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Class actionMercedes previews exciting new $50k ‘coupe’

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Issue 37 ● May 2012

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Licence to grilleBenz reveals the face of new CLA coupe-style four-door

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Load of bullMeat the latest bovine beast from the house of Lamborghini

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Nissan in actionNew sedan puts your finger on the Aussie Pulsar

14Gallic symbolCitroen Numero 9 concept not simply art for art’s sake

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Load of bullMeat the latest bovine beast from

the house of Lamborghini

Lamborghini Urus //

By HAITHAM RAZAGUI

LAMBORGHINI has made it clear it intends to build a luxury SUV after unveiling its Urus concept, which is tipped to go into production by 2016 and serve as a competitor to the big BMW X6 M.

The Italian supercar brand says it would sell

around 3000 SUVs annually, almost trebling its sales, which hit 1600 globally last year.

A long-rumoured project, Lamborghini’s SUV is unlikely to be powered by a V12 engine as speculated, given Lamborghini’s claims of best-in-class CO2 emissions and lightweight design, but rather an Audi-sourced twin-turbo

V8 as the basis of a 440kW plug-in hybrid drivetrain, signifying how much the world has moved on since the car’s spiritual predecessor, the tank-like V12-powered LM002 off-roader launched in 1986.

“One target is clearly defined,” said the press release announcing the vehicle at the recent

Beijing motor show. “The Lamborghini Urus will beat all comparable competitors when it comes to CO2 emissions.”

In addition to lightweight body construction using Lamborghini’s ‘Forged Composite’ carbon-fibre technology, which it debuted on the Sesto Elemento concept, the Urus will



feature a lightweight interior design.Built on the same platform as the

Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7 and VW Touareg, the all-wheel drive Urus is lower than it is wide, measuring 1990mm in width, 1660mm in height and 4990mm in length – making it slightly longer, lower and wider than the X6 M.

Helped by its low weight and a low centre of gravity, Lamborghini claims the Urus will set “new benchmarks” in terms of handling and will employ adaptive aerodynamics, with an adjustable front spoiler that can also retract to provide a better approach angle and obstacle clearance.

A wind deflector above the rear

windscreen also directs airflow at the adjustable rear spoiler, which automatically adjusts the aerodynamic balance to suit the driving conditions.

Although driving fun will be the priority, Lamborghini says it will not forget traditional SUV drawcards like space for people and their luggage, or flexibility for use with family and leisure pursuits.

How the concept’s huge 24-inch wheels and technology-laden supercar-like four-seat interior fit into that equation remains to be seen, but these are expected to be among the first things to be toned down for the production car.

Exterior styling, reportedly close to the real thing, means the angular Urus is instantly recognisable as a Lamborghini from the front by its devilish headlights and supercar-like front bumper with gaping air intakes.

From the side, it shares a coupe-like roofline

and shallow w i n d ow s


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with the Range Rover Evoque, but with large air vents behind the front wheels that flow into a sharply creased indent in the doors.

Towards the rear, that indent is dramatically truncated by exaggerated and surprisingly rounded haunches that give the car a muscular, aggressive stance, finished off by a tiny window, four hexagonal exhaust tips and slim LED tail-light clusters.

The dark-coloured lower cladding fitted to most SUVs as a styling and protective feature is present on the Urus, but, being a Lamborghini, it is all naked carbon-fibre weave, including the front spoiler, wheelarches, side-skirts and chunky rear diffuser.

Carbon-fibre is also evident throughout the interior – symbolic of Lamborghini’s aim to save weight inside as well as out – with this idea most clearly expressed through the centre console, which runs the length of the cabin and is made from a lightweight lattice of Lamborghini’s Forged Composite material.

Forged Composite is also visibly used for

the seat frames, its unique production process creating a surface texture and colouring more like marble or granite than traditional carbon-fibre weave.

Large race-style steering-column-mounted paddles operate a dual-clutch transmission and, like recent Ferraris, Lamborghini has ditched the traditional column stalks for indicators, light and wiper controls, moving the switchgear to the multi-function steering wheel or centre console.

The instrument panel takes the form of a programmable colour screen, while infotainment and climate-control functions are managed through a central touchscreen that is replicated between the rear seats for use by passengers.

As is traditional for Lamborghini, the SUV’s moniker is bull-related, with Urus – also known as Aurochs – being the large, wild ancestor of domestic cattle. Spanish fighting bulls, after which most Lamborghini models are named, remain close to the Urus in appearance.

Saucy Bolognese: The Lamborghini Urus will bring edgy styling to the SUV market.

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Citroen Numero 9 concept not simply art for art’s sake

Citroen Numero 9 //

By DAVID HASSALL ITROEN has revealed a slinky

new concept car that clearly points to the French car-maker’s long-awaited

flagship DS9 saloon, which will replace the disappointing C6 sold in Australia since 2006.

Unveiled at the recent Beijing motor show and bearing a close resemblance to the Metropolis concept shown at the Shanghai show in May 2010, the latest version is called the Numéro 9, which not-so-subtly betrays its expected future as the DS9.

Not coincidentally, Citroen used the Numéro 9 unveiling at the show to launch the French car-maker’s DS range of cars in China, which will commence later this year. China is now Citroen’s biggest market, having recently overtaken France.

The DS9 will be built in China in a joint venture with the Changan Automotive Group in Guangdong province and is clearly targeted at the huge Chinese luxury saloon market, which is charging ahead in contrast to many more

C

symbolGallic

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mature markets, specifically the chauffeur-driven top-end of the market.

Nevertheless, the new Citroen flagship is on the agenda for small-volume global distribution as a serious rival to cars such as the Mercedes-Benz S-class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8.

Local DS9 sales are dependent on right-hand drive production – which has yet to be confirmed – and therefore relying also on the interest and lobbying from other large RHD markets such as the UK, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and India.

Citroen said it created the sleek Numéro 9 plug-in hybrid to promote its distinctive DS line and signals styling cues of the next three models – a C-segment premium sedan, an SUV and a D-segment “executive saloon”, which will be the DS9.

Presently, the DS line – which is marketed alongside Citroen’s main range – consists

of the DS3 light car (sold in Australia since September 2010), the C4-based DS4 crossover launched here two months ago, and the larger DS5 due here later this year.

As well as conveniently slotting neatly into the DS model name progression, the DS9 badge is designed to pay homage to the classic DS19 of the 1960s, also known as the Goddess because the French pronunciation for the letters DS together sound like

the word for Goddess. It was even the subject of an Australian movie in 2000

titled The Goddess of 1967.The 21st century incarnation is

distinguished by its ‘shooting brake’ wagon-style body – “subtly combining the proportions of a coupé with those of an estate” – and substantial 3.0-metre wheelbase, which both

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provide for a large rear seat in keeping with its chauffeur-driven target market.

Rear-seat occupants also get plenty of light through the provision of three glass areas in the “floating roof”, which ends with a built-in spoiler just above the back window. The cabin can also be “pre-heated” to a set temperature.

Interestingly, Citroen said the latest version of the car was designed in Paris, not PSA Peugeot Citroen’s China Tech Centre, the company’s largest R&D

and design facility outside Europe, where the original Metropolis was

apparently styled.“Numéro 9 evolves the design

cues of the current DS line, introducing the new front-end identity of future models, along with an original light signature,”

said Citroen.“The grille is sculpted in three

dimensions and flows into the full-LED headlights, which end in daytime-

running lights. Condensing the distinctive forms of the DS line, the concept also

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features a floating roof, underlined by chrome trim with discreet DS markings, and glazed side surfaces flowing into the rear window.”

The near-production Numéro 9 – which employs a hydraulic active suspension system and rides on huge 21-inch wheels – is not quite as large as the Metropolis concept, being almost 400mm shorter at 4930mm and 60mm narrower at 1940mm, but is 130mm lower at just 1270mm. It is slightly bigger than the C6.

Sitting under the long bonnet of the Beijing show car and driving the front wheels is a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine developing 165kW of power and 275Nm of torque, but Citroen points out a diesel engine can also be fitted where it suits the market.

An electric motor developing 52kW and 200Nm is located on the rear axle, powered by

lithium-ion batteries that can be recharged in three and a half hours from a normal domestic socket, which has a 50km range with zero emissions in electric-only rear-wheel-drive mode.

Only the combustion engine is used for freeway cruising, but using both the engine and motor together (at the push of a ‘boost’ button) accelerates the 1500kg saloon from 0-100km/h in 5.4 seconds – only about one-tenth slower than the 4.4-litre V8 turbo BMW 750Li – on the way to a top speed of 244km/h.

On slippery surfaces, the car will automatically engage both for all-wheel drive, or the driver can select it manually.

Citroen claims the hybrid drivetrain delivers fuel economy of just 1.7L/100km under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), with CO2 emissions of 39g/km.

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Licence to grille\\ Mercedes_Benz CLA

Benz reveals the face of new CLA coupe-style four-door

By MIKE COSTELLO

MERCEDES-BENZ unleashed one of the stars of last month’s Beijing motor show with its sleek and aggressive Concept Style Coupe.

The concept previews the forthcoming

production CLA compact sedan that is slated to appear in final form at the Paris motor show in September, and which Mercedes-Benz Australia has pencilled in for local sale by mid-2013.

Daimler AG chairman and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Dieter Zetsche said the

CLA will be a game-changer in the lower end of the premium vehicle market.

“We are staking our claim very clearly here,” he said. “This is the model against which sporty vehicles in the executive segment will have to measure themselves in future.”

The CLA will be based on the same ‘MFA’ modular platform that underpins the new B-class (released here earlier last month) and upcoming A-class small car (due early next year).

The concept shown in Beijing – dubbed by Benz as its ‘Style Rebel’ – has the same



coupe-like silhouette style as the larger but conceptually similar CLS, with a muscular, diamond-look grille design that follows recent product style, including the new A-class that debuted at the Geneva show in March.

The sporty lines of the coupe are further emphasised by the sharply-tapered, metallic red tail-lights and integrated dual-flow exhaust system, which gives added width to the rear end. The narrow rear diffuser has the same dotted pattern as the diamond grille.

The concept also features a full panoramic roof, 21-inch turbine-style wheels and frameless side windows. The slick headlights, which the Stuttgart marque said resemble “the ever wary, almost intimidating eyes of a predatory animal”, shine a menacing red when the car is stationary.

Entry and egress is aided by the absence of a traditional B-pillar,

although this seems unlikely to remain when the CLA goes into production alongside the B-class at Mercedes’ new passenger-car plant at Kecskemét in Hungary.

Mercedes-Benz head of design Gorden Wagener confirmed that the Concept Style Coupe wears its ‘concept’ tag loosely, calling its design “almost production

standard”. “Concept Style Coupe sets a

new benchmark for avant-garde design in the executive segment,” he

said. “Its breathtaking proportions, sinewy fluid surfaces and sculptural lines are the physical expression of our dynamic design idiom.”


> FULL STORY

> FULL STORY

> FULL STORY

Ford Falcon EcoBoost is here

LAND ROVER wowed Beijing with a real show star in the shape of Victoria Beckham, who was there to unveil a car she helped design, a special edition Range Rover Evoque.

THE supercharged Lotus Elise S is has arrived in Australia, featuring performance and efficiency improvements over the outgoing Elise SC – while the price remains static at $79,990 plus on-road costs

FORD Australia has launched its long-anticipated EcoBoost Falcon, which for the first time introduces a four-cylinder engine to the iconic locally built large sedan.

Blown Lotus Elise S lands Down Under

Land Rover’s Posh Evoque

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Benz and curves: Mercedes takes its design language up another notch.

The A-class influence is more evident inside the cabin, which exhibits a familiar instrument fascia and dashtop-mounted screen with the company’s COMAND online connectivity system.

The concept gets more outlandish features like air vents that are said to be inspired by an aircraft jet engine, carbon-fibre trim, and neon green seat piping and air-vent highlights.

While the concept car was presented as a four-seater with a storage area replacing the fifth seat, it is unclear whether this configuration – much like the similarly sleek but larger Volkswagen Passat CC – will carry into the CLA.

The Beijing show car is powered by the 155kW 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine used in the forthcoming A250 Sport, which will rival the Volkswagen Golf GTI hot hatch when it arrives Down Under.

Unlike the A-class and B-class, its power is channelled to all four wheels via a 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system, and is matched to Mercedes’ new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

At 4637mm long, 1891mm wide and

1398mm high, the CSC is slightly longer than a current C-class sedan, but narrower and lower.

Mercedes Australia senior manager of corporate communications David McCarthy revealed that the CLA could kick off from around the $50,000 mark, placing it in a “category of one”.

Much like the A-class, Mercedes expects the CLA will be a big conquest car for the Stuttgart marque in Australia, priced sharply enough to drag style-conscious buyers away from less prestigious brands in the lower end of the premium market.

Expect entry-grade variants to be available with front-wheel drive and flagship performance variants – an AMG version looks to be a starter – to feature all-wheel drive.

Mercedes will eventually add another two models using the MFA architecture, with the first expected to be a small SUV – probably badged as the GLC – set to emerge overseas next year before coming to Australia in 2014.

Benz has not confirmed what the other addition will be, with possible contenders including a ‘shooting brake’ wagon or a sub-SLK roadster/coupe.

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Nissan in action


\\ Nissan Pulsar sedan

New sedan puts your finger on the Aussie Pulsar

By HAITHAM RAZAGUI

NISSAN’S reborn Pulsar sedan, unveiled at the recent Beijing motor show, provides Australians with their first glimpse of how Nissan’s crucial volume-booster will look when it arrives Down Under next summer.

The new global sedan will replace the slow-

selling Tiida to form a vital part of Nissan’s ambition to grab a 10 per cent market share in Australia and become this country’s largest full-line vehicle importer by April 2013.

In a staggered launch, the Pulsar sedan – planned to arrive in January or February next year – will be later joined by the hatch that was unveiled at last year’s Shanghai show

wearing Tiida badges.Nissan Australia’s recently appointed CEO,

Bill Peffer, said the new Pulsar will “add a powerful dimension to Nissan’s rapidly improving passenger car portfolio”.

“Pulsar sedan has the looks, packaging and expected value to make it the leading choice in the booming small-car segment,” he said.

Resembling a smaller version of the Altima sedan that will go head-to-head with Toyota’s Camry from the second half of next year, the Pulsar sedan was presented at the show as an upmarket proposition.

A chrome-laden grille and LED daytime-running lights provide road presence while a flowing curve over the front wheelarches turns


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Check your Pulsar: Nissan will revive the Pulsar name in Australia from early 2013.

into a prominent character line that continues along the Pulsar’s flanks and links into the LED tail-light clusters.

Nissan promises a spacious cabin fitted out with high-quality materials and luggage capacity matching the class leaders. Interior photos show a cockpit lined in cream leather and a two-tone dashboard with large central screen and digital ventilation controls – although the lashings of wood-effect trim may not be to Australian tastes.

Premium features like dual-zone air-conditioning and keyless entry and start will be available and the new 1.8-litre petrol engine is claimed to provide low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

A stiff body structure, “advanced” suspension and the isolation of noise and vibration are said to provide a peaceful, smooth ride, while a long piston stroke, variable timing for both intake and exhaust valves and the use of friction-reducing diamond-like carbon coatings contribute to engine efficiency.

The optional continuously variable transmission (CVT) is a new lightweight, compact design that provides a wider range of ratios, helping to reduce efficiency losses while transferring power and torque to the road.

Last month, outgoing Nissan Australia managing director Dan Thompson said the Pulsar will “add thousands” to the company’s monthly sales tally, helping it get back on track after last year’s natural disasters in Japan and Thailand hampered supply.

Mr Thompson said the Pulsar will enable Nissan to catch up with – and overtake – rival importers Mazda and Hyundai while achieving “enduring and sustainable” growth.

The company’s sales in Australia were up 8.4 per cent last year and it has grown 9.0 per cent in the first quarter of this year, but Mazda is streaking ahead with 15.9 per cent growth in 2012 after a 4.2 per cent sales increase last year, while Hyundai is up 7.9 per cent this year following last year’s 8.7 per cent growth.

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