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N O R T H E AST V I C TO R I A
JANUARY 5 - 11
| 2018
> available online - www.nemedia.com.au
EYE-CATCHER: New Kia Stinger looks spectacular from every angle.
Stinger a game-changer for Kia THE end of local production of Commodores and Falcons has created a battle in the large family car market. The new German Commodore isn’t due till February, new Kia Stinger and Toyota Camry arrived earlier this year and both are pushing hard in the sales race while the Commodore slot is vacant. Kia Stinger is making a big deal on being rear-wheel drive, unlike Commodore which is either front- or all-wheel-drive, Camry is front drive only. Stinger is offered in four specification levels: S and Si with either four or sixcylinder engines; and GT-Line in the four and GT in the six. Stinger is a product of Kia’s European
ROAD TEST By ALISTAIR KENNEDY, Marque Motoring design studio in Frankfurt under the supervision of the company’s high-profile designer chief Peter Schreyer. Long and sleek, Stinger could easily pass as a coupe rather than a fivedoor hatchback. From any angle it’s a spectacular looking car that attracted attention virtually everywhere we went. At 4.83 metres in length and 1.87 metres wide it’s marginally smaller than both the old (VF) and new (ZB) Commodores. The extended bonnet is fronted by a black
and chrome version of Kia’s tiger-nose grille. There is a short front overhang and a long rear one. A 2905 mm wheelbase provides for a reasonably spacious cabin. All models come with chrome coated quad exhaust pipes. With its low roofline entry and exit can be a bit of a challenge for tall and/or bulky occupants but once settled the front seats are comfortable and supportive, the latter especially so with the adjustable bolsters on the GT. Headroom in both front and rear is reasonable although we had to lower our driver’s seat to the bottom setting. The rear seats are comfortable with reasonable head and legroom. All models have powered driver’s seats.
The boot is wide and flat but without much height. Capacity is listed at 406 litres with the rear seatbacks in place and up to 1114 with them folded. Kia Stinger come with the choice of two turbocharged petrol engines, a single-turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder (182kW and 353Nm from 1400 to 4000 rpm) or a twin-turbo 3.3-litre V6 (272kW, and 510Nm from 1300 to 4500 revs). Both drive the rear wheels through Kia’s in-house eight-speed multimode automatic transmission. The Stinger is sold with all-wheel-drive in some overseas markets, however, at this stage there are no plans to introduce this to Australia.
Continued page 2 z/21d11337-v132/0118
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Jan. 5 - 11 | 2018
Stinger to be game-changer for Kia From page 1
TIMELESS: WRX STI for 2018 has had its front bumper enhanced for a more powerful look.
Subaru has the moves ROAD TEST By DEREK OGDEN, Marque Motoring
At a Glance Subaru WRX 2.0 manual $39,240; CVT $42,240
‘MOVE over, coming through’, might well be the thoughts running through the mind of a driver catching a WRX STI looming ever larger in the rear-view mirror. Yes, since the first generation set the standard in the late 1990s, the Subaru super sports sedan still has all the moves. Now, the WRX and WRX STI, the latter suffix alluding to Subaru Tecnica International, the company’s performance arm, have undergone a non-too major refit for model year 2018 with both mechanical and cosmetic upgrades. The all-wheel drive turbocharged twins share external and cabin changes to produce even more sporty presence, including a revised nose with more aggressive grille design, while the flagship range is topped off by a new model, the WRX STI spec R. Subaru Australia showed sufficient confidence in the STI, to wheel out the base model ($50,890, plus on-roads) for my extended run. If you think the WRX STI, with its traditional high-flying rear spoiler and accentuated bonnet scoop could look any more aggressive, think again. The 2018 version of the fourth-generation highperformance Subaru has had its front bumper enhanced for a more powerful look. A border around the lower grille is blacked out and the opening enlarged to improve cooling, while 19-inch alloy wheels, finished with dark gun-metal paint offer a peek at the showy bright yellow Brembo brake calipers. The addition of the roof carrier brackets make attaching and removing roof carrier accessories, such as bike and canoe racks, much easier. Cabin highlights with a high-gloss black finish provide a sportier, yet elegant feel. Recaro seats with characteristic top-notch support and Renault-style red seatbelts are befitting a performance flagship. The gearshift surround is in high gloss
Subaru WRX 2.0 Premium manual $45,640; CVT $48,840
Subaru WRX 2.5 STI $50,890; with rear spoiler $51,190
Subaru WRX 2.5 STI Premium $55,640; with rear spoiler $55,940; spec.R $57,690 Note: These prices do not include government or dealer delivery charges. Contact your local Subaru dealer for driveaway prices.
black, with contrasting red stitching on the sides. Door grips are easier to grasp and the pull handle is now in Thermoplastic olefin to prevent fingers from slipping. A revised instrument panel features white illumination and red needles and tinted glass. Front and centre is a larger, clearer 5.9inch LCD multi-function display which sets out the air-conditioning and a range of information in an easy-to-read format. Bluetooth audio streaming comes via Harman Kardon sound with eight speakers, sub-woofer and amplifier. Factory fitted satellite navigation has voice control. Aux jack and two USB ports are also included. Subaru STI has a 2.5-litre boxer engine, mated with a six-speed manual. No automatic is offered. Maximum power of 221 kW at 6000 rpm and maximum torque of 407 Nm at 4000 revs are enough to shoot the STI to 100 km an hour from rest in a claimed 5.2 seconds. Passive safety comes with full-length curtain airbags, driver’s knee airbag, plus dual front and side airbags. Front seatbelts have pre-tensioners and load limiters, with double pre-tensioners on the driver’s side. Powerful ABS brakes work on the four-wheel discs, electronic brake-force distribution and brakes assist make them even better. Forward and reverse hillstart assist is included. Vehicle dynamics control (electronic stability control) and
symmetrical all-wheel drive top off the active safety features. Subaru’s Eyesight safety package is included only on CVT-fitted WRXs. The latest STI drives like the WRX we have come to know and love for many years. The boxer engine, for the most part, behaves like any middle-of-the-road four-cylinder unit. But when pushed it hits its straps with the resounding roar that’s guaranteed to bring a smile to a fan’s face. It’s not overly thirsty, always the sign of a highly efficient powerplant. The official combined urban / highway fuel consumption figure is 11.2 litres per 100 kilometres. The test vehicle recorded 11.3 in town with some highway work added on the required premium unleaded petrol. The six-speed manual gearbox can be hard work if the revs are not kept up – notchy is not the word. Stalling the motor was not uncommon on my first meeting. For ride and handling the STI still relies on the tried and tested SI-Drive system that tailors key engine functions with the choice of three driving experiences in the one car. For manual models it regulates the engine control unit and the electronic throttle. Intelligent mode (I) is for driving clever for everyday suburban and city conditions, when power output is reduced and fuel efficiency is the target; Sport (S) brings up enhanced acceleration and all-round sporty performance, while Sport Sharp (S#) provides pure performance through bursts of power at the right moment. The first mode is most comfortable in day-to-day driving, while the last is best left for track days and the like. The centre differential switches front-torear torque under power in corners and back can be set manually to a rear-drive bias. Limited-slip diffs front and back and torque vectoring help keep the car on course at speed. Apart from a few cosmetic changes the WRX STI is the performance that we’ve come to know, and love, for years now. A complete renewal is on the cards. But when? Wait for it…
Kia Stinger 200S and 300S only gained three out of five stars in ANCAP testing because they don’t have autonomous emergency braking and lane keeping assist. The Si, GT and GT Line are rated with the full five stars as they do have these systems. Standard safety features across the complete Stinger range include seven airbags; ABS brakes; stability and traction control; hill start assist; rear parking sensors; rear view camera; active bonnet lift system; LED daytime running lights; automatic headlights; two IsoFix child seat anchorage points; and impact sensing auto door unlocking. Added features on the mid-spec Stinger Si are the aforementioned autonomous emergency braking and lane keeping assist, as well as front parking sensors and driver attention alert. The 2.0-litre GT-Line and V6 GT variants get a 360-degree camera; electrochromic door mirrors; blind spot detector; rear cross traffic alert; dynamic bending light; and high beam assist. Stinger S uses a 7-inch colour touchscreen, the others step up to an 8-inch screen. There is a three-tier audio system, with six speakers in the S; nine in the Si and 15 in the Harmon/Kardon system used in the GT-Line and GT. All models have a satellite navigation multimedia system with 10 years of updates for SUNA traffic information and MapCare. Also standard across the range are DAB+ digital radio; Android Auto and Apple CarPlay both with voice recognition. Speed dependent volume control is a neat feature. There’s a convenient smartphone aperture at the bottom of the front console with a USB socket alongside it as well as a second one in the centre console. The GT and GT-Line have wireless phone charging availability. Bluetooth pairing is straightforward and fast. In the past many large cars from Asia have failed on the Australian market because they were big, soft and not particularly interesting to drive. Our test of the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol Stinger GT-Line shows that mould has been well and truly broken. Stinger has been tuned to suit both Australian conditions and our drivers’ preferences. Handling is sharp, with quick turn in, good steering feel and the ability to change direction instantly. Ride comfort is excellent and the big Kia wasn’t fazed by the semi-rough sections of our test route. Engine response from the 2.0-litre turbo is good, with only a minimum of lag and there’s a big spread of torque from very low engine speeds. We’re not great fans of sunroofs because of their infringement on headroom. Our test cars had this feature but because of their width didn’t pose the usual roof-brushing problem. Rear vision is limited because of the long, low angled rear window although there are large side mirrors. Fuel consumption from the GT-Line is listed at 8.8 litres per 100 kilometres, we registered 9.7 L/100 overall during our week-long test, and down as low as 8.3 in comfortable freeway cruising. Kia Stinger GT is the highest-performance production vehicle in the South Korean company’s history. It comes to Australia with a choice of two targets, either as a replacement for the bigtwo Aussie family cars or, more ambitiously, as a budget-priced competitor for mid-sized European luxury hatches.
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Jan. 5 - 11 | 2018
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