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JULY 8 - 14, 2016
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LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT: Its lines are functional with a touch of fashion.
Land Rover Discovery Sport ROAD TEST By EWAN KENNEDY from the grandfather of all sophisticated 4WDs, the Range Rover itself. A Range Rover can set you back close to a quarter of a million dollars – new Discovery Sport has a price list that begins at just $56,355, plus on-road costs. Our test car was a highline HSE turbodiesel with a recommended tag of $64,235. The Disco Sport is based on the trendy Land Rover Evoque and shares some visible and many out of sight components with it - a major reason for the low price. There’s not a sign of sleekness or excitement in the shape of the Sport, the
best way of describing its lines is ‘timeless’. As Land Rover Australia points out, those who do want style can opt for the Evoque. The Sport is taller than the Evoque, particularly at the rear and has a squarer tail. The latter makes for a good sized load area that can carry tallish items. Not for the Discovery the swooping slopes of the German SUVs, which look stunning but hamper load area. Land Rover Australia expects the great majority of Australian buyers want turbodiesel power, so offers 2.2-litre fourcylinder diesels with 110 or 140 kilowatts of power.
Torque outputs are 400 Nm on the 110 kW engine, and 420 on the 140. There’s also a 177 kW four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit displacing 2.0 litres. It has 340 Nm of torque, which is very impressive for a small displacement four. Six-speed manual or nine-speed automatic transmissions are offered. Automatics are likely to be the biggest sellers by a large margin, today’s autos are such exceptional units they are no longer just for the person who spends a lot of time in commuting traffic. It almost goes without saying that all models have 4WD.
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THE all-new Land Rover Discovery Sport is not a toy SUV masquerading as a 4WD, it is the real deal - an all-terrain vehicle from the old school. One that can be taken into tough offroad conditions where, believe it or not, even the rather crude Land Rover Series 1 would have struggled when it was launched 68 years ago. Yet the Discovery Sport will meet all the requirements of on-road comfort and handling today’s buyers demand. This seemingly impossible combination of on-road sophistication and off-road ruggedness shows design expertise not only from the Range Rover Evoque, but also
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July 8 - 14 | 2016
Land Rover Discovery Sport
From page 1
However, the front wheels can automatically disconnect in the interests of decreased fuel use when the computers sense RWD is all that’s required. An 8.0-inch colour touchscreen works with a smartphone app that can be used to access additional apps that’s connected through Bluetooth. We enjoyed the sound quality of 11-speaker stereo. Discovery Sport has all the usual passive safety items such as ABS brakes with brake assist, and electronic traction controls. It also features rollover stability, emergency braking, hill descent control, trailer sway control and lane departure warnings. It not only is safe, but also feels safe. The handling, brakes and on-road feel are very good and the off-road ability is staggering. Land Rover Discovery Sport comes with five or seven seats. The rearmost seats are best suited to children, but adults may find them more comfortable than they had expected. Naturally, there’s not a lot of boot space when all seven seats are in use, but there’s big volume when only five are being carried. Discovery Sport is very versatile, as the second row seat can slide back and forward by up to 160 mm to give you plenty of passenger / luggage options. We carried out extensive off-road driving as part of the media launch of the Discovery outside Canberra a few months ago.
At a Glance
ON THE ROAD: The Land Rover Discovery Sport offers a comfortable ride on and off-road. Including some areas where we could have seriously damaged the vehicles if we made poor decisions. The highly competent British off-roader never looked like getting into trouble. The combination of good angles, plenty of suspension articulation and electronic aids made seeing remote areas of the great Aussie bush amazingly easy. With the family on board many owners will hopefully find the big differences between a real 4WD and the competitors who are selling hatchbacks with taller bodies.
On the road the Discovery was equally impressive, with a smooth comfortable ride that’s almost in large sedan class and handling which is safe and predictable. Around town we found the turbo-diesel reasonably quiet and able to accelerate without too much turbo lag. Many buyers of SUVs are really looking for a stylish station wagon and don’t want a 4WD. Land Rover is well aware of this and has intelligently come up with a vehicle that will appeal to those who want a good looking wagon - but still want a genuine 4WD.
NOTE: THESE PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE GOVERNMENT OR DEALER DELIVERY CHARGES. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL NISSAN DEALER FOR DRIVEAWAY PRICES.
2.0 Si4 SE petrol $59,590 (automatic)
2.2 TD4 SE diesel $56,355 (automatic)
2.2 TD4 HSE diesel $61,000 (automatic)
2.2 SD4 SE diesel $59,595 (automatic)
2.2 SD4 HSE diesel $64,235 (automatic)
2.2 SD4 HSE Luxury diesel $69,690 (automatic)
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Expert Advice
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July 8 - 14 | 2016
Cars are getting really boring
By EWAN KENNEDY
SUBARU LEVORG: Sports wagons have long been a feature of Subarus, and this is the latest.
Subaru Levorg sports wagon
By EWAN KENNEDY
SUBARU Levorg is a sports wagon that has been on sale in Japan since June 2014. It was originally intended as a Japanese only speciality model but received such glowing reports by a Subaru enthusiast who visited Japan and published information online that the decision was made for Levorg to go global. Late last year we travelled to Japan as guests of Subaru Australia to attend technical presentations and test drives on a closed road course of the Levorg in the mountains around Isu City. Now the Levorg is finally in Australia and following our first drives downunder we have again come up with very positive impressions. So important is the Australian market to Subaru that the Levorg’s chief engineer, Hiep Bui, and project manager, Yasunori Kumagai, both flew from Japan to spend time with the Australian motoring media invited to the event. The name Levorg is an amalgamation of Legacy and Evolution. (Subaru enthusiasts will be aware that Legacy is sold in Australia as the Liberty.) Levorg shares quite a few WRX STi components, mostly from the B-pillar forwards, including the redhot boxer turbo engine. Details about the engine later. Though it’s possible to refer to the Subaru Levorg as a WRX station wagon it is actually aimed at quite a different market, that of high-performance wagons offered by the big name German marques. Thus the Levorg combines sophistication, dynamic ability and style, rather than being simply a hotrod. Subaru Levorg can also be regarded as a latter day version of the much missed Subaru Liberty RS wagon (and sedan) of the 1990s. Styling is excellent, arguably one of the
best shaped Subarus ever to my way of thinking. It has a sporting grille, pumped guards and a sleek rear end with a business-like tail. Inside, the sophisticated look continues, with sports seats that provide good support while still making ingress and egress easy. Levorg uses the latest generation Subaru infotainment system. It is one of the easiest to use that you will find on any car. The very clear touchscreen requires a minimum of driver inattention from the road and works in a logical manner. Subaru’s Eyesight safety system is standard in all Levorgs sold in Australia. Crash testing authority ANCAP has given the Levorg the top five-star safety rating. Power comes from Subaru’s wellrespected 2.0-litre boxer, direct-injection, turbocharged engine. In Australian versions it produces 197 kW of power and 350 Nm of torque, the latter in an extended range of 2400 to 5200 revs. A continuously variable transmission with manual overrides takes torque to all four wheels by way of Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel-drive system. Engine performance is excellent with a minimum of turbo lag and plenty of torque on tap once that turbocharger is spinning at its optimum rate. Three driving modes are offered and Sport# (sport sharp) was generally our preferred one, though even in lower settings there’s plenty of spunk in the Levorg’s feel. On an extended road trip organised by Subaru in New South Wales, which ran from Port Macquarie to Tamworth over some challenging inland roads the Levorg we tested proved to be highly competent. It has a solid feel, excellent grip, precise turn-in and the feedback through the
steering wheel is just right. We tested the Levorg GT ($42,990) and GTS ($48,890). An Australian developed GTS B-spec, with special suspension modifications for the sporting driver that are installed locally, is offered on both models for an additional $4000. Interior space is good with reasonable legroom in the back seat, there’s good space for children who haven’t yet reached the hulking-teen stage. The wagon’s load area is well shaped and easy to load. Comfort remained surprisingly good considering the dynamic nature of the suspension. Australia’s notorious coarse-chip bitumen roads did create a fair bit of noise. But we have heard considerably worse, often from German cars of this same class which cost far more than the Levorg There’s no doubt the Subaru Levorg will make an excellent grand tourer (GT) in the true meaning of the phrase; that is able to cover big distances in comfort while providing the driver with plenty of pleasure. Leave the passengers at home and you can have a full-on fang on your favourite country roads on one of these delightful Sunday morning drives. Subaru Australia chief Nick Senior only expects to sell about 200 to 250 Levorgs each year. Having just stepped out of the cars we feel he is being over conservative. If that is the case and demand outstrips supply a waiting list may start to expand. It might be an idea to get in touch with your dealer pretty soon if you’re halfway interested. The Subaru Levorg GT is priced at $42,990; GT-S at $48,890 and GT-S Spec B at $52,890. Note that these prices do not include dealer or government charges. Contact your local Subaru dealer for drive-away prices.
AS the finishing line at the Western Sydney International Dragway flashed under the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Night at just over 100 miles per hour I thought to myself, “today’s cars are getting really boring”. I carried out hundreds of acceleration tests in the 1980s and early ‘90s when technical editor at Modern Motor magazine. Mostly on the main straight at the now defunct Oran Park Raceway, but sometimes in not so legitimate areas. No further comments on that latter statement! Back then you had to juggle engine revs, clutch takeup and handbrake to get off the line at maximum efficiency without too much wheelspin or creating axle tramp or excessive torque steer. That was followed by lightning fast gearchanges, having previously worked out whether these should be at the redline, a little lower, or possibly a bit higher if the valves don’t start to bounce. The acceleration run over you had to get onto the brakes very hard as there wasn’t a lot of space to spare before the straight bits at Oran Park ran out. But not brake so hard that wheels locked up and all steering was lost. Nowadays you push buttons to tell the computer what you want to do. Put one foot on the brake pedal, the other on the accelerator. Then take your foot off the brake pedal - no skill required. Sydney International Dragway has plenty of runoff area so there was no urgency in slowing down. But if I had needed to brake hard all that would have been required was slam the brake pedal and rely on the Jeep’s computer to make the ABS system do its thing, if I didn’t push the pedal hard enough the computer would have sensed this and brought on full emergency braking - no skill required. Okay, so I’m approaching the grumpy-old-man stage of life, but it really was much more fun back before computers took control of cars and drivers really had to think, feel and adapt their driving on the fly. Then again, no one is required to be able to drive a car correctly to get a licence in Australia, and driver inattention is getting worse by the day, so I guess having the car saving their bacon is a good thing.
BORING: Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Night at Sydney Dragway.
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July 8 - 14 | 2016
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1989 Ford Maverick 4x4 wagon, 7 seat, cloth trim, ac, auto, bulbar, towbar, dual fuel, February 2017 rego (FUJ584), 448,000km, tyres 90%, RWC, $5500. Ph 0412 681 499.
1986 BMW R65, 95,000km, panniers, heated grips, rego September 2016 (SC456), 2x owners from new, new tyres, battery, $7900. Ph 5721 4737.
COMMODORE VE Omega Wagon, 2008, 230,000 kms, cruise, full service history, roof rack, tow bar, excellent condition, reg. Aug 16 (WNK555), $8000 ono. Ph 0447 271 966.
FORD Focus Trend 2011, 21,500km, one older lady owner, immaculate condition, rego December 2016 (YTY155), RWC, $14,800 ono. Ph 0438 329 213, 0409 950 907.
2001 Jayco Hawk, 25th Anniversary model, Queen size bed one end and double the other, table folds down for extra bed, 3-way fridge, 4 gas burner stove top with grill and oven underneath. Full annexe in excellent condition. Great family van. $12,200 negotiable. Wa n g a r a t t a . P h 0411 250 510.
2012 Toyota Prado GX, 4x4, 3ltr turbo diesel, 115,000km, dual batteries, side steps, long range fuel tank, “outdoor” sliding drawers, Hayman Reece towbar, bulbar, (1CQ2MO), $36,500 neg. Phone Ken 0422 673 285.
2004 Toyota Corolla Ascent, hatch, (ZGI710), 94,607kms, 5 speed manual, one owner car, excellent condition, RWC supplied, $7500. Ph 0400 601 451.
HOLDEN Cruze CD wagon, 2013, 6 months rego (1AU1AM), 99,700km, 5 seat, auto, petrol, reverse sensors, $13,500 ono. Ph 0437 446 819.
HOLDEN Caprice, 2006 model, 6.4ltr V8, 175,000kms, (UNA269), excellent condition, $18,000. Ph 5722 1105.
CARAVAN, Like A Dove, 10ft, canvas sides, great weekends away, $1500. Ph 0439 766 211.
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VE Commodore Omega Series 11 V6, 6 speed auto, rego till December 29, 2016, (YTZ971), excellent condition, 94,000km, serviced every 10,000km, service book and manual, $12,000 ono. Ph 0400 321 567.
ECONOMICAL & STYLISH. 2004 Peugeot 206 XR with 80,000km on the clock, 3 doors 5 seat Hatch, black exterior, blue interior, 5 speed manual, 2 x airbags. Full service history, comes with 12 months registration June 2017 (WMX305) and D 5RDGZRUWK\ &HUWL¿cate. This has been our second car and is a brilliant little car, It will be a shame to see it go as it offers huge value due to its low kilometres and low price of $4999. Inspections welcome. Ph 0457 902 966.
B M W 2 0 0 2 3 1 6 Ti 2 door coupe E46, 5 speed, excellent condition, service history, (WAA460), $5,000 ono. Ph 0418 691 557.
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AUSTIN truck, engine no. 40DV409494, type Y JB 90 3P, model 303NC, $500 ono. Ph 0410 709 739.
2005 BA MKII Ford Falcon Ute, (UZY325), colour maroon, auto with Sports Shift, 163,000km, nudge bar, sports bar and tarp, excellent condition, $8000 ono, RWC. Ph 5727 6090.
18FT Gazelle caravan, 4 berth, great onsite or spare room, air/con, skin roof, in good order, no rego, $4800. Ph 0439 766 211. 1994 Toyota Hilux, dual cab, 6 months rego (CD46DQ), in good order, manual, extractors, aircon, power steering, $4600. Ph 0439 766 211. 2004 Subaru Outback, 6 cylinder, automatic, excellent condition, leather trim, 6 stacker C D p l a y e r, RW C , (WPR406), $7300 ono. Ph 0427 579 810.
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