WheelsSeptember 2022的目錄

GOLF GOES AUTO It’s true. You can no longer buy a manual Volkswagen Golf. Production of the three-pedal Golf ended in late 2021 and the car has been formally discontinued for 2023. Should you be looking for a budget Golf, it’s not all bad news, however. Following the supply issues stemming from the semiconductor shortage, the base Golf 110TSI is back on VW’s books, starting at $34,960 before on-roads. The cabin of this entry-level Golf has also come in for some tweaks, with improved instrument legibility, a revised steering wheel boss and updated door cards, plus the addition of a ninth airbag. The centre airbag aims to keep front passenger heads apart in the event of a side collision. There’s also an update to the lane-keep assist system that means…

Every Mercedes-Benz R107 ever built came out of the Sindelfingen plant, right? Not so fast. Both the 450SL and SLC models were also assembled in South Africa by United Car and Diesel Distributors (formerly CDA) from March 1977. With about 40 completely knocked-down kits (aside from the engine) assembled each month, the East London plant was eventually acquired by Daimler-Benz A.G. in 1984. These right-hand-drive cars are identifiable by the sixth and seventh digit of their VIN stamps. Incidentally, the man in charge of the South African operation was Jürgen Schrempp, who subsequently became Daimler’s CEO and oversaw the disastrous acquisition of Mitsubishi and the even costlier ‘merger of equals’ with Chrysler.…

01 In the new Lexus RZ, the steering rack and electric power assist are their own unit. The steering wheel and force-creating actuator are also their own unit. They communicate solely in ones and zeroes. 02 The system is all software wizardry and considers data from myriad sensors when translating steering input, such as vehicle speed, yaw, input speed – even crosswinds and road camber. 03 Lexus says its steer-by-wire has a full backup controller and secondary redundant loom in case the primary systems fail. Good to know as you barrel into a hairpin at speed.. 04 Lexus might be keen to point out that Tesla’s new steering ‘yoke’ – as offered on the latest Models S and Y – is not part of a steer-by-wire system so is not…

Model Hyundai Ioniq 6 Motor dual (AWD) Battery 77.4kWh Max power 239kW Max torque 605Nm Transmission Single-speed reduction gear Weight 2035kg (estimated) 0-100km/h 5.1sec (claimed) Economy <14.0kWh/100km (claimed) Price $70,000 (estimated) On sale 2023 If, by an incredibly unlikely set of circumstances and unbelievably good fortune, you managed to sneak into Hyundai’s heavily guarded Namyang proving ground, avoiding detection as you took the keys to a still-completely-disguised prototype, before making your way to the exit gate, I should imagine it would be a matter of seconds before the South Korean government ordered a missile strike on you. I’ve visited the impressive 330-hectare site before and I recall the security was almost as memorable as the organisation, infrastructure and facilities. And yet, this is exactly the situation in which I find…

Leaving Raptor aside, the Ranger trim structure currently runs XL, XLS, XLT, Sport and Wildtrak at the apex. Interestingly, the cabins of the vehicles differ quite markedly, with the XL and XLS feeling a little more workmanlike, with a traditional automatic gear lever and manual handbrake dominating the centre stack. From XLT up, it’s far more sophisticated, with space better utilised with an electronic parking brake, a low-profile e-shifter on V6s and a wireless charging pad tucked into the dash. This division of the range looks likely to indicate vehicles that people have bought for them and those that people will likely hand their own money over for. Aside from crew cabs and single cabs, prices start at $42,300 for a rear-drive XL with the 2.0-litre single turbo, a price…

“when you don’t respect your past, you cannot really define who you are in the present, and you don’t have a vision for the future.” In that one quote, Hyundai’s design chief SangYup Lee spears the rationale behind the Hyundai N Vision 74. To most, it’s a stunning 1980s homage, its melange of warm and fuzzy influences dialling straight into the sharp creases and box-arch aesthetic of the era. You might see DeLorean DMC-12 or Volkswagen Scirocco Mk2 in some of the angles, blended with typical Japanese rear-drive coupe proportions. With its rear window louvre, pixellated theme and BMW E34 M5-style turbofan wheels, it would have been easy for the N Vision 74 to lapse into pastiche. It’s not subtle but it is drop dead desirable. But beyond the overdose…

There’s been so much fanfare around the 300 Series Landcruiser that the very closely related Lexus has failed to grab anything like as much attention THE ICONIC TOYOTA Landcruiser is as trueblue Australian as a Christmas Day pavlova and Barnaby Joyce – in other words, not very Australian at all. Trivia people will be able to tell you that the Pavlova was named after Russian dancer Anna Pavlova and may or may not have originated in New Zealand in the early 1900s but, in reality, the recipe is far older than that and probably came from Germany. And, before an embarrassing revelation in 2017, many might also have assumed the same of Joyce, who claimed to be as Aussie as a Vegemite flavoured boomerang. But a discovery that he was…

THE SOLE SURVIVING presentable prototype of the small reborn Countach fleet is a white, wide and wedge-shaped wild thing. Over two years old now, it has 40,840km on the clock, it rattles and squeaks over bumps, and wears its battle scars collected at the Ring and on the Nardo high-speed oval with casually touched-up pride. Based on the recently discontinued Aventador, the eye-catching LPI (Longitudinale Posteriore Ibrido) limbo dancer from Sant’Agata Bolognese is definitely not another loud batmobile with Supertrofeo overtones; instead it pays homage to Marcello Gandini’s drop-dead beautiful bedroom poster favourite from the early ’80s. Unlike the brand’s more recent one- and few-offs like the aggressively extrovert Egoista, Veneno and Centenario, the comeback Countach is all about style, substance and understated sex appeal. Its awesome proportions arrest eyeballs.…

SKODA KODIAQ RS Price as tested $67,440 (+ORC) This month 251km @10.2L/100km Overall 2386km @10.8L/100km IN SOME WAYS, the front row of the Kodiaq feels a little lost in time. Sure, it boasts a large 9.25-inch display behind the steering wheel and a sizeable 10.25-inch screen in the dash. Yes, it has wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto – something many of its newer rivals still don’t offer – and it has a new steering wheel design too. Move past those details, though, and this facelifted Kodiaq’s interior is largely as it was when it first debuted at the 2016 Paris motor show. Remember motor shows? In isolation, the Kodiaq’s cabin doesn’t look outdated as much as it does purposeful – but if you slide out of this SUV and…

WHAT DO WE think of SUV lap records? Something to celebrate or just part of an increasingly contrived bid for attention akin to those bizarre claims of Mount Everest firsts. Lamborghini is the latest in a line of manufacturers to publish an SUV record, in this case the ascent of the legendary Pikes Peak Hill Climb. By no great coincidence, it’s also the first time we’ve had a look at the updated Urus. The reason why this one doesn’t instantly get consigned to the round file is that the Urus covered the 20km and 156 bends in a time of 10:32.064, beating Bentley’s 2018 mark of 10:49.902, set in a Bentayga W12 with Rhys Millen at the wheel. Gaining 17 seconds in 20km is the equivalent of 4.25 seconds on…

Model 2022 BMW 220i coupe Motor 1998cc I4, dohc, 16v, turbocharged Max power 135kW @6500rpm Max torque 300Nm @1350-4000rpm Transmission Eight-speed auto Weight 1490kg 0-100km/h 7.5s Economy 6.3L/100km Price $61,900 ($69,700 as-tested) On sale Now Pity those that fall victim to mob mentality. As self-righteous and virulently opinionated as they may be, more often than not the harsh reality is the groupthink they’ve latched onto is wrong. And being wrong is a terrible way to live your life. If you don’t want to be wrong, it’s important that you consider your opinions carefully when it comes to the 2022 BMW 220i coupe. The straight facts on the 220i are thus: it’s the cheapest BMW sports car you can buy today, offered to the public for $61,900 as the entry level…

Understanding where the six in RS6 comes from is easy – it’s a link to the base A6 model that each generation is based on. And sure, everyone knows that the fastest Audi models are badged RS, but that two letter nomenclature actually means something. RennSport – literally ‘Racing Sport’. Unlike more recent RS models, the RS6 earned its RennSport stripes on track. The C5 is the only generation of RS6 to get an official racing program, racing in a support category to the American Le Mans series to great success before the Yanks – you guessed it – banned all-wheel drive cars from competing. For Audi, this is the way.…

IT BEGINS, as the best conversations tend to, over a bacon and egg roll. We’re gobbling breakfast in a small-town cafe, peering through the window at the swoops, curves and bright colours of the cars assembled for this group test when photographer Brook pops the question: “That Corvette… is it a muscle car, a sports car or a supercar?” There’s a pause, some puzzled expressions, before we all talk at once. “Definitely a muscle car; the Corvette has always been a muscle car.” “But it’s mid-engined now. And look at it! It’s a proper wedge. That’s a supercar!” “Nah, it’s like a 911. A sports car that can mix it with supercars.” It takes another 15 minutes, and some granular theorising – “isn’t a muscle car based on a regular…

For another option that casts a similar shadow over the road as the Landcruiser and LX, Jeep’s freshly launched Grand Cherokee is worth a look. The standard article will arrive later this year but, for now, the L offers a stretched wheelbase with a corresponding increase in interior space for people and things, and the range-topping Summit is heavily laden with kit and features. It too has a V6 but with a lack of forced induction performance is down on the Japanese pair. However, the Jeep is big SUV that has decent off-road ability, surprisingly good on-road manners and a price that’ll save you about $50,000.…

SUBARU BRZ S Price as tested $41,590 (+ORC) This month 1202km @8.7L/100km Overall 1202km @8.7L/100km MELBOURNE IS doing grey and wet once again. Port Phillip bay seems to have become a North Sea tribute act as the mercury hits single digits day after day and endless low pressure systems pile upon each other. And you know what? I love it. That’s because of the latest acquisition into the Wheels garage. Keen to inject a cosier CoG into the mix of wall-to-wall SUVs, we’ve slotted in a Sapphire Blue pearl Subaru BRZ S. Manual, of course. In case you’re not fully up to speed on BRZ trims, the S doesn’t add anything to the 174kW/250Nm quota under the bonnet, but does introduce leather and Ultrasuede heated front seats, for which Subaru…

GENESIS G70 SHOOTING BRAKE Price as tested $81,000 (+ORC) This month 465km @10.9L/100km Overall 1969km @10.7L/100km WHEN I FIRST heard the term ‘powertrain agnostic’, I thought it sounded faintly weird and cult-like, but come to think of it, I was at a Tesla launch. What it means is that a consumer is simply looking for a great car that meets needs all their needs in terms of design, efficiency, safety, comfort and whatever else; apparently they don’t care whether it’s powered by petrol, electricity, of presumably some mysterious flux capacitor recycled from Doc Brown’s DeLorean. If it’s true, and there really are buyers considering a Model 3 who are seriously cross-shopping it with, say a 3 Series or C-Class, then it forces us as motoring journalists to evaluate pretty much…

IT’S STRANGE TODAY to look at the complete contrast between post-war motoring in Europe and that in the US. In beaten-down Britain and across the continent, frumpy small sedans and weird microcars ushered in the 1950s; as the decade progressed, they became smarter and better – not bigger. In America, though, the 1950s introduced automatic transmissions, power steering, air conditioning, power windows and transistor radios. And increasingly colossal cars. George W. Mason had a different view. But then, as head of the Kelvinator refrigerator company, he would. In fact, Mason was a car guy to the core, having been right-hand man to Walter Chrysler in the 1920s before turning around the troubled Kelvinator through the Depression. In 1937, he presided over the mega-merger of Kelvinator with Nash Motors. A landmark Nash…

DUE 2023 HONDA CIVIC TYPE R When even the outgoing model is heralded as a class benchmark, the weight of expectation rests heavy on the shoulders of the Honda’s next Type R hero. The new FL5 carries over the same basic powertrain (but that’s no bad thing!) and promises a little more grunt up top – though how much is yet to be confirmed. We can’t wait for this one. DUE 2023 VOLKSWAGEN AMAROK We’ve already established that the Ford Ranger is a Very Good Thing, but there are those who prefer a different look and feel and that’s where the Ranger-based Amarok comes in. In addition to the 2.0 biturbo and 3.0 V6 diesels, VW will offer the 222kW/452Nm 2.3 Ecoboost petrol engine. DUE 2023 BYD DOLPHIN Chinese EV…

Eighteen years. That’s how long the R107 version of the Mercedes-Benz SL was on sale. It was launched into the era of the Vietnam War and Richard Nixon, the topping out of the World Trade Centre and Jackie Stewart winning the F1 title in a Tyrell. By the time production ended we were in a world of Tiananmen Square protests, McDonalds in Moscow and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Everything changed, yet perhaps Mercedes reasoned that in tumultuous times not all change was growth. Its predecessor, the achingly pretty W113 – or ‘Pagoda’ – series was a relative cranefly in terms of durability, in market for a mere eight years. This Paul Bracq design evolved what we expected from an SL, morphing the design language away from the voluptuous…

Schaeffler is using DTM to develop and prove its steer-by-wire system. In 2022, racer Maximilian Buhk drives a Mercedes-AMG GT DTM machine with a full steer-by-wire system. His job this year is simply to develop the technology as DTM eyes its installation across the board. Ex-F1 driver Timo Glock sampled the set-up in May 2021, and told Motorsport.com: “I’m getting used to [it]. There are no impacts or movements on the steering on bumps or kerb. The system filters these out completely. You can set the feedback of the steering the way you like it. Theoretically you could set more feedback in slow corners and less resistance in fast corners. This way, the driver can also save applying so much force, which is less relevant for us in the DTM…

Model Kia Niro GT Line EV Motor Single (front axle) Battery 64.8kWh Max power 150kW Max torque 255Nm Transmission Single-speed reduction gear Weight 1727kg 0-100km/h 7.8sec (claimed) Economy 16.8kWh/100km Price $72,100 On sale Now THE ALL-NEW Niro electric and hybrid SUVs represent Kia’s aim for a volume-selling proposition in the Australian EV market. But that assault won’t come through the virtue of being much more affordable than the COTY-winning EV6, but rather because Kia’s Australian arm has confirmed moderately better supply for the Niro than it’s been able to get for the EV6. Around 80 Niros will be available each month, with some 60 percent of those expected to be made up of orders for the EV. So how much? Where the larger EV6 starts from $67,990 (when you can…

It’s often said that you learn more from failure than success. If that’s indeed the case, there was every chance that the 2022 Ford Ranger could have ended up as the difficult second album. Yes there were Rangerbadged pickups before the debut of the 2011 PX version of the T6 Ranger, but that was the first Ford-led ground-up version of the Ranger. More than a decade and a couple of facelifts after its launch, it still felt fresh, besting all of its rivals in Wheels’ Ute Megatest last year. Eleven years on sale is quite an innings and it’s likely that this second-generation T6, or the P703 in Fordspeak, will be around for an equally long time. Those vaguely competent at arithmetic will realise that this will take it beyond…

The Ford Everest Raptor exists. Well, one does, sitting in a Ford backlot somewhere. “Ultimately you can’t have everything,” sighs Anthony Hall, Vehicle Engineering Manager for the next-gen Ranger. “We had to make a decision on what projects were priorities, where you direct resource and it [the Everest Raptor] never got up. We did build one though and it was sensational,” he says, eyes widening. “I can tell you I’ve been airborne in an Everest Raptor. The Ford Performance guys in the US thought it was incredible. The SUV body meant that it was a harder vehicle to engineer than the Ranger Raptor. The rear door shutline was always a problem. That’s a particularly complex part of the vehicle body, so you can’t just blow it out into a wide…

Lexus LX 600 The Lexus does a great job of infusing the LX cabin with the luxurious feel associated with its smaller models but is let down by a disappointigly small ‘moonroof’ that only graces the front occupants with a view of the heavens. Like the Landcruiser, its central screen measures 12.3-inches corner to corner but is filled with nicer graphics and feels larger in practice. Fingerprint recognition on the start button is a cool security touch and the interior materials quality and finish is impressive. Toyota Landcruiser Contrasting the LX’s wine red leather interior, the Toyota has been optioned with a lighter palette and beige leather and carpets which were already starting to look grubby. Light upholstery would be a brave move if the Landcruiser was to spend much…

JAGUAR F-TYPE P450 R-DYNAMIC Price as tested $188,868 (+ORC) This month 774km @11.04L/100km Overall 774km @11.04L/100km WITH ECONOMIC belts around the world being tightened, companies are looking for new ways to get a pound of flesh from consumers without catching their ire. One such sly ploy is known as shrinkflation, an insidious twist on the way that inflation is driving up the price of everything from milk to luxury sports cars. The way it works is that instead of paying more for the same product, prices are kept at a fixed price point and the product itself is reduced in size. A 750ml drink that is now 700ml but with an unchanged price; that is shrinkflation. No one seems to have told Jaguar about the concept, with the British brand…

DID ANYONE ASK for a sports coupe with two doors on one side and one on the other? It’s not really a buying criterion that leaps out to me. Designers have periodically toyed with asymmetry, but it’s rarely been successful. Details like the Ferrari Testarossa’s single mirror or the Porsche 924Turbo’s offset bonnet NACA duct add visual tension, but the asymmetric door thing? Against all odds, Hyundai made this gimmick work. The problem with such stylistic curlicues is that they tend to dominate the vehicle’s public perception. Beneath the sheetmetal the Veloster evolved into a very good driver’s car. But by then it had perhaps garnered a reputation for style over substance. When Wheels first tested the 103kW atmo version back in April 2012, it lost to a Honda CR-Z. It…