE DOBLO'S VIRTUES BUT IT IS THE BREADTH OF RANGE THAT REALLY SETS IT APART – WITH LOAD VOLUMES OF 3.4M3 TO 5.0M3 AND PAYLOAD CAPACITIES EXTENDING FROM 750KG TO A MEATY 1,005KG

March 2018 | motoring 07

THE ALL-NEW RENAULT MEGANE GRAND COUPÉ T he much loved Renault Fluence has been redesigned and renamed the Megane Grand Coupé. This 4 door sedan boasts dynamic styling underscored by a broad panoramic glass roof, amongst other premium features for enhanced comfort and driving pleasure.

A SEDAN WITH IMPRESSIVE FEATURES

The grand coupé’s prestigious styling is reflected in sculpted surfaces, well-balanced proportions, a Renault-family front end, and a distinctive Cshaped front light signature. The glass roof linking the windscreen

ALL NEW RENAULT MEGANE GRAND COUPÉ MEETS THE EXPECTATIONS OF CUSTOMERS LOOKING FOR A STYLISH VEHICLE WITH REFINED FEATURES

08 motoring | March 2018

to the rear window lends an elegant, aesthetically appealing two-tone look. The dash is sleek with a non-scratch and softtouch finish. The steering wheel is wrapped in rich Nappa full grain leather and feels as good as it looks.

The Grand Coupé boasts toplevel rear-seat comfort and a spacious trunk with easier access thanks to the hands-free easy trunk access system. Dominating the central console is the high

definition; touch sensitive multimedia system, boasting an 8.7” touchscreen – simple to navigate and works like a tablet.

This all new Sedan shares CMF C/D architecture (Common Module Family) and brings motorists the same driving pleasure and superior features as the rest of the Megane family, R-LINK 2, MULTI-SENSE, a heads-up display, and an extensive line-up of additional comfort equipment and driving

aids such as the Lane Departure Warning. All new Renault Megane Grand Coupé meets the expectations of customers looking for a stylish vehicle with refined features.

Just like the entire Renault range this new vehicle benefits from generous comprehensive warranty which covers the vehicle’s components and body for 5 years or 100,000km. And just because we all know that our lives have become even

more hectic and busy, Renault vehicles are designed to require servicing only once per calendar year. In addition Kind’s - Auto Sales Ltd are equipped with the latest technology, and training to take care of your car inside out.

This ensures your car always receives the quality and attention it deserves.

Test drive this stunning new model at Kind’s – Auto Sales Ltd, or enquire further on 23311126/31.