Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2021 i Wheels

BIG PLAYERS such as Jeep and Honda are “going upmarket” – and while many will still argue there are enough affordable new cars for lower-end buyers, the under $30,000 wedge is starting to look a little thinner. Last year around 187,000 vehicles under the $30K threshold were sold Down Under – roughly 20 percent of total new-car sales. Fast forward to 2021 and market research carried out by Wheels shows there are 33 models available to buy in Australia right now priced below that bracket. Of these, many are only the entry-level variant, with prices for higher spec models rising well beyond. Only three featured in the top 10 most popular in recent months: the Hyundai i30, Toyota Corolla and MG ZS. Of course this comes as no surprise. Aussies’…

DUE Q4 BMW iX3 As part of the influx of Bavarians (see list, right), the facelifted BMW iX3 will come to Australia starting from $114,900 for the only variant available, with 210kW and 400Nm from an 80kWh battery. Its 460km range can be gained by charging an empty battery to 100 percent in 7.5 hours using a home-mounted i Wallbox Plus. Two $2000 option packs – Laserlight and Shadow – will be available. DUE Q4 PORSCHE TAYCAN CROSS TURISMO Packing up to 460kW of electric urge, Porsche claims the Taycan Cross Turismo can hit 100km/h in just 3.0 seconds. But the company also maintains this wagon is built for adventure – bike racks can be mounted, plus boot space with rear seats folded extends to a generous 1200 litres. Pricing…

YOU CAN count the number of true four-wheel-drive icons on one hand – Jeep, Land Rover, LandCruiser, Patrol and the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. While the Mercedes might be the youngest model in the group, it has remained true to its original design more so than any of the others. For 40 years the G-Wagen was handmade in limited numbers using largely unchanged body panels, chassis and design. But 2018, saw the introduction of the second-generation G, retaining its iconic look with a boxy body riding on a separate chassis, but that body is now wider and more streamlined and the chassis uses independent front suspension in lieu of the trusty live axles. Until now, the new generation G-Class has only been available in Australia in hi-po AMG G63 form at upwards…

THE UPDATED 2022 Jeep Compass is here, bringing a lightly refreshed look on the outside and an almost all-new feel in the cabin. Priced from $37,950 before on-road costs, the five-seat Compass starts with the new Launch Edition and ranges through to the top-shelf Trailhawk at $51,250. Power in the Launch Edition, Limited, 80th Anniversary and S-Limited models is provided by the same 2.4-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine that was offered previously, producing 129kW and 229Nm. At the top of the range, there’s a more compelling 125kW/350Nm 2.0-litre diesel in the Trailhawk – but for that engine, its trim upgrades and enhanced off-roading prowess, you pay a good deal more. Front-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic is standard for the Launch Edition, but every other Compass variant is treated…

IF YOU WANT to draw attention on the streets of Munich during motorshow week, a lurid Lamborghini or box-fresh Bentley just doesn’t cut it. With so many new machines being uncovered at various sites around the Bavarian capital part of the international motorshow this year, the normal exclusivity of cars is somewhat diluted, and for just a few days in September, the attention of the locals is a little harder to gain. But there’s still one way to pique the interest of car enthusiasts as I found out with a heavily disguised model that’ll likely grace Australian showrooms before 2024. In a basement car park two stories beneath the bustling streets of Munich, a new Skoda was waiting. But this enigmatic new model was not presented in an expected shiny…

COMPETITION around the BMW 530e is thinning. With Lexus ending the GS sedan and Audi skipping forward to an all-electric A6, the 530e stands as one of two choices for a mid-luxury large sedan with hybrid power. Its other category rival is the Mercedes-Benz E300e at $123,500, a whisker more than $122,900 BMW before on-road costs and options. To concentrate just on the 530e, though, inside you’ll find standard equipment like wireless charging and smartphone mirroring, electrically adjustable front sports seats, auto high-beams, auto wipers, customisable interior lighting and a head-up display. This is leftover specification from the 520i. The 530e then takes things further with premium Harman Kardon audio, lumbar support and heating for both the front seats, a powered bootlid, adaptive suspension and some M Sport brakes to…

one BODY PANELS Seems unlikely GR Corolla will be treated to the bespoke body panels as per GR Yaris, but expect weight savings to be made to offset the AWD system two WHEELS & TYRES Wheels will be at least 19s, possibly 20s, running performance rubber; likely Michelin Pilot Sport 4s. Forged wheels reserved for GR Corolla Rallye three TORQUE SPLIT Like GR Yaris, Corolla’s AWD system will offer three modes – Normal (60% torque split to the front); Sport (70% rear) and Track (50:50 torque split) four REAR SUSPENSION Rear suspension for GR Yaris was lifted from Corolla, so this bit’s easy: uprated hardware, stiffer bushes, revised geometry and mountings five INTERIOR UPGRADES GR Corolla will upgrade the key driver touch points: more supportive seats, more sporting wheel, and…

“IF YOU KNOW there’s change coming,” says Jochen Hermann, “you had better prepare for the change.” And that’s exactly what AMG’s new chief technical officer is doing. Appointed to the position a little over a year ago, Hermann spent 2016 to 2020 as head of electric drive development for Mercedes-Benz’s parent company Daimler. In that role he was intimately involved in the creation of the company’s first purpose-designed EV platform, known as MEA (for modular electric architecture) and the stunningly efficient EQS that’s the first car to be based on it. Now Hermann is tasked with engineering a future for AMG in a time where the bottled lightning of battery packs will gradually replace the thunder of the brand’s revered V8s. The time is coming when the AMG’s appeal will…

LEXUS UX 250H SPORT LUXURY Price as tested $65,500 This month 634km @ 7.1L/100km Total 634km @ 7.1L/100km AT A TIME in my life when my brood consists of the wife, two kids and a dog, driving around in a compact SUV can feel like wearing a pair jeans a size too small. There’s also a cat, but who the hell drives around with their cat in the car? Not me. But, dear friends, we live in the time of the COVID pandemic when – much like vaccines, until recently – long-distance travel in Victoria is nonexistent. Even going across town is a big no-no under the current government restrictions. So maybe now is actually an ideal time to be jumping into a small and luxurious Lexus. Enter the UX,…

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CARRYING THE title of Grand Sphere, this four-door grand tourer is a preview of the successor to Audi’s flagship A8, and shows what Ingolstadt figures will be required to usurp the likes of Mercedes-Benz’s EQS in future years. Released shortly after the low-slung, two-door Sky Sphere roadster concept, the Grand Sphere is 50mm longer than the A8 L at 5350mm – also longer than its Mercedes equivalent, allowing for more space in the cabin. Like the Sky Sphere, there are design elements on the Grand Sphere which nod to its Audi lineage while clearly referencing the line-up of electric models to come in the future – although you could argue the Grand Sphere’s styling represents an evolution of the E-Tron GT. Unlike the firm’s flagship EV, which is based on…

Keep it tight (no more than 200 words) and do include your suburb if via email: wheels@wheelsmag.com.au You can also have your say on Facebook (search for Wheels Australia), Instagram or Twitter “Porsche, VW, and F1 engine suppliers have all invested in biofuel technology. Could this be the thing to save the internal combustion engine?” Biofuels: ICE saviour? HEY WHEELS MAG, this is my first year as a subscriber. I’ve collected Wheels for as long as I can remember, but now being a subscriber has helped me to notice themes within the magazine. Something in particular that I’ve found interesting is how you guys showcase the positives of the future. Most of us revheads are understandably worried about what the future holds for driving thrills, but I think you guys…

YOU’D BE forgiven for thinking that with its confident, impervious stance, the 2021 Porsche 911 GTS could do no wrong, but it carries an invisible but significant burden on its wide, muscular shoulders. In fact, all variants in the 992 family do. That’s because each new generation of the iconic sports car must advance the game enough to justify the evolution of the bloodline, but when following in the tyre tracks of machinery that is fairly close to perfection, even incremental improvement becomes vastly challenging. While the Turbos distance themselves from the entry Carrera with massive power advantages, the GTs represent atmo power for the Porsche purists, and the RS family takes a leap into hardcore track territory, the GTS occupies a tighter spot in the 911 family. But Porsche’s…

WE LOVE THE Mercedes-AMG E53 sedan. In 2018, it almost marked a shift in engineering philosophy within AMG. A bit softer, a bit smoother, but still rabidly fast, the four-door E53 was a surprise packet more than the sum of its parts. And its new 3.0-litre turbo straight-six rocked. So we were keen to sample the same car, shorn of rear doors, a B-pillar and, well, a roof. Welcome, then, to the E53 Cabriolet. The facelifted one has landed in Oz, sporting different-look headlights and tail-lights, the new 12-slat Panamerica front grille and a swanky new steering wheel. With outputs of 320kW/520Nm remaining as is – still boosted by a 16kW/250Nm electric motor starter/generator – the biggest mechanical change might be ‘revised suspension’ (which we’ll get to shortly). Inside there’s…

JAGUAR’S I-Pace refuses to be placed into a convenient, predetermined box. If you assess it on paper, depending on your world view, you get two different answers to what it is. From the badge alone you’ll likely pigeonhole it as a luxury crossover SUV with a focus on efficiency and comfort. Peer over the specs sheet and it’s clear that things aren’t so simple. Like its German rivals – the Audi E-tron and Mercedes-Benz EQC – the iPace has close to 300kW and 700Nm, meaning that combined with all-wheel drive traction, it’s capable of a 0-100km/h sprint of 4.8 seconds. That’s a the sort of figure super sedans like BMW’s M5 were delivering only a handful of years ago. Updated for 2021, the electric Jag has received some mild tweaks,…

IF YOU LIKE performance cars, Toyota has long been the world’s most frustrating carmaker. From the twin-cam, six-cylinder 2000GT launched in 1965, this is the company that over the years has produced gems like the mid-engine MR2s, sundry super-quick Celicas, brawny, barrel-chested Supras, and the Lexus LFA, whose screaming 412kW naturally aspirated 4.8-litre V10 remains one of the greatest engines ever put in a road car. Yes, Toyota can build – has built – some impressive driver’s cars, but it’s just never seemed all that committed to the idea. It launches them, then invariably leaves them to die of neglect while it gets on with building more Priuses. Akio Toyoda wants to change all that. The scion of Toyota’s founding family is a bone fide performance-car enthusiast. He’s raced in…

WHAT DOES IT mean to be an individual? Apologies if that sounds like the opening line to a fragrance commercial, but it’s a question worth pondering. Cars, like clothes, are often an extension of our own personalities, so what kind of whip does one buy if they prefer to stray outside the norm? Maybe it’d be helpful if we define what “normal” is, perhaps. These days, it’s either something with a tall ride height and all-wheel drive; or a small hatchback. The odds are also pretty high that it comes from Japan, South Korea or Thailand. But that’s just from spreadsheet analysis of sales data. While it’d be an easy thing to say “Asian SUVs are all the same”, that would be a gross generalisation, and a fairly inaccurate one…

ROCKETING SKYWARD is the theme of 2021. Beardy Branson and Baldy Bezos took their billionaire backsides to the brink of outer space, whereas back on terra firma the popularity of the two cars you see before you, the MG HS and Haval H6, is growing exponentially with Australian buyers. Neither is anywhere close to troubling the category favourites, the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4, but the MG is now snapping at the heels of the Honda CR-V and Kia Sportage while the Haval has passed the Ford Escape and Skoda Karoq on the sales charts and has its eyes on the Volkswagen Tiguan. It’s clear plenty of buyers are cross-shopping these two mid-size SUVs, so it seemed only logical to put them head-to-head and put them through the Wheels wringer.…

AMONG MELBOURNE city’s towers, the all-new generation Toyota Yaris lapping the block for photography is just a small blue dot. One that’s almost lost among the toxic-green bike lanes and dinging trams that rumble through the city streets. But it’s much harder to overlook the significance of the Yaris’s rebirth in the light-car segment. New powertrains and advanced safety technology have almost priced the nameplate out of the entry-level segment it’s belonged to for so long. Go for a base Toyota Yaris today – still offered in Ascent trim as before but no longer with a manual transmission – and it’ll cost you $23,630. That’s a generational price increase of over $7K; a staggering 35 percent. Upgrade to SX trim for $3390, then tick the box for the hybrid-assisted 1.5-litre…

IF YOU’VE BEEN privy to observing Australia’s VFacts sales results, then you’ll be aware that ‘Citroen C3 Aircross’ and ‘sales’ are a near-oxymoron. Despite its appealing individualism, Aussies have taken a massive swerve around the chunky Citroen. Reflecting a seismic shift in global automotive tastes, Citroen’s C3 Aircross small SUV replaced the C3 Picasso small MPV in Europe in late-2017 before finally arriving here in April 2019. Unlike the dazzling array of colours and trims offered in the European version, the Aussie line-up was pegged at just five colours. These colours were decided upon via an online poll on Citroen’s website, with the hero hue being sand metallic with orange detailing and orange venetian-blind decals on the rear windows, like an unintentional Mazda ‘Shades’ tribute. While the C3 Aircross may…

THE 2023 Porsche Cayman will be offered with an electric powertrain, following the path of the electric Taycan, Taycan Cross and forthcoming Macan BEV as the brand heads towards its goal of half of its new-vehicle sales made up of EVs by 2025 – and 80 percent by 2030. The Porsche Mission R concept revealed at the IAA Motor Show in Munich teases an extreme version of the direction the next-generation Porsche Cayman EV will take when it hits showrooms in 2023. Porsche has spoken publicly about a fully electric version of the next Cayman, which continues the 718 designation, since 2019, with chairman Oliver Blume citing battery weight and packaging as the biggest hurdles. Now, with Mission R, the path to electrification looks set, with an electric Cayman to…

WHILE THE RANGER is expected to retain its smaller single- and twin-turbo diesel engines across different markets, rumours out of the US suggest the Ranger Raptor could adopt a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 from the Explorer ST performance SUV, with outputs of 300kW and 560Nm. Whatever is under the bonnet, Ford will be hoping the changes will be enough to strengthen the Ranger’s position as Australia’s favourite four-wheel-drive, and topple the Toyota Hilux as the country’s overall best-selling passenger vehicle.…

SUBARU HAS revealed its new WRX, stirring up a blend of surprise, delight and yes, a bit of bewilderment for the fifth-generation model ahead of release in 2022. Unveiled with a spread of key specifications, they point to changes that modestly evolve the all-wheel-drive cult icon rather than usher in a radical revamp. Underneath the skin, Subaru has built the new WRX on its stiffer and safer Global Platform, enlarging the WRX’s body. As a result, it lengthens to 4669mm (+74mm), widens to 1826mm (+31mm) and sports a 2672mm wheelbase (+22mm). Its roof sits lower at 1468mm (-7mm), too. At the same time, the WRX’s new engine has left us scratching our heads, given the increase from 2.0- to 2.4-litres in capacity brings no significant boost in outputs. Exact figures…

IREMEMBER SEEING THE exact car pictured here – a manual-steer 1.6-litre NA MX-5, painted in the glamour launch colour, Mariner Blue – proudly gracing the showroom of our local Mazda dealer like a jewel glittering among swathes of beige. Only the also-new BG-series 323 Astina with its pop-up headlights looked even vaguely on the same page as the curvaceously petite roadster. Alongside the boxy 626s and 929s of the era, however, not to mention the (also blue) 121 my mum ended up driving home, the MX-5 seemed outrageously, exquisitely exotic. Yet underneath those Lotus Elan-inspired curves, the NA MX-5 was a relatively simple thing, much like the plethora of vintage roadsters that clearly inspired it. Except that the Japanese take on a British institution – a rear-drive, open-top two-seater –…

FOR THE cynics among us, coupe SUVs, also known as Sports Activity Coupes, represents the worst of both worlds – SUV handling with coupe (im)practicality. However, there are obviously a lot of half glass-full people who see them as offering more dynamic styling and a sporty driving experience without unduly compromising SUV space and comfort. These include the good folk at Renault, who have brought the Arkana swept-back small SUV to the Australian market as a more affordable option for anyone with eyes on the BMW X2 or Audi Q3 Sportback. We jumped in the mid-spec Arkana Intens to see if it satisfies the demand for a relatively affordable, stylish, European (by design, but the Arkana is made in South Korea) coupe SUV with the right mix of practicality, comfort…

THE Hyundai iMax had a showroom lifespan as wide as the film screens with which it shares its name; 14 years of longevity that may have reflected the Korean brand’s interest level in the people-mover segment. Yet its belated replacement, the Staria, has arrived as a futuristically styled 3D van experience that jettisons any notion of apathy into deep space. With its dramatic, single-curve silhouette, deep panoramic windows, horizontal LED front lighting strip and vertical, grid-style LED tail-lights, Hyundai’s human transporter is guaranteed to stand out. Hyundai’s sales projections aren’t quite as bold. The company is merely aiming to slot in behind the segment-dominant Kia Carnival with which it now shares its platform, even if this would still involve overtaking the likes of the Volkswagen Multivan, LDV G10 and Honda…

GR is now a fully fledged division of Toyota, reporting to Shigeki Tomoyama (pictured), an engineer who has run Toyota’s e-commerce, IT and information systems groups and has overseen various parts of the Gazoo Racing operation since 2016. In 2020 Tomoyama was made responsible for GR product planning he’s now one of six executive vice-presidents at Toyota who report directly to Akio Toyoda. As one source put it, Tomoyama’s position – and his relationship with Akio Toyoda – means GR now no longer specifically needs buy-in from one of Toyota’s powerful chief engineers (the men responsible for entire model lines such as Corolla or Prius or LandCruiser) to get a GR model into production. Performance now has a strategic voice at the top table in Nagoya; the launch-and-forget years are…

FEW RIVALS COULD strike fear into the heart of Sir Lewis Hamilton. It’s a list limited to Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, and – maybe – fellow multiple Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso. But, young Brit George Russell could soon be on it with the 23-year-old joining the Silver Arrows next year. That’s because he’s the Mercedes protege who stepped in, at the eleventh hour, for a COVID-affected Hamilton at last year’s Sakhir Grand Prix, and stunned the watching world with his razor-sharp, swashbuckling drive. Incredibly, the 23-year-old had never driven the Mercedes W11 car before – in fact, his last Mercedes test was more than a year before in December 2019, and he had to wear race boots that were a size too small just to fit in the…

HYUNDAI TUCSON ELITE Price as tested $39,169 This month 1853km @ 10.4L/100km Overall 4359km @ 10.3L/100km TECHNOLOGY in the Hyundai range is a bit of a Jekyll & Hyde tale. The brand’s infotainment suite – that is, what you see on the cabin’s screens – is a masterclass in simplicity and user-friendliness. Where some systems will hide settings and bury features four menus deep, Hyundai’s infotainment is clean, modern, and Apple-like in its ease of use. Hyundai’s active driver assistance systems, on the other hand, can at times manifest as irritating and – when it comes to lane-keep ‘assistance’ and collision sensing – a bit frightening. I’ll look at driver aids in my wrap-up next month, but for now: infotainment. My mid-spec Tucson Elite is equipped with a big 10.25-inch…

HYUNDAI PALISADE HIGHLANDER Price as tested $75,000 This month 324km @ 10.0L/100km Total 2798km @ 10.5L/100km MY BUDDY Jay has been my best mate since we met in high school, so as with any long-term relationship, the occasional homicidal urge does have to be suppressed by both parties. Like the other day when he was casting a critical eye over the Palisade. Jay likes cars, but he’s not an obsessive, and large SUVs don’t really blip his radar. “So how much?” he asked. “Seventy-five large,” I told him. He let out a low whistle. I had to explain there’s a hefty premium of around $10,000 for the Palisade’s extra size and eight-seater accommodation over the seven-seaters below it, like in-house sibling the Santa Fe Highlander, or Kia’s Sorento GT diesel.…