Motoring JULY 2015

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The Malta Independent on Sunday • 26 July 2015

The Malta Independent on Sunday • 26 July 2015

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Triple Victory for Opel at Ypres Rallye • Opel teams dominate fourth round of FIA ERC Junior • Three ADAM R2 winners – Aleks Zawada ahead of Marijan Griebel and Julius Tannert • Bad luck costs Opel works drivers Griebel and Bergkvistnear certain victory pel reinforced its strong position in the FIA ERC Junior at the Kenotek Ypres Rallye in West Flanders, Belgium. Pole Aleks Zawada and his French co-driver Cathy Derousseaux celebrated their first victory in their customer ADAM R2, ahead of German Opel works drivers Marijan Griebel/Stefan Clemens from the ADAC Opel Rallye Junior Team and Julius Tannertand his Luxembourgian co-driver Jennifer Thielen in another customer ADAM R2. Three of this year‘s four season victories in the FIA ERC Junior have now

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gone to the brand with the blitz.

“A fantastic day, a fantastic car, a fantastic rallye,”said an elated Zawada, who seemed to be out of the running for victory at the beginning of the second day after his 190 hp front-wheel drive car was stuck in a ditch for a minute after a

Kia outshines the market with an updated Picanto • Updated exterior and interior design with new customisation options • Updates to 1.0-litre gasoline engine and reduced stopping distance ia Motors Europe unveiled the enhanced Kia Picanto at the 85th Salon International de l’Automobile in Geneva last March. Kia’s stylish A-segment city hatchback features a range of dynamic and visual improvements to maintain its competitiveness.

The enhanced Kia Picanto boasts redesigned front and rear bumpers to enhance the car’s bold looks, as well as updates to Kia’s hallmark ‘tiger-nose’ grille. Buyers can now choose a new,optional 14-inch alloy wheel design. The inclusion of another optional sport pack makes the upgraded car stand out as one of the best-looking vehicles in the A-segment, in both three- and five-

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door variants.

Inside, the Picanto can be upgraded to the EX model which comes with new chrome accents surrounding the driver’s instrument binnacle and dashboard air vents, and a new cloth upholstery pattern boosts the car’s youthful appeal. At the center of the dashboard, a more modern fascia now surrounds the Picanto’s audio system.

The upgraded Picanto has received a series of small modifications to its 1.0-litre MPI (Multi-Point Injection) engine, ensuring the car meets strict Euro 6 emissions standards.

The Picanto is among the brand’s best-selling models in Europe, with 51,102 units sold in 2014. The enhanced model is sold with the usual Kia’s unique 7-Year warranty for complete peace of mind.

The new Kia Picanto can be yours from only €9,395 and is available for a free test-drive at Cars International, Mdina Road, Qormi. For more information or to book your test-drive, send an email to kiasales@cil.com.mt, call on 2269 2000 or visit the website www.kia.com/mt or Facebook page Kia Motors Malta.

harmless spin. But the Polish-French team did not give up, fought their way back and ultimately also benefitted from their competitors’ back luck. “Luck also plays a role, and the score is settled at the very end,” said Zawada. “I am really sorry for Emil and Marijan. Both deserved to win.

But I am overjoyed that our efforts resulted in victory.”

The Opel works drivers Emil Bergkvist and Marijan Griebel battled for the lead from the first kilometer before both were impeded by mishaps. First Bergkvist had to retire his ADAM R2 in the12th of 17 stages with an engine problem. And then Griebel, who went into the last stage with a 36-second lead, suffered a left rear puncture shortly before the finish line. The 26-year-old from Hahnweiler still managed to take his ADAM R2 across the finish line on one rim, but the time loss of nearly one minute sent him and his co-driver Stefan Clemens (28, from Thailen) to second place behind Zawada.

Griebel was understandably frustrated: “After a few days, I’ll probably be able to be pleased with our good performance and Opel Motorsport’s superior showing in this magnificent setting in front of thousands of excited spectators here in Ypres. But right now disappointment is the overwhelming feeling. Opel’s triple victory clearly proves that especially on asphalt, the ADAM R2 currently sets the benchmark in its class. So we’re going into the last two FIA ERC Junior events in Estonia and the Czech Republic with a lot of self-confidence.”

Kia Rio’s makeover gives exterior and cabin a fresh appearance ia’s celebration of the enhanced Rio features a number of improvements to maintain the competitiveness of its global bestselling car.

“The Kia Rio was our bestselling vehicle nameplate worldwide in 2013, with a total of 471,000 sales, and among our top-three sellers in Europe with 56,821 units delivered.

Improvements to this model are of major significance for our brand,” commented Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer, Kia Motors Europe.

“The immense popularity of the Rio shows that our designers and engineers got most things right when creating the fourthgeneration of our compact Bsegment challenger in 2011. The Rio retains the core attributes that have proved so popular with owners, while enhancements to the 2014 model include a slight

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visual makeover, giving it a fresh exterior and interior look,” added Cole.

Under the direction of Peter Schreyer, President and Chief Design Officer of Kia Motors Corporation, the Rio design team in Korea has updated the Rio’s ‘tiger-nose grille’ and given the car a newly-designed front bumper and fog lights. Three new alloy wheel designs (available in 15-, 16- and 17-inch) refresh the Rio’s profile and a new rear bumper completes the exterior makeover.

In addition, two new paint finishes (Urban Blue and Digital Yellow) will be added to the colour lineup.

The Rio’s cabin is brightened by the addition of chrome accents around the four dashboard airvents, and the fitting of a newlydesigned center-stack around the audio system. The base model LX is available in black cloth upholstery, while the rangetopping EX models come with

leather as standard.

The enhanced Rio is being offered with a choice of three highly efficient engines – ranging in power output from 74 to 107ps – driving the front wheels via five- or six-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions.

Every engine in the enhanced Rio range is available with Kia’s upgraded starter motor, as well as the fitment of low-rolling resistance tyres.

The enhanced model is sold with the usual Kia’s unique 7-Year warranty for complete peace of mind.

The new Kia Rio can be yours from only €13,900 and is available for a free test-drive at Cars International, Mdina Road, Qormi. For more information or to book your test-drive, send an email to kiasales@cil.com.mt, call on 2269 2000 or visit the website www.kia.com/mt or Facebook page Kia Motors Malta.

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The Malta Independent on Sunday • 26 July 2015 • r e v i e w •

Blue Bird c anniversary endine Sands came alive as hundreds of spectators watched a commemorative run of the iconic 350hp Sunbeam, on the 90th anniversary of Sir Malcolm Campbell’s World Land Speed Record of 150mph.

The National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, marked the anniversary with a low speed demonstration run in the restored Sunbeam with Sir Malcolm’s grandson Don Wales at the wheel.

Don Wales and the Beaulieu team also recreated two iconic pictures from the original run.

Don, who is also a Land Speed Record holder, said: “I was thrilled to be given this amazing opportunity to sit at the wheel of my grandfather’s car back at Pendine where he set his record. It was an honour both to follow in his footsteps and to drive this iconic car on such a special occasion.

“My grandfather was a remarkable man and for us to remember him and honour some of his achievements in this way is very humbling. I really must thank Beaulieu for this opportunity and for all the hard work the restoration team have done on her.”

The car was the brainchild of Sunbeam’s chief engineer and racing team manager, Louis Coatalen, and was constructed at the company’s works in Wolverhampton

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during 1919 and early 1920. Its power came from a modified 18.322 litre V12 Manitou Arab aero engine, a type used on naval seaplanes.

The Sunbeam, renamed Blue Bird by Campbell, holds three World Land Speed Records, the first achieved by Kenelm Lee Guinness at Brooklands in 1922 with a speed of 133.75mph. Campbell then purchased the car, had it painted in his distinctive colour scheme and in September 1924 achieved a new record speed of 146.16mph at Pendine, raising it the following year to 150.76mph.

Campbell then sold the Sunbeam and it passed through a number of owners and was in a poor condition when purchased

by Lord Montagu in 1957, for his ever expanding motor museum. It was restored to working order and when not on display, it was taken to motoring venues in the UK, Europe and as far afield as South Africa. Its last outing was at the British Automobile Racing Club Festival of Motoring at Goodwood in July 1962 when Lord Montagu took it on a 3-lap demonstration run and Donald Campbell did a lap d’Honneur.

During a test fire-up in 1993 to assess the car’s condition, disaster struck when a blocked oil way in the engine caused it to seize and ‘throw a rod’. For several years after that, the car was on display in the

The Malta Independent on Sunday • 26 July 2015

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elebrates 90th y record museum with a very visible hole in its engine where the piston and con-rod had exited.

In January 2014, following a complete mechanical rebuild undertaken by the National Motor Museum’s workshop team over a period of many years, the Sunbeam was fired-up again - the first time it had been heard in public in over 50 years. The following month it was a star of the show at Retromobile, Paris and was also run at the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Doug Hill, the National Motor Museum’s Manager and Chief Engineer, said: “When we were rebuilding the Sunbeam, I always hoped it would be finished by 2015 so we could run it here today on the 90th anniversary of its World Land Speed Record. I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to Louis Coatalen, the designers, the engineers who built it and the people who developed it during its racing history. I am also indebted to our team of engineers and volunteers who have spent more

than 2000 working hours returning it to running condition.”

Supporting the run was the 1933 aero-engined Napier Railton Special, which holds the all-time lap record of 143.44mph at Brooklands. The Napier-Railton has its own unique history at Pendine, having been the star (alongside James Mason and Ava Gardner) of the 1951 movie Pandora & The Flying Dutchman. In the film, the car is used for an attempt on the Land Speed Record, for which the action sequences (culminating in

the car being driven into the sea to quench an engine fire) were filmed on Pendine Sands during 1950. In recent months, a film researcher has established that amongst the ‘extras’ in the crowd scenes for these sequences was the famed Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas. Owned by the Brooklands Museum since 1977, the Napier-Railton also made a few runs along the sand at Pendine, with Museum Director & CEO, Allan Winn, in the driving seat.

The Malta Independent on Sunday • 26 July 2015

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Toyota announces new 2.8-litre D-4D diesel engine for revised Land Cruiser The Icon model also adopts DAB and the more sophisticated Toyota Touch 2 with Go Plus, adding voice command recognition, 3D city mapping and a text-to-speech function. At the top of the range, Land Cruiser Invincible gains the same new features, plus all the elements included in the new optional Safety Pack (details below).

• New Euro 6 174bhp 2.8-litre D-4D engine • New six-speed automatic transmission, replacing previous fivespeed unit • Improved engine torque delivery plus gains of around nine per cent in fuel economy and reduced CO2 emissions • Reintroduction of fivedoor/seven-seat Land Cruiser Active models • Revised equipment specifications oyota’s mighty Land Cruiser gains a new engine this summer, ensuring the goanywhere SUV remains one of the finest all-round propositions on the market.

At the same time, equipment specifications have been upgraded and extra models have been added to the line-up.

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New 2.8 D-4D engine The three and five-door Land Cruiser both adopt the new 2.8litre D-4D unit, which replaces the current 3.0-litre engine. The focus

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is on improved driveability with better torque delivery, plus lower fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions.

The 2,755cc, 16-valve DOHC engine produces a maximum 174bhp (130kW). Matched with the current six-speed manual transmission, it develops peak torque of 420Nm between 1,400 and 2,400rpm. A new six-speed automatic transmission (replacing the previous five-speed) allows even more pulling power to be delivered, with an extra 30Nm on tap between 1.600 and 2.400rpm.

The new automatic benefits

from control systems that help Land Cruiser achieve around a nine per cent improvement in fuel economy and CO2 emissions.

Provisional figures show combined cycle performance at 39.2mpg and 194g/km for the five-door model.

Higher equipment specifications The introduction of a new powertrain is accompanied by attractive new standard equipment features.

The entry-level Active grade models now come equipped with DAB digital radio for better quality

radio reception. The options list has been extended to include Toyota Touch 2 with Go, which adds intuitive and comprehensive navigation functions to the vehicle’s high-resolution, touchscreen-controlled multimedia system.

Customers can also specify leather seats for the vehicle. On three-door models this also includes heated front seats and leather door trims; on the fivedoor Active the package includes power adjustment for the front seats and triple-zone automatic air conditioning.

Land Cruiser’s new Safety Pack option (for Active and Icon models) equips the SUV with a wealth of features to help avoid accidents and support safer driving on and off road. They include Adaptive Cruise Control and Pre-Crash Safety system; Lane Change Assist; Rear Cross Traffic Alert; Blind Spot Monitor; and a Multi-Terrain Monitor, which gives a 360-degree view of the vehicle’s immediate surroundings.

A Protection Pack is offered for all five-door models, adding side mouldings, a rear bumper protection plate and a boot liner.

Extended model range The introduction of the new engine also heralds an increase in the Land Cruiser model range with the re-introduction of the Active grade five-door/seven-seat version, available, with either manual or automatic transmission. The three-door/fiveseat Land Cruiser Active remains in place, exclusive with manual shift.

Infiniti Q30 Premium Active Compact set for Frankfurt IAA 2015 premiere he first ever Infiniti Q30 Premium Active Compact is ready for its world premiere at the International Frankfurt Motor Show in September this year.

Featuring Infiniti’s iconic design language, the all-new Q30 represents a category-breaking

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vehicle concept developed for customers seeking urban individuality. Its dynamic drive characteristics provide for Infinititypical confident and responsive performance as well as excellent ride and handling. Crafted trims and expressive interiors extend the striking design approach from the exterior into the passenger cabin.

The public premiere of the Q30 Active Compact comes exactly two years after its precursor, the Q30 Concept, was introduced at the 2013 Frankfurt show. The unmistakable approach of that winning concept has been fully maintained as Infiniti’s all-new Q30 compact vehicle is introduced to the market.

“Design is a key pillar of the Infiniti brand – and the new Q30

Active Compact perfectly embodies this approach,” said Infiniti President Roland Krueger.

“The Q30 Active Compact delivers the distinctive design, the driving dynamics and the individuality that our customers expect of an Infiniti vehicle. With our first ever entry in the compact car segment, we continue the product offensive and provide additional options for our discerning customers.”

The Q30 Active Compact underwent final testing and development in Europe. It will be built in Sunderland in the UK which then becomes the fourth country on three continents to build Infiniti vehicles.

Press days for the international motor show in Frankfurt this year are on September 15 and 16, public days are held September 17-27.

The Malta Independent on Sunday • 26 July 2015

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The New JEEP Renegade launched in Malta

New model is leading vehicle to contribute to the brand growing success t was almost inevitable that a crossover would eventually be joining the growing Fiat 500 family.

The 500 line is a fashion-led product, and compact crossovers are the sector of the moment. It is actually not that compact but not large enough to prove an inconvenience in our daily struggle sourcing parking slots.

“The new JEEP Renegade is set to go down as one of JEEP’s most successful models. It carries JEEP’s DNA and all the brand’s most sought after qualities whilst remaining very accessible. Indeed, it is very well priced making it the most accessible JEEP on the market.”

This was stated by Francesca Mamo, Managing Director of UCIM Co Ltd, local representatives of the JEEP brand as she spoke in occasion of the arrival in Malta of the new Renegade model which is now available for viewing and test drives at the JEEP showroom in Valley Road Msida.

Recently, the new JEEP Renegade won the “Best Small SUV 2015 Award” in Spain, becoming the reference SUV of 2015 and

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becoming one of the best-selling models on the Spanish market just six months after its launch.

The Jeep Renegade gained the highest score in the security section, achieving five star EuroNCAP with an overall score of 80/100. In addition, it boasts efficient latest generation MultiAir (petrol) and Multijet (diesel) 1.6 and 2.0 litre engines with power of over 170 hp. It is also the first car in its class to mount an innovative nine-speed automatic transmission. In other words, Jeep Renegade embodies all of Jeep's virtues and experience in the SUV segment combined with a high level of customization, making it a truly unique car.

“We are looking at the JEEP Renegade as an opportunity to introduce the brand to a wider section of the local market because at €26,800, this model is the lowest priced JEEP model ever sold in Malta, making the brand more accessible to our customer base,” added Francesca Mamo.

For comprehensive protection, the new Jeep Renegade comes as standard with 6 airbags, Electronic Stability Control with electronic anti-rollover system. The safety equipment, depending on market

and trim level, features as standard or on request, further important systems such as Blind-Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path Detection, Adaptive Cruise Control and ParkView reversing camera.

One of the most innovative systems available on the new Jeep Renegade is the Forward Collision Warning-Plus (assisted braking system) – the first in the category in terms of reliability and precision – which uses radar and video sensors to detect whether the car is approaching another vehicle or obstacle in its path too rapidly. In these cases the system warns or assists the driver in order to avoid

impact or mitigate its consequences. The Jeep Renegade can also be equipped with the "Lane Sense Departure WarningPlus" and "Blind-spot Monitoring" systems.

The Renegade features the optional My Sky open-air, dualpanel roof which can be retracted for a quick blast of sunshine or completely removed for a real open-air experience. Renegade is also spatially versatile allowing you to carry almost any gear you have.

Second-row seats are offered as either a 60/40 split folding rear bench or, for ultimate flexibility, a 40/20/40 split folding rear bench with cargo area pass-through. The

front passenger seat also folds forward for even more cargo choices. A height-adjustable rear cargo floor moves up and down to optimize storage and allow cargo options for the My Sky roof panels.

Renegade allows its driver and passengers to remain connected with their world as best they can thank to Uconnect 6.5. This includes a vivid 6.5-inch touchscreen, AM/FM radio, Aux/USB Media Hub with iPod mobile device integration, integrated Uconnect® Voice Command and Bluetooth, handsfree calling and voice texting, sensor-assisted GPS, speedadjusted volume and GPS Navigation.

Besides a 7-inch full-colour driver information display, JEEP Renegade includes steering wheelmounted controls to scroll through navigation, Selec-Terrain choice, Active ParkSense and Rear Park Assist+, a digital speedometer and other vehicle information. And for the best audio experience whilst you’re out on the road, Renegade comes available with a nine speaker, a 506-watt audio system including a 6.5-inch subwoofer.

Toyota Mirai goes the distance Hydrogen fuel cell saloon sets record driving range for any zero-emissions car on the market he new Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle has proved it can go the distance, achieving 67 miles per gallon in official US combined city/highway driving calculations, and an estimated driving range of 312 miles on a single tank – a distance further than for any other zero-emissions car on the market.

Jim Lentz, Toyota North America CEO, announced the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) fuel economy rating for Mirai at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado this week. It confirms that Mirai is the only zero emissions electric vehicle on the market capable of exceeding 300 miles on one fill.

Lenz said: “Toyota realised in the early 90s that electrification was key to the future of the

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automobile. Just as Prius introduced hybrid-electric vehicles to millions of customers nearly 20 years ago, Mirai is now poised to usher in a new era of efficient, hydrogen transportation.”

Mirai is the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle, a four-door saloon with performance that competes with traditional internal combustion engines. Instead of using petrol, Mirai runs on electricity created on demand by hydrogen fuel and oxygen. The only emission produced by this process is water vapour.

Toyota will introduce Mirai in limited numbers in the UK and other selected European markets later this year, following its launch in Japan and, from this summer, California.