Ford's 'big brother' feature implements

From now on Ford vehicles sold new here will wirelessly bond to the internet.

THE BLUE Oval has become the first blue collar car brand in the New Zealand market to achieve a feature until now restricted to high-end marques – an ability to operate key features remotely via your cell phone.

 Ultimately all Ford passenger and light commercial models sold in New Zealand seem set to benefit from the FordPass app, which provides a host of connected services and remote functions, but in today’s announcement the brand says it will only have immediate full benefit for Ranger, Everest and Transit coming into the market now.

It is understood the Focus will be next off the line, probably at year-end, with remaining models coming up to speed by early 2021.

 Ford’s system has similar operability to systems that have been availed on BMW and Mercedes Benz cars for at least a year.

An owner downloads an app which talks to an in-car modem that contains the most crucial element that isn’t implanted into older models - an internet-connected SIM card. This is securely embedded into the vehicle during assembly, as a precaution against theft.

 Though Ford has notified this as a 2020 model year feature, it also impresses that it a running change, so is only fully functional from this period on, so the key is to be aware of the specific designations ‘MY2020.75’ for Ranger and Everest and ‘MY2020.5’ for Transit. Some aspects of the app will operate on earlier vehicles.

At full-strength operability, FordPass allows remote checking of vehicle information such as fuel level, odometer reading, tyre pressures (when fitted with a monitoring system), warranty details and owner’s manual. 

You’ll also be able to start/stop, lock/unlock and pre-heat/cool your vehicle remotely, make/change appointments at your Ford dealer and find fuel stations, car parks and other points of interest then send them to you in-car navigation system.

In addition, FordPass Connect allows owners to call roadside assistance, check their car’s service status and history, and be alerted to maintenance and repair issues such as when the oil needs changing or if a bulb needs replacing.

“FordPass Connect is another way we’re bringing smart, simple-to-use real-world technology into the hands of Ford owners and their families,” says Ford NZ’s managing director, Simon Rutherford. 

The system’s availability here and in Australia comes some months after it’s rollout in most major markets, but there is a literal saving in being well down the line.

Until recently, a charge applied. When it launched in the US, the debut market, the cost was around $30 per month for a 24-month period. 

However, now it is available for download free of charge for Apple and Android devices. It ties in with Google Maps and Wayze, but without using the phone data, so there’s no cost in that respect either.

The system is designed to accept regular software updates, these Ford says being “to guarantee that the vehicle systems and components continue to operate with optimum safety and performance.”

Ford is likely to impress the particular benefit to commercial vehicle operators, in that it can act as a real-time monitoring system to alert whenever there are potential security breaches within vehicles. 

Ford’s embracing of connectivity also reaches into vehicle manufacturing processes.

Two weeks ago the brand announced how it and a consortium of partners, including Vodafone, has received British Government backing to introduce 5G connectivity within its manufacturing to speed up the production of electrical vehicles in the United Kingdom, a process that demands a much higher level of automation than comes with assembly of fossil-fuelled product due to safety elements, mainly in respect to battery build and installation.

The updated capabilities allow Ford to focus on the connectivity of the welding machines when manufacturing EVs. Currently for the batteries and electric motors in an electric vehicle, requires 1000 welds, for a single product, Ford explains that this could generate more than half a million pieces of data every minute.  

Meantime, Ford NZ says customers can access additional information on FordPass Connect at ford.co.nz/fordpass.

Range Rover Sport engine swap

Going straight takes literal meaning with this model in turbodiesel form.

A REVISION that hits the Range Rover Sport for six within the engine bay has been announced.

The biggest element of an update for the model is the retirement of its Ford-sourced V6 turbodiesel for an in-line equivalent that’s Land Rover’s own work.

The unit from the make’s Ingenium family is also a mild-hybrid, and provisions in three formats, labelled D250, D300 and D350. Power outputs range between 183kW and 257kW (D250 and D350).

The D350 is the geekiest, as in addition to using a single twin-scroll turbo and continuously variable valve lift to maximise power and efficiency where it can, it also has 48v mild hybrid tech and an electronic supercharger. The cited 0-100kmh time is 6.5 seconds, and it produces a CO2 output of 237g/km. 

The Sport still continues in petrol-powered options, so all in all it produces with nine different drivetrains, including the plug-in hybrid P400 and the V8-powered P525 and P575.

To mark the arrival of these new straight-six diesels, the Sport also gets a number of new special editions - the HSE Silver, HSE Dynamic Black and the model featuring in today’s images, the SVR Carbon Edition, which as you'd expect is dripping with carbon fibre detailing.

Visible carbon fibre elements include the exposed centre section of the carbon fibre bonnet with integrated cooling vents, the front bumper insert surrounds, main grille and vent surrounds, mirror covers and tailgate finisher. There are extended trim finishers on the SVR-branded steering wheel and a Carbon Fibre Engine Cover. In addition, the SVR Carbon Edition features Exclusive Illuminated SVR Carbon Edition treadplates. It runs on 22-inch five split-spoke lightweight alloy wheels finished in Gloss Black. Subtle? Not in the slightest.

The exclusive 423kW/700Nm 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine delivers 0-100kmh in 4.5s, top speed of 283kmh and, the brand assures, provisions a “distinctive soundtrack.” The model also has SVR Performance seats, Sports Command driving position and a driver-focused cabin.

Range Rover says this Sport SVR is “the most dynamic Range Rover ever.” Coupled with bespoke enhancements to the chassis, the SVR delivers more dynamic handling without compromising traditional Range Rover comfort or all-terrain capability. The engineers at Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations focused on controlling pitch under heavy acceleration and braking, and the damping hardware is tuned to provide exceptional turn-in, mid-corner grip and body control. 

Other new features across the range for 2021 include an updated infotainment system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard across, and in-built 4G wifi with up to eight connections. Spotify is now included. There's a new air purification system, which Land Rover says helps with driver alertness and passenger comfort.

The New Zealand distributor has yet to release detail about what models are coming and when.

Gigafactory ‘perfect’ for Tiwai

An Auckland visionary believes Southland’s smelter site is a Musk-see.

Tesla’s first gigafactory in Sparks, Utah.

AN electric vehicle infrastructure entrepreneur reckons his push to have the Tiwai Point smelter re-energised as a Tesla ‘gigafactory’ is worth taking to Government and the American car brand.

 Nigel Broomhall says the response so far to a Facebook campaign launching immediately after the smelter’s closure was announced has fuelled an ambition initially proposed to spark discussion.

Experience in the electricity and electric vehicle sectors - ventures ChargeSmart and Invisible Urban Charging being undertaken with benefit of 18 years with Meridian Energy – has left Broomhill confident his concept will work.

“It’s the ideal spot for something new. The perfect location.”

A pile of responses to his pitch, not just directly to Facebook but also on a number of prominent EV owner sites has been largely supportive.

New Zealand is well-positioned for being a leader in Green energy creation, the Manapouri hydroelectric infrastructure that primarily feeds the smelter creates more than enough electricity for this new venture and the cost efficiencies are right, he argues.

Plus, while an alternate pitch for Tiwai – to turn it into plant producing hydrogen, another key fuel for future transport needs – also has merit, repurposing it as one of the giant battery-making facilities Tesla is creating around the world makes even better sense. 

It’s big-thinking on a scale beyond anything imagined when the smelter and power scheme were created.

As the name suggests, a gigafactory is massive – the first, in Nevada, the United States, is the biggest building in the world at 1.76 million metres and with an annualised rate of around 20 GWh, claims the highest volume production of lithium ion batteries in the world. (See this tour of the factory produced by CNBC).

Since then Tesla has begun sister plants in Shanghai, China – supporting a factory making Tesla Model 3 cars for that country - and, more recently, in Germany. 

On the outskirts of Berlin, the latter is also set to mirror the operation in Sparks, Utah, in making battery cells and battery packs in association with Panasonic, plus Tesla vehicle drivetrains, and the company’s two storage products, the Powerwall and Powerpack.

It’s this latest undertaking which has also provided the basis for a costings exercise that, Broomhill argues, shows why a NZ factory would be all the more beneficial for the international giant.

The core appeals are that an infrastructure exists and that it would deliver even better employment opportunity in a region set to be hit hard, with 1200 direct - and perhaps 1400 indirect – job losses when NZ Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) closes next August.

The ingredient of a power supply delivering 570 mega Watts and all the electricity transmission hardware, a commercial deep water port designed to manage raw materials and a high-trained manufacturing workforce would be appealing to Tesla, he feels, and very good for our economy.

 “Even though the plant would be in Southland, having a technology leader like Tesla in NZ would have a huge ripple effect across the NZ technology industry. This would attract more technology players and grow our tech industry rapidly,” he argues.

The potential economic value of around $11 billion is estimated on published data for the German factory, which has been a $6.9 billion investment that has delivered 8000 jobs but is also based on Tesla having to wear electricity supply rates seven and a half times those Tiwai enjoys.

“The biggest opportunity we’ve got is price. Germany’s electricity price is horrendous, they are up around 35-37 cents per kilowatt hour whereas in comparison Tiwai is, according to recent articles, down around 5c (as a wholesale rate).”

Pundits have already identified that closing Tiwai will free up a swathe of hydro electricity and potentially lower national prices, but getting what the smelter takes now – and that’s 13 percent of the national grid’s capacity – to the rest of NZ won’t be cheap. It demands a $100 million upgrade (the Clutha Upper Waitaki Lines project), cited to take at least three more years.

Broomhall’s approach really negates the need for any of that, though he suggests Tesla’s operation would likely be more efficient and perhaps only need no more than half the power going into Tiwai now. 

In saying that, he concedes there’s one aspect of the Utah facility that would be challenging to emulate in Southland. The Sparks plant is designed to be a zero-energy facility, consuming no fossil fuels and using electric sources to power the back-up emergency generators. So the entirety of the roof is covered in a solar array and any power not consumed during the day is stored in powerpacks for use when needed.

Nigel Broomhall says his Tiwai Point idea might be a long shot, but he’s used to “throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks.”

Broomhall says that probably wouldn’t be achievable at Tiwai Point. “The solar gain is not huge down there but you wouldn’t need to do it because they have that massive direct feed from Manapouri. So there’s no need for renewables.”

Given a gigafactory’s output is critical to vehicle production, why not push for a Tesla car plant? 

As an ardent EV fan, he’d love to see the make’s vehicles made here, but says that probably would be a leap too far. 

“If they wanted to do cars, that would be fantastic, as it requires a lot more workers.” 

Getting a gigafactory going would depend on how quickly NZAS could scale down and clean up their site, but regardless of that it would be expedient to at least gauge Tesla’s interest.

Tesla’s gigafactory plan is surrounded in conjecture, but in 2018 Elon Musk talked about the need for 10 to 20 such facilities for Tesla to achieve planned products and volume. He also said then that the world would need 100 gigafactories to make enough electric cars and batteries for global demand.

The next step? “If the Facebook page we've created gets to 10,000-plus likes, we'll build a business-funded team and pitch Tesla. We'll co-ordinate across the electricity industry, local and central Government.”

Tesla sees need for numerous gigafactories to feed to emergent demand for electric cars.

Corolla Cross out in 2022 and signed for NZ

An elevated Corolla has been announced and Toyota New Zealand has signed up.

A PERENNIAL strong seller for Toyota is set for a rise in stature.

 The Corolla has become the next candidate passenger car for conversion into something it’s never previously been, a crossover.

Announcement of the – you guessed it – Corolla Cross came from today’s global unveiling in Thailand, where it is being built and will be sold first.

Availability in other right-hand-drive markets will commence in 2022. Toyota New Zealand has confirmed itself as a starter.  

“We have secured this product for our line-up and are excited to launch it in due course,” said chief executive Neeraj Lala.

“This addition will continue to add breadth to our overall range, with more SUV options for our customers. We will release more information closer to the time of launch.” 

Toyota head office says Corolla Cross benefits from its experience as a pioneer in recreational SUVs, which triggered 25 years ago with the original RAV4 - a vehicle that is now the world's best-selling SUV.

The brand sees this model as delivering a design philosophy of "Corolla meets SUV", blending the best aspects of both worlds. “It balances a dynamic, powerful, sleek and sophisticated design with high levels of SUV practicality,” according to the press information.

Corolla Cross is on the same GA-C platform as the Corolla hatch and sedan, ensuring a high level of body rigidity and a well-balanced chassis for responsive and agile driving, a comfortable ride and outstanding quietness, Toyota believes.

Other features include a spacious cabin, easy entry into and exit from the car and excellent luggage space, as well as a high level of safety equipment inherited from Corolla hatch and sedan.

The brand says Corolla Cross will place between Yaris Cross, releasing in NZ later this year, and RAV4 and be available with either a petrol engine or a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, but has yet to be more specific.

NZ-bound el-Born now a Cupra

Fizzed-up fun is a core element of this incoming Spanish flier, revealed today in its production-bound format.

el-born again … an electric hot hatch

SOMETHING you’ve been thinking about has finally been realised – an electric hot hatch.

That, at least, is the premise proposed by Cupra, the performance arm of Volkswagen Group’s Spanish brand element, SEAT, in respect to the el-Born. 

 The base elements of a car that is already booked for New Zealand introduction – with hope of a 2022 introduction - are familiar enough to anyone who understands the grand VW plan.

This car, the Q4 e-tron Audi unveiled yesterday, the Skoda Enyaq and the VW ID – also all confirmed for Kiwi use - are all one and the same in terms of their platforms and all-electric hardware.

However, each brand has allowance to tailor their offers to mirror their own respective temperaments.

That’s an opportunity Cupra has taken full advantage of – to the point where its car has a different badge in the production form it has unveiled overnight that it wore when the preceding concept was unveiled at last year’s Geneva Motor show. Then it was a SEAT.

In joining the Cupra clan, the car is announcing itself as something with more flair and fervour than might be expected to arrive with other family brands. Because Cupra is emphatically all about sportiness. In this instance, they’re talking 0-50kmh in 2.9 seconds. 

el-born is designed for VW Group’s connected car systems.

Does that sound positive enough? If the el-Born wins over hot hatch fans, then assuredly VW Group will pump out others of similar flavour. An ID3 GTi, perhaps? 

Whatever the course of action, el-Born is … well … the first born. And, like the other involvers in the VW electric push, it’s expected to resonate strongly in this country.

As things stand, Cupra is already pulling more Kiwi attention than might be imagined. 

Yes, the SEAT/Cupra dealership presence is small, but it’s growing quietly and the models in the performance sub-set are doing so well that the most popular at the moment, the Ateca, has been subject to a waiting list.

This interest has determined a fine-tuning of the brand development strategy created by the Giltrap Group, which holds distribution rights. Cupra will become the lead marque for private buyers while SEAT product will be presented more toward fleet and rental use.

“Cupra really is resonating with New Zealanders,” attests national brand boss James Yates.

“The Cupra brand is certainly one we will be focussing on going forward.” 

“SEAT will not disappear. We’re saying we will focus on slightly different markets for each – there are some models that are quite popular, such as the Arona, which we cannot get in a Cupra version and they will definitely continue on. 

“But from a positioning point of view and an experience point of view, Cupra will become the main focus, but not the sole focus.”

Formentor, above, will be at the forefront of the Cupra product portfolio next year though the updated Ateca, below, also has a key ongoing role.

Cupra’s status will lift all the more when it’s first true standalone model, the striking Formentor sports uility coupe, arrives next year. It will stand to offer a point of difference on more than just the impressive looks: There’s a hybrid version with front-wheel drive that uses a 1.4-litre petrol engine and an electric motor to produce 182kW, or you can go the whole hog and pick a 231kW four-wheel-drive car instead.

Also joining the Cupra stable next year is the new Leon small hatch. And prior to either of those, likely for release around December, is the facelifted Ateca.

As for el-Born? Yates has become all the more fizzed as result of a visit to Barcelona in February, when he was accompanied by Group principal Richard Giltrap. Yates says the impact from that expedition was powerful and reinforced why the investment in having SEAT/Cupra in this market will reap reward. And why el-Born will be so crucial to that.

“We’re very excited about that wee model and having it as a Cupra.”

There’s one hurdle yet to be tackled. VW Group’s intent is to use its EV models as pathfinders for an effort to digitise more of the car-driving experience for its customers by making it easier for them to access online productivity tools, music streaming services, and travel information on the go. 

VW’s cloud environment is built on Microsoft Azure, and also makes use of the software giant’s IoT Edge platform. Its creation is the result of a partnership struck between the two firms in October 2018.

All well and good … save that the rollout has been slower than expected, to the point where the VW ID cars that were supposed to debut the set-up are initially being delivered, for now just in Europe, without the requisite software.

That’s not desirable for NZ; the plan here is for all product to be ‘connected’ from the get-go. The factory is already saying it won’t release product until that is achieved. There’s no target date for that, Yates explains.

But he’s characteristically optimistic that introduction in 2022, roughly a year after it goes in Europe, is still a potential.

The styling remains very close to that of the Geneva design study, with the same short bonnet, fared-in radiator grille, large front quarter light windows and tailgate spoiler. The lowered ride-height, 20-inch alloy wheels, aggressive front and rear bumpers, wider side skirts and a larger rear spoiler are cues to a performance mettle also cemented by it taking the largest battery unit currently available in any of the Volkswagen Group’s electric vehicles.

The electric motor feeding from the 82kWh unit drives the rear wheels. The only performance figure Cupra has so far given out is for that 0-50kmh blip, but a year ago SEAT reckoned a 0–100kmh time of 7.5 seconds was the go.

The big battery also enhances range – Cupra is saying their car will achieve the same 500km optimal as the Q4 e-tron. The car will also provision with a 62kWh battery pack, offering a WLTP range of up to 420km. 

The platform offers support for rapid charging, which Cupra says will allow 251km of range to be added in just 30 minutes. Using a 100kW fast charger, the hatchback will also recover an 80 percent charge in as little as 47 minutes.

Cupra’s information pack talks of a modern and functional cabin, with a digital instrument binnacle, a floating 10-inch infotainment screen and touch-sensitive controls for the car’s heating and ventilation system. Buyers will also get a pair of bucket seats and a new sports steering wheel. Features include an Augmented Reality head-up display, smartphone connectivity via the car’s infotainment system and an integrated heat-pump system that does not draw energy from the car’s battery pack to warm the cabin, hence preserving the vehicle’s range.

S editions enhance e-tron spark

Audi’s big electric breakthrough is about to achieve extra sizzle.

The e-tron S is the first three-motor electric car.

TWENTY percent of annual volume, perhaps even more at the start.

That’s the prediction Audi New Zealand boss Dean Sheed has expressed for a pair of more potent editions of the all-electric e-tron sports utility. 

Just unveiled on its home turf and set to come on sale in the third quarter of next year, the e-tron S variants are hotted-up versions of the 55 quattro five-door wagon that has been here since last July plus a more rakish Sportback landing in September.

A thorough rework of the standard cars has been required to earn a performance badge that’s historically been the preserve of fizzed-up petrol product sitting one step below the ultimate RS cars.

To achieve the right performance edge, these are the first production electric cars to feature three electric motors. 

Whereas the current e-tron 55 has an electric motor on each axle, the S versions maintain a single up front and has two on the rear.

The full output is around 372kW – against around 300kW for the e-tron 55 on sale here at the moment - and while the top speed is just 210kmh, the step-off is far more … well, electric.

A cited 0-100kmh time of 4.5 seconds places the e-tron S as the second fastest S model Audi presently makes, beaten only by the petrol-gulping S8 sedan. 

Also, as today’s video shows, that oomph out back allows it to doing something else special: It’s an e-tron that’ll drift. 

The cars’ international unveiling this week has prompted the national distributor to speak about its own plans.

Sheed says it is still too early to discuss price in part because local market content has yet to be decided. In the first right-hand-drive market, the United Kingdom, the models place around $20,000 above NZ specification e-tron 55s.

However, he already has no doubt that the S variants will be well placed to lend significant additional zap to the e-tron 55’s sales impact, which in itself has been satisfactory, with 130 registered to date.

The just-landed entry $119,900 e-tron 50 variant, which reduces from a 91kWh battery to a 71kWh unit and drops in range to 305km, is expected to elevate that count and keep Audi in tune with its forecast. More improvement will come with the Sportback releasing in September.

Even so, it’s the S editions that seem set to be the powerbrokers – they’ll achieve two in every five sales almost off the bat, he says, so keeping step with a ratio that also occurs with the S petrol cars. So, hardly niche.

As for e-tron’s overall status? Well, it’s still something of an outsider in terms of what it achieves for overall Audi volume, though that’s simply down to historic perception about electric cars, Sheed believes. 

the e-tron sportback, landing in september, is also achieving S treatment.

However, there’s positivity the message is getting through and transition occurring.

“EVs are still an education,” he concedes, but acceptance of the path car makers are taking and the sustainability advantages is increasing.

“There is a strong mental shift in respect to EVs in the market … you will see the mainstreaming of EVs over time with or without Government support.” 

Meantime, the e-tron S is expected to be seen as a more powerful alternate to the Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model X Long Range, which it matches for acceleration. 

With the S, only the rear motors are used in normal driving, the front motor being reserved for hard acceleration and if the wheels start to lose traction. 

The two rear motors can send varying amounts of power to each wheel as needed, and Audi says the ‘S’ versions are more rear-biased than regular models. 

orange highlights are not mandatory

The extra performance only slightly affects range. Audi says the e-tron S and e-tron S Sportback manage 358 and 363km respectively on a full charge, whereas the 55 quattro versions offer just over 400kms.

S-specific adaptive suspension is fitted, which can adjust the ride height by up to 76mm to best suit the seven driving modes on offer.

As with other e-trons, the ‘S’ variants can replenish off 150kW fast chargers; that kind of hit will restore the battery to 80 percent in around half an hour. 

Thanks to wheel arch extensions, the e-tron S pair are 5cm wider than standard, while S styling touches like aluminium mirror caps and extra trim are fitted.

Automatically opening grilles and vents, which remain closed until they’re needed to improve efficiency. UK models are fitted with 21-inch alloy wheels as standard; 22s being available as an optional extra. It’s hard to imagine the NZ spec coming with anything less.

The local distributor’s desire to deliver plenty of spec is going to be easily achieved with the S. 

The model takes electrically adjustable sports seats upholstered in upmarket Nappa leather and a brushed aluminium trim finisher, with a carbon-fibre version on the options list. The Virtual Cockpit digital display is standard alongside online navigation, and as with the 55 quattro a head-up display and cameras instead of wing mirrors can be specified.

NZ cited for Grenadier

The newest defender of old-school off-roading will be seen on Kiwi soil.

 WHO will represent Ineos in New Zealand and when its eerily familiar debut product will become available is yet to be sorted.

 Yet Kiwi fans of a certain flavour of old-school off-roader can be assured: Grenadier IS coming. 

That’s the word from a public relations firm based in Australia that has identified itself as acting on behalf of the British company in this part of the world.

A request to Ineos in the United Kingdom to provision clarity about its intentions in New Zealand resulted in comment coming from DecPR.

 Ruth Fletcher, senior account manager for the Sydney firm, assures NZ is a target market for what is essentially a tribute to the now defunct original Land Rover Defender.

 But crucial details remain unfulfilled.

“It’s too early to confirm distribution and market entry timings. 

“It’s too early to confirm distribution plans.

 “But Ineos is evaluating the opportunities to innovate in this area without the constraints of legacy systems.”

Grenadier’s expected to be available from late-2021 or early 2022, first arriving as the four-wheel-drive wagon seen here with the four-door utility format also shown in the official photos coming close behind.

The price is as much under wraps as the interior’s design, but there have been suggestions in Australian media that the wagon model will cost from $NZ74,000. 

The Ineos car brand was spawned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder of a multi-billion dollar British petrochemical company named Ineos and such an avowed fan of a certain Land Rover that he vowed to resurrect its spirit.

Conjecture that his first born would very much be a successor to that model in size and general shape has proven accurate, yet while there are clear design references to the old Defender and a specification that could easily pass for a modernised version of the 1948 original, it’s not so close as to be considered a clone. It obviously also has more than hint of the Mercedes G-Class about it.

The head of design, Toby Ecuyer, does not have a background with the Green oval brand. Rather, he started his career as an architect, and more recently has been designing super yachts.

Ecuyer says he took inspiration from a host of vehicles known for their uncomplicated and honest design approaches. “From Unimogs to military vehicles to aircraft to lorries and vans. To the Willys jeep, obviously, and Land Rover, the Land Cruiser Nissan Patrol, Bronco … literally everything. 

Ineos cites the Grenadier’s purpose has being “to meet the demands of its future owners for a rugged, capable and comfortable go-anywhere working vehicle.” 

Says chef executive Dirk Heilmann about the decision to unveil the shape now: “Showing the design now allows us to focus on the critical next phase of the vehicle’s development, testing its capability and durability. 

“We have a very challenging programme ahead, as we put prototypes through their paces in all conditions, on the way to accumulating some 1.8 million test kilometres over the coming year.”

He figures taking the covers off and “testing ‘in plain sight’ without the need for camouflage wrapping, foam blocks or fake panels” is an added benefit that’ll keep the model in enthusiasts’ minds until actual release.

The Grenadier will be built in Wales on a ladder-frame chassis designed by Austrian automotive design and manufacturing experts Magna Steyr, the world’s foremost automotive contract constructor. Mercedes G-Class, Toyota Supra and BMW Z4, Jaguar I-Pace and E-Pace and BMW 5-Series models are also presently built by Magna Steyr.

The suspension includes Carraro beam axles front and rear, progressive-rate springs with ZF-sourced dampers, and two Universal Velocity joints in a simple, robust, easy to maintain and repair setup.

The frame is constructed from steel and just about every panel from the doors to the bonnet is produced with aluminium – much like the original Defender.

Ineos has sourced its engines from BMW, settling on petrol or diesel straight-six turbocharged units, ‘based on’ the powerplants employed the X5 SUV.  

The potential power output for the petrol is around 250kW and 500Nm of torque, with the diesel available with four turbos to produce almost 300kW and 760Nm. The engines drive through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and permanent all-wheel drive system with a low range transfer case and mechanical locking centre differential.

Ineos is also talking about its homage to the past taking a trip into the future, with possibility of it also using fuel cell technology.

The interior is said to be comfortable yet rugged for the expected off-road duties.

Lexus IS: Niche is still necessary

The significantly refreshed compact sedan arrives later this year.

WITH only 63 registered in 2019 and just another 16 to date this year, the Lexus IS surely stands as a classic example of how interest in even sports sedans is waning.

 That diminished support has already been the death of its big brother; Lexus signalled earlier this year that production of the next-size-up GS for NZ ends in August. And that car achieved much the same penetration as the IS.

 Accordingly, it wouldn’t have been too much of a surprise, perhaps, had this week’s announcement of a big update for the IS been tagged with local market notice of a change of heart. Indeed, had NZ abdicated the IS it would be following the United Kingdom, which has determined not to continue with the car.

 Yet clearly there’s an optimism here that compels Lexus New Zealand to keep the white flag stowed.

In a statement timed to synch with the update’s global unveiling from the United States, it has sworn not only ongoing allegiance to the brand’s smallest rear-drive product but also continued enthusiasm.

Says Lexus New Zealand General Manager, Neeraj Lala: “With its Lexus driving signature, and performance enhancements, it is a true enthusiast’s car.”

So, what be expected of the latest edition when it arrives toward the end of the year? Basically, a lot of new, but also not a complete change.

What’s being described as the fourth-generation model is, in reality, a big makeover. A number of fresh technologies, improved dynamics and a complete overhaul of its dramatic styling place atop the same platform as the existing model and existing powertrains continue.

As is appropriate, the front end is still marked out by a large ‘spindle’ style grille, but the headlight units are more compact than before and feature a strong LED running signature slashing from corner to corner. 

The rear end is a complete revision: A new L-shaped tail light is joined by a full-width LED lighting bar, while Lexus talks of the car being more a ‘four-door coupe’ in profile than what we see now. Stronger rear shoulders are emphasised by the pronounced boot lid, too, while the whole car is 30mm longer. 

F-Sport versions receive a different mesh pattern on the front grille, and additional front air intake, exclusive 19-inch wheels, a bootlid spoiler and can be had in the Radiant Red paint colour used on the LC coupe.

These in particular sit lower and wider and look more ‘pumped’ than the current F-Sports. 

The interior is a mix of old and new. The central vents, gear selector, centre console and steering wheel appear to have been broadly carried over with minimal changes. The floating touchscreen infotainment system, 8.0 inches standard or 10.3 inches optionally, is new, replacing the sunken screen in the old car

Lexus says this IS is stiffer than the present offer thanks wider tracks, an increased number of front side-member weld points and a process of “optimising structures from the rear-quarter pillars to the sides of the roof, among other areas”. This, combined with a lower centre of gravity, boosts the model’s agility and lends a particular emphasis on steering response and feel.

Engineers have given the suspension a rework, too, with the new generation featuring new swing-valve shock absorbers to enhance the ride quality.

Powertrain options include the familiar 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, 2.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid and 3.5-litre V6, all carried over from the current series with a few unique mapping tweaks to increase responsiveness.

The 2.0-litre turbo now features “enhanced adaptive control”, resulting in quicker and more decisive gear selection through the carryover eight-speed automatic transmission.

The hybrid has been treated to increased throttle response, while the V6 appears to be little changed. Lexus says full details will be confirmed closer to launch.

For reference, the current 2.0-litre produces 180kW/350Nm, the hybrid makes 164kW – Lexus does not quote a combined torque figure for the hybrid – while the V6 churns out 233kW/376Nm.

Full equipment levels have yet to be confirmed, although Lexus has made a point if referencing standard fitment of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Lexus’ Safety System Plus suite has also been upgraded.

Mazda BT-50 goes Kodo … and less kooky

Ready to fall in love with your ute? The new BT-50 is all about forming strong bonds, Mazda says.

NOT just begat with Isuzu but set to be built by it as well.

That’s one of the interesting factoids emerging from today’s international unveiling the new Mazda BT-50 one-tonne ute, which is set to go on sale in New Zealand before the end of the year. Potentially following very closely in the tyre tracks of its new twin, the Isuzu D-Max.

A media release discussing the model makes clear that this fresh and design, a total divorce from the Ford Ranger-derived current model that has been here for nine years, appears set to roll off the same assembly line in Thailand that has been producing the latest D-Max since late last year, albeit only for sale to Thai buyers.

The process appears identified by Mazda commenting that “the all-new BT-50 is supplied by Isuzu Motor Limited on an OEM basis.” OEM, of course, is shorthand for ‘original equipment manufacturer.’

That gives it a subtly different status to the current model, which came out a joint venture plant. However, Mazda’ determination to separate from Ford made that relationship impossible; all the moreso now that the Blue Oval has shacked up with a new partner, Volkswagen, and will have the lead role in producing the next Ranger and its Amarok equivalent.

Isuzu having lead development of the ladder-frame chassis and the drivetrain for both, with Mazda focusing on its specific requirements and design, with both being all but identical under their skins is reinforced by the images and technical detail released today.

The 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine makes the same 140kW and 450Nm in either application. Likewise, both brands’ offers have a 1065kg payload and are rated to haul 3.5 tonnes.

here’s the twin … the new Isuzu d-max.

Unsurprisingly the doublecab formats that are arriving first have the same 3125mm wheelbase, but Mazda’s body is slightly longer – at 5280mm versus 5265mm – though both are equal in width, at 1870mm, and height (1790mm).

The Mazda and Isuzu cabin shapes are shared yet the nose and tail stylings are patently different. While Mazda has again incorporated a visual identity that relates to its cars’ ‘Kodo’ design ethos, the impact of that appears set to far less controversial; mainly because the sharp nosed look that arguably blighted the second-gen model has been retired. Now BT-50 is back to where it began, conforming to class norms with a bluff frontage.

Mazda NZ managing director Dave Hodge is satisfied with the look, saying it obviously makes it immediately recognisable as part of the Mazda range of vehicles.

He also believes the new model will stand tall for its driving performance, functionality and safety. These factors will ensure the vehicle “will meet the needs of the wide range of situations where our New Zealand customers will be using the ute.”

Mazda says special care went into the vehicle’s design, ease of use and into creating peace of mind for the occupants. It also has enforced an aim to become a brand that can “create strong bonds with customers by focusing on the pure essence of cars — the joy of driving — and committing ourselves to preserve our beautiful earth, enrich people’s lives and make a bountiful society that lifts everybody’s spirits.”

'Rangerok’ - making the best even better

The VW-Ford ute twinning programme will be a win-win for Kiwis.

Ranger, above, and Amarok coming off a common platform will be a win for both, their distributors suggest.

SLEEPING with the enemy will deliver exciting potentials and no obvious problems.

 That’s mutually-held thought from Ford and Volkswagen’s national distributors in response to additional information about the parent brands’ commercial vehicle marriage of convenience that has particular repercussion for the country’s favourite one-tonne traydeck.

Probable release next year of a new Ranger, followed from the start of 2022 by a new Amarok heavily based on the new Ford, is just the opening shot in the makers’ agreement. 

Volkswagen will also lend Ford its MEB electric vehicle and Caddy van architectures in exchange for a foot in the door with US automated drive pioneer Argo A1 (in which Ford has a stake) and the brands will share a one-ton commercial van platform in a deal that will deliver up to eight million vehicles.

The probability of all these undertakings creating impact on the Kiwi scene seems high.

However, in the here and now, focus is on the utes and, given their huge popularity here – not least for Ranger, the Kiwi choice for five years – it’s the new ‘Rangerok’ that is making headlines.

Ford New Zealand communications manager Tom Clancy and Volkswagen New Zealand Commercials boss Kevin Richards are optimistic about how this wll play out.

As much as brand pride demands that each proclaims their current offers to be the best in this hard-fought business, both have enough admiration for each other’s products to agree that a combined effort can only deliver an even better result.

“It’s definitely very promising,” says Clancy. “Whatever we can leverage from VW will be fantastic; they build nice vehicles.” 

He’s driven the current Amarok, which the present Ranger outsells by a factor of more than five-to-one, and likes it.

“It’s very good … it has lots of good points but perhaps delivers to a slightly different market.”

 He foresees the new association producing even more positive potentials than the now-ended relationship with Mazda that spawned the current BT-50 did, simply because the German maker is so much larger and more powerful. 

Richards has the same mindset about the brands being powerhouses. Also, there was no doubting current Ranger’s success was based on it being a well-considered and properly-developed product.

“If you have to partner with anyone in a JV (joint venture) then you partner with the market leader. And that’s what we have chosen to do.

“I legitimately think we have the best ute in the present market because it has been engineered and built 100 percent in Germany.”

Notwithstanding that, Ford clearly has costing advantage from making Ranger in Thailand.

Those plants might well continue to be the source point for next-gen Ranger, but not the new Amarok – latest detail about how the deal works pinpoints a Ford plant in South Africa as having the job of building new Amarok.

That bodes well, Richards says. German-built means good quality but at enough cost to “have given us a ute that is in the upper echelons of pricing.

“What the new deal does is give us a little bit more competitiveness in a segment which is ultra-competitive. It levels the playing field from that regard.

“Also, being from South Africa could mean that we will be right at the top of the queue for supply, as they are a right-hand drive market.”

Clancy says it was heartening the team in Melbourne that had driven the current T6 design were again running the new programme. 

“I cannot go into the likely specific vehicle benefits because we just don’t know about those yet, but the team over in Australia has obviously proven their capabilities, they’re really good at what they do.

“It’s pure speculation about what we will pull out of their vehicles of terms of engineering and design but, overall, it’s definitely very promising.”

Notwithstanding that VW has made clear that the terms of the alliance allow it to achieve “a medium pickup truck engineered and built by Ford”, this still allows the Germans to tune their own product to meet their own demands.

Richards says Wolfsburg headquarters have made clear that VW engineers are working alongside the Ford team and dedicating to tuning the Amarok so that it retains crucial VW DNA, as much in its driving feel and look. This will not be badge-engineering by any means, he says.

“This doesn’t feel as though it will be allowed to get to that level. There’s a way of making joint ventures work and the greater disparity you can have between the two products inevitably leads to the greater success.”

He is certain Ford and VW will have carefully analysed this in light of the poor experience Mercedes Benz had from trying to develop the X-Class from the current Nissan Navara. 

“I’m sure that, if nothing else, that exercise has given them a real set of key learnings and I’d be very surprised if we (VW) didn’t take something away from that.”

So he simply cannot see Amarok entering as “a VW badge on a Ford Ranger”.

“They need to have their own identity and from the feedback I’m getting from Germany, we can expect to see some significant VW design cues integrated. I imagine Ford will want to retain their own identity, and understandably so, and we will retain ours.

“One of the good things about Amarok that has influenced its desirability and maintained its customer base is that it is quite sophisticated in terms of how it drives. I feel that is something we will want to maintain. We might maintain that sophistication and allow Ford to take theirs into a more rough and rugged territory.”

What’s also heartening is expectation that another V6 will be in the mix, though this time it will be from Ford.

Suggestion is that current Amarok’s six-cylinder, which now puts 190kW in all current versions sold here, is to be dropped for a newly-developed Ford Power Stroke 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel, recently bolted into Ford F150 pick-ups, where it produces 186kW and 596Nm. This will also replace the Ranger’s 3.2-litre five-cylinder. The models seem also set to continue with a four-cylinder turbodiesel.

Continuing in V6 will be great for Amarok, given the current edition now primarily sells in that format, Richards acknowledges. 

However, keeping a smaller engine in the mix as well is also important. He says it is interesting that Ranger is doing so well, now, with its 2.0-litre biturbo – basically, it’s a proof of VW being on the right track – if perhaps a little prematurely - when it released Amarok a decade ago in the same format.

“Since we brought the V6 in for Amarok in 2016 it has made up a huge proportion of our sales over the 2.-litre. Ford having gone the other way, from starting with the 3.2 and now offering the 2.0-litre is really interesting.

“I think we have established the V6 in the market as the product to have and I we would like to keep it.  My git feel is that we will get another V6 and it will continue to achieve the lion’s share of sales volume.”

Notwithstanding, indication from within the partner brands is that the new platform is designed to accommodate something new to both models - a high-performance plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drive – also excites Richards.

“I think a plug-in hybrid … gives a ‘best of both worlds.’ It would be something we would be exceptionally interested and I think we have a lot of customers who drive our product currently who would be interested, because it would suit their lifestyle.

“We have a strong Auckland customer base and the ability to drive all week on electric when you might have a 12km route that takes 90 minutes to accomplish … well, it’s perfect. You could save the conventional power for the weekend driving. That rings a lot of bells.”

That a PHEV would also likely introduce petrol power to Amarok holds no problems. It’s a recognised application and also might give the model a chance of competing in North America.

“I don’t think it would hinder the Kiwi appetite to try it (PHEV).”

Release timings? Nothing exact, but it’s thought Ford as programme lead gets dibs, akin to the Isuzu/Mazda arrangement which gives the D-Max a market introduction advantage of some months over the BT-50.

Clancy declined to add fuel to thought about this leaving Ford with an expected ETA of late-2021. “We have no information about launch timings.”

He says Ford NZ remains delighted by current Ranger’s massive imprint on the NZ scene and expects it to continue being a strong seller for the remainder of its production cycle.

Richards also confirms current Amarok’s availability will continue right up until the new one arrives.

Meantime, the EV sharing programme has fuelled conjecture that Ford could deliver 600,000 electric vehicles atop the MEB architecture, which is the basis of VW’s ID programme. 

Ford’s vehicle will be designed and engineered by Ford in Cologne, Germany, and is expected to become a smaller sister ship to its own all-electric Mustang Mach-E, which will be introduced in 2021.

Additionally, the companies will both work with Argo AI to form distinct, highly capable autonomous-vehicle businesses based on Argo AI’s self-driving technology, a pitch which will create the world’s largest geographic deployment potential of any autonomous driving technology to date.

Express delivery from France

Mitsubishi’s new van is en route from Europe … because it’s a Renault Trafic. But not in every sense.

Mitsubishi Express will arrive in a standard wheelbase format, whereas donor Renault Trafic (below) also avails in a long wheelbase format.

CONJECTURE the Mitsubishi Express van soon on sale here is a Renault Trafic clone in all but name and badging doesn’t bear out.

 The first van Mitsubishi has had since the 1980s’ era L300 was retired seven years ago runs identical engines to those in the French original, and also sources from the same factory in France.

 However, the lines head in different directions in terms of variant count and Renault also offers a lengthened wheelbase alternate to the standard format it and Mitsubishi offer.

 This all unfolds from dissection of information sent out yesterday by the Japanese marque’s distributor.

 The story is incomplete because Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand has yet to release the most crucial single element about the two models it intends to put into showrooms in July: Their price.

 Those stickers won’t be announced for at least another fortnight, the brand’s marketing and communications manager says.

 Reece Congdon says the vehicles have yet to arrive and there’s reluctance to absolutely sign off on the RRPs under consideration until they do.

 “I think it will be before the end of the month … it could be a matter of two weeks or so. There have been some hold-ups due to Covid-19 and we’re just awaiting their arrival.”

 Express will launch in a 3098mm wheelbase form, the first with a 1.6 turbodiesel with a manual transmission and the other with a 2.0-litre turbodiesel and wet dual clutch transmission, also a six-speed.

 Engine outputs are rated as per Renault’s application, so 103kW and 340Nm from the 1.6 and 125kW and 380Nm out of the bigger capacity engine. Optimal economies of 6.2 and 7.3 litres per 100km are suggested and emissions run between 164 and 191 grams per kilometre. The 1.6 is Euro 5 and the 2.0-litre meets Euro 6 d standard.

 Trafic offers in this standard wheelbase form - designated ‘SWB’ – with those drivetrains. But it also has ‘LWB’ editions, with a 3498mm wheelbase, also with those powertrains.

 Mitsubishi has developed an Express in the longer wheelbase format, and it has gone on sale in Australia, with the 2.0-litre drivetrain (that only came to Trafic in NZ in March). But this model has not been chosen for New Zealand. 

Why? “That was an opportunity decision,” explains Congdon. “The volume of van sales in NZ are SWB models so we decided to launch with a SWB range for the time being. Obviously we will review that over time and assess if there is any market demand for a LWB Express.”

Express went on sale across the water last week; there it costs $1070 less than the equivalent Trafic. Even though there are spec and sales offer differences that likely account for this, that placement perhaps gives some idea of what MMNZ will aim to achieve.

The Trafic line-up here starts with 1.6-litres in $41,990 SWB and $43,990 LWB Trader trim. There is also a more fulsomely furnished 1.6 LWB for $50,990.  Above this are 2.0-litre ‘Auto’ variants in the same specification level costs $53,990 and $55,990 

When wheelbase commonality is considered, the models are sister ships in styling, engineering and drivetrains – not to mention performances, economy and load-carrying abilities, the payloads being 1150kg (1.6) and 1116kg.

Yet they don’t wholly replicate for driver features. Express has digital radio, Bluetooth phone (and the same fancy dash-mounted cell phone holder as Trafic) and audio streaming, but absent is Trafic’s 7.0-inch touchscreen, needed run Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and its latest sat nav application.

The automatics in either guise add a rear-view camera with in-mirror display, rain sensing wipers, front fog lights, self-dimming interior mirror and auto headlights, but the Renault steering wheel is a bit fancier, being leather-wrapped.

The safety story is aligned and any embarrassment MMNZ felt back in the day about selling the L300 with poor occupant protection features – the issue that ultimately forced it out of the market – can be put to bed now.

With six airbags, roll over mitigation, stability and traction control, anti-lock braking system and electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) Express and Trafic are ticking boxes postively.

Yet they could be better. Growing insistence from safety organisations for vans to follow passenger models in taking autonomous emergency braking has yet to influence Renault, so Mitsubishi misses out as well in opportunity to join a club that locally started with Volkswagen Transporter and now includes the Ford Transit and Toyota HiAce. Blind spot detection and driver fatigue monitoring are also absent.

More differences? Aside from having a different grille and bonnet design, the Express has halogen headlights instead of the newer LED units Renault introduced with a 2020 update.

The Express’ standard features include a three-seat interior and driver’s seat with armrest, height and lumbar adjustment, fabric seat trim, rubber flooring and urethane steering wheel, left and right sliding doors, 180-degree rear barn doors, cruise control with speed limiter, manual air conditioning control, power mirrors, remote central locking and keyless entry.

The models have unpainted bumpers, 16-inch steel wheels rear park sensors and a rear step bumper. A step-through interior (from cabin to cargo bay) is also set as the standard layout.

Standard driver deliveries across both Express and Trafic include cruise control with speed limiter, stop and start (with manual off switch), and hill start assist. Also standard are reversing sensor and a ‘dead angle’ (wide view) vision with a mirror in the passenger sun visor.

Space and load capacities - a generous 5.2 cubic metres and up to 1150kg payload – are mirrored.

In Australia the models have different warranty structures (advantage Mitsubishi over there) and servicing conditions (advantage Renault). Whether that will also be the case here has yet to be explained. 

MMNZ is certainly keen to see a replacement for L300, which sold 38,806 units from 1980 to 2015, and is also noting that the Express stands as the first product it has offered that comes from another Alliance member brand.

Congdon says the Express’s appeal will be “function and flexibility.”

“Dual sliding doors and a number of accessories ensure easy configuration of the Express van for different business requirements. We believe these practical features – along with a strong value proposition – will attract transport operators and delivery drivers back to Mitsubishi.”

And why not keep the L300 badge?Good question, Congdon says. " It was agreed the van would share the same name across both markets in Oceania. Obviously the Express badge has a long history in Australia so we settled on that.”

Prius no hit but still a stayer

Latest sales returns remind Kiwi love for hybrids is cemented .. except when it comes to the car that introduced the world to this tech. The Prius’s battery charge is all but depleted.

No question about the rav4 hybrid … Toyota’s most popular model in may, when the market was down overall, is still subject to a waiting list.

IS time just about up for the Toyota Prius?

Actually, it’s a not a new question. This poser has been relevant since at least 2015.

That’s really the first year when it became obvious that the hatchback that 25 years ago introduced motorists to the bright new world of electrified motoring was not doing at all well, at least in New Zealand-new form.

Which might seem crazy because, of course, as much as Prius appreciation has been falling away, our hybrid penetration has been ramping up, and quite considerably. And when it comes to favourite battery-assisted products, they’re all from the same brand: Toyota.

So, really, as much as the Prius has been on losing streak, the fact is that Toyota New Zealand has been winning. Really, then, the original hybrid car from Japan’s No.1 looks to be a victim of its own success. It has simply spawned development  of so many other Toyota hybrids at its own expense..

New Zealand new vehicle registration figures for May show that just two Prius and 10 of the smaller Prius Cs were sold during the month, way down on sales achieved by other Toyota hybrids – 413 RAV4s, 127 Corollas, 85 C-HRs, and 20 Camrys.

And year-to-date hybrid registration figures make just as depressing reading for the model. They show just 96 Prius and Prius C have been sold so far in 2020. Compare that to 1239 RAV4s, 431 Corollas, 246 C-HRs and 152 Camrys. Not only that, but various ‘H’ versions offered by Toyota’s luxury cousin Lexus have achieve a combined total of 187 registrations so far this year.

current prius has struggled since launch in 2016 and its predecessor was a falling star, too.

How does that compare to back in 2015 and prior? Well, it was a slightly different structure then, when Prius was a bigger family, including the V people carrier then. By chance, MotoringNZ owner Richard Bosselman happened to have written  ‘a what chance for Prius?’ story back in 2016, in which the data was presented.

According to the NZTA information cache from that period, in 2015 the C achieved 367 sales – whereas Prius hatch took just 30 (and the V 11). The preceding year was stronger for the hatch, with 121 units (against 287 C and 3 V), 549 in 2013 (no count for C, 55 for V) and 473 in 2012, a period when only the hatch was available. The was all collated because Toyota at that time was about to launch not only the fourth generation (aka ‘4G’) hatch we have now but also a car that seemed to do all Prius could, but in more acceptable form: Corolla hybrid. And, yet, five years on, the Corolla and Prius co-exist still. Who’d have picked that scenario?

Given all latest statistics continue to add up to a sad time for the iconic Prius, which earlier in its career was so new-age that it was the green vehicle of choice for everyone from Hollywood movie stars to politicians., the question obviously still seems reasonable. But TNZ is steadfastly true.

The hatch’s story began back in the early 1990s when Toyota Motor Corporation decided to attempt to develop a car that would have up to twice the fuel economy of its big-selling Corolla. The project culminated in the the brand’s first petrol-electric hybrid, a prototype Prius unveiled at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show – the name, appropriately, a Latin word for “first” or “to go before”.

The model sure was a first.  With its Hybrid Synergy Drive system and battery pack that combined forces with a conventional petrol engine to achieve vastly improved fuel economy, it opened the way for electrified motoring well before fully electric motoring could begin to become economically possible.

The first-generation Prius, a four-door sedan, was launched in Japan in 1997. Toyota New Zealand introduced the second-generation model, a slightly geeky-looking five-door hatch, in 2003. Since then close to 6000 of them have been sold new here, their owners appreciating the superior fuel economy and reduced exhaust emissions that come from combining the self-charging electric motor and petrol engine.

arrival of Corolla in hybrid format could have been the end of Prius … but it wasn’t.

But now it seems the Prius’ job is done, leaving it up to more conventional-looking Toyota models to further the career of the hybrid passenger vehicle.

Those models – RAV4, Corolla, C-HR and Camry – are doing very well, too. Last month the hybrids accounted for 77.4 percent of all RAV4 sales, 68.6 percent of Corolla, 70.2 percent of C-HR and a remarkable 90.2 percent of all Camry sales.

The overall Toyota performance led the way in a stellar month for hybrids,  which saw them jump from around 4.3 percent of all new vehicle registrations in the opening four months of the year, to 13.3 percent in May. Compare that with the penetration achieved by electric vehicles – the models that mains-replenish – which was 0.94 percent for plug-in hybrids and 1.07 percent for full electrics.

While other hybrid product such as the Kia Niro and Hyundai Ioniq, have contributed to all of this, by far the biggest contribution has been from the Toyotas. 

But obviously the Prius, the model that started it all for hybrids, hasn’t figured much at all in this success. So what does this mean for the future of the car? Will it be retired?

Internationally, one opinion among the international media is that the Prius name is too iconic to be completely retired, so it may be saved by TMC for use on a future battery electric vehicle.

TNZ chief operating officer Neeraj Lala says he hasn’t heard any official word relating to the future of Prius.  That doesn’t worry him; he’s happy to see the model continue to remain on sale in New Zealand for those who want it – and he reminds that it is very popular as a taxi.

“More to the point is that Prius is the Toyota model that introduced hybrid motoring to New Zealand, and in that regard it has been a success,” he says.

“Look where Toyota is now. We have hybrid versions of almost all our passenger vehicles, and we will soon be adding to that – hybrid versions of the new Yaris and Yaris Cross, the Highlander larger SUV, and in around 18 months we’ll also get a hybrid version of the Hilux ute.”

CH-R in hybrid form would seem to provision a better kind of Prius … that it is also tracking strongly suggests the market recognises this.

Loan scheme gives new life to ghosts

Recipients of Highlanders loaned by Toyota as a small business assistance won’t need to run them in. That’s been well and truly taken care of.

 LOANING cars to struggling businesses potentially helps the country’s biggest brand ease a headache Covid-19 might hardly improve.

Toyota New Zealand’s intent to provision 100 Highlander sports utility vehicles to small businesses nationwide for a year’s free usage comes with a caveat it has been happy to discuss. To a point.

Though current models, small print with the Small Business Driver package clearly relates the 3.5-litre V6 seven-seaters in mid-level GXL trim are not as might be imagined: Brand-new examples of this $58,490 car.

What’s on offer is stock first registered in 2018 and likely to have 30,000km to 45,000km on the clock, apparently accrued from toting tourists. 

Plucked from the in-house Signature Class used vehicle processing programme, the Highlanders are from what is perceived within the broader industry to be a massive count of vehicles laid up in what could be called TNZ’s ‘ghost fleet’.

Which is? A raft of mainly ex-rentals the market leader has acquired through buy-back agreements far less common now and then parked up for months … perhaps years.

This the result of TNZ having been unable to push them through used car channels en mass, for fear of causing a glut that might collapse used car prices. 

Instead, they sit inactive in what has been derisively called, by rival brands, a ‘rental swamp’. Holding yards and warehouses. Some there for so long that – according to talk - registrations have retired, batteries depleted and tyres squared.

Industry lore relates enough vehicles are in a limbo to likely be costing the brand many thousands of dollars annually in upkeep and storage fees. Can that be true? 

TNZ has been asked on numerous occasions, including during compilation of today’s story, to offer clarification. Every request has been met the same way. With silence.

As much as chief executive officer Neeraj Lala was happy to share his enthusiasm about the loan scheme – which is, beyond doubt, a very generous opportunity – he declined to deal with a host of follow-up questions relating to the cars’ provenance and the state and size of the stockpile. 

The finer details of what’s on offer currently were passed on by a potential applicant who, while a little surprised by the cars’ suggested histories, was not particularly perturbed.

“A free car is a very generous offer, no argument. As it turns out, I don’t qualify because another of the stipulations is that you have to be a recipient of the Government’s wage subsidy, but it’s a good concept.”

An industry involver spoken to subsequently also thought the idea was interesting.

“It’s a rental swamp and the swamp needs draining ... this is what has to be done.

“They’re probably not making anything on it. But it at least gets some vehicles back on the roads and free of storage fees that, while quite cheap on a per day per car basis, soon adds up to a chunk of change when you’re talking big counts for long term.” 

‘Buy-back’ was said to be a core ingredient of when Toyota basically sought to corner the national fleet business, which some years accounts for up to 80 percent of new car sales. 

Since 2018 TNZ has sought to swing its focus back to private buyers with its Drive Happy programme that aims for fair pricing and says it has detuned the intensity and scale of its fleet push.

Even so, it still agrees to discount to large-scale purchasers and, as a glance around any airport carpark (at least pre-Covid) would confirm that, while other brands have come back into hirer circles, there are still a lot of Corollas, Highlanders and RAV4s behind those rental placards.

And 2018 appears to have been the last big year, with industry statistics showing 1660 Highlanders having gone into rental, whereas just 179 followed last year. The majority were GXL variants. 

Now, of course, there’s coronavirus, which has certainly dented the car trade and is doing those brands supplying rental providers no favours.

Distributors have been pressured to take back stock – often in as-new condition - now standing idle and waive delivery of incoming product.

That’s a big ask: June has historically been a big month for rental car fleet replenishment to cope with the tide of winter tourists. TNZ indicated recently it is challenged by this; it doesn’t want to upset core corporate clients, but neither can it afford to assume responsibility for pre-agreed consignments.

With the Highlanders, it’s not quite a matter of first in, first served: Only small businesses with fewer than 20 employees are eligible and applicants are vetted by a selection panel.

The scheme has been created in conjunction with MediaWorks, and includes a share of $1 million of advertising with the media company for successful applicants. 

Those interested in applying have until 11.59pm on June 9 to apply. 

Perhaps, at the end of the exercise, users might receive tasty opportunity to purchase the vehicles outright.

Of course, they have to weigh up the deal against the fuel costs. The V6’s taste for petrol is a core reason why the next-generation Highlander, coming next year, will only be offered as a four-cylinder hybrid.

Revised Focus now down to three choices

Second time a charm – that’s Ford NZ’s hope for the Focus, having radically revised and slimmed the line up.

New ST-Line X replaces the ST-Line … and costs $6000 more.

TWO trim levels, an engine and a body shape have been axed while two remaining mainstream models have been enhanced yet also rendered more expensive.

That’s the sum total of a sweeping change just announced for the Ford Focus as it represents in New Zealand, the brand acknowledging that it has revised a line-up launched just two years ago – and literally lifted a year ago, when adding the Active – to better attune to what has so far been disturbingly indifferent customer taste.

“These are the cars that are most popular with customers – we’re taking out the complexity,” is how Ford communications spokesman Tom Clancy describes the rationale driving the new lineup, which hits in August.

From now on, there will be just three Focus models, all hatchbacks with eight-speed automatic transmissions, one in the elevated Active format that arrived last October and delivers a crossover look but in a lightweight manner – so, front rather than four-wheel-drive.

The new Active, at $37,990, will cost $1000 more than its predecessor. The ST-Line, which had been the same price as Active was, is now outfitted more richly, to an ‘X’ specification. But the price has gone up accordingly, by a whopping $6000.

Above them is the new ST performance model that is a $59,990 proposition. Introduced just weeks ago, it has remarkably also been improved by the latest round of revisions.

So what’s gone? That’ll be the Trend and Titanium hatches, which ran with the 134kW and 240Nm three-cylinder 1.5 petrol that continues on in Active and ST Line X, and the Trend wagon, which ran with a 110kW/370Nm 2.0-turbodiesel.

Focus Active, which joined the local family last year, now becomes the entry choice.

Ford NZ aspiration to wean off reliance on the Ranger utility – by far and away its biggest monthly seller for the past three years - has been pinned on its passenger, crossover and sports utility models but that strategy has yet to realise positively.

The Focus has at times hardly figured in sales results – ironically a particularly poor period was the end of last year, when it won a newspaper group’s competition.

Clancy says there is high confidence, nonetheless, that the car will deliver better performance now that it is presented in what Ford NZ describes as “three clearly defined choices.”

Local managing director Simon Rutherford, has expressed particular confidence in the ST-Line X, saying it even better represents the Focus’s driver-oriented feel than its predecessor. 

The update delivers a technology spruce-up, with introduction of FordPass Connect, an embedded modem which Ford says brings even greater accessibility, convenience and capability, so long as an owner’s cellphone is compatible. Features include ability to remotely lock and unlock the vehicle plus ability to check fuel level, tyre pressures, oil life and check recent service history, owners’ manual. It also enables contact with a ‘Ford Guide’, who can assist – by phone or email – with any queries about connected services and hooks into services including access to roadside assistance.

The Focus ST-Line X and the Focus ST will be upgraded to the 12.3-inch fully-configurable digital instrument cluster allowing the driver to personalise and prioritise display of information including driver assistance technology and sat-nav notifications.   

All models have Ford’s SYNC 3 system, which includes Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone compatibility, with wireless smartphone charging.

The mainstream editions take LED headlights and have different Daytime Running Lights to present a distinct identity.

What is being called the ‘2020.75’ range also adopts revised rear suspension, the benefits coming in sharper handling and more comfortable, quieter ride.

And the ST doesn’t miss out. The 2020.75 model picks up a 10-speaker B&O audio system and 12.3-inch full TFT/LCD colour instrument cluster screen.

Just-arrived Focus ST also achieves a specification enhancement.

Hilux unmasked - new look, more kit, extra grunt

Here it is, the updated Hilux. Would you trade a Supra for it?

 THEY’RE calling it the most technically-advanced ute ever offered by Toyota – so is that enough for the reinvigorated Hilux, unveiled internationally today, to at last wrest market leadership from its core rival, Ford Ranger?

Toyota New Zealand chief operating officer Neeraj Lala is understandably bullish about the updated variant, whose exact launch timing this year still has yet to be revealed, though Australia has signalled it will start receiving stock in August.

His enthusiasm is such that he has vowed to ditch his current company car, a GR Supra, for an example of the latest truck, which is incoming in four specification levels – Workmate, SR, SR5 and the range topping SR5 Cruiser, the latter available in both 2WD and 4WD and automatic only.

“I believe the performance of this truck is so good, I’ll be swapping out my GR Supra so we can tow our go kart trailer to my son’s weekend races. I can’t wait to see customers return to Hilux with this significant improvement,” says Lala.

Introducing two years after the ute’s last big refresh, the new line will also contain a special launch edition inspired by the recent success of the Hilux Gladiator. Lala says this edition, which he spoke to MotoringNZ about last month, will be “custom-built … for New Zealand customers and conditions.”

What isn’t mentioned in launch material is the variant some in the national media insisted was coming – though Lala always said it was not: A Gazoo Racing version, supposed with a twin turbo diesel.

So, what’s in store? Well, it’s a restyling exercise, with a bolder, tougher-looking exterior ‘on most variants’. And that  2.8-litre turbo diesel engine offers more power, achieves better cooling, resolves the diesel particulate filter issues and has better fuel efficiency than its predecessor. Ride comfort, towing and equipment levels also improve.

Maximum power has been increased by 20kW to 150kW – so, a 15.3 percent lift -  while peak torque on automatic models has been ramped up to 500Nm, which represents an 11.1 percent/50Nm improvement.

Fuel consumption also improves by up to 11.1 percent while tuned accelerator response delivers greater driver control. The six-speed automatic remains.

Suspension upgrades run to revised shock-absorber tuning, new bushings and improved leaf-spring design. Toyota claims a more comfortable ride, particularly over rough roads and with low loads while maintaining the model’s legendary off-road capabilities.

In 4x4 models with downhill-assist control, an additional traction control feature when using 2WD mode reroutes torque to assist grip in muddy or grassy conditions on worksites.

Towing capacity for automatic 4x4 variants has been upgraded to a maximum of 3500kg to match manual versions. On 4x2 variants, all diesel automatics are now rated at 2800kg, an increase of up to 300kg.

Revised exterior styling is intended to deliver a ‘tough, robust on-road presence’ that is intended to be more in keeping with the global Toyota ute/truck family. Particularly obvious is that large trapezoidal grille that dominates the front design and incorporates more pronounced horizontal elements that deliver a wider, more planted look.

Grille surrounds differ by grade while newly designed headlights are smaller for a "meaner" look and light clusters include LEDs on high grades.

Inside, all models have been upgraded to an 8-inch display screen with enhanced voice recognition and the latest smartphone integration functions, including the adoption at last of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher grades are also equipped with satellite navigation and digital radio.

A 4.2-inch multi-information display in the instrument binnacle incorporates a digital speed readout, among other new functions. Overseas reports speak of front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry and start, automatic air-conditioning and a nine-speaker JBL stereo system with an 800W eight-channel amplifier, plus accessories such as roller bed covers, a locking tailgate and a 12-volt power supply for the cargo bed.

Full NZ pricing and specifications are expected to be announced closer to launch.

Drive to defeat Covid-19

Carmakers are thinking hard about how to turn cabins into safe spots.

WORRIED that even big doses of disinfectant mightn’t keep coronavirus out of your vehicle?

So, it seems, are car makers. Which is why they are looking to employ other, sometimes more extreme methods.

How long, then, before the vehicle in your driveway can maintain bug-free status through using ultraviolet light, really high-tech air filtration or even just as a result of turning up the heat really high?

These are the methodologies coming to the fore. Latest to hit headlines is Ford’s hot shot approach. 

As the images today show, the “heated software enhancement” system is literally a matter of turning up the heat.

We’re talking hot. As in generally ‘beyond Sahara in summer’ hot. Fifty-six degrees Celsius is generally well above the maximum settings that your vehicle’s own system is usually designed to achieve and within a range considered risky for prolonged safe human tolerance.

However, it’s what the doctor – or at least researchers at Ford Motor Company in Detroit and Ohio State University – have ordered as being effective in terminating any viral elements that might be lingering in a vehicle’s cabin.

The research has hit the front line, in that it has fitted the Police Interceptor Utility vehicle it builds for law enforcement use in North America with a new cabin heating feature designed to “inactivate” any virus particles.

The New York City Police Department, Los Angeles Police Department and Michigan State Police have participated in field-testing the system, which works by baking the car’s interior at 56C or higher for 15 minutes.  

The software purposely increases the engine temperature and raises the climate control and fan settings to these new maximum settings then enables a subsequent cooldown protocol at the end of the cycle. 

To ensure officers know when the system is operational, a series of pre-set flash sequences are carried out by the hazard and tail-lights with a separate sequence displayed at the end of the cycle during cooldown.

And yes, there are precautions against inadvertent use. In latest cars it only triggers by pressing cruise control buttons in a certain order, while earlier models require an external tool that connects via the OBD port.

Ford chief product development and purchasing officer Hau Thai-Tang said first responders were in dire need of protective measures given they were on the front line protecting everybody else.

“We looked at what’s in our arsenal and how we could step up to help,” he said.

“In this case, we’ve turned the vehicle’s powertrain and heat control systems into a virus neutraliser.”

According to Ohio State University department of microbiology laboratory supervisors Jeff Jahnes and Jesse Kwiek, “exposing coronaviruses to temperatures of 56C (or 132.8 degrees Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes reduces the viral concentration by greater than 99 percent on interior surfaces”.

Ford meanwhile says that the system adds an extra level of thoroughness to the sanitisation guidelines approved by Centres for Disease Control and Prevention given that heat can “seep into crevices and hard-to-reach areas, helping reduce the impact of human error in applying chemical disinfectants”. 

Ford police brand marketing manager Stephen Tyler described Covid-19 as an “invisible enemy” and said he was proud Ford was able to provide a solution. 

So, keen to get your Fiesta, Ranger or Mustang all toasty? Sorry, it’s a no-go.

The make has made clear a system designed to be used in conjunction with proper cleaning methods is not, for reasons of safety (and, dare we say it, common sense – you could imagine the lawsuits from inappropriate use), going to transfer into civilian vehicles.

So that’s one approach. What is coming to the boil? In general, car makers are looking at employing more antimicrobial materials and easier-cleanable surfaces. They are also assessing the quality of air filtration systems. Geely, the parent company of Volvo, reckons the set-up for its new Icon electric car will achieve the N95-certification meted medical masks.

Hyundai is well advanced its bid to use ultraviolet light sterilisation technology that would be installed like a dome light in its vehicles. This could be taking a cue from the grenlite (pronounced ‘greenlight’) device shown off by a Michigan-based tech firm, GHSP, at CES this year. This sterilises a vehicle when sensors detect there are no occupants, automatically scheduling new cleansing cycles when needed — and is already in use in emergency vehicles in three US states.

Another specialist in cleaning, Faurecia, is also looking at foggers that would spray a disinfectant such as hydrogen peroxide. Vehicle assembler Magna is evaluating “an ozone-generating system.”

Not so keen on any of these measures? You’re in a minority. When car owners were surveyed in five countries, 80 percent said they'd pay extra for technology that could sterilize a vehicle. Another survey just out has found a third of vehicle shoppers thinking about "air quality features" in a future car purchase.

JLR finance offer set to spur rival actions?

Incentives to jolly up consumer interest in new cars could become a new norm.

Diminished interest in new vehicles seems a certainty this year, the industry believes.

DETERMINATION by Jaguar Land Rover’s distributor to offer deferred payment finance deals on new vehicles has raised interest within the industry.

Thought from onlookers is that it’s a behaviour that can be expected to increase as dealers and distributors work to recover from the drop-off in economic activity, not just the impact of lost trading during Level One lockdown but also to counter the likelihood of tougher times ahead.

 There’s some belief, too, that premium car brands in particular will set the pace with an increasing count of stimulus and relief programmes. In addition to special financing, enhanced warranties might also become a pitch.

The impact of the economic shutdown to contain the Covid-19 pandemic has been especially hard on the car industry.

At international level, assembly lines remain either closed or at least constrained by social distancing requirements and logistics spanning parts supply to vehicle delivery have been unsettled.

Customers keen to sign up for expensive metal facing longer wait times is an annoyance, but the real challenge is what Jaguar Land Rover New Zealand appears to be now preparing for – a prospect of diminished retail spending. 

 The high-end sector is obviously at highest risk if new car sales fall by between 40-50 percent for the remainder of the year, as predicted by some participants.

The $150,000-plus sector was showing clear signs of softening well before coronavirus became a factor; with some signs of decline revealing in early mid-2019.

incoming new Defender is exempted from the opportunity.

In recent weeks, too, there have been examples of prestige car owners divesting their expensive wheels to free up capital – sometimes at no small pain. Talk of high-end product that even in normal times might half in value within the first year  of ownership being divested well below even that is beginning to emerge.

Processes to buoy consumer faith during Covid-19 are also involving mainstream operators.

Hyundai New Zealand set a tone in extending warranties from early April, when lockdown conditions were more onerous, a move that affected more than 2000 vehicles.

It has also instigated Hyundai Assurance, which provides customers who lose their job within the first six months of entering into the finance agreement with the option of deferred interest and principal payments for up to six months. The NZ programme appears to ape one Hyundai first set in place in the United States amid the financial crisis of 2008 and now restored as coronavirus runs rampant there.  

Industry involvers speaking on condition of anonymity in wake of the JLR NZ announcement believe other competitors will likely also be looking at unrolling new and creative of maintaining customer confidence and bolstering sales volume. 

Announcement of the move arrives at an interesting time for the British manufacturer 

It is likely no more than an unhappy coincidence that the local initiative’s announcement came in a period of reports about JLR in the United Kingdom being in talks to borrow more than one billion pounds (more than $NZ2 billion) availed by an emergency coronavirus lending programme set up by the British government.

The marques are represented in New Zealand by Motorcorp Distributors, which founded in 2006. The makes represent in eight dealerships nationally.

JLR New Zealand explains its motivation for the 48 months option arranged through Heartland Bank at a rate of 2.95 percent. is to capitalise on low interest rates and provide business continuity for its dealers.

The deal includes 12 months of deferred payment and is available on Land Rovers and Jaguars already landed in New Zealand and in stock – and thus excludes the new Defender, set to arrive in July or August.

“Our role as an importer is to provide business continuity for our retailer network, whilst passing on any finance terms we can negotiate to our customers,” says general manager Steve Kenchington.

“The 12 months deferred payment offer … allows customers to drive away in their vehicle today whilst incurring no repayments until June 2021.

 “If the customer currently has an existing finance plan with us, they can terminate it, use any additional equity in the vehicle as the required 20 percent deposit and enjoy no repayments for 12 months,” says Kenchington.

“In such unknowing times we understand the need for lateral thought and creative solutions to drive business continuity and adapt to customer needs. 

Observers suggest the scheme is not entirely dissimilar to pre-coronavirus incentives that ask for programmed payments of ‘one third’ over set periods, starting with the initial down payment.

“On that basis, it is all interest-free,” said one. “They (JLR NZ) are covering at least the cost of the interest.”

In this scenario, it was suggested, a weight of risk falls as heavily on Heartland as it might on the distributor, which had reduced some of its risk through seeking a 20 percent deposit.

However, the great imponderable as always in depreciation, which has historically been particularly savage nationally as result of the free market attitude.

“Everything is worth less now than it was before Covid, maybe at least 10 percent, perhaps more.”

So, in respect to the JLR proposal, “it will still be upside down after 12 months because the car is unlikely to be worth 80 percent of its purchase price by then.

“It’s a very strong offer.”

F-PACE has been a solid seller for JLR NZ.

Mercedes GLB: Compact family mover raises stakes

Get set to enjoy the surprising star qualities of Benz’s smallest sports utility.

GLB 250 and AMG-tweaked GLB 35 (right) will likely achieve the bulk of volume.

PLAYING for a full house is the game plan for Mercedes’ first baby sports utility.

 In revealing pricing and specification details for the GLB, which rides on new large iteration of the A-Class architecture, Mercedes Benz New Zealand has also revealed it only has eyes for the full-blown edition configured for family use, rather than an alternate derivative that presents as an extra-sized hatchback.

 Going just for the line-up in its 200 front-drive and 250 and AMG 35 four-wheel-drive full chair count presentations is a different tack than that adopted in Europe, where the five-seater is more on the front foot. 

The strategy conceivably doesn’t discount the car still being seen as a rival for the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, but certainly allows it to square up as an elite-end alternate to the only like-sized German model in this space, the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.

Mercedes’ local arm doubts it will be any poorer ignoring the five-seaters, pointing – quite reasonably – that this configuration is still availed the seven-chair edition; it’s just a matter of folding down the rearmost seats. 

This doesn’t mean the five-chair car couldn’t be sourced, as it does build in right-hand-drive. Just don’t expect to be able to order it through official channels. It’s simply not an option. “The car comes standard with seven seats in New Zealand,” a spokesman affirmed today.

The decision is based on a logic of keeping things simple, although it also identifies that additional flexibility and functionality will tune all the more nicely into the emergent Kiwi love for compact SUVs.

GLB 250 has 4MATIC

In respect to ensuring it is ticking all the boxes, MBNZ has also … well, ticked all the boxes. The suite of technology, safety and comfort inclusions and equipment specifications for NZ achieves beyond some other countries’ standard provisions.

You won’t have long to make up your own minds. A first shipment provisioning the $78,900 GLB 200 entry car and $92,200 mid-range GLB 250 4MATIC will unpack in several weeks. The flagship AMG-reworked GLB 35 4 MATIC, a $104,900 ask, comes later in the year, exact timing yet to be determined. All GLBs take the shortest sailing time yet for a Mercedes’ car, being sourced from a new factory in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

That launch timing is exactly to the plan unfurled last year during the car’s international release, when MBNZ managing director Lance Bennett expressed his optimism about why GLB will resonate, notably through it being in the right price band for families for whom this might well be their first new Mercedes.

“With the GLB we now have the ability to transport an entire family’s worth of activity and adventure from a much lower starting price than before,” he said then. “We expect this … will see us attract entirely new customers where we have not had a suitable vehicle in the past.” 

Notwithstanding that these thoughts were expressed before the world had even heard of coronavirus, let alone felt its impact on new car sales, the comment likely will remain relevant. A first drive last year in Spain imprinted hugely favourable impression of its qualities.

AMG engine is a sweet fit for this family-minded model.

The packaging is right up there. This is the smallest SUV Benz has ever tackled, yet it doesn’t feel that way. Even though it is not, by any stretch, a large car in overall dimension, and regardless that the handsome Benz styling suggests it as a big hatch, GLB is at heart a box full of chairs in which every centimetre of interior space is put to excellent use.

So clever is the employment of the additional room resulting from being on a wheelbase that’s 100mm longer than the other related models within the ‘compact portfolio’ - the A-Class hatch and sedan, B-Class, CLA and GLA – allows it a decent chance of being seen as a tangible alternate for anyone who now cannot stretch to a GLE (in which five chairs are standard and seven an option) due to need to reduce their spending.

Front headroom is a claimed best in class at 1035mm with an “especially comfortable” 967mm of legroom in the second row. True, it’s tight right at the back, but even with Benz’s admission that it only offers comfortable seating for those under 1.68m tall, that third row zone is hardly for emergency use only, not least because the second row is able to be slid forward by up to 140mm.

What does imprint more is that, wen running full occupancy, the luggage space remaining is miniscule. Stowing the back pair (neatly, into the boot) and it’s much more convenient, of course, as then there’s a loading space of 560 litres, expanding to 1755 litres when the second and third rows are stowed.

The force-fed 225kW/400Nm 2.0-litre unit ensures the AMG is considerably quicker than the other GLBs.

A lot of clever thinking (and using that VW for benchmarking) delivers decent head and legroom, excellent outward visibility and good stowage solutions, but one thought from the launch was that, before letting the kids in, you’d do well to pre-check for sticky little fingers. This is a premium car, flashiness extending beyond the fully digital dash with the MBUX interface (and occasionally over-eager ‘Hi Mercedes’ prompt). Touch surfaces use high-quality materials, buttons and knobs have a satisfying tactility and reassuring clicks and it’s beautifully trimmed, with cushy seats.

The NZ-market spec plays to that. Base trim includes the now familiar side-by-side 10.25-inch digital screens, keyless go, electric tailgate, Artico upholstered Comfort seats, adaptive cruise control, smartphone mirroring, wireless charging, advanced satellite navigation, illuminated door sills, leather multi-function steering wheel, reversing camera, Comfort suspension, rain-sensing wipers, 19-inch alloy wheels and aluminium roof rails. 

Standard safety gear includes nine airbags, active parking assist with Parktronic, adaptive high beam assist, blind spot assist, traffic sign assist, active lane keep assist and active brake assist with semi-autonomous braking.

The car’s other big flavour hit arrives with the driving. Family buses are generally not exactly highly-regarded for any kind of ‘fun-to-drive’ factor, and you wouldn’t think Benz would be the first brand to come to mind as a rule-breaker. But, truly, it was a surprise; that AMG car, especially, doesn’t let do anything to tarnish that sub-brand’s pedigree but, in truth, the non-performance-tuned editions are quite playful, too.

The steering feel is good, the car’s track neatly and though the 4MATIC’s enhanced traction is obvious, the front-driver has good grip. The dynamics are interesting, in a good way. Even the pliancy resultant from the extended wheelbase and tuning with mind to having to cope with optimal loadings are pluses for the ride-handling balance. Yes, there’s a touch of lean, but on the other hand it shouldn’t surprise if these turn out to be more comfortable and quiet on NZ coarse chip than other products on this base. In Spain we drove every model in both chair counts and found any thought about the seven-seater being less involving than the five, merely through the weight difference, was pretty much undone.

The fastest small car on the school run?

The GLB200’s turbocharged 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, with 120kW and 250Nm, sent via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission delivers nifty delivery, but it’ll be easier to find excuse to seek an upgrade to the 250’s significantly more grunty (165kW/350Nm) 2.0-litre turbo. In addition to all-wheel-drive, it also adopts an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. 

The mid-grade edition also adds more kit, including a panoramic sunroof, powered and heated front seats with memory function, adjustable damping, sports steering and five-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels.

Also included as standard is an ‘off-road engineering pack’ comprised of speed-adjustable hill descent control and an extra driving mode specifically tailored for light off-road use. We found it useful on a rain-drenched and reasonably rutted dirt track but the fact that Mercedes closed off a dedicated off-road driving circuit simply because of the precipitation perhaps is reminder that this car is better considered a crossover at best.  

What of the AMG; could it be called a hot hatch? On first encounter the more hunkered and honed flagship was an eyebrow raiser. Even though hot-rodding SUVs has become an AMG speciality and even if GLB is more expected to get people to race circuits than on them, with 0-100kmh in an exhaust barking 5.2 seconds and 250kmh top speed, it surely places at least the Audi SQ3 and BMW’s X2 M35i on notice.

The same force-fed 2.0-litre unit employed in the other compact ‘35’ variants generates 225kW and 400Nm, so it’s considerably quicker than the other GLBs. It also evidences higher lateral limits. Only when pushed really hard did it find understeer on the first trial, but impression on that day from burling it through some exquisite hairpins was that the high traction and surety exceeds what you expect from a family chariot. A true driver’s treat? Well, put it this way … if the kids (or family pooch) are coming, pack sick bags. 

The NZ-market treatment includes AMG Night Package exterior trim features and unique 20-inch alloy wheels, the full-barp exhaust system, high-performance brakes, speed sensitive steering and AMG Ride Control sports suspension.

Inside the performance theme runs to a Nappa leather-wrapped performance steering wheel, Lugano leather sports seats, Energising Comfort Control, brushed stainless AMG pedals and carbon interior trim.

Leclerc keeps Rendez-Vous with history

The Grand Prix was canned, but a Ferrari was still caned around Monaco by a top works driver today.

‘SOME appointments in the calendar cannot be forgotten.’

So says Ferrari in explaining its part in a just-conducted short film shoot.

Today should have been the Monaco Grand Prix. Coronavirus put a stop to that, yet local boy Charles Leclerc still ensured a Ferrari was hurtling around its streets.

With full factory support, Leclerc got behind the wheel of Ferrari’s SF90 Stradale early on race morning to assist director Claude Lelouch with the shooting of a short film reprising the theme of another, very famous flick.

“Le Grand Rendez-Vous” is inspired by LeLouch’s famous ‘C’etait un Rendez-Vous” filmed in 1976 and subsequently lauded as a pretty nifty homage to fast cars.

The original was an eight-minute drive through Paris during the early hours of a Sunday morning in August (when much of Paris is on summer vacation), accompanied by sounds of a high-revving engine, gear changes and squealing tyres. LeLouch, and Ferrari, insist the epochal movie was made with a Ferrari 275 GTB, but dark rumours still persist that the actual film car was a Mercedes 450 SE 6.9L, with the Fezza’s soundtrack dubbed in.

No matter. This time there’s no doubting. The Ferrari SF90 Stradale, the Prancing Horse’s first series production hybrid model, and the Monegasque talent, are very mich front and centre in what is promised to be a breathtaking drive through the Principality’s winding streets and roads.

We’’d like to show you the footage, but it won’t be released until June 13. In the meantime, Ferrari has furnished some stills. And, as a treat, we’ve included the 1976 original. See below.

The promise is that the film evokes both the atmosphere of the beloved Grand Prix and Lelouch’s original.

Leclerc certainly let his enthusiasm run wild, the car reaching speeds of up to 240kmh on the closed roads.

Ferrari knew it would do the job, saying before the action began: “On the city circuit the SF90 Stradale will measure its unmatched performance for a Ferrari production car: 736kW (1000bhp), a weight-to-power ratio of 1.57 kg/bhp, and 390kg of downforce at 250kmh.

“The car’s name, a reference to the 90th anniversary of Scuderia Ferrari celebrated last year, exemplifies the symbiosis of transferred technology between Ferrari road and track cars, of which this recent model is the maximum expression.”

The brand cited what it is calling the first post lockdown French shoot as a symbolic restart of a gradual return to the ‘new normal’ after the pandemic and the restart for the film industry, impacted significantly by recent restrictions.

Ferrari said welcomed partnership in the film as a way of demonstrating support for its tifosi, clients and supporters as an expression of  hope that the world will gradually be able to absorb the painful and complex health crisis which has affected everyone, allowing us to begin to look positively towards the future, also in anticipation of the expected restart of the F1 season in July. 

Leclerc was joined at the film shoot - but presumably not in the car - by Prince Albert II of Monaco and Ferrari Chairman John Elkann

Subaru e-boxer a balancing act

Subaru acknowledges a toughening economic condition has affected prepping a sales expedition for its first electric-assisted cars.

 EVER imagined entertaining a hybrid car that perfectly conforms to New Zealand conditions and expectation?

Subaru New Zealand stakes this ability within argument for why the long-awaited e-boxer editions of the XV and Forester will resonate well with Kiwi buyers. Hence a ‘made for our environment’ catchphrase standing tall in the marketing pitch that also encourages this as a better way of keeping New Zealand beautiful.

The Auckland-domiciled distributor also cites high customer excitement since last week’s announcement of the national selection ($42,490 XV Sport, and Forester Sport and Premium, respectively at $47,490 and $54,990). 

Seems hundreds of interested car buffs have been contacting the distributor directly, or via dealers, to signal strong enthusiasm to acquaint with Subaru’s first foray in electric driving. 

For their part, Subaru NZ is keen to enforce cars taking the 12kW electric motor (and 118V battery) paired to the existing 110kW/196Nm 2.0-litre flat four, which combine to drive all four wheels via a slighty recalibrated version of the range-wide constantly variable transmission are not getting a soft serve, in sense that these editions are true to Subaru tradition.

Maintaining all core strengths our market associates with the brand was critical, the brand says. It asserts they will be capable of achieving everything any other Subaru does. In short, there’s no dilution of that famous DNA and this is the start of a new journey for the brand, the first step toward a more sustainable future.

And while accepting that the hybrid system the cars carry is a walk on the mild side when it comes to considering what else is becoming available from a global car market pushing ever more into electrification, it nonetheless assures the ‘self-regenerative’ set up (translation: It’s old school and cannot quality for electric car status because there’s no facility for external recharging) will achieve tangible and easily-attained improvements in economy and emissions.

Wallis Dumper and daile stephens (below)

Still, many questions remain. Is Subaru already behind the times with a drivetrain that others in the car-making game are treating as a sunset tech, why hasn’t the Outback also achieved this option and, gosh, when supply is set to be limited, how easy will it be to secure these models? 

Here’s the outcome of a sit down with Subaru NZ managing director Wallis Dumper and marketing manager Daile Stephens.

MotoringNZ: Let’s start by exploring the sales expectation. You’ve already indicated the hybrid are in limited supply - just 20 examples a month and the first full shipment not coming until September – and also signal allocation is being managed through head office. What can customers expect from all this?

Dumper: Covid-19 created some operational disruption and yes, we needed to change the business model a little bit for this car. Our dealers only ever run on a months’ stock; we’re not like other brands. Hybrid supply is tight and, based on our research, we know we can sell every one. The last thing we want is having one or two dealers buying them all, so we have gone to an allocation system to ensure we can spread them fairly.

Stephens: Our dealers still buy the cars from us. The phase we are going through now is a pre-launch: The dealers have demonstration cars (from June 1). It’s about trying to be a responsible distributor and maintaining careful management of our inventory.

MNZ: You’ve gone on an economy drive before with diesel and that proved short-lived (2013 to 2017);. What makes this hybrid pitch any different?

Dumper: I don’t think it’s about thrift, it’s about capability and satisfying an emergent need. It’s a mild hybrid, we’re not pretending it’s anything more, but this is about evolution of the brand and we have to go that way.

Stephens: Diesel was a lot different. This (hybrid) is a clearer pathway to a more sustainable future. We were late to the diesel party anyway, it was over-priced and it was always going to be a tough ask, to be honest. 

:With diesel we weren’t really set up for success where with this (hybrid) we feel we are. We feel we are priced thereabouts with many, though acknowledging that one is particularly sharp, and the return from our focus group suggests we have it right with the $5000 premium we’ve set for hybrid. We’ve had hundreds and hundreds of registrations over the last week which suggests there is a desire and hunger for hybrid. We didn’t see that around diesel. There’s a completely different feeling around this (hybrid) product that wasn’t there with diesel. 

MNZ: Your Outback is a key model here and yet there’s no word on when, or if, it will go hybrid. Any news on that and how much urgency is there for that car to adopt this system? 

Dumper: There’s not a lot of urgency. From what we can see the smaller style of cars are more popular as hybrid and EV types.

Stephens: Given that Outback has been one of our most commercially successful vehicles it would be awesome to have one (a hybrid variant) if that was an option. As far as we know, there’s nothing on the horizon. But something might be going on, but is being kept secret. It might go to full electric for all we know.

MNZ: The motoring world is moving fast toward electrification and, in the overall scheme of things, going hybrid is a small-scale adoption. Really, too, Subaru could be seen as a slow mover; others have had hybrid for years. So how long before it engages at a higher level?

Stephens: We (Subaru Japan) announced in February that by 2030 at least 40 percent of the models that will be available globally will be electric or hybrid. By the mid 2030s there’s another goal of applying electrification technologies to all all Subarus sold worldwide. There’s a clear pathway.

Dumper: Within a couple of years we might be able to challenge that. As for being a late adopter? Yes, we’re late at adopting part of it but we also know there are still a lot of brands that do not have what we have. Some of them are much bigger brands than ours.

MNZ: Given that this is an adoption of Toyota technology, are the brand’s fortunes in this regard tied to Toyota’s own programmes?

Dumper: It’s not Toyota technology. Our engineers in Japan are adamant that it is our own. The manufacturer also makes product for Toyota and, yes, Toyota has shareholding in Subaru and, yes, there is product sharing. And they are both self-generating. But ours is quite different. Look at what they do with Lexus, it’s not the same.

MNZ: For all their strengths, your drivetrains have been easy targets for criticism in respect to economy and emissions. The boxer engines tend not to be top performers for output and economy and being paired with a CVT gearbox and symmetrical all-wheel-drive system also has a consequence. Is that why the economy gains claimed for your cars (14 percent for the XV in urban, seven percent overall, and nine percent combined and 19 percent urban for Forester – when comparing to the 2.5 – but according just to in-house and Australian ADR81/02 standard as it has not yet been certified under the WLTP regime) are less extreme that those cited for, for instance, those Toyotas that avail in hybrid and none-hybrid forms?

Stephens: We do loads of fuel economy comparisons and, more often than not, we are in the top few against our competitors. Pre-2008 yes, we could be criticised on fuel economy, but not since then, not with the technology we have now. Unfortunately, there is a hangover of perception versus reality. But we believe we are up there with everybody else 

Dumper: We want to be all-wheel-drive, that’s part of our DNA. Likewise with our boxer engines. We have the pricing where it needs to be and we can hold the pricing. We’re only a little bit above one of the world’s largest manufacturers (of hybrids) and a lot of other brands that have this technology are dearer than us. Our story is sustainable.

MNZ: What do you say to those people who might wonder if this is just an exercise of developing a Green vibe that might be challenging to prove. Overseas’ testing of these models has indicated that it is not entirely easy to achieve the cited economy improvements. Plus of course, even if the targets are hit, it will likely take years of ownership to recoup the $5000 purchase premium through pure fuel savings?

Stephens: It’s a package. We are not claiming to be the best from an economical perspective at all; we’re quite up front that it is a mild hybrid. But we are also positioning that it is 100 percent Subaru and we say there are benefits from it being hybrid. The customer will decide what is best for them. It is more economical than a (purely) petrol Subaru. You might find that there is a competitor with hybrid that offers better economy. But against that you have to trade off the benefits of what we offer with all-wheel-drive, all the safety features and other things, and in doing so perhaps you are only going to be saving an extra $100 over six months. We’ve done our research and we are comfortable. We’re not trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes in respect to how economical it is. We’ve never said this is the nest of the best; it is the beginning of our journey.

MNZ: Subaru Japan said on Monday it might well produce 150,000 fewer cars this year. What does this potentially mean for NZ?

Dumper: It will impact us. But when we went into (Covid-19) lockdown we knew would have to change our forecasts. We have chosen not to order some cars. The last thing we want is to have too many cars.

MNZ: The Motor Industry Association has suggested the new car market will be down by at least 40 percent this year – what’s your view?

Dumper: I think it could even be 50 percent; the third and fourth quarter of this year will be tough with the Government telling us there will be 10 percent unemployment. And I think next year is going to be really tough. The worst is yet to come. 

MNZ: Your 2019 sales were ahead 2.8 percent year-on-year versus 2018 and allowed an all-time record number of Subaru SUV sales. Do you expect to maintain the same market share that was achieved in 2019?

Dumper: If the market halves, we’d like to hold our market share. The market is sure to change and it will get a big messy.

Stephens: We believe there are pockets of people out there who still want a new Subaru. Some might have come through this (coronavirus) and think, well, ‘we’ve got through this let’s buy ourselves the car we’ve always wanted.’ There might be people who might have used public transport and now are thinking they don’t feel so safe doing that before. We know of a dad who handed down his Forester to a child and he went off to the dealership to buy himself a new one. But it is a crystal ball question.

MNZ: Does Subaru have any strengths that might give it a better chance of in NZ than some other brands; is it tough enough to weather this challenging economic condition? 

Stephens: Our brand position is in between the Europeans and the mainstream brands; we’ve the one you step into on the way to going to the Europeans like an Audi. Likewise, when times are tough, people might trade in a Euro for a Subaru.

Subarus are seen as a vehicle for someone who wants to be a bit different and we believe we have a high ground based on technology and safety. There is quite a lot of desirably out there in respect to our product, we achieve strong consideration and strong conversion. So, we think that we can weather the storm – perhaps with less sales, but enough to maintain our market share.

Dumper: We run our business very lean and tight and we have done this very successfully for a long time. We outperform glamour brands with our return on sales and have for decades. We have more than doubled our business in the last decade and had to employ just four or five more people.