149 automan january issue 2014

8/19/2019 149 Automan January Issue 2014

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FIRSTDRIVE |

COVERSTORY |

Style icon All-new 2014 LincolnMKZ sedan makes itspresence felt in thesegment

Macan readyWith the all-new 2014Porsche Macan inGermany


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in this issue

CONTENT METER0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

COVER STORY

30-37 2014 PORSCHE MACAN

38-41 2014 HONDA CITY

OMAN AND REGIONAL NEWS

6-9 OMAN LAUNCH OF 2014 MITSUBISHI OUTLNDER

CROSSOVER SUV AND FIRST OMAN LAUNCH DRIVE.

REFRESHED FOR 2014 NISSAN PATROL. AUTOMAN

SIGNS OFF CORTY 2012 PRESENTATION AND

TEASES COTY 2013 SHORLISTED CANDIDATES.

BOSCH UNVEILS NEW PRODUCT PACKAGING AND

IDENTITIES, REGIONAL AND LOCAL SNIPPETS

2013 COTY

12-24 DETAILS OF SHORTLISTED CARS ACCORDING

TO NOMINATED CATEGORIES

BRANDWATCH

26-28 AUDI TO INCREASE MODELS FROM 49 TO 60,

HOLDEN TO DISCONTINUE PRODUCTION IN 2017,

VOLVO READIES PERFORMANCE POLESTAR MODELS,

KIA MOTORS SPORTS CAR ‘STINGER’ CONCEPT,

SWANSONG FOR BERTONE, CATERHAM SHINES AT

UK SHOW, CHINA REMOVES HIGH IMPORT TARIFFS

ON ‘MADE IN USA’ IMPORTS, NEW APPOINTMENTS AT

HYUNDAI, VOLKSWAGEN SERIOUS ABOUT BUDGET

BRAND, CHEVROLET’S EUROPE EXIT TO BENEFIT OPEL

TESTED

42-48 2014 LINCOLN MKZ

50-53 2013 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM

INTERVIEW

42-48 GEOFFREY BRISCOE, REGIONAL DIRECTOR,

ROLLS-ROYCE MOTORS CARS MIDDLE EAST

FIRST DRIVE

56-59 2014 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS

TECHTALK

60-61 ELECTRIC STEERINGS

PREVIEWS

62-63 2015 FORD MUSTANG GT64-65 2014 MERCEDES-BENZ C-CLASS

64-65 2014 HONDA VEZEL

66-67 2014 LAMBORGHINI HURACAN

72-73 2014 BRP SEE DOO SPARK

IN CONVERSATION WITH

72-73 KARL-FRIEDRICH SCHEUFELE , CHOPARD’S

CO-PRESIDENT

MOTORSPORTS

76-79 FORMULA ONE, REGIONAL NEWS

80 CHICANE

8-9

NEXT ISSUE

2014 PORSCHE

CAYMAN S

A u t o m a n C O

T Y 2 0 1 2

s i g n - o f f e v e

n t i n O m a n


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As a new year (2014) dawns on us, you will note that we have also changed the badge on

our cover to reect that it’s another new year of leadership for us (14). And on that note

allow us to share a few thoughts and observations as we enter the clean slate of another

fresh year.

For 2013 marked the demise of another grand automotive title in the region. We mark

that with a sense of sadness. Our team respects the title, what it stands for globally and

the team that produced it. We’ve also grown up reading the parent title as enthusiasts

and car lovers. All we can say is that a perfect storm of events seem to have happened

over the past few years that have put pressure on automotive titles in the region – and this

is just the latest magazine to bite the dust.

That makes us extremely grateful to our readers in Oman who have ensured that Automanhas grown through the years and stands as a mascot of the automotive industry in Oman.

In terms of content, analysis and production values, we have always prided ourselves as

being the best of the breed in the region. And this year too, we shall grow.

The move into 2014 also sees us join the Tifosi and his colleagues in wishing Michael

Schumacher a speedy recovery. For someone who has epitomized speed, it is somewhat

ironical that he suffered this life-threatening injury on the slopes of a ski resort. But it is

seemingly better than the fate of poor Paul Walker who lived out his Fast and Furious role

in the manner of his passing.

Which also makes us thankful for some statistics of 2013 that actually saw a drop in the

number of fatal accidents. Every one of you will know someone who has been in an accident

and know of someone who has had injuries or lost a family member. That is not good. But

the good work of the ROP in bringing greater control over reckless speeding, constant

education and a greater awareness seems to be reversing the trend. We denitely hope

that 2014 is a year free of any incident on the road for every one of you.

Another statistic of a different sort tells a completely different story. What is the malaise

with car sales in Oman? Do we really have a situation where retail car sales have taken

a signicant drop? Or is it just that some of the fringe resale and re-export business is

tapering off with competition from the manufacturer in target countries as well as a host

of regional problems? Whatever it is, 2014 will be a challenging year for the retail car

industry.

As for us Muscat residents, much of the ongoing roadwork is coming online, so travel

times a back to manageable levels – perhaps just in time too considering the possibility

of a fuel price realignment. All in all, 2014 does hold a lot of promise. Wish all of you a

Happy New Year.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFMohammad Al Taie

AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING

PO Box: 343, Postal Code 118Al Harthy Complex

Sultanate of Oman

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.automanweb.com

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Subscription:

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PUBLISHER

Hatim Al Taie [email protected]

EDITOR & GM

Raj Warrior [email protected]

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Chandan B Mallik [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Anne Kurian [email protected]

HEAD OF DESIGN

Sawsan Al Muharbi [email protected]

PHOTOGRAPHY

Elvis John Ferrao

MARKETING

Sayantani Ghosh [email protected]

CIRCULATION

[email protected]

FINANCE & ADMIN

Sumy Mol [email protected]

WEBSITE & IT

Mohammed F Draz [email protected]

PRINTER

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© 2013

All editorial content of Automan in the magazine

and its website is copyrighted and may not

be reproduced in any form without the written

consent of the management of AL ROYA PRESS &

PUBLISHING

Automan accepts unsolicited exclusive editorial

material, but reserves the right to publish any such

material. Once published, the copyright for any

such material will vest with AL ROYA PRESS &

PUBLISHING

2013


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6 www.automanweb.com JAN 2014

NEW

S

New car arrivals in Oman

2014 MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) togetherwith General Automotive Company, unveiledthe all-new third generation 2014 Mitsubishi Out-lander. The event took place at Shangri-la’s Barr alJissa Resort and Spa and was attended by ToshiakiNomura, President of Mitsubishi Motors Middle Eastand Africa FZE (MMMEA); Mark Tomlinson, General

Manager of General Automotive Company; other se-nior member of the General Automotive Companymanagement. The new Outlander is a strategic, in-

novative and premium vehicle developed arounda versatile global platform and elevates the level ofluxury, renement and fuel economy that consum-ers have come to expect in the aordably-priced

crossover segment. The new Outlander is oered in

5- and 7-seat congurations and is powered by either

a 2.4-litre inline-4-cylinder (GLX model) or 3.0-litre V6

GLS model) and available with Mitsubishi Motors’ All-Wheel Control (AWC) all-wheel drive system. A newdriver-activated feature is the ECO-mode setting that

is now standard on all 2014 Outlanders. ECO-modehelps to further reduce fuel consumption and CO2emissions by optimising engine power on initial ac-celeration as well as the airow volume of the air-

conditioning. Furthermore, when Outlander modelsequipped with All-Wheel Control (AWC) are drivenwith 4WD engaged, the driver-activated ECO-mode

will allow the vehicle to function as a 2WD vehicle un-til sensors instantaneously reactivate the 4WD systemwhen deemed necessary.

2014 NISSAN PATROL

Suhail Bahwan Automobiles, the exclusive importers and distributors of Nissan ve-hicles in Oman, has introduced the 2014 Nissan Patrol for the markets. Key stylingfeatures are the new front bumper and new chrome grille design. The Patrol has beenrefreshed with signicant styling enhancements and new features pack. The Patrol is

oered in VK56DE – 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine and VK56VD - 5.6-litre V8 engine equipped

grades with six-speed manual transmission on XE and SE-T1 grades or ve-speed au -tomatic transmission with manual mode on SE-T2, SE-Platinum, SE- Platinum City, and7-speed Manual transmission LE-T1, LE-T2, LE-Platinum and LE-Platinum City grades.


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9www.automanweb.comJAN 2014

New appointment at ZawawiDaniel Fitzjohn has been appointed asthe new general manager for after salesservices at Mercedes-Benz in Oman.Fitzjohn comes with signicant experiencein the automotive industry in a variety ofkey GCC countries, including Saudi Arabia,Qatar and UAE. Fitzjohn aims to developZawawi’s after sales operations to matchthe dealership’s rapid expansion acrossOman.

GCC celebrate Lamborghini 50th anniversary in UAE

Al Maha Rent-A-CarEuropean Motors, the ofcial dealers forPeugeot in Oman have announced theirlatest contract with Al Maha Rent-A-Car(RAC) with European Motors. EuropeanMotors will supply a eet of new 301sedans. Gurdeep Singh, brand managerof European Motors said: “We aredelighted to be fullling Al Maha’s demandfor more Peugeots, they have been realsupporters of the brand since 2009 andtheir latest order is a clear reection ofcustomers satisfaction with the Peugeots.The latest contract reinforces the 301sedan as one of the most popularEuropean vehicles in the sedan segment.”

More than 50 Lamborghini motorcars, plusowners from across the GCC countries joinetogether in Dubai to celebrate the 50th an-niversary of the ‘House of the Raging Bull’.On December 15, Dubai Police escorted the

cars which were paraded from Jumeirah Emates Towers Hotel to Burj Al Arab and backpast Burj Khalifa. On Day Two, the ownersleft Dubai city, on a tour that included a lunstop at Bab Al Shams.

Automobili Lamborghini President and CEOStephan Winkelmann joined a gala dinner o16 December with the participants. “This wa great gathering of Lamborghini cars andowners, from countries across the region,”said Winkelmann. “It demonstrates the passion and loyalty for our brand, and it’s beentremendous to meet so many Lamborghiniowners and enthusiasts during this event.”


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GOING INLANDWITH THEOUTLANDERWith a new engine and geartrain and some catchy new styling,

the Outlander is back as a MY 2014 car.

Author: Raj Warrior


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Mitsubishi Motors seems to be nal ly waking up from

a period of s lumber. For some strange reason, it was

almost as if the period post the 2009 car industry

crisis set the company into a period of living on

the sidelines. Other than a couple of new model

releases in the region in the form of the Lancer Fortis, ASX and ex-

Nativa Pajero Sport and some headlight and skirting refreshes, the

brand had moved into selling its staple Pajero and largely missing

the large sedan and entry SUV buyer.

Now with the new Outlander, things are set for a change. For

a company that hasn’t quite been able to charge into the big

league, the new Outlander is itself no mean achievement. Over

the years the older Outlander has been seen in markets around

the world in different guises, including as badge engineered

Citroens and Peugeots. That is in itself an achievement. The car

sits in a segment of the crossover utility, developed from car-

based platforms. In this case the platform is Mitsubishi ’s GS global

sedan platform and with some changes the platform continues on

into the 2014 edition.

Of course the rst change that you notice is the styling. The

large gaping prism of the old grille with its tiger-eyes headlight

surrounds has been replaced by an elegant treatment that is

reected by the new Mitsubishi family look. The headlights are

now logical extensions of the sleek gril le and the body has becomesofter, more rounded and improbably sports a higher belt-line than

before. That’s because the platform has not been signicantly

dimensionally changed. At the same time, new manufacturing

processes have caught up – there is increased use of high-tensile

steel as well as better NVH and insulation to make for a quieter,

more competent package. This time around the aesthetics are

better thought through and the CUV has distanced itself from the

almost stationwagon prole that it started out with. It is denitely


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interesting to see that Mitsubishi has

joined the other Japanese manufacturers in

introducing hygiene features like LED DRL’s.

In its new guise the car basically offers

three options – the 2.4-litre engine, CVT

transmission and 5-seats, secondly the 2.4with CVT and 7-seats or nally the 7 seater

with 3.0-litre V6 engine and six-speed auto

gearbox. And all of these are being offered

in a price band just south of RO 9,000 to just

below RO 10,000. It will be interesting to see

how the dealers manage to hold this price

bracket considering that most family sedans

are priced just about here.

The 2.4-litre unit is the 4J12 (though the

local brochure seems to classify it as the

4B12), which has been further adapted from

the SOHC 2.4-litre unit that we all know in the

Galant. With power of 166hp and 221Nm of

torque, the unit is powerful enough for most

city conditions as well as some off-roading.

The CVT that partners this engine is both

capable and almost imperceptible. And the

4WD is engaged by a button on the centre-

console that puts the transmission in a forced

split in power delivery to both front and rear

axles.

The 3.0-litre unit is the larger 6B31 V6 unit,

with 224 horsepower and 292Nm of torque.

Partnered with a six-speed auto gearbox, this

unit takes the CUV into an interesting value

bracket – offering almost Pajero like power

to weight as well as a decent turn of torque.

We took the 2.4-litre unit on a drive that

included the back roads from the Barr Al Jissah

towards Yiti and then through the hiking trail

up into the Wadi Kabir hill area. Again, this is

not the most challenging of terrains, but the

Outlander impressed with its quiet capability

– we didn’t even engage the 4WD button and

the CVT never complained.

The drive down from the hill was equally

eventless.

We will be featuring a full test drive of the

Outlander in the coming month’s issue and

will keep all further comments about the car

for that, except to say that the move to a

multi-link rear suspension is just about the

best news for the comfort and performance

angle of the car. You hardly get any jouncing

and the roll is so much in control. Take a test

yourself if you can – our opinion is that the

Outlander is a hidden Diamond.

The 2.4-litre unit is

the 4J12 (though the

local brochure seems

to classify it as the

4B12), which has been

further adapted from

the SOHC 2.4-litre

unit that we all knowin the Galant. With

power of 166hp and

221Nm of torque


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And the contenders nominated in their respective categories are detailed as follows

2013

2014 AUDI R8 V10 PLUS The second model in the line-up to wear the Plus badge, Audi’s engineers have skillfully added somemore performance oriented goodies in an existing set up. The R8 is the sporty halo representative of theAudi lineup. Since introduction in 2007, its unusual iconoclastic styling and handling prowess have beenwell accepted and subtle tweaks such as replacing the R-Tronic transmission in favour of a new S-Tronictwin-clutch unit, makes it the single biggest improvement in this new generation besides the additionaloutput in the Plus variant.

2014 MCLAREN MP-4 12C SPIDER McLaren added a convertible version of the MP4-12C for its 2014 line-up. McLaren cleverly designed andengineered the MP4-12C in coupe form with an open roof version in mind from the very beginning. Thatmeans the carbon-bre tub needed no extra strengthening for the Spider application. While, the caris slighty heavier than its solid roof sibling, it comes with all the bells and whistles and updated enginemanagement and hence is as equally engaging to drive.

2014 NISMO GT-R Nissan’s halo sports car, the GT-R has been receiving continuous renement sincelaunch and this makes the car up-to-date. Nismo, the in-house performance armtakes that experience a level higher with direct race track GT3 driven technologyand Nismo specic enhancements inside out. A Nismo-tuned GT-R with 591bhpand with some track focused additions lapped the Nürburgring in 7min:08.679sec,making it ofcially the fastest volume production model in the world.

2014 BENTLEY GTC SPEED The Bentley Continental GT Speed convertible’s spec sheet is designed to delight. The 616hptwin turbo W12 is capable of a drag-limited 320 plus km/h. It can cruise along at triple-digitvelocities all day and is the fastest four-seat convertible in the world. Actually, the ContinentalGT Speed convertible one of the fastest series-production cars ever built and will outpacea Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG or BMW M6 without batting an eyelid. The Speed variants getbumped up output and torque gures.



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2013 ASTON MARTIN VANQUISH For a loss-making entity funded by a venture capitalist, the carmaker thinks that the new Vanquish is thegreatest and ultimate grand tourer car it has ever produced and hopes that it will help reverse its aggingfortunes. The top-of-the-line model is still based on the VH architecture that debuted with the DB9 in2003 and as the DBS replacement, it is offered slightly cheaper.

2014 LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR ROADSTER Lamborghini’s Aventador Roadster, which features a two-piece forged composite targa top that can beremoved to expose the cabin to the elements for the ultimate wind-in-your-hair experience. What can bemore outrageous than Lamborghini’s stealth-bomber-inspired Aventador coupe? Besides out and outdriving pleasure, Lamborghini has added two new technologies to the coupe [which also debut on theroadster] for the latest model year in the interests of efciency and the environment.

2013 FERRARI BERLINETTAThe F12berlinetta not only ushers in a whole new generation of Prancing Horse 12-cylinders butis also the most powerful and high performance Ferrari ever built. That’s not all. Exceptionalstrides have also been made with regard to fuel consumption and emissions both of which havebeen slashed by 30 per cent, making the F12berlinetta a benchmark for its reference segment.

2013 BENTLEY GT SPEED By denition, the Continental GT is denitely not a sports car, but the way it is congured andengineered, it offers an amazing amount of fun driving in any situation. Compared to say, the

Nissan GT-R which is capable of topping this Bentley in every measured performance test, butthe Bentley more than makes up for it in luxury, comfort, and style. Even though the GT-R isfaster, there’s no reason not to be impressed with what the Bentley Continental GT Speed isable to accomplish ultimately. There is nothing else on the road this big and this fast.


2013


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2014 KIA CADENZA

The Cadenza is Kia’s full-size luxury carthat was launched in 2009 to replace theOpirus. It has been refreshed for 2013 withnew corporate styling and a host of featureupgrades.

2013 TOYOTA AVALON One of Toyota’s key Australia manufactured frontwheel drive exports for Middle East, the new Avalonis slightly shorter and wider than the previous model.The model has become stylish very much in line withToyota’s current design language. The new car feelslike a luxury car both in terms of quality and touch

points as it comes with better materials, t and nishesbesides host of comfort and convenience features.Powertrain engineering is carried over.

2014 LEXUS IS350 Now in its third generation, this hot sedanpacks a hefty punch when it comes tocompeting with the German premiumbrands. For the Japanese brand, the IShas successfully elevated consumers’

expectations in the entry-level luxury sedanclass. The redesigned 2014 Lexus IS 350features notable upgrades, including anew interior with richer materials, a biggerbackseat and impressive equipment list.

2014 CADILLAC CTS The all-new third generation CTS

launched a few months ago is like a carwith a very specic mission. Cadillac’sdesigners and engineers have workedtogether in tandem to produce anAmerican global model which is quitecapable of taking on the nest fromEurope and Japan.

2014 CHEVROLET IMPALAThe Impala has been completely re-engineered for 2014, and it has become oneof the most popular sedans on the market.Even the base Impala variant comes loadedwith convenience and comfort features,many of which simply aren’t available in itsdirect competitors.

2014 AUDI S6

BMW’s supremacy in the segment was thwartedwhen the all-wheel-drive 2014 Audi S6 arrivedin the scene with its potent twin-turbocharged

V8, sophisticated air suspens ion, and top classhandling. The S6 represents a new direction forAudi sedans. The 2014 S6 is a genuine supersedan that any automotive enthusiast would feelprivileged to own.


2013


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2014 AUDI A3 SEDAN

The A3 is Audi’s ticket in the compact sedan market. It is Volkswagen Group’s rst model on its new MQBplatform. Audi expects the sporty A3 will grow its market share signicantly with its enhanced featurepack. The sedan comes standard with a 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and front-wheel-drive. In terms of features, the A3 sedan offers much more standard equipment than its key domesticrival Mercedes-Benz. Leather upholstery, a panoramic glass roof, xenon headlights, and LED taillights arestandard on the base model of the A3 sedan but optional on the Mercedes.

2014 HYUNDAI CENTENNIAL

Since 2009, Hyundai has been moving into premium luxury territory with an array of models. Going head-to-head with Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Lexus and Inniti at the top end, the Centennial luxury sedan whichthe carmaker clearly benchmarked against the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Audi A8 and Lexus LS460 seems to be getting acknowledged in the market. GCC sales of the Centennial jumped 147 per centlast year and for its price the Centennial offers a decent package of performance, comfort, luxury and allthe technology to keep you safe and happy.

2014 AUDI A6With the 2014 A6, Audi thinks it is its best midsize sedan yet. But the perennial question stands:is it better than the 5 Series and the E-Class? The A6 lineup was completely redesigned for the2012 model year and depending on option the A6 turbocharged 2.0-litre inline-4 is offered withcontinuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and standard with front-wheel drive. Audi’sQuattro all-wheel drive system with an 8-speed automatic transmission is optional on the A62.0T. There’s also a re-breathing supercharged 310hp 3.0-litre V6 version in the line-up.

2013 JAGUAR XF 2.0 The Jaguar XF was launched as a 2009 model and its engines were upgraded for 2010. In 2012,its styling was revised. Elegant, owing lines make it a more visually interesting alternative tomany of the better-selling cars in its class. The Jaguar XF has presence, that intangible qualitythat allows it to stand out in any line of similar luxury sport entries. To help widen the model’sappeal, Jaguar introduced two all-new engines: a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder. Both are meant to offer buyers better fuel efciency than the existing V8. While theentry four pot is unusual for a premium segment, Jaguar is now amongst the industry leaderspracticing efciency and downsizing.

2014 PORSCHE PANAMERASecond generation Panamera is all about efciency – be it emissions or fuel efciency. Porsche has alsowidened the line-up with a hybrid and entry level V6. The naturally aspirated, entry-level 3.6-litre V6gets 10 more horsepower, for a total of 310 and unlike the Cayenne’s V6 which is borrowed from a VW,this engine is Porsche’s own and is based on a V8 less a cylinder from each bank. As part of downsizing,the 400hp, naturally aspirated 4.8-litre V8 [in the Panamera S and 4S] makes way for a twin-turbo3.0-litre V6 and produces 420hp. The hybrid uses Audi-sourced supercharged 3.0-litre V6 and the new

electric motor offers double the output. All Panamera models are equipped with a ZF-sourced seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, with the exception of the diesel and the hybrid versions, which are ttedwith an eight-speed torque-converter automatic.


2013


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2013 CADILLAC ATS

An entry level model that Cadillac was desperate to introduce also takes off a lot of burden from thenew CTS. The ATS is clearly positioned in the line-up with new role and responsibility. It’s no secret thatthe Cadillac aimed the rear-wheel-drive ATS squarely at the premium Germans, particularly the segmentleading BMW 3 Series. Similar in size, the ATS is offered with ne build quality, good performance and aninvolving drive along with a supple ride.

2013 KIA QUORIS Kia has been slowly adding larger, more expensive models to its line-up and the South Korean brandmanaged to stage a coup of sorts with the large rear wheel drive luxury K9 or Quoris sedan. While itrepresents Kia’s ability and premium luxury aspirations for the future, the present task is more on howto market this car which has been benchmarked against premium German brands from conceptionto creation. With the Quoris, Kia is targeting the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class

buyers.


2014 MERCEDES-BENZ

E-CLASS The 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class comeswith new sharper looking sheetmetaland is available in several models anditerations. The new E-Class will beremembered for many breakthroughtechnologies – particularly the intelligent

drive besides a host of electronicenhancements in pursuit of safety.

2014 MAZDA6That Mazda is pretty serious about the new2014 Mazda 6 is quite evident when you see it.Aiming to be at the top of the segment Mazdapresents a stylish car that offers promisingperformance and fuel economy while still

being roomy, practical and fun to drive. Whatdoes separate the new 6 from most of thecompetition is its sporty, involving personalityand a host of efciency technologies under itstheme-inspired sheetmetal.

2014 TOYOTA COROLLAThe 11th generation Corolla launched a few weeksago highlights once again Toyota’s determination in

keeping its global bestseller the best in class featuresbased on bulletproof engineering. Slightly biggerthan before, the incoming car is more stylish, morefuel-efcient and better-performing rivals in thecompact sedan segment. What makes it interestingnow is the there’s better differentiation and for therst time the Corolla gets a 2.0-litre power pot.

2013


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2013 GMC TERRAIN

There wasn’t a lot of activity in this segment in 2013 by competitors, but pick-up and SUV specialist GMCkept the ame up and running with a host of new SUV introductions. The 2014 GMC Terrain is a slightly-larger-than-compact crossover which accommodates ve adults in comfort and offers a relatively highlevel of luxury for this segment. GMC offers the car with generous standard equipment including a 7intouchscreen and a rearview camera. The car’s interior accommodations set it apart from competitors.


2014 MERCEDES-BENZ

S-CLASS2014 BENTLEY FLYING SPUR Bentley’s entry-level sedan moves into itssecond generation with the idea of moreclarity and uptodate engineering. It loses the

Continental pre-x of its name and inheritsmore Mulsanne styling cues in its sheetmetal.The lavishly equipped Spur is a mansion-on-wheels with more than a few comforts ofhome.

2014 ROLLS-ROYCE DROPHEAD COUPE One interesting characteristic of a modern-day Rolls-Royce is that it seems no two examples are exactly alikeand bespoke options account for 90 per cent of the marque’s business in the Middle East. The DropheadCoupe is also no exception. Rolls-Royce engineered the Coupe with history and heritage of the Goodwoodracetrack in mind and the car’s sporty pretensions and ostentatious demeanor is what makes it stand out.

2014 ROLLS-ROYCE WRAITH Technically, the two-door version of thesmaller Ghost, the Wraith is Rolls-Royce’s most“accessible” model. The Wraith rides on a heavilymodied version of the BMW 7-series chassis andis powered by a 6.6-litre V12. With its swoopy, lowrooine and a sportier design, the Wraith aimsto broaden the marque’s appeal to a youngeraudience. The Wraith is expensive than the BentleyCGT.

It’s less than a year old in the marketand Mercedes plants are workingovertime to cope with huge orders. Thesuccess of the new model proves twothings: rst the carmaker is beginningto understand the psych of the marketsworldwide and secondly, has been ableto deliver a truly world class car in terms

of design, engineering, performance andunique features. The top sedan model isexpected to help the brand regain lostground.

2013


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2014 MASERATI QUATTROPORTE Keeping in mind the global trends and the brand’s aspirations, the new Quattroporte sensibly movesinto competitive territory with new aspirations but without forgetting its very sporty Italian sedan roots.Maserati has also widened the curb appeal by adding a V6 version to the line-up.

2014 BMW 7 SERIES A perennial S-Class rival, the current top of the line sedan is offered with turbocharged engines with six,

eight or twelve cylinders and an extended-wheelbase variant. While the previous-generation 7-Seriesushered in the controversial Bangle era of BMW styling, the latest model takes a much more conservativeand elegant approach while continuing to offer responsive driving dynamics along with an updated versionof the automaker’s iDrive infotainment system. What keeps the car in news is a host of new standardequipment for the latest model year and a dynamic instrument cluster.

2014 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM COUPE The Phantom Coupe has the same dimensions as the Drophead Coupe, at 18.5 feet long and 6.5 feetwide, but a half an inch lower due to the hardtop. Powertrain packaging is identical and most of thebespoke features are available to order. Since it sheds the convertible top, the Coupe also benets froma bigger petrol tank and boot space [when compared to its droptop sibling]. End of the day, it basicallycomes down to personal choice when choosing this motor car.


2013 BYD S6Products from Chinese carmaker BYD are getting noticed in the region and the attitude towards Chinesecars also seems to be changing as the products get better and better. The S6 SUV is a ne example ofsuch a move. The 5-seater has more than a passing prole resemblance with the previous RX from Lexusand gets an economical under 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine. Fit nish and materials are pretty impressivefor the price point.

2013 TOYOTA RAV4Toyota’s bestselling small SUV is back with vengeance. Fully redesigned and sporting a new designlanguage and host of upgraded features and capabilities, the new RAV4 actually sets the benchmarkin the segment once again. The SUV strikes a good balance between ride comfort and sure-footedhandling. For 2013, the RAV4 comes with a four-cylinder only and also dispenses with a third-row seatoption. On the transmission front, it gets a six-speed transmission which replaces the old four-speedautomatic helping improve fuel economy and making it more responsive.

2013


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2014 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Chrysler Group’s master blaster Jeep Grand Cherokee receives a host of changes for 2014. Highlightsinclude a refreshed exterior design, a new eight-speed automatic transmission and an updated interiorwith new technology features.

2014 HYUNDAI SANTA FE For a midsize crossover SUV manufacturer, just being merely good isn’t good enough anymore and

Hyundai has taken note of that with the new Santa Fe. The new Santa Fe is redesigned and markedlyimproved and offers everything shoppers have come to expect from the brand in recent years --outstanding value, attractive styling and feature content. The Santa Fe also moves into the three-rowcrossover segment also with a variant.

2013 NISSAN PATHFINDER Nissan’s product planners have worked out the core theme of the new Pathnder to reect moreconsumer friendliness even if it meant sacricing some core performance features. This seven-seater Pathnder lost some of its predecessors’ off-road and towing capabilities but the car’sinterior has gained a lot of space with genuine adult-size seating in both the second and thirdrows. Superior ride and car-like handling qualities are there, thanks to the award-winning 3.5-litre

V6 and a continuously va riable transmission (CVT) set-up.


2014 LEXUS LX 570 The 2014 Lexus LX 570 moves on essentially unchanged following its 2013 overhaul with new features.It is more luxurious and the corporate “spindle grille” is now part of its signature front end. Despite themigration to unibody architecture by many SUV makers, the LX 570 still a classic body-on-frame SUV withprioritized performance and handling capabilities.

2013 AUDI Q5 It’s no secret that the 2014 Audi Q5 is one of the global media favourites in the compact luxurycrossover SUV class. Audi’s updates are limited to equipment changes across the various trimlevels and the base turbo charged 2.0-litre gets a power increase to 220hp.

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2014 RANGE ROVER SPORT Despite its luxury appearance, the new Range Rover Sport is quite deceptive when it comes to off-roadperformance. Completely overhauled for 2014, the SUV is lighter, more nimble, and more comfortablethan the outgoing model. Despite of its weight loss, the new model is actually longer and wider than itspredecessors and has allowed more passenger room in the cabin. For the rst time, Land Rover is able tooffer a third-row seat for young adults.

2014 JAGUAR F-TYPE The rst roadster from Jaguar in 40 years, the 2014 F-Type was designed to offer a thrilling blend of style,performance and luxury. The model represents the rst all-new Jaguar sports car since the legendaryE-Type that debuted in 1961 and ceased production in 1974 and hence a lot of expectations. Jaguar seemto have ticked most of the boxes right with this new model. The F-Type is every bit as satisfying to drive asits evocative styling suggests, however, it might not measure up to the venerable Porsche 911 in every testof performance. It does impress to the emotional side of driving and thus ranks among the best open-topsports cars in current times.

2014 LEXUS GX 460 Not much happened in this segment as most automakers are looking at downsized options more thanbefore. As a result only a handful brands and their models continue to serve the needs in large SUV marketslike Middle East and North America. Key to the SUV’s peerless off-road capability is its combination of ahighly durable, deformation-resistant, body-on-frame construction with the unique level of guidance andtechnical support it offers drivers. Now, it gets the corporate makeover, including style upgrades.

2013 INFINITI FX50 SV Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel is also Inniti’s performance division director. The FX50 is

Vettel’s company car and Vettel has added some extra panache to it. Several track inspired cues arethere and there are some performance enhancements too.

2013 PORSCHE CAYMAN The Porsche Cayman is fully redesigned for 2014 and is the near perfect sports car from the brand.Now in its second generation, it is lighter, faster and much closer to the 911. With the styling,engineering and performance revisions, the Cayman really does deliver the best of both worlds.

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2013 NISSAN TIDANissan’s new Tida is bigger and better. All the quirks related to the older model – be it styling or featureshave been artfully looked into and worked upon. There’s a spacious interior with a genuine adult-friendlyrear accommodation, comfortable ride and many convenience features. Performance and driving dynamicsare acceptable but certain features which could have been addressed to have been overlooked.

2013 MITSUBISHI LANCER FORTIS A new variant of the Lancer family from one of Mitsubishi’s global Asia-based manufacturing set-upscomes with couple of distinctive advantages – rock solid engineering and advantages of low tariffproduction.

2013 TOYOTA YARIS This global B+ best selling model from the Japanese brand gets full-on treatment for 2013. Toyotahas reengineered the car to bring it on par with its extensively refreshed line-up while ensuring thatit can lead the segment despite intense competition these days. The result is a stunning looker withbullet-proof engineering and reliability.

2013 VOLKSWAGEN POLO SEDAN The rst India-built Volkswagen to hit the Middle East markets which is slightly longer than theEuropean hatchback model. It is packaged and priced very sensibly as an entry model whileoffering class leading features such as rear legroom for passengers and efciency orientedpowertrain.

2013 PEUGEOT 301At corporate level, there’s a lot of talk about the French manufacturer in business circles, but atproduct level, the brand is ring on all cylinders as it aims to become a truly global player. Therecently introduced 301 is Peugeot’s entry level sedan offered in three variants. While the effort iscommendable, Peugeot has still a lot to learn and improvise in order to make its presence solidlyfelt in the ercely competitive segment currently dominated by Asian brands.


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2013 MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS The smallest new entry level member made a grand entry in the Middle East last year. With its new, third-generation A-class model that uses Mercedes’ CC (“Compact Car”) architecture, the brand is looking atregaining lost territory much more seriously with an exceptionally packaged deal. The production modelfollows faithfully the features from the concept which Mercedes has been teasing us with ever since. The

A-Class is stylish, and packed with safety and high-tech features normally found on more expensive models.

2013 VOLVO V40 Volvo keeps surprising the market s despite its new Chinese ownership and way of doing things. For the

rst time, Volvo has entered the small car arena with a car that caters to tastes of the market with demandsstyle, performance and features in a hatchback format. For Volvo, the V40 means a bit more. The newmodel essentially serves as a new range entry point in place of the discontinued C30 three-door and doesa pretty impressive job too.

2014 VW GOLF GTI The 2014 Volkswagen GTI, based on the seventh-generation Golf and this means it is built on the new

MQB platform. In base trim, the Volkswagen GTI is rated at 210hp and for the rst time, Volkswagenoffers a Performance Package that, among other things, will bump power to 220hp for select markets.Engineering upgrades like the addition of a proper limited-slip differential, along with DSG six-speed twin-clutch automatic makes this car truly entertaining.

2014 VW GOLF The tamer version of the GTI made its entry before the performance GTI variant and keeps the brand’shatchback aspirations alive. Interior design and quality, steering, brakes, ride, handling, thoughtfultouches, smart dash, spacious, safety technology applications are second to none.

2013 ALFA ROMEO GUILIETTAChrysler Group’s Italian premium brand has very few models to offer the Middle East markets,but it does try to create some noise with the stylish Guilietta hatchback. Arguably, the Giulietta isthe most chic and competent Alfa Romeo sold in the Middle East capable of narrowing the gapbetween the Italian way of doing things and the rival Europeans or Japanese.

2013 FORD FOCUS ST Ford created a formidable challenger in the perennial front wheel drive hot hatch segmentleader in the form of the Focus ST. Developed by Ford Team RS, the European arm of Ford MotorCompany’s Global Performance Vehicle group, the ST brings in a lot of technology from thegroup – be it Ecoboost or sophisticated chassis management or electronics. With the ST, it is yetanother proof point from Ford that small cars are anything but boring.

2013 MINI COUPE It’s very difcult to distinguish negligible differences in performance versus the regular Coopervariant and this means that the 2013 Mini Cooper Coupe really only delivers a sportier look, alongwith some inherent design drawbacks. Many in the business think that the Coupe is a stylingexercise and if its sleeker prole appeals to customers, then perhaps its drawbacks are an easierpill to swallow. However, a key USP with the JCW models now is the availability of automatictransmission.



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AUDI TO EXPAND MODEL RANGE FROM 49 TO60 ESCHEW ITS TRUCK UNDERPINNINGS

ASTON MARTIN AND DAIMLER FINALIZE ENGINE DEAL

SKODA SUV CONFIRMED VOLVO AND

POLESTARHAVE THREEREASONS TOCELEBRATE

PEUGEOT PLANNING AMERCEDESCLA COMPETITOR?


Audi’s delivery of 1.5mn vehicles in 2013 PR also contained a passing ref-erence to the future of its lineup. This news was delivered at the AudiForum Ingolstadt during the handover of an A3 Sportback to a customer. CEORupert Stadler said Audi will “expand our product range from the current 49

to 60 models. We see a great deal of potential, particularly in the SUV seg-ment and in the especially prestigious fullsize category.” We have little ideaof what kinds of cars that could entail right now, other than the Q1, but we’dlike to think it could inc lude an RS8, a production version of the Sport Quattro

concept and even the Nanuk.

Aston Martin and Daimler have ocially tied the knot as the companies have a signed a series of denitive agreements which will see the two automakers working to -gether. Under the term of the agreement, Aston Martin and AMG will develop a bespoke V8 engine that combines high performance with fuel eciency. The enginewill be used in the “next generation of models that will incorporate cutting edge technology.” In return, Daimler will receive up to a ve percent stake in Aston Martin.

The company will have non-voting shares but will receive observer status on the Aston Martin Holdings board.

The arrival of the Audi A5 Sportback, BMW 2-SeriesGran Coupe and Mercedes CLA seems to haveignited a lot of passion in the compact performance

segment and it seems that other European brandscould follow suit. If reports coming out from Europeare to be believed then Peugeot seems to be eyeingthe hot segment with a new car that will be basedon the 308 mechanicals called the 408 GT. It will re-portedly slot between the 308 and 408 and will used

tweaked carryover powertrains from the 308, so

petrol choices are expected to have outputs rangingfrom 130hp to 270hp besides diesel options.If every-thing pans out, the 408 GT could be launched in 2016.

Audi has hit its target

of 1.5mn in annual

sales two years earlier

than planned and the

new model additionswill be part of Audi’s

ambitious push to

reach two million an-

nual sales by 2020.

Audi has reportedly led applications to trademark several nameplates which could indicate the company’s plans for future models. First up is the “SQ2”

which hints at a high-performance version of the Q2. Ditto with the “SQ4” which will represent a more powerful derivative of the Q4 and moving up the

ladder is the “Q9” designation which indicates Audi plans an even bigger range-topping SUV model to sit above the Q7. Lastly, the “F-tron” trademark ap-

plication hints at a fuel-cell production car in future. Meanwhile, Audi has announced plans to invest $30.3bn into its research and development operations

through 2018. Audi will spend about 70 per cent of that investment on developing new models and technology.

B r e a k i n g

Skoda boss Winfried Vahland has conrmed pre-liminary details of the unnamed SUV which will

be based on the VW MQB platform and launched asearly as 2016. Vahland said the new model will bebased on the production version of the VW Cross-Blue concept which is due for a 2015 release. Thevehicle is expected to be about 4.6m long and willbe oered with ve and seven-seat congurations.

In addition, customers will have the possibility toselect from standard FWD and optional AWD. En-gine lineup is not expected to go beyond a 4-cylin-der 2.0-litre petrol and 1.6-litre turbodiesel. A dieselelectric hybrid variant for Europe is also planned.

V

olvo and Polestar celebrated their Scandinavian Touring Car Championshipvictory by introducing the S60, V60 and XC60 Black R editions in Sweden

last month. Looking sporty and elegant, the special editions are equipped witha matte black grille, a sport-tuned suspension and Ixion wheels. The modelsalso have leather sports seats, a premium audio system, a Sensus Connect info-tainment system and alloy pedals. Under the hood, two Polestar-tuned petroland diesel engines are available.


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CATERHAM SHINES ATUK’S AUTOSPORT EVENT

HOLDEN TOCEASE

PRODUCTIONBY 2017

CHEVROLET’S EXIT COULD

BE OPEL’S GAIN IN EUROPE

KIA TEASES SPORTSCAR CONCEPT


Kia has announced plans to introduce a new sportscar concept at the North American InternationalAuto Show this month. Till the show broke, the SouthKorean car company kept details a closely guardedsecret but they did conrm in December last that it

would follow the 2+2 sports car format. The concepthas been designed by Kia designers in Irvine, Cali-fornia. Kia also said the car was designed to deliver“head-turning looks whilst providing superb drivingenjoyment whether on the road or at the track.”

Caterham has big plans to impress visitors at the 2014 Autosport International Show othis month whichwill be held at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham UK. The British sportscar maker has en-joyed a landmark 2013 and will display a whole host of products from across the entire Caterham Group;headlined by the AeroSeven concept car which was revealed at the Singapore Grand Prix earlier this yearIn addition to the concept, the 2013 CT03 Caterham F1 car will be on the stand, alongside the SP/300.Rracing and trackday car, the new Superlight R300 championship race car, the Seven 485 SV and the

Caterham Kart.

In a surprise announcementtoday, Chevrolet has conrmedit will stop selling cars acrossEurope at the end of 2015. Theannouncement comes just daysafter GM CEO Dan Akersonexpressed his wish to put more

distance between Germany-based Opel and theBowtie brand. When the brand was launched inEurope in 2005, it focused on selling low-cost cars thatwere little more than rebadged, South Korean-builtDaewoo models. The business model was unpopularand the company was hit hard by the economic crisis

that rocked Europe several years ago. Chevrolethastily tried to move upmarket and woo Europeanbuyers by focusing on its American heritage, butEurope’s customers were not so convinced. Saleshave been stagnant at under 200,000 units with nochances of improvement, management decidedto back o. However, Chevrolet’s halo models like

the Corvette and the Camaro will continue to beimported and will most likely be distributed throughOpel dealerships. Similarly, Opel dealerships willhonour Chevrolet warranties and provide ownerswith parts and service.

The nal nail in Chevrolet’s con came from Opel, GM’s main European

division. Most of the products from these two brand are aimed at the same

target audience and GM believes that shuttering Chevrolet will help Opel to

return to protability in its home market after years of huge losses.

High production costs and just a two model domestic market portfolio and limited export potential isn’tenough to sustain operations for any car manufacturer and Holden, GM’s Australia arm has just learntthat the hard way. Holden and Toyota are Australia’s two leading car manufacturers and Toyota successfullyexports 70 per cent of its production to Middle East. Middle East markets get the Camry and Avalon, two ofToyota Australia’s key export models. The future of the Holden brand was thrown into question earlier lastmonth when General Motors announced that it would cease Australian manufacturing by 2017. Holden chairman and managing director Mike Devereux played down speculation that the decision was forced by thegovernment’s lack of commitment to the industry. “This is a General Motors decision,” he said. “We have althe information we feel that we need to make the conclusion that in relativity to the other economies that wecan build cars, and I don’t think this would be any surprise to anybody, that it is more viable to do that in otheplaces than Australia.” Devereux also acknowledged the impact GM’s decision would have on Australia, especially given Holden’s 65-year presence as a manufacturer in that country. Holden will become a full importerfrom 2017, just a year after traditional rival Ford ends its manufacturing operations in Australia.


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SWAN SONG FOR BERTONE?

Bertone’s design arm is on the brink of bank-ruptcy following years of mounting losses. Al-though, the design house has pro-duced stunning concept cars foralmost every major Europeanauto show held in the pastfew years, its order book hasbeen nearly empty for a longtime and it is operating in thered. A new sub-division calledBertone Workshop that aimsto build one-o cars at the re-quest of the lucky few that can aord it also failed

to win over customer. A court administrator is in theprocess of nding a new buyer for Bertone.

It is reported that there are some market interests

in the ailing company. An unidentied company

based in Turkey has expressed an interest in buyingthe design rm and its assets for the relatively

low sum of €2mn. The deal will bepresented to a judge and,

if approved, Bertonewill le for

bankruptcyearly nextyear in

order tofacilitate the

change of ownership. If the Turkish deal fallsthrough, Italian media outlets are reporting thatseven other parties have voiced an interest in buyingthe company in principle.

MORE DETAILS EMERGEON VW’S BUDGET BRAND

TOP EXECUTIVE CHANGES AT HYUNDAI NORTH AMERICA


Heinz-Jakob Neusser, Volkswagen’s new head of research and development, hasconrmed the automaker is still looking into launching a low-cost lineup of cars,

vans and crossovers that will compete against Renault’s Dacia division and Nissan’sreborn Datsun.“We are still working on the cost side. What’s clear is that we will only make this carif it meets our standards on safety, ride, handling, comfort and so on - and that it canbe made protably. It must be durable, precise and meet all the quality standards

people expect from us,”said the executive.Neusser hinted full details about the upcoming low-cost brand will be unveiled overthe next year. He did not mention precisely what markets the cars will be sold in, buthe previously conrmed they will be designed and built with the input of a joint-

venture partner.Although pure speculation, a potential scenario is that Volkswagen engineers willdevelop the car’s basic structure in Germany and the rest of the design work will becarried out by one of the automaker’s joint-venture partners in China.

Cited by most analysts and industry insiders as the chief engineer of Hyundai’s massive growth inNorth America over the last few years, the brand’s North American market CEO, John Krafcik,will step down at the close of his contract with the automaker on December 31, 2013. Krafcik’s willbe succeeded by executive vice president of sales David Zuchowski this month. Krafcik had been incharge of Hyundai’s operations in North America since late 2008 and had been a product develop -ment and strategic planning chief with the Korean automaker. His resume also included nearly a

decade and a half at Ford Motor Company prior to arriving at Hyundai. “It’s been a sincere privilegeand honour to lead Hyundai Motor America over the past ve years, and I am condent that with

Dave’s succession, our brand will continue to expand and thrive for years to come,” said Krafcik in astatement. Zuchowsike has led Hyundai’s sales and marketing operations since late 2007. Previously,he worked for Mazda and Ford.

CHINA ENDS TARIFFS ON CARSIMPORTED FROM US

China currently levies taris on nearly 80 per cent of ve -hicles made in the US and sold in the People’s Republic.Some cars are charged 22 per cent import duties and vehiclesincluded in this category are mostly cars and SUVs with 2.5-li-tre engines and larger. This aspect even aected vehicles

from non-American brands like BMW and Mercedes also thatare built in the US and then exported to China.

Following US import taris on Chinese-made tyres in 2009, the

Chinese government decided to levy duties on some American-

made vehicles and for years this has been a strain aecting

the Chinese and US auto industries. The normalization process

should help boost sales of ‘Made in USA’ cars in China.

The trade dispute may be cooling o, as the Asian country has

announced an end to controversial.


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AEuropean winter is not quite the

most conducive time to be talking

about the next car. When the chill

of the winds from the Arctic Circle

hit you, all you want is the comfort

of a warm bed inside your hotel room. And

no amount of woolies are going to make any

difference if you have to drive in the snow.

But this time around the appeal and the

setting were different. We were in Dusseldorf

to participate in a technology workshop

being held for the forthcoming Macan. And

at 5-degrees C, with a hint of a winter sun,

it was almost as if Porsche had managed the

weather too.

In its role as Germany’s sports car brand

Porsche has had some tumultuous years.

Beginning as a rather low volume sports

car manufacturer, it catapulted into the big

league with the Cayenne in 2002. At the time,

though Porsche made the Cayenne Type 955

on the Volkswagen Touareg platform, the

two companies weren’t as tightly integrated

they are today, especially after Porsche’s

failed takeover attempt saw it becoming an

extended part of the Volkswagen empire.

Today, it only seems logical that the Macan

is debuting in the guise that it has taken. In

terms of platform, it uses a variant of the

parent group’s MLB platform that is also used

on the Audi Q5, it looks not much a smaller

Cayenne as it looks like a Cayman on steroids

and it is targeted in that all-new sweet spot

that appeals to luxury customers all around

the world – the X3, Q5 and GLK segment. A

Porsche SUV in that bracket answers a lot of

needs. For starters it is a Porsche, will come

with extremely powerful engines and all the

bells and whistles that you nd in a Porsche

these days and carries the advantage of being

in a size segment that spells responsibility

in Europe, luxury in China and India and

sportiness in the United States.

Porsche should have addressed this logical

point sooner, considering that the Q5 platform

has been available for a few years now, but

better late than never the Cajun (the project

code, as in Cayenne Junior) was hinted at and

the Macan has now landed.

But that’s just the point that Porsche needs

to take its buyers through as it seeks to set up

the market for the Macan. Is it just a souped-

up Q5? Are we looking at a smaller Cayenne?

Or is the relationship more akin to that the

911 and the Cayman have? That’s why we

were at the ADAC course near Dusseldorf, to

be taken through the ne print that makes up

the major differences.

Seeing the Macan in the esh for the rst


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A new feature on the Macan

is the bonnet with a raw air duct

integrated on the underside for

ventilating the engine. Two channels

direct the incoming air from the front

air intakes in the direction of the two

turbochargers. These channels are

precisely dimensioned to meet the air

requirements of the engine

The use of tyres on the Macan is typical ofa sportscar: The vehicle is designed to usemixed tyres with different dimensions at thefront and rear axle. The mixed tyres emphasisethe sportscar look of the Porsche Macan andalso offer some dynamic advantages.In combination with the all-wheel drive

system designed for tail-heavy vehicles,the wider tyres on the rear axle increasetraction and enhance driving stability. The

front tyres enable sporty yet precise steeringmanoeuvres, thereby contributing to theagility of the vehicle, too. Overall, the mixedtyres allow for more exible tyre tuning and,by helping to achieve excellent rear-endstability, contribute to the Macan’s exceptionaldriving performance.

Key objectives when developing the tyresincluded optimum vehicle stability and driving

pleasure, best-in-class braking distances,low rolling resistance and a good balance ofcomfort and performance with the help of thelarge tyre diameter.

235/60 R 18 (front) and 255/55 R 18 (rear)tyres are standard equipment for the Macan

S and Macan S Diesel, while the Macan Turbofeatures 235/55 R 19 (front) and 255/50 R 19(rear) tyres.

time doesn’t take away from the thrill of

seeing a new champ. It isn’t quite a smaller

clone of the Cayenne in the looks department,

even though we were told a few times about

the similarity. The major difference is that

the hood is now a clamshell design, with

cutouts for the headlights – all sports car

like in that. And when you open the hood,

all you see is a large polymer engine cover.

The engine cover is also designed to serve as

an air-intake manifold for the engine, routing

air up from the front and splitting it to the

intakes. The shut-line now runs horizontally

off from the top of the air-dam through the

fender region, actually cutting the wheel-bay

at the top. Even if the rest of the car wasn’t so

good looking, we would have given full marks

just for this treatment. The rear is all sports

car again, while keeping a decent amount of

storage volume. There is no chance that the

company will ever squeeze in two jump seats


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The 3.6-litre V6 biturbo engine has been re-developed specically for the Macan Turboand unleashes its maximum output of 400hp(294 kW) at 6,000 rpm – giving the MacanTurbo unrivalled performance within thecompact SUV segment. Two turbochargerswith a boost pressure of up to 1.2 bar ensurepowerful ventilation of the 90-degree V6engine. This power results in accelerationfrom zero to 100 km/h in just 4.8secs (4.6seconds with the Sport Chrono packagetted) and a top speed of 266km/h. The newPorsche engine is based on the three-litre V6biturbo engine with a stroke that has beenincreased from 69 millimetres to 83mm. The Macan S is powered by the new three-litre V6 biturbo engine which, like the 3.6-litreversion, was developed by Porsche and ismanufactured by Porsche in Zuffenhausen,Germany. The engine is particularly high-revving, thanks to its 96mm bore and short69mm stroke. The engineers focused onproviding uniform performance developmentand an even torque curve. By combining twoturbochargers, positioned in a compact formon the left and right, which were designedspecically for this engine and together delivera boost pressure of up to 1.0 bar, exceptionalperformance values have been achieved: Theengine reaches its maximum power of 340hp (250 kW) at between 5,500 and 6,500

rpm. Sprinting from 0 to 100km/h takes just5.4 seconds (5.2secs with the Sport Chronopackage tted), and the vehicle reaches a topspeed of around 254km/h. Both of the V6 biturbo engines feature Porsche

VarioCam Plus, a system for continuous andvariable inlet and outlet camshaft controlwith valve-lift adjustment on the intake side,effective on one intake valve per cylinder.This system allows the engine to respond ina exible manner to the relevant performancerequirements. The result is spontaneous acceleration andexceptionally smooth running. The reviseddirect fuel injection (DFI) concept with multi-hole injectors and a high pressure of 200bar enables optimum fuel distribution. DFIalso improves internal cooling within thecombustion chamber, as the fuel-air mixtureis generated in the cylinder directly. Theresulting higher compression ratio providesgreater engine power and better engineefciency. The turbochargers have beentailored to the engines and are capable ofbuilding up the boost very quickly. Integrated dry-sump lubrication and amodied oil sump shape have been developedfor the petrol engines destined for use in theMacan. These modications enable optimum

engine lubrication – even in extreme drivingsituations. They also contribute to a low centreof gravity while allowing the ground clearanceto be increased. The oil pump operates ondemand and is driven by the balancer shaftmodule. The diesel-powered 3.0-litre is also availablefor other markets and will generate 258 hpand a at 580Nm of torque. This engine istaken from the Cayenne and modied. The 0to 100 sprint takes 6.3secs on this engine –not bad for an oil-burner.



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Though a bit late in the day, Porsche seems to have thought out the

Macan as a complete package, suitable for world audiences. Between

diesel and petrol engines and a choice of ride and lux packages, the

Macan will appeal as much to the newly affluent buyer in the BRIC

countries as it will to the established Porsche afficionado in Germany


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here, but then they haven’t done that in the

Cayenne either.

The interiors are straight out of their

sports cars, with the steering axis being more

horizontal and the cabin having an enhanced

cockpit feel, especially with the large central

tunnel and the elaborate control adornment

on it. In the bargain, the platform has seen

some changes to lower the hip point, adding

to the sports car feel as well as lending some

extra headroom.

The Macan gets three engines at launch,

which set it out as a world car for the brand.

The smaller two engines are 3.0-litre V6

units, one petrol and the other diesel, while

the halo car will have the 3.6-litre biturbo

unit. Now the Turbo classication for the top

spec car is a bit confusing since the entry S

variant also is turbo powered but all you need

to do is think of it only as a badge for the

performance variant. At some stage in the

future there will no doubt be a GTS too.

As part of the technology sessions we were

taken through the engine development, use

of a hang-on arrangement for the four-wheel

drive system and the changes that set the car

apart from the regular MLB SUV.

Admittedly, being on a track and not

getting an opportunity to drive the car was

frustrating, but the trainer instructors took

us around a mildly demanding off-road track

and a small twisty road track from the ADAC

course. First impressions of the car as a

passenger border on the sublime. The off-

road track isn’t too demanding and doesn’t

have sand. But the diesel unit that was doing

the off-road bit wasn’t even trying and with

the ability of the air suspension to rise 40mm

on one touch of the 4WD button, there really

isn’t so much thinking. The hang-on AWD is

taken off from the Carrera 4 and can handle

a torque of up to 900Nm. The car also gets

a version of terrain response so that torque

delivery to individual wheels is controlled by

the response.

Air suspension also allows the car to lower

from Normal ride height by 10mm (at speeds)

and also offers the ability to lower only the tail

to afford a better load height.

In all cars the gearbox is the 7-speed PDK

unit and the car also gets the optional sports

differential that comes complete with a diff

lock and the ability to dole out Porsche Torque

Vectoring Plus (not the regular PTV).

On the road track, the immediate takeaway

was the almost complete lack of roll in the

Turbo variant. We don’t expect the mechanical

spring equipped unit to be as rock steady, but

then we think that almost all buyers would

take the air suspension and gain the handling

advantage. Although, knowing the Porsche

strategy, we would expect steel springs


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Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTVPlus)The Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTVPlus) system has been specially tailoredto the Macan in order to improve drivingdynamics and driving stability. The PTV Plus

uses a variable standard torque split at therear wheels combined with an electronicallycontrolled rear-axle differential lock. Inresponse to the steering angle, steeringspeed, accelerator pedal position, yaw rateand vehicle speed, the PTV Plus improvessteering behaviour and steering precisionthrough targeted brake interventions onthe inside rear wheel to enhance agility.This gives the outside rear wheel a greaterpropulsion force and enables an additionalturning impulse in the steered direction.The result is direct and dynamic steering

into the bend. PTV Plus improves agilityand steering precision at low to moderatevehicle speeds. The system also offersenhanced vehicle stability at high speeds,when cornering at speed and in case ofspinning wheels. In combination with Porsche

Traction Management (PTM) and PorscheStability Management (PSM) systems, PTVPlus ultimately provides improved traction ondifferent road surfaces, and for wet and snowconditions, thanks to the rear-axle differentiallock. The same applies when acceleratingout of bends, moving off and on roads withdifferent friction coefcients on the left andright, for instance. The PTV Plus also makesa positive impact when the Macan is takenoff-road: On loose ground, rear wheel spin isreduced through targeted locking and brakinginterventions.


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with Porsche active suspension management to be as much in

demand, for its reliability and performance.

Another surprise was in the choice of wheels. Wheel sizes

begin at 18in and go all the way up to 21in, but the front andrear axles get different wheel sizes. This means that the car is

usually supplied without a spare or with only a space saver.

In most ways the car seems to keep it technologically relevant.

Let’s not even look at the cabin, where the sports car ambience,

decent legroom and comforts make for a surere winner. The

Macan looks like a Cayman on steroids and will easily make a

name for itself on the roads of the world - and Porsche are

banking on this with a new extension to their Leipzig plant that

is designed to produce 50,000 units a year when the car hits full

production in 2015. Compare that with 2002 when the entire

production of Porsche was in that range and you can see where

the brand has come now. By the time the whole world is buyingthe Macan, Porsche would be hitting the quarter of a million

mark, making itself the new champion of the sports car world.


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FIRST DRIVE|2014 Honda City


There are very few city cars in Asia which

have a fan following like the Honda City.

Honda was among the first few to launch

a sedan in emerging markets like India,

way back in 1998 with the f irst generation

Honda City. The fourth generation model

has just been launched in Asia and

Automan checks out the new model during

its India launchAuthor and photography: Faisal Khan

S

ince 1998, Honda’s C-segment City

has become a perennial favourite

in the hotly-contested segment in

many Asian countries and in some

pockets in the Middle East. Quite

popular as an entry level sedan, particularly

in high fuel cost markets like India the model

began losing steam to its rivals which had

the diesel technology advantage. For the

record, Honda has been selling the City in 55

countries worldwide and 2.2mn units have

been sold already.

Honda revived the City nameplate in

1996 for the Asian market with the rst

generation model being based on the Civic.

The rst Honda City was launched in 1981

and technically the City model is now in its

sixth generation. However, since the rst two

generation models were hatchbacks, the City

sedan is therefore considered to be in its

fourth generation now.

Things started moving aggressively at

Honda, by the time the City entered its third

generation. Honda particularly looked at

styling and efcient powertrains and began

to package the car in line with global trends.

Gen III sported a new revolutionary design

language which also set the tone for its

successor and this is evident in the incoming

fourth generation which has further evolved.

At rst glance, to the uninit iated, the new

City will pass off as the old car and that’s

because both the third and fourth generation

models have very similar dimensions and

prole. The new City [code: 2CT] is built

on the same platform as the upcoming

new-generation Jazz. It has a length of

4,440mm [same as the outgoing City], but

the wheelbase is 50mm more at 2,600mm,

height stands at 10mm more at 1,495mm

City slick

EXCLUSIVE


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no speed limiter on the City like it’s on the

Brio and Amaze and thus you can comfortably

cruise at high speeds. 100km/hr in top gearkeeps the rpm needle ticking at 3,000rpm.

Like most Hondas, the suspension is set a

bit on the stiffer side, more attuned for the

heavier diesel model. While, the petrol variant

rides better, the ride overall is compliant on

smooth asphalt, only to be unsettled on

broken patches. High speed stability is good

and occupants don’t realise the speed of the

car. Tyres and wind noise is contained to some

extent due to improved NVH management,

but both the diesel and petrol engines are

quite audible at high revs. The steering is

light at low speeds and only decently weighed

at high speeds lacking feedback you would

expect from a very potent driver ’s car. Turningradius is short making city driving and parking

a breeze. . The CVT box can be noisy at times,

but the paddle shifters on the steering wheel

and the option of choosing Sport mode livens

up things. The CVT model also gets Hill Hold

function and like most higher Honda cars, all

City variants come with ambient meter rings

which are blue in regular driving and turn

green when you drive efciently.

VerdictHonda’s approach towards the City clearly

reveals the importance of the car for the

Japanese brand. Not only is the City an

important car for the manufacturer, it’s also

important for other C-segment companies asthe vehicle always sets a new benchmark in

the segment thereby indirectly dictating the

next move of Honda’s competitors. Honda

knows customers have high expectations from

the City as the vehicle is an achiever’s car

and the company wants to deliver more than

what people ask for. Have they succeeded?

Yes, in spades. The new City builds on the

good points of the old car and offers good

balance of features, styling, performance and

efciency.


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ROADTESTS |2014 Lincoln MKZ


E l e g a n t S i m p l i c i t y

Nearly identical to the Lincoln MKZ

Concept shown at the North American

International Auto Show in January

2012, the production version of the

new Lincoln MKZ embodies a design

language that is subtly distinctive as

per the brand’s business objectives.

Automan tests this car in Oman

Author: Chandan B Mallik

Photography: Elvis John Ferrao


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Ford’s luxury brand Lincoln has been

in the process of redening itself as

a luxury player and the effort goes

beyond design and engineering.

The MKZ sedan is an important

model in the current line-up and in fact, the

MKZ was the rst of the “MK”-series of Lincoln

luxury vehicles, which has since been followed

by the MKX crossover, MKS full-size sedan

and MKT full-size crossover. Since 2008, the

MKZ has been Lincoln’s best-selling vehicle

in the US domestic market and the all-new

second generation MKZ, which is essentially

an enlarged variant of the international Ford

Mondeo/Fusion platform went on sale in early

2013. This new arrival has been recently

introduced in the Middle East.

With the 2014 Lincoln MKZ, the brand is

keen to reclaim some of its former Detroit

glory which it enjoyed till the imported brands

from Asia and Europe came in and dominated

the segment. And the journey begins with new

design language and prole. While, the MKZ

is mechanically related to the Ford Fusion,

but at least on the outside, there’s plenty of

differentiation between the two cars. Most

noticeable about Lincoln’s MKZ is its fres

and distinctive coupe like exterior styling and

the split winged grille and Europe-inspired

waistline. But it’s the sweeping rooine tha

actually denes the car’s smart prole which

is supported by a steeply raked windscreen

and horizontal tail lamp stretching end to end

It’s not just looks, besides being sleeke

and more owing, the car is 10 per cen

more slippery when it comes to aerodynami

proling when compared to the outgoing

model. What is nice in the design and prole

that although it is strikingly modern, th

classic Lincoln design DNA and key element

like the rened interpretation of the split-win

grille, rst seen on the 1938 Lincoln-Zephy

are retained almost faithfully. The car feature

ush t headlamp assemblies which includ

bright, energy-efcient LED technologies

The front headlights also turn in sync with

the steering wheel and at the rear too, LED

technology rules full-width literally.

Ford is slowly but

surely attempting

to revitalize the

luxury Lincoln brand,

with the new MKZ

sedan pointing the

way forward for theBlue Oval’s premium

division


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Ford is slowly but surely attempting to

revitalize the luxury Lincoln brand, with the

new MKZ sedan pointing the way forward for

the Blue Oval’s premium division

Betting the exterior, the car’s design

teams created an inviting interior featuring

bold architectural elements, rich natural

materials and ne details. There’s a dramatic

sweep of the new instrument panel, a owing

open central console and conspicuous by its

absence is the fact there’s no traditional gear

shifter either on the console or steering stalk.


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Instead, there’s a ve-button interface,

very similar to what you nd in an Aston

Martin these days. The individual buttons

of Push Button Shift engage Park, Neutral,Reverse, and forward gears in two modes,

Drive and Sport. Meanwhile, this arrangement

has given interior designers more freedom to

create functional storage areas in the elegant

central console.

From the trim perspective, there’s premium-

grade, supple leather covers all seats and

responsibly harvested real wood and metal-

toned surfaces complement each other and

create a luxurious and comfortable interior

environment. The car offers quite good head,

leg and shoulder room. Another signature

feature not to be missed in this car is the

retractable panoramic roof. The 15.2-square-

foot glass panel offers one of the largestopenings available on any current sedan.

In terms of technology application inside

the cabin there’s oodles of gadgetry positioned

ahead of the driver. There’s a large full-colour

10.1in LCD instrument cluster operates with

the latest version of SYNC with MyLincoln

Touch. An equally important element of

MyLincoln Touch is the 8in LCD touch screen

that displays information.

As an entry level luxury model that has

moved up, standard luxury features include

11-speaker audiophile entertainment system

and cabin air ltration, power driver’s seat

featuring 10-way power controls and remotestart capabilities. Active Noise Control is

among new technologies that have been

incorporated to ensure the car is whisper

quiet on the move.

Lincoln claims that the MKZ is the only

sedan in its class to offer inatable second-

row outboard seat belts. These outboard

seat belts spread impact forces across more

than ve times the area of conventional belts

reducing pressure on the chest while helping

to control head and neck motion and helping

reduce the risk of injuries.


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Driver also gets some interesting

contemporary technologies like lane departurewarning, adaptive Cruise Control and Collision

Warning with Brake Assist. Active park assist

and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®)

with cross-trafc alert use multiple short-

range wide-angle radar sensors in this car.

We found SYNC with MyLincoln Touch

as a neat combined system that makes it

easier to use most of the entertainment,

climate and available navigation features as

well as connectivity for external devices like

phones, PDA, MP3 players. While two ve-

way controls on the steering wheel manage

essential systems, many functions can be

voice-activated via SYNC.

Powering our test car was top-of-the-line

3.7-litre V6 produces signicantly more power

(37 horsepower and 28 lb.-ft. of torque) than

the previous Lincoln MKZ V6 while improving

fuel economy approximately 5 per cent. This

engine is mated to a six-speed automatic

transmission with paddle shifting facilities

[levers mounted behind the steering wheel].

The car’s suspension is designed to offer

occupants an ideal balance of a smooth ride

and condent handling. This is done through

Lincoln Drive Control is an electronic system

that intuitively responds to driver commands

and the road by interacting continuously. The

car features Continuous Controlled Damping

(CCD) adjustable suspension, electric

power-assisted steering (EPAS), engine,

transmission, Active Noise Control (ANC),

traction control and stability control systems.

In fact, CCD offers three modes (Sport/

Normal/Comfort) that are accessible using

MyLincoln Touch.

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

It takes a little while to get used to the

absence of a gear shifter. Unlike in the Aston

Martin which uses a robotic gearbox where

the in-between shifts can be noisy and jerky,

the gear shifts in the MKZ are ultra smooth.

The car is certainly very quiet on the move

and the ride and handling are on par withsimilar premium luxury models, like the Lexus

ES, part in thanks to Lincoln Drive Control,

an intelligent system designed to deliver a

well-balanced driving experience. The engine

is quite responsive to general duties and

doesn’t feel stressed when pushed. Steering

feel and feedback is neutral and overall, when

compared with the new Cadillac CTS, which

is a far more engaging driver’s car, the MKZ

feels quite sedate and relaxed.

While the push button gears are

entertaining, unlike some driver-selectable

Sport modes, the Lincoln Drive Control

actually produces noticeable changes in the

car’s performance and ride. In every mode,

we note that the chassis motions are well

controlled, which is surprising as one would

have expected of a car which has so much

inuence from a Fusion. Our test car rode

tolerably with the suspension set to Comfort,

yet with Sport mode selected, changes are

felt, but the car doesn’t get aggressive. The


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Handling isn’t too aggressive

and the new MKZ’s chassis

is set-up for several driving

modes. It’s on the borderline

of sports sedans

brakes have adequate power to stop the car

from 110km/h in 169feet, which is better

braking than that of a BMW 528i or Lexus

GS350.

VERDICT

The 2013 MKZ is a much more thorough

rework of the Fusion architecture now.

Overall, the 2014 MKZ should be considered

less of an enthusiast’s car, but more as an

all-rounder. This is because the MKZ is not

designed or packaged to sit in the same

performance tier as the Cadillac CTS, BMW 3

Series or Mercedes-Benz C-Class. We wouldn’t

recommend it as a luxury sport sedan choice,

but would see it as a standalone car which

is stylish, feature loaded, comfortable to ride

in and easy to live with. The new MKZ is the

most rened and engaging MKZ ever.


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50 www.automanweb.com JAN 201450 www.automanweb.com JAN 2014

We met Infiniti’s new designer SimonCox on the sidelines of the Dubai

motorshow. He gives Automan an

interesting perspective of what it takes

to design products at a t ime of change

for the luxury brand.

Interviewer: Raj Warrior

RW: It’s a pleasure to meet you Simon.

Coming from a background of designing

for American marques, how different do

you nd the task that you now have in

bringing out future Innitis at this time

of their growth surge?

SC: For us at Inniti it is now much more than

a one size ts everything approach. We have

challenges. We have established players to

contend with – we have BMW, Audi , Merc

149 automan january issue 2014

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