Innehållsförteckning för May 2021 från Wheels

GMSV HAS PRICED its highly-anticipated C8 Chevrolet Corvette from an aggressive $144,990 in Australia – $91,000 less than the cheapest Porsche 911. The Australian-delivered C8 will be the first factory-built right-hand-drive Corvette in the moniker’s 68-year history and will arrive here in Q4 in five different models – three coupes and two convertibles. Entry model will be the 2LT coupe, complete with the Z51 Performance Package (dual-mode performance exhaust, Magnetic suspension, bigger Brembo brakes, electronic LSD), Front Lift and rear spoiler as standard.…

AUDI WILL NO longer invest in research and development of new internal combustion engines due to questionable future European standards. Company CEO Markus Duesmann said “even stricter Euro 7 emissions standards are technically a huge challenge with little benefit for the environment at the same time. This extremely restricts the combustion engine.” Audi confirmed it “will no longer develop a new internal combustion engine but will adapt our existing internal combustion engines to new emission guidelines”.…

LETTER OF THE MONTH Governments at all levels have become used to treating motorists as cash cows TAX TIME FOR EVs? WITH ALL THE talk about states taxing electric cars, perhaps it’s time Wheels did a research piece investigating whether the moves by Victoria and South Australia are merely cash grabs, or if there is a hint of logic behind what appears to be a flawed thought process? As part of the investigation, there would need to be a couple of vehicle comparisons, in particular looking at GST/LCT raised at the point of sale along with GST and taxes raised when filling up the tank or battery. Vehicles to be considered could be: Camry Ascent/Ascent Hybrid, Mercedes GLC/EQC, BMW 330i/330e and MG ZST Essence/EV Essence. This gives a good range…

YOU’D HAVE to be crazy. Imagine willingly signing up for a 10,000km race that tosses you into some of the world’s most inhospitable conditions where you and your co-driver could be shot at, have to dodge livestock, translate a complex toilet roll-thick course book, negotiate in multiple dialects and overcome mechanical hurdles including inevitable tyre punctures in searing desert heat. Sound good? Well here is the machine made for exactly this task… The 1997 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution was single-mindedly built to win the Dakar rally. While the Lancer Evolution was making a name for itself in the World Rally Championship (WRC), delivering the original Evo I in 1992 and, with the Subaru WRX, changing the performance road-car landscape forever, the other side of Mitsubishi’s Ralliart competition department was beefing up…

AS REMARKABLE AS the fact that Maserati chose to develop a new powertrain for its new supercar flagship, the MC20, is the speed with which it has created what is not an entirely conventional internal combustion engine. The biggest point of difference is the pre-chamber ignition system – a feature of contemporary F1 V6 engines, a series production car first and the fruits of a research project Maserati only green-flagged in 2015. Early findings showed huge promise from a performance standpoint, and in 2017 Maserati’s engineers concluded the idea could also meet emissions and driveability targets. In 2019, they had the nod to industrialise the V6, dubbed Nettuno, with a view to powering the MC20. And in 2020 Maserati pulled the covers from the new car. Clearly, elements of the…

Model Lexus LS500 F Sport Engine 3445cc V6 (90°), dohc, 24v, twin-turbo Power 310kW @ 6000rpm Torque 600Nm @ 1600-4800rpm Transmission 10-speed automatic Weight 2230kg 0-100km/h 5.0sec (claimed) Economy 10.0L/100km Price $195,953 On sale Now THE LATEST Lexus LS limousine has quite a unique character depending on the choice of engines and two trim levels available. The most driver-focused example, the LS500 F Sport, is fitted with the 310kW, 600Nm 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 rather than the 264kW 3.5-litre V6 hybrid, as well as a raft of mechanical inclusions aimed at making it sharper to drive. For their substantial near-$200K outlay, LS owners benefit from a fairly absurd level of standard equipment, including soft-close doors, 28-way adjustable and heated seats, heated steering wheel and an electronically controlled rear sunshade and sunroof;…

AMG ALSO REVEALED details of the upcoming hybridised GT63 – which could be called GT73. It will use the same rear-mounted battery, electric motor and two-speed gearbox slated for the next C63. (This new hybrid architecture is of a modular design, meaning it will also appear in other AMG models.) Together with the existing 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 (with conventional turbos), the hybridised powertrain will offer 600kW/1000Nm, with 0-100km/h times potentially dipping into two-second territory. The hybrid GT63 is not due here until late 2022.…

“We’re making each new model stronger in character without taking the brand apart”ADRIAN VAN HOOYDONK 1. SOCIAL MEDIA CRITICS “We deal with it in the same way we do with customer clinics. I never go to those clinics because the individual comments can be quite brutal. It’s not always enjoyable. I wait until the final quantitative evaluation, the global resume. We look and analyse for trends; I don’t look at it [social media] on an hourly basis.” 2. RETRO CARS “We have always looked at our heritage and debated about what we could do without ever really going retro. We’ve done homage cars, like at Villa d’Este where we’ve got positive reactions, but it was never a retro design. It was a reimagination of a classic. We take ideas from…

LOVE ’EM OR LOATHE ’EM, today’s luxury midsized SUVs like the Audi Q5 45 TFSI and BMW X3 30i are now as much a part of the story of us as any homegrown Holden or Ford. It just depends on where you are in life. Thirty-odd years ago, with Ps in hand, maybe your choice – like mine – was between a Volkswagen Golf and Nissan Pulsar. A decade on, commitments might have meant a Mazda 6 or Toyota Camry (and a NoDoz addiction) before the need for bigger stuff like a Ford Territory or Holden Captiva arose. Life’s great tapestry and all that. Today – if you’re lucky – you might be middle-aged (ish), middle class and in the market for a mid-sized premium SUV. You’ve made it this…

Audi Q5 1. DATED Airy and uplifting it may be, with an obsessive approach to detail and quality as well as a new info and multimedia system set-up, but the Q5’s dash is starting to look dated in 2021, and even a tad austere. 2. EXPANSIVE Acres of space to stretch out, good vision and an excellent driving position make for a family-friendly SUV. Road and wind noise are subdued. 3. SEAT COMFORT Optional reclining and sliding rear seats are a boon, but they still don’t feel as sumptuous as the BMW’s. BMWX3 1. FLAWLESS If you can see past the slightly chaotic instrument graphics, with their annoying digitised anti-clockwise tacho, the X3’s dash is almost flawless. Superb iDrive control beats buttonless interface every time. 2. QUALITY M Sport package’s…

GENESIS GV80 3.5T AWD Price as tested $120,600 This month 1288km @ 11.2L/100km Overall 6383km @ 11.7L/100km THE MAN stood on the corner of the intersection, eyes pointed my way for a solid 10 seconds, head locked on as the lights went green and I petered past in my giant, satin grey, Unidentified Rolling Object. Like so many other bystanders, he was no doubt thinking, ‘What the hell is that thing?’ Welcome to a curious and often humorous daily facet of Genesis GV80 ownership. Having pinched this car off Inwood for a few weeks, the only real criticism I can fling at the GV80 is – and it’s not even its own fault – that nobody knows what a Genesis is. Plainly, for the Genesis nameplate to succeed in a…

AUSSIE SALES 2018 – 93 2019 – 1893 2020 – 1311 2021 – 21* *Jan-Feb THERE’S BITTER IRONY in the fact that an SUV called Endura was the exact opposite of enduring. In fact, the Ford Endura’s time spent on Australian shores was so limited, it rivalled clothing at a nudist beach for temporary status. Introduced as an indirect replacement for the 12-year-old Territory, the front-or all-wheel-drive Endura was never really suited to a Large SUV role in Australia due to its five-seat-only capacity. Ford hoped it could piggy-back the Territory’s positioning by offering the Endura and the seven-seat, separatechassis Everest simultaneously, though if you compare the combined sales of those two SUVs with the ageing Territory’s, you’ll quickly realise that sort of wishful thinking was deeply rooted in la-la…

SAY HELLO TO the new Toyota GR 86, a heavily revised version of the brand’s back-to-basics sports car. Once its Subaru BRZ twin had been announced, it was only a matter of time before the Toyota broke cover – but thankfully reports that its reveal had been delayed to the end of 2022 have proved wide of the mark. Local pricing, specification and timing are still to be confirmed, but a number of technical details have been released, as well as confirmation of the car’s new name. Now known as ‘GR 86’, the new coupe moves under Toyota’s Gazoo Racing umbrella to sit beside the GR Supra and GR Yaris. Like the Subaru, the 86’s familiar horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine remains, but an 8mm bore increase has upped capacity to…

KIA’S FIRST batteryelectric vehicle, the EV6, boasts classleading features that could upset the traditional players in the EV market. The sleek-looking crossover is based on the Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP electric vehicle architecture, shared with Hyundai’s recently unveiled Ioniq 5, and sits on a long 2900mm wheelbase. It goes into production late this year. Entry-level EV6 and mid-range EV6 GT-Line will be available with either a standard-range 58kWh battery pack or a long-range 77.4kWh pack, and can also be specified in either rearwheel drive or all-wheel drive. The 2WD 58.0kWh model will produce 125kW/350Nm and the AWD version 173kW/605Nm, while the 2WD variant of the longer-range 77.4kWh battery pack is rated at 168kW/350Nm and the AWD version 239kW/605Nm. Models with the smaller battery pack and AWD will be capable of…

DUE Q3 HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 While local pricing and variants for Hyundai’s EV SUV are yet to be confirmed, the expected top-spec drivetrain will be a 72.6kWh battery with two motors (one front, one rear) for a 225kW/605Nm total output. Hyundai claims a range of up to 480km. Clever interior packaging includes a moveable centre console for more floor space. Expect pricing from $65,000. DUE Q2 MAZDA BT-50 THUNDER Local engineers have created an Oz-specific BT-50 to bolster Mazda’s ute efforts, adding functional and off-road elements such as a factory bullbar, bash plate, custom LED light bar, a rear bar and electric roller tonneau. All Thunder models are 4x4 with a locking diff and can be had with a manual or auto. DUE Q3 AUDI E-TRON GT Taycan-based grand touring…

CHINA WAS THE first country to report COVID-19, so its market was hit earlier than others, but its recovery has also been faster: the market finished 2020 with sales down just 2 percent. Given its drop a year earlier was 8 percent, that’s a solid result. The US (-15 percent), Japan (-12 percent) and Germany (-19 percent) experienced double-digit market drops but still suffered less than France and Brazil. Significantly for the UK, its even steeper decline allowed Brazil to climb into seventh spot – the first time it has done so since 2014. At least there is evidence of sales recovering into 2021. The Australian new car market dipped below 1m sales aft er years of decline – with locked-down Victoria hardest dragging the national market down – but…

Maserati’s new engine facility is a blend of low-volume, artisan engineer scale and contemporary tech. Each Nettuno V6 comprises 1300 parts, which arrive in a combination of sub-assemblies (the pre-chambers are pre-installed) and trays of parts. The heads are built-up separately, pegged to prevent the timing slipping, then fitted. Tech ensures accuracy and quality. The facility is pressurised, to keep out dust. Each work station has a touchscreen tutorial, and there are fail-safes; only the right bearings are dispensed for each stage, for example, and cameras monitor crucial torqueing-up sequences.…

Model Mercedes-AMG E53 coupe Engine 2996cc 6cyl, dohc, 24v, turbo, elec. compressor, mild hybrid Max power 320kW @ 6100rpm Max torque 520Nm @ 1800-5700rpm Transmission 9-speed automatic Kerb weight 1946kg 0-100km/h 4.4sec (claimed) Economy 9.3L/100km (ADR combined) Price $164,800 On sale Now IT MIGHT BE self-defeating to disclose this so early, but the most dramatic change with the latest Mercedes-AMG E53 Coupe is the price. It’s $14,900 cheaper than the previous version and now covers the yawning price gap in the range left by the recently departed E450 Coupe. Luckily, the E53 has not lost anything important in the process. Standard equipment remains as healthy as before, including the Vision package that includes a headup display, Burmester sound and panoramic sunroof with heated glass. Nappa upholstery features as well. There…

THE SECOND electric car from Mercedes-Benz aims to offer a cheaper way into the brand’s quickly expanding EQ range. Available to order from $76,800, the EQA undercuts a lot of the competition – however, it really needs to make an impact. Right now, the EQ range consists of just the COTY-winning, $138K EQC, though there’s more on the horizon with the EQE, EQB and EQS. That still puts Mercedes behind the curve, and well behind competitors like BMW, Audi and VW, all of which are further advanced in their EV strategies. Unlike forthcoming cars from the VW Group, Hyundai Motor Group and BMW, the EQA doesn’t sit on a bespoke platform. Instead, it uses the same chassis as the GLA – though it’s been given some unseen work to accommodate…

THE V8 C63 is dead. Long live the V8. Mercedes-AMG has all but confirmed the next iteration of its much-adored super-sedan will be powered by a four-cylinder turbo, but one packing a monstrous 480kW working in conjunction with a powerful new high-tech rear-axle electric motor. For the first time, the C63 will also be equipped with tarmac-tearing all-wheel drive, with 0-100km/h times expected to dip into the low three-second range. This, of course, represents an enormous philosophical shift away from the current brooding 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 375kW/700Nm rear-drive model. But it will also mean an enormous increase in outright performance potential: the new C63 will make the current one look slow, blasting the claimed 3.9sec time to 100km/h into the weeds, not to mention our own measured 12.4sec over 400m.…

IT’S NOT OFTEN you need to employ slipstreaming on the road, but these are desperate times, my friends. The Tesla Model 3 Long Range is currently indicating five percent battery and displaying a warning to stay below 75km/h if we want to reach our destination. At this point you’re probably thinking, ‘Oh great, another story about electric car range anxiety’, but no, while there is a degree of anxiety within this story, it’s all the fault of the driver not the car. Inspired by the Model 3’s ‘Long Range’ moniker, we thought it would be instructive to see how far we could drive Tesla’s baby on a single charge in the real world. As part of its recent facelift, the Model 3 Long Range is now claimed to be capable…

THIS IS THE biggest shake-up in the global car industry since Dieselgate. Groupe PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles – two international car-making giants in their own right – have joined forces to create Stellantis. Operating in 130 different world markets and employing around 400,000 people, the new super-group is headed up by industry wizard Carlos Tavares. All of this can be seen as good news for the 14 marques (plus Fiat Commercial, Mopar and two mobility brands) it now controls. Brands like Alfa Romeo, Peugeot, Fiat and Jeep are steeped in history and rightly proud of their long and glorious back catalogues. And some, even before Stellantis was formed, have been undergoing resurgences. “This is a big move,” says Felipe Munoz, senior analyst at industry watchers JATO Dynamics, pointing out…

WITH ITS 770km driving range, the ultra-aerodynamic Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 Plus will be a true Tesla beater, able to travel over 100km further on a charge than anything the American company currently sells. And it is only one of the company’s family of purpose-designed EVs… EQS is the first model to use Mercedes’ new purpose-designed EVA electric vehicle architecture. Sales in Europe begin in June, and it will reach Australia very late this year or early 2022. EQS vehicle testing head Frank Wundrak told Wheels the EQS 450 Plus is one of two versions of the long and large five-seat hatch that will be available from launch. It has a single 245kW/550Nm motor driving the rear wheels and a 108kWh underfloor battery pack. “I’m sure your family will need a…

RRP $16 PINK PIG PORSCHE 917 SOCKS Legend has it that the 917, known as the Pink Pig, was meant to wear a Martini livery to signify its Martini & Rossi sponsorship, but Count Rossi refused to let this ‘ugly’ car wear his brand’s colours. Designer Anatole Lapine was inspired by its piggy looks to paint it, well… yeah. Anyway, hopefully your feet don’t look like pigs, because these socks are foot-shaped. heeltread.com HOLDEN EH SEDAN LONG-SLEEVE SHIRT Stay warm-ish and have a bit of classic ’Strayan metal on your chest with this design from Garage79. It’s 100 percent cotton and priced at $57.90, available at garage79.com KYOSHO MINI-Z HKS R32 GT-R RC CAR A small RC car measuring 165mm long, designed to be an entry level to customisable RC…

Model Subaru Forester 2.5i Sport Engine 2489cc flat-4, dohc, 16v Max power 136kW @ 5800rpm Max torque 239Nm @ 4400rpm Transmission CVT Weight 1551kg 0-100km/h 9.5sec (claimed) Economy 7.4L/100km Price: $41,990 On sale Now SUBARU HAS lit the wick on its perennially popular all-wheel-drive Forester, adding some sporting flair in an apparent attempt to tackle Toyota’s runaway RAV4 Edge mid-size SUV. Bridging the model gap between the mid-range 2.5i Premium and range-topping 2.5i-S spec, this more sporty-looking Forester brings embellishments such as dark metallic 18-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, electric sunroof and orange highlights inside and out that set it apart from the otherwise similar Premium spec. The well-equipped Sport therefore includes Subaru’s Driver Monitoring System, which uses facial recognition to detect if you’re drowsy or distracted and also personally…

WITH A LOCAL legacy that reaches back to 1985 and the D21, Nissan’s Navara deserves recognition for its part in building the enormous popularity of utes. But history and heritage will carry a brand only so far. An update for 2021 includes a bold new style at both ends, with LED lighting, a massive grille, a new bonnet, new-design wheels measuring 18 inches (17-inch for lower spec variants) and embossed Navara lettering in the tailgate. The cabin is quite familiar save for a more car-like steering wheel, along with part-leather upholstered seats (which better suit shorter-bodied occupants). While some unchanged switches reveal the D23’s age, the large 8.0-inch central touchscreen, complemented by a generous 7.0-inch digital display between the driver’s dials, helps lift the interior. Aside from larger rear brake…

IF YOU’VE BEEN anywhere near social media in the past year, you will know that BMW’s design department has had to weather a fair old storm. In the words of Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice-president of group design at the Bavarian firm, “it can be brutal”. But if you think that’s a hint that van Hooydonk and head of BMW design Domagoj Dukec are about to change their ways, think again. The big kidney grille is here to stay. The reasoning is simple: van Hooydonk and Dukec want BMW to stand out, so they’re happy to make it the distinguishing feature. They rationalise it by pointing out that it’s part of BMW’s past, so it will remain part of the future. Listening to both men talk about all aspects of…

SOMETHING ABOUT this Mazda 3 is different. First, there’s the sound. A subtle whine creeps into the cabin under acceleration and overlays the engine’s zingy thrum. Then there is the peculiar power delivery. For the upper half of the rev range, which eventually signs off at the 6600rpm redline, the Mazda 3 delivers an extra helping of torque while the revs spin with a nice atmolike freeness. Lift the bonnet and you’ll see why. Underneath a plastic cover hides a roots-type supercharger. That’s because this is the new Mazda 3 X20 Astina Skyactiv-X, a top-of-the-range mildhybrid that introduces spark-controlled compression ignition to petrol engines for the first time. Mazda claims this technology marries high-revving petrol performance to the economy, torque and response of a diesel. Or the punch of a…

Mazda 3 Skyactiv-X Mazda persists with a BMW iDrive-like rotary dial on the centre console to control the Mazda Connect infotainment software through the 8.8-inch widescreen in the dash. It’s only the screen here that features a remote interface; all others rely on touchscreen technology. Toyota Corolla ZR A mixture of technical fabric, piano black inserts and plusher materials does well to lift the premium vibe inside the Corolla cabin for the ZR variant. One particular annoying attribute, however, about its minimalist design is the row of buttons underneath the centre vents. Their uniform shape and appearance make it hard to discern functions at a glance. Ford Focus ST-Line Look closely and you’ll see Ford has employed a subtle geometric design language on the vents, cluster and steering wheel, which…

2020’S BIGGEST CAR MAKERS BY VOLUME It pays to be part of a large car-making group: most of 2020’s global top 10 (including Stellantis) consist of more than two brands. Stellantis would have been fourth in this list in 2019 if PSA and FCA sales were combined; the now-defunct groups together sold 7.9m cars that year. HOW STELLANTIS’S SALES BREAK DOWN Every brand suffered sales drops in 2020 due to the pandemic, but the data shows how crucial Jeep, Fiat and Peugeot are. Bottom five brands show Stellantis needs to make waves in the premium sector with fresh products. SUVS FOR THE US, SUPERMINIS FOR EUROPE The former FCA brands contributed 59 percent of the new group’s global total in 2020, with PSA’s primarily European focus making it the smaller…

EACH OF OUR contenders provides family summer holiday levels of cargo capacity – the Q5 ranging from 520 litres to 1520L with the 40/20/40 backrest folded. The X3’s boot is even more cavernous, extending from 550L to 1600L, and with a spring-loaded remote fold-down backrest function to boot. In our Audi, the lever merely released the seat backs loose, but they wouldn’t drop. Both offer floor rails with fastening points and tensioning straps to better secure loads.…

MAZDA BT-50 GT Price (MSRP) $59,990 This month 1450km @ 7.6L/100km Total 2550km @ 7.9L/100km THE BIGGEST drawcard with utes is the ute bit, right? And so far the BT-50’s tray – 1530mm wide by 1571mm long before the durable plastic liner standard on the GT and the wheelarches are taken into account – has carried five two-metre doors and enough wood to build my big garage cupboard. The cupboard, by the way, has been dubbed the Black Hole because it’s where our possessions will go and never be seen again. The wheelarches do eat into the width, reducing that measurement to 1110mm at its narrowest, but that was still wide enough for my doors. I did have to lean most of the lumber against the roof – which I…

Puff and bluster GROUNDBREAKING TURBO WITH A FAMOUS AUSSIE CONNECTION FANS OF FORCE-FEEDING often trace automotive turbocharging to 1970s Euro exotics like the BMW 2002 Turbo or Porsche 930. In fact, it began with General Motors in 1962, with the Chevrolet Corvair Monza and the Oldsmobile Jetfire. Other than sharing a parent (and an ongoing argument over which came first), this pair of two-door models couldn’t have been more different: the Corvair a 2.4-litre flat-six, air-cooled and rear-mounted; the Jetfire a more conventional front-mounted 3.5-litre V8. Just as unlikely was the world-beating Aussie connection that lay in store for the latter. The US was a leader in turbocharging via WW2 aircraft like the P-38 Lightning and P-47 Thunderbolt, both of which used General Electric turbos to deliver their high-altitude power.…