ON FRONT PAG E N O R T H E AST V I C TO R I A , A L P S A N D H I G H CO U N T RY
APRIL 8-14, 2016
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PASSAT PLUS: Despite its sporty looks, the VW Passat Alltrack is at home off the bitumen.
Passat-Plus
Back on track for success ON the outside it’s Sunday-suit smart; on the inside no-fuss functional, and as far as performance is concerned, the new VW Passat Alltrack is an Opera House-style pleasure. Based on the practical Passat wagon, the Passat Alltrack is back adding a fresh face to the eighth generation of the VW mid-size passenger vehicle. It has its own range of standard features and the ability to go that much farther off the bitumen. This is due mainly to the new generation 4Motion all-wheel drive system, plus a feature that allows drivers to select an appropriate drive setup from a choice of eco, sport and, unique to the Alltrack, offroad mode, which includes automatically
By EWAN KENNEDY activating hill descent control. The second-generation Passat Alltrack comes with a high-torque turbo-diesel 2.0-litre diesel engine mated with a sixspeed DSG automatic. All of this adds a small premium over the standard Passat wagon; the Alltrack being priced at $49,290, plus on-road costs, $1300 more. A Luxury Package consisting of a panoramic sunroof, ambient interior lighting, electric foldable mirrors, Park Assist 3 parking system, LED daytime running lights, LED headlights with dynamic cornering function, headlight
washers and a chrome grille strip, all for $3500. This was included in our test vehicle. Despite standing taller than the standard Passat with ground clearance of up to 27.5 mm above a standard Passat Wagon, the Alltrack takes on a squat stance befitting a performance orientated vehicle. Standard 18-inch Kalamata alloy wheels, specifically created for the vehicle, are set off by wheel arch mouldings and flared side sills, these also offer additional body protection when away from sealed roads. Newly designed bumpers present an instantly recognisable face, while rear badging hints at Passat Alltrack’s credentials.
The car’s stylish interior has Vienna leather appointed upholstery, a leather multi-function steering wheel and gearshift knob, as well as LED reading lights. The Alltrack pays homage to the Passat wagon with luggage space to meet the needs of a ‘full house’ - 639 litres of cargo volume even with five adults on board. If full load capacity is needed, luggage space can be increased to 1769 litres with the rear seatbacks lowered. The cargo area offers an impressive interior length of 1172 mm up to the back of the rear seats and 2018 mm up to the back of the front seats.
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Paul Davenport 0408 057 837 Michael Henderson 0418 512 531 Kylie Stevenson 0428 215 677 Noel Gilbert 0438 597 200
(03) 5721 5677 10 Templeton Street, Wangaratta www.onemilemotors.com.au LMCT1060
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Apr 8 - 14 | 2016
Jaguar XE:
Brilliant British sports sedan
By DEREK OGDEN THE British upmarket marque has always been known for sports models, be it the iconic E-Type, or the many low slung sporty saloons it has developed over the years Jaguars have been admired by those looking for more soul than its German competitors that tend to be efficient more than fun. The F-Type is certainly a strong starting point for the XE. The all-new Jaguar XE is pure sports sedan, with a range of supercharged engines powering dynamic chassis and a fair dose of the traditional British interiors. When we drove the Jaguar XE at its media launch in north Queensland last year it grabbed a lot of attention, with holiday makers grabbing photos. Nothing changed last week when we took ‘our’ Jaguar (wish it was) for runs in our home area of the Gold Coast and the inland scenic hills. Jaguar XE’s large ‘mouth’ grille, sculpted headlights and extravagantly long bonnet lead back to a coupe-like roofline then slopes stylishly down to a short bootlid with rear spoiler. The XE’s not just an excellent visual exercise, the aerodynamic guys and gals have achieved a drag coefficient of just 0.26 to let it slip through the air with a minimum of fuss. Inside the midsize Jag is elegant, with a very usable binnacle, a central infotainment screen and subtle ventilation outlets. Buyers can choose between the InControl Touch system with 8.0-inch touchscreen, and the next-generation InControl Touch Pro system. The Jaguar XE gained the maximum five star rating in Euro NCAP’s 2015 safety tests. Even more importantly, active safety systems do what they can to avoid a crash. These include Autonomous Emergency
JAGUAR XE: Excellent styling of the all-new model is backed up by a truly sporting chassis. Braking that uses a forward-facing stereo camera to detect vehicles which could pose a threat of collision. It gives the driver visual and audible warnings and automatically applies the brakes if a collision is imminent. There is also Dynamic Stability Control, Traction Control, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot Monitoring, Closing Vehicle Sensing and Reverse Traffic Detection. Jaguar was kind enough to lend us one with a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol with 250 kW and 450 Newton metres for our week’s road test. This rip snorting engine sees the Jaguar XE S V6 getting to 100 km/h in just 5.1 seconds after takeoff. Most Jaguar XEs sold in Australia are likely to be powered by a four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbo-petrol unit that is offered in two
different stages of tune; producing 147 kW of power and 280 Nm of torque, or 170 kW / 340 Nm - these have plenty of performance. An efficient turbo-diesel engine, again a four-cylinder 2.0-litre, it gives you 132 kilowatts, and 450 Nm of torque from 1750 to 2500 revs. All Jaguar XE models imported to Australia drive the rear wheels through a ZF eightspeed automatic transmission. A six-speed manual is sold in some markets, but the importer says none will be brought downunder, not even on special order. The V6 engine is a delight to sit behind. Being supercharged it doesn’t have the irritating lag that puts us off turbocharged engines. Push that pedal on the right and the Jag gives you instant action. Love it.
The Jaguar XE’s cornering ability is brilliant, with electric power steering that’s arguably the best, most intuitive we have ever felt. Road grip is high and the sporting sedan is happy to change direction mid corner if required. However, the thick windscreen pillars block vision at times and you really do need to be prepared to move your head to keep track of what’s happening out there. Superb styling, sporting chassis dynamics and that oh-so-Jaguar feel means the XE is already stealing sales from the big three German marques, as well as Japanese Lexus. We can see that situation becoming even more noticable after people take the upmarket Brit for a test drive.
Passat-Plus: Back on track for success
From page 1
Convenience and practicality are foremost with a luggage partition net, shopping bag and load restraint hooks, interior illumination and a 12V socket in the boot. The bush may be calling in the Alltrack but there’s no need to miss out on what’s happening in the big city. Connection comes via the innovative App-Connect system, which features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems, giving occupants access to content via smartphones to music, messaging and navigation via touchscreen or voice control. This integrated technology is displayed in high definition via the 8.0-inch Discover Pro touchscreen with satellite navigation, which also offers USB, SD card and Aux connectivity. A special feature, ‘off-road information’ includes three digital round instruments showing steering angle, a compass and altitude indicator. Passat Alltrack’s 2.0 TDI four-cylinder engine develops 140 kW between 3500 and 4000 rpm, adding an impressive maximum torque of 400Nm from 1750 rpm all the way up to 3000 rpm. With this to play with, says VW, the six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission puts out lively performance with official fuel consumption of just 5.4 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined urban / highway cycle. Passenger protection is paramount; the new Alltrack coming standard with multi-collision brake technology, a driver fatigue detection system, Continental self-
LOOKS GOOD: The Passat Plus has plenty of room to move. sealing tyres, a low tyre pressure indicator, parking distance sensors and reversing camera. There’s an electronic stability program and XDL on both axles, which brakes the wheels on the inside of a bend during fast cornering, optimising steering response. Nine airbags: front, front and rear side, curtain (front and rear), and driver’s knee airbags. There are safety optimised front head restraints and three-point seat belts. Traffic monitoring includes Front Assist with City Emergency Braking function, Side Assist for lane changing, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Rear Traffic Alert which detects other vehicles crossing when
reversing out of a parking space. Park Assist is available as part of the optional Luxury Package. It enables semiautomatic parking in spaces parallel or perpendicular to the road. It can also get the car out of parallel parking spaces. From a light load to a ‘crowded house’, with its torquey motor doing its stuff, there is little change in the way the Passat Alltrack rides and handles under normal road conditions. While the maker puts combined fuel consumption at 5.4 litres per 100 kilometres, the test car came up with 9.1 litres per 100 kilometres in town traffic and 4.8 litres per 100 kilometres at sustained
legal motorway speed, neither of which need cause for concern at the fuel pump. It’s worth taking a look at the way technology helps in one sticky off-road situation. By dialling up the off-road mode with the driving profile selector, Hill Descent Assist is automatically engaged at speeds between 2 km/h and 30 km/h, preventing unwanted acceleration on downhill slopes of more than 10 per cent. In an emergency stop on loose surfaces the ABS anti-skid intervals are changed to build up a wedge of stones, gravel or sand and reduce the stopping distance. The accelerator can become more sensitive, meaning there is more pedal travel for less power, slower acceleration and lower top speed. At the same time, gearshift points are higher and automatic upshifts are suppressed. All in all, the total system reduces stress leaving the driver to plot a safe path without unwanted surprises. While I can take or leave a panoramic sunroof and ambient interior lights, the Luxury Package, with electric folding mirrors, Park Assist 3 parking system, LED daytime running lights, LED headlights with dynamic cornering function, headlight washers and a chrome grille strip, does seem a bargain at $3500. Going bush is not out of the question with the new VW Passat Alltrack; neither is cruising the highway in comfort; nor taking on the cut and thrust of city traffic when the power to overtake quickly and safely is an advantage.
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Apr 8 - 14 | 2016
Citroen C4 takes hard road to comfort, economy By DEREK OGDEN NINETY years ago, in 1925, a Citroen 5CV became the first vehicle to complete a full circuit of Australia. Almost a century later, Citroens are still going round: an upgrade of the Citroen C4 hatch is one of the French maker’s latest models to land in Australia. Thanks to the adoption of PSA Peugeot Citroen’s award winning PureTech, Euro 6, petrol turbo powerplant featuring stop / start technology, mated with the latest sixspeed Aisin automatic transmission, the new C4 offers greater power and performance from less fuel. As a bonus it also has new technology and additional safety features. Styling also comes in for a makeover, with two variants – Seduction and Exclusive – looking good from every angle. There’s no cheap version. Both slot in at the upper end of the segment price range, the Seduction coming in at $29,990, plus on-road costs, the Exclusive at $33,990. The test car turned out to be the fully-specced Exclusive model - hardly a surprise. Styling sees new front and rear lights, front bumpers and new colours including all-new Gris Platinum and Gris Galet. Halogen headlights have the latest LED signature, tail lights have a 3D effect, mirror shells are chromed, automatic lights and wipers, dual zone climate control, cruise control with speed limiter, electro-chromatic rear view mirror, rear park assist and electric folding mirrors. Exclusive also gains blind-spot monitoring, keyless entry and start, Cielo panoramic glass roof, electric park brake, front parking sensors, in addition to those in the rear, and reversing camera. The cabin has a premium feel with soft touch dashboard, quality cloth roof lining and touches of chrome on the steering wheel controls, air vents and gear lever. Exclusive receives a part-leather, cloth and alcantara trim as standard. The day spa stuff runs to electric lumbar adjust and massage for the driver. The optional full leather trim includes seat heating and massage for both front occupants. Generous storage includes a large glove box, door panels in front large enough for a 1.5-litre bottle, drawers under the front seats, storage space on the dashboard
CITROEN C4 HATCH: Taking on members of the crowded compact class. and under the front armrest. Focus of the cabin interior is an all-new 7.0inch tablet-style touch screen that gets rid of 13 buttons from the dash panel, resulting in a cleaner, more intuitive set-up. The new touchscreen has allowed the takeup of satellite navigation as standard on both models. The all-new PureTech drivetrain has provided a weight saving of 125 kg over the discontinued Euro 5 diesel model. Based on the three-cylinder naturally aspirated engines in the PureTech family, the turbocharged version in the C4 hatch operates smoothly and without the raspy sound of other compact units. Compared to the previous 1.6-litre, fourcylinder, four-speed automatic petrol drivetrain, the new C4 develops 8 kW more power and 70 Nm extra torque. While performance is up across all measures compared to the outgoing petrol model, fuel use and emissions are down – with an improvement of 2.1 litres in fuel use over 100 kilometres (down to 4.9L / 100km) and a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 39 grams per kilometre. The PureTech 130 drivetrain is mated with a six-speed automatic gearbox developed in conjunction with Aisin. Compared with the previous four-speed
transmission gear shifts are 40 per cent faster thanks to Quick Shift, a new technology for synchronised control of engine and gearbox, and a new and more efficient calculator. Intelligent Traction Control provides a better grip on slippery surfaces such as snow, ice and mud, detecting conditions that make it difficult to move off. In these situations, the ITC replaces the anti-slip regulation and transfers the drive force to the wheel with the best grip. There’s also Hill Start Assist and an electric parking brake that automatically holds the vehicle steady for two seconds to allow an easy start on gradients of over 3 per cent. Front foglamps with static cornering lighting shine an additional beam on the inside of corners, thus improving visibility. They are turned on in two ways: when the turn signal is activated or when the angle of the turning wheel reaches 60 degrees, lighting an angle of up to 75 degrees on either side of the vehicle. The ultrasonic Blind Spot Monitoring System fitted to Exclusive models warns the driver who hasn’t adjusted the mirrors correctly that a vehicle is in a blind spot they have created. It has orange diode in the corner of the rear view mirror. All Citroen C4 hatch variants benefit from a
responsive steering system. A 105 kg mass reduction over the front of the vehicle has resulted in spring and damper rates being revised to allow for increased comfort, while also benefiting turn-in. Eco mode, connected via a dash-mounted switch, automatically cuts the engine when the car comes to a standstill. As it was, the test C4 hatch recorded fuel consumption of a frugal 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres on the motorway and nine litres around town with the Eco mode off. Test car brakes were a tad sharp and practice was required to achieve smooth operation. Loss of concentration had the C4 lurching. In a small car, the size-to-space ratio is all important. Citroen C4’s dimensions are unchanged, with a length of 4.33 metres, width of 1.79 metres, and height of 1.49 metres, but with a 2.61-metre wheelbase rear seat room is generous. It’s all right moving to the middle of the road but the Citroen C4 hatch will come into contact with some stiff opposition from the likes of Toyota, Mazda, Kia, Hyundai and a host of other Europeans that produce cute and cheap compacts like shelling peas.
Mazda MX-5 wins again
IT seems that the car credited with the reinvention of the convertible, the great little Mazda MX-5, roadster can do no wrong. The fourth generation MX-5 won the 2016 World Car of the Year award last week; this week it added the World Car Design of the Year trophy. It is the first time in the history of the awards that the same car has taken both titles. World Car of the Year has a judging panel of 73 journalists from 23 different countries; the announcement was made at the 2016 New York International Auto Show. Locally, the MX-5 won Wheels Car of the Year in Australia. Almost as though it sensed big things were coming, Mazda chose to hold the world premiere of the retractable hardtop version of the MX-5, tagged the RF for Retractable Fastback, at the same show. Unlike the previous MX-5 folding hardtops which looked pretty much the same in profile as the soft-top, the MX-5 RF has MAZDA MX-5 RF: Has fascinating fastback styling. fascinating fastback styling that slopes very compactly inside the fastback body Mazda Australia says it will only import down to the rear. structure so retains the same boot space the Retractable Fastback with the 2.0-litre The power roof can be opened or closed as the soft-top model. petrol engine. At this stage the launch date at speeds of up to 10 km/h. It is stowed
is still to be announced, as has the price. Stay tuned and we will advise the details as soon as we have them.
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Apr 8 - 14 | 2016
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2012 Hilux SR5 Extra Cab, bought new, exc cond in/out. 91,000kms (mostly highway), 12 mths rego, (private plates Ping 23 - not being sold), 4 new Wrangler tyres (1500kms old). Comes with approx. $25,000 extras, including original parts that came off (includes tub). ARB bullbar, Ironman winch 12,000lb, heavy duty tray, towbar, side rails/steps, snorkel, IPF hid driving lights, Old Man Emu 2 inch lift kit, 3 inch exhaust, dual battery system, long range fuel tank, black Sunraysia rims, tinted windows, rear LED lights and tail lights, full steel lockable canopy with canvas, VHFRQG IXHO ÂżOWHU ZDWHU catchment. $50,000 ono. Located in Benalla. Ph 0438 015 488.
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O L Y M P I C COACHMAN 2000. 19’ pop top tandem. V.G.C.. Roll out awning, 3 way fridge, battery backup. Gas stove, oven and griller. Microwave. Island double bed. Further information go to Gumtree or Caravan and Camping sales. Reduced price $14,000. Ph. 0419 591 422.
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