Volkswagen Touareg V8 R-Line: Right kind of 'wrong'

If this flagship represents diesel’s last gasp, it’s one heck of a deep breath.

Price: $141,900

Powertrain and economy: 4.0-litre turbodiesel V8, 310kW/900Nm, 8-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 9.9L/100km, CO2 258g/km.

Vital statistics: 4878mm long, 1984mm wide, 1702mm high, 2984mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 810 litres, 21-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Effortlessly muscular, a smart alternate to more prestigious VW Group models.

We don't like: Emissions count, no third row seating, awkwardly-site front cupholders.

 AROUND $60 billion to spend on increasing the count and production of electric cars and batteries … within the next four years.

You could say Volkswagen Group is spending as if there’s no tomorrow … and, in a way, that’s exactly why they’re doing it. That the ‘tomorrows’ for orthodox fossil fuelled vehicles are running out is recognised as being a cold, hard fact.

VW isn’t hanging around for the end of that world as we know it before concocting a Plan B. It’s blasting off to Planet Electric now. There’ll be 70 all-electric VW Group models by 2030, of which 20 are already signed off, and around 60 hybrid models by then as well, of which just over half are already being built.

 The volume ambitions are massive: 26 million fully electric models built this decade; 19 million based on the MEB (basically, mainstream electric) platform that underpins the NZ-bound Skoda Enyaq, Audi Q4, VW ID.4 crossovers, the remainder utilising a high-performance PPE (for ‘premium platform electric’) underpinning, which has yet to be used. That one is designed for vehicles of medium size or larger and is suited to both low- and high-riding applications.

Their rush has been fuelled by Dieselgate. VW’s unfortunate incident has utterly reshaped Europe’s biggest car maker and hastened the death of diesel.

Or so the headlines might have you believe. In fact, as much as VW is keen to move on from a period of significant unpleasantness – and despite the fuel type falling fast out of favour in key markets close to VW’s homeland -  it has yet to quit a dirty habit.

Look at the make’s pitches into the markets two core sectors, utes and large sports utilities, and you’d have to conclude diesel is far from dead. Quite the contrary. 

Still, that’s going to change. A platform-sharing project with Ford in which the Blue Oval takes the lead role means the next generation of VW’s Amarok, coming in 2022, is set to be a ‘Ranger-rok’. The drivetrains remain a mystery, but Ford has said it wants to electrify its commercials. Hence why NZ will get a fully battery-enabled Transit as an option to the PHEV edition now incoming. Same for the traydeck? 

Later this year, the big Touareg five-seater sports utility wagon will also take the plug-in plunge, becoming not only the first in this family to do so but also set to be the first large mainstream sub-$150,000 European vehicle here in that format.

The e-Hybrid variant is going to be high-profile. It represents as a member of the make’s R performance sub-brand and delivers with the same 250kW turbocharged 2.9-litre petrol V6 mated to a 100kW electric motor, fed by a 14.1kWh battery mounted beneath the boot floor, that has represented in the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid.

It’s a smart drivetrain: Up to 50kms’ electric-only running, plus emissions and economy that, just a decade ago, would have only been possible from a small car. Yet it’s a miser with serious muscle. Hence that R accreditation. Although VW says their package prioritises comfort and refinement over outright punch, it’ll be … well, electrifying. Expect the 0-100kmh sprint to take around five seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 250kmh.  

So the Touareg R is a model to look forward to, the next big step into a future we cannot ignore, one that quite potentially will lead to an all-electric conclusion in time.

Still, it would be surprising if Touareg fans immediately warm to it. Not because electric isn’t ‘right’ so much as because diesel has done their vehicle of choice no wrong.

Of all VW’s SUV models, the Touareg has consistently been the most dedicated to diesel powertrains with proven plus points of low fuel consumption and running costs for higher kilometres-per-litre economy, effortless grunt and long range between refills. 

Having a new compression-champ in the line is unlikely to make transition away from the dark side any easier.

The new 4.0-litre V8 that became available from late last year is potentially going to be viewed as the most obvious alternate to the electric newcomer, given it holds the same flagship status and is very likely set to be closest on price.

 If comparison is to be made, however, it’s likely there will more differences than similarities in how they operate and what they deliver.

They come closest in respect to power, and even then there’s no parity; the PHEV generating 30kW more than the big-bore diesel. When it comes to torque, the diesel wins easily, with a third as much again.

VW has yet to present economy and emissions figures for the PHEV, but it’s fair to assume the counts Porsche has discussed will be a fair indication. In which case … well, it cleans up against every diesel. Comprehensively. Which of course, is the whole point. Even though it meets latest Euro 6 requirements, and rarely puts out any black smoke even at start-up, a rated count of – cough, cough – 258 grams per 100km means that, even with the smog unseen, the V8 counts as a smutty thing.

Still, while a black mark, it’s hardly a killer blow in our market, not least when our Government has yet to initiate any particular emissions legislation. It’s not the cleanest new diesel, but at same token it’s far from being the dirtiest vehicle on our roads. You only need to follow any school bus or any light truck imported used from Japan to be reminded of that.

The prospect of the V8 being subbed out once the Touareg R hits the playing field has never been voiced by VW here and I doubt it’ll happen, for good reason that the latter has become an immediate hit since launch.

To say that this engine has imprinted on the buyer base is an understatement. It’s quite possibly the ultimate black hearted hero of the moment. 

The test car, at time of driving, the last of the First Edition models that comprised the initial shipment; every one of those was snapped up. Basically, all examples on the next boat were signed up when still at sea and there’s a growing waiting list.

The appeal is pretty obvious. Putting environmental concerns to one side, the spec of this twin-turbo engine is drool-inducingly impressive.

For one, it’s the most powerful Touareg engine ever; gruntier even than the first generation model’s flawed but fondly-remembered V10, developed at the behest of Ferdinand Piech to simultaneously elevate the diesel engine and the VW brand.

It’s come to this model with an illustrious heritage, having done time in the rich-lister Audi SQ7 and SQ8 and the Bentley Bentayga – where it took an electric supercharger. The lack of that latter element in the VW formula is no particular problem as it still emphatically from a different planet than the Touareg’s V6 that, in most powerful form, makes 100kW less power and 300Nm less torque. 

Those who bought into the First Edition did well. With a Black Pack trim – literally that, with every exterior element in that colour (and most of the interior, too) – it’s a smart-looking car and a smart buy, too. The premium it held over the regular version covered the cost of a 48-volt active roll stabilisation system that’s a $7500 cost-extra in the regular model. In addition to this, the First Edition also received a superb Dynaudio sound system. That’s also a pricey item, so effectively it came for free in this case.

The engine is the big pull. Quite literally. The appeal reveals easily; it’s smooth, refined and massively powerful; put your foot down and, no matter what pace you happen to be holding, it just surges forward with huge and growing momentum. In typical diesel style, the oomph emerges in considerable force at rev levels at which any performance petrol would still be in doze mode. Even at a steady 100kmh, the thing is typically showing around 1800rpm on the dial. There are quite a few numbers between there and the redline that possibly will never be visited much at all, if ever. Because there’s no need.

Ok, so it’d be stretching to say it's not wholly free from lag, in spite of the efforts of its clever dual turbo set-up. There is still a momentary hesitation, but once that breath is taken, though, the load of seamless stonk is truly impressive and bodes well for off-roading and towing. Anyone who buys one of these and doesn’t use it to haul something significant is wasting a tonne (well, two and bit tonnes) of talent.

What’s a bit unnerving, initially at least, is that there’s not a lot of noise when it goes into lout mode, at least until you activate the performance mode. That seems to introduce extra aural fireworks. But it’s not necessarily a true-life soundtrack. I suspect it has an acoustic enhancer that uses the stereo speakers. Leave it in the standard drive mode, though, and it is pretty quiet.

Economy suffers when you push the limits, of course, but it’s nothing like as thirsty as any petrol. Volkswagen claims an optimal 9.9 litres per 100km is possible, but I wasn’t at all unhappy seeing an average of ‘only’ 10.8L/100km from a week-long stint in which the vehicle was employed in a wide variety of driving duties, even a touch of off-roading. Nothing particularly strenuous, of course.

Putting almost 500km on the clock accounted for less half a tank consumed; nothing to do with a poorly calibrated gauge. This version runs a 90-litre fuel tank. According to the drive computer, it will deliver at least 1100km of range on a single tank. So you could cruise all day. 

About that. Cruising is what is does best, yet don’t estimate the talent: On occasion it feels even more agile to drive than the Audi Q7, which is supposedly the sportier model.

That active roll stabilisation system definitely has positive imprint on body roll, the air suspension that either firms or soften the ride, depending on what you want, is also a good thing and having 4Motion permanent four-wheel drive is an obvious plus. True, it’s not outright thrilling, but it does come across as a easily-controlled car, but not an outright dextrous one.  

Of course, that’s all written in context of its sheer size. In pure physical terms, this generation of Touareg large enough to be hulking, so it’s a big thing to put down a country road.

In that scenario, the steering also still feels a bit too light and distant for true entertainment; it needs room stop, too. The PHEV should be better, but so it should, given the pedigree it’ll bring. R-Line is all well and good, but nothing should surpass a real R.

Saying it’s happiest on big, wide, sweeping roads is perhaps not a criticism. The ride quality is more decent than you’ll find from the Audi equivalent, for instance. And being more laidback suits the overall personality. The combo of refinement, sledgehammer thump, quality, comfort and space mean that it's a decent choice for long journeys, and a deeply pleasant thing into which to climb every day. But it's not as agile, nor flickable, nor engaging as it might be. Call it composed.

The exterior styling - big, square of shoulder and jaw, and with that massive radiator grille and piercing lights – is lasting well, but it's the interior that’s the Touareg’s strongest aspect.

Quality levels in this model are exceptionally high, and even if if the overall design and layout might seem a bit stark and grey – because, well, that’s just the VW way - it's nonetheless a very pleasant place in which to spend time.

If you had to pick one outstanding aspect, it's that it is very welcoming to occupants. Front seat occupants haul themselves into big front armchairs. Those behind also enjoy decent comfort and lots of leg and headroom.  There's no seven-seat Touareg as yet, nor any sign of one on the horizon. Is that because VW doesn't want to pinch sales from the seven-seat Q7? Anyway, it does have a massive boot.

All Touaregs bring a huge amount of equipment to the table and all have the 15-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dash backed up by the 12.3-inch 'Active Info' display behind the wheel, which is your all-singing, all-dancing instrument panel.

The two displays are linked, although you can't slide, drag and drop items between them, but you can use the central display to setup the information that the instruments show you. You can also use it to adjust the seats, the stereo, the navigation, the climate control - virtually everything in fact. There are hardly any physical buttons. Yes, the system is a touch fiddly and thought-intensive at times, but it’s more logical than many.

The comfort, the car’s height and solidity, plus performance that feels brisk and muscular enough for almost any circumstance … well, there’s a lot going for this particular variant.

All in all, it very much reinforces that while diesel is slowly leaving the scene, it isn’t set to depart without reinforcing why it still has many merits.

Ford Escape ST-Line X: Staking a solid claim

This medium sports utility goes heavy on spaciousness, specification and sizzle, but a touch more character and driver appeal wouldn’t go amiss.

Price: $55,990

Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre turbo petrol four cylinder, 184kW/387Nm, 8-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 8.6L/100km.

Vital statistics: 4620mm long, 1666mm high, 2178mm wide, 2710mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 556 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Hefty tech implementation, improved interior space over Kuga, strong powertrain.

We don't like: Lacks the Puma’s charisma, some iffy interior plastics.

MEDIUM and compact sports utilities have been all the rage for the past couple of years and with more adding in-vogue electric-assistance to their fossil-fuelled drivetrains, what’s to bet against strong demand continuing this year. 

Conceivably, then, Ford New Zealand has timed its run nicely with the new Puma and next-size-up Escape.

Respectively aimed at the small and medium sectors, these are new models based off well-respected hatchbacks – the Puma off the Euro-centric Fiesta, Escape off the more globally-sorted Focus – landing with the attraction of fresh stylings and strong specifications.

 Though they are not quite sister ships in different sizes, they certainly arrive as a double act opportunity with good chance of drawing interest from SUV-hungry customers keen to venture beyond the usual Japanese and South Korean opportunities.

We’ve already tested the Puma and found it hugely likeable. Now the Escape comes under the spotlight. Same again in a larger serving?

Well, to a degree. Think of these less as blood brothers and more like slightly estranged cousins. There are various reasons why the larger model delivers a different ambience, mainly relating to the DNA. Escape, like the Focus, is more of a Ford for global consideration than Fiesta and Puma; the latter really being engineered and designed for Europe, within that market. Whereas Escape, like Focus, has felt the hand of influencers within the make’s home office, in Detroit.

So, regardless of high commonality in general design flavour, they do take different paths in all sorts of ways, well beyond the obvious disparities of North America’s favouritism for shiny leather, wider and less form-fitting front seats and allowance for some harder plastics than you tend to find in Euro fare.

Beyond that, there’s the on-road feel. Puma is very driver-centric and fun-focused; as much as compact crossovers often tailor to appeal as urban hard-roofed couples-suited sports cars, this one really does raise the bar. 

The Escape is more circumspect in how it delivers on that front. Some of this is probably due to it being a more family-minded product, but you cannot help sense that the car’s attitude is also reflective of it having to find acceptance in a place Puma doesn’t tread, North America.

It’s not as laidback as the even larger and now-departed (yes, after just two years here) Ford Endura, which came to us from Canada, yet neither does it have the Puma’s energetic vitality and, if measured against the Focus, might seem less involving. 

That’s a bit of a shame, but it doesn’t scupper the Escape’s changes, and not just because it’s highly probable the targeted customer might not really care about sportiness so much as good spec, spaciousness and sensibility.

If those are more important boxes to tick, then the Escape does look very worthy of further investigation. It has good chance of establishing coherent crossover competence because it avails in useful formats across a reasonably wide price span and has the option – across all but the base specification - of an all-wheel-drive element.  

While the relevance of this has to be tempered with the reality of how that will be used – frankly, it’s a provision more useful for on-road aptitude than in enhancing any ability beyond – it does at least give this model a degree of additional usefulness.

Beyond that, the attractions are that it builds, just as the preceding Kuga did, off the underpinning and mechanicals of a popular car with a good reputation, that it is usefully-sized – having grown 89mm longer and 44mm wider than the Kuga, yet becoming lithe (6mm lower, up to 80kg lighter) – that it shares strong styling similarity with the donor Focus and that it is stacked in respect to the specification.

The latter deserves consideration. As much as we’re used to ‘modern’ cars now coming out with features that were hardly a given for high-priced prestige products less than a decade ago, the Escape really does provision richly across a lineup representing in base (just called ‘Escape’), ST-Line and ultimate ST-Line X level that’s on test here.

At face value the base $42,990 car seems good enough to make the more expensive variants seem unnecessary, given it delivers with 17-inch alloy wheels, wireless phone charging, embedded satellite navigation, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, a reversing camera, traffic jam assist, traffic sign recognition.

It also features Ford’s embedded FordPass modem, which provides data connectivity to the car, and enables remote unlocking, a find-my-car feature, fuel level checking, and remote start with air-conditioning function, all from your smartphone. Not a function we could enable for this test, unfortunately, yet one that will be useful in genuine ownership expertience.

The additional expense of the ST-Line ($47,990 in front-drive, $50,990 with AWD) buys in a 12-inch digital instrument cluster that is a mine of information, plus it achieves ambient LED lighting, rain sensing wipers, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, keyless entry, tyre pressure monitoring, a rear spoiler, roof rails, an ST-Line body kit and 18-inch alloy wheels. Again, a really complete suite of sweet stuff.

So you’d go to the $55,990 ST-Line X because …? Well, basically to establish a ‘top trumps’ status.

The only edition that occasions without the front-drive option, it alone also achieves partial leather upholstery, clever “dynamic bending” LED headlights, a power tailgate, a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with heating/memory for the front chairs, a panoramic sunroof, a 10-speaker B&O audio system, full self-parking ability and 19-inch rims.  

Worth the extra or simply over-egging an already rich recipe? You decide. Ford NZ concurs the flagship probably won’t be the biggest volume edition and, personally, though it is certainly handsome at the kerbside, there’s nothing here that I’d absolutely want. 

Whichever model is chosen, you’re sitting behind the same engine – a 2.0-litre petrol turbo four that produces 184kW of power and 387Nm of torque, hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

There’ll ultimately be an alternate choice plug-in hybrid version set to furnish across the mid and highest grades and offering 50km or so of pure electric propulsion. It’s a car Ford NZ is very eager to lay hands on, but unfortunately that’s not going to happen for some months yet; NZ hasn’t the priority status of key markets where such technology is incentivised and required to avoid emissions penalties, and now there’s an issue with the battery being subject to overheating issues.

In the here and now, then, it’s the ST-Line X carries the title of tech king and also stands as the best dressed of the family, having been loaded with all the body design enhancements.

Apart from having the largest diameter and best-looking alloy design, it achieves body-coloured plastic side cladding, which helps create the visual effect of a lower stance. Black window strips in lieu of chrome items, square-tipped exhaust shrouds are another element that lifts its perceived quality. 

Notwithstanding the iffy quality of some of the plastics, the cabin looks and feels well considered. That 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is abetted by an 8.0-inch central infotainment screen, which features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (usefully, the Escape has both wireless and USB-C device charging) and has crisp resolution and good colour. You get a head-up display that, unlike many, remains clearly visible through polarised sunglasses.

The Jaguar-esque circular gear selector, also a feature of the Puma and Focus, is a bit of a love-or-hate item; yes, I agree that it is brilliant for freeing up room in the lower console (and thus creating space for a large, open storage tray and decent-sized cupholders) but, as in those other recipient cars, over a week’s driving I never found it intuitive. I constantly found myself having to check that I’d engaged the correct drive mode.

Fortunately, the greater part of the technology provision isn’t so challenging. That’s a great thing to say, because this car really delivers excellent focus on driver assistance features, even beyond the … erm … Focus.

 Adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert all feature as standard. As a colleague pointed out it would be even better with a 360-degree camera, but overall you have a host of useful assists that are easy to understand, operate and adjust to suit your preferences. It’s just a shame a touch more effort wasn’t put into making the cabin aesthetic as smart as the tech. Even though the materials feel durable and hard-wearing, it lacks the quality seen in some rivals. 

Kuga proved to be a good choice of car for family use but Escape might be even better; the doors open that little bit wider and there’s just so much more room in the back – considerations that will appeal to those who need to fit in a couple of child seats.

In terms of adult occupant space, it’s also good. The back of the front chairs has been scalloped to provision optimal legroom and the boxy roof line allows for decent head room. While I just couldn’t get the front driver’s chair quite low enough for my taste – that’s a major change from the Puma, which offers much more adjustment - had I been sitting behind it I would not have complained about the generous foot room that results from the slightly high-set placement.

Rear seat occupants also achieve access to a fast-charging USB-C and regular USB port but might wish for more storage options. The rear door pockets are far from generous and the absence of a centre armrest means no cupholders or ski-flap.

The boot’s storage space varies between 412–526 litres depending on how deeply you adjust the sliding second row. The cavity is wide, though the load sill is high. 

Driven with four aboard or simply with a driver, the Escape doesn’t lack for power. It’s a strong engine from the get-go and has decent mid-range torque attributes; the elasticity of the delivery means so rolling on the power in higher gears doesn't always require dropping a gear. All in all it evidences as a brisk SUV.

The transmission gear changes are positive and the all-wheel-drive goes about its business unobtrusively, primarily sending power to just the front wheels, decoupling the rear axle for fuel saving until it is required. This setup means that for the vast majority of day-to-day driving it’s a front-wheel drive SUV, but should you hit a slippery surface – not just mud but even seal affected by torrential rain - drive is instantly sent to the wheels with the highest grip levels. Most drivers will never notice the system operating as it does so seamlessly, and it is always active, so there is no particular need to select a particular mode, though some are provided.

In Ford-speak, the ST-Line designation is only expected to signal ‘sporty’ in look rather than feel; if you want the full-out performance experience, the idea is to look to the ST model line, which means either a Fiesta or a Focus.

With that in mind, the ST-Line crossovers shouldn’t be expected to come across as hot hatch alternates. And, yet, for all that … well, the Puma in that form really could.

It’s a different story for Escape. It’s not too bad, but even with a firmer suspension setting than the base edition, there’s no Puma-esque corner-challenging cheekiness to be found here and, all in all, the chassis feels less polished.

When you slip into the Puma, it takes very little time to discern that everything about how it drives has been very carefully calibrated. You can drive it quickly, and appreciate the fun factor, but it can also be operated entirely normally and you’ll still come away thinking it’s just a bit special.

The Escape lacks that element and so struggles to be memorable in the way the Puma does, largely because it just doesn’t communicate anything like as coherently through the chassis and the controls.

The ride quality is an awkward subject. Obviously, with the lowest-profile tyres and the largest wheels, the ST-Line X is set to be most prone to being beset by road noise and even jitter from our notoriously unforgiving coarse chip surfaces. And, sure enough, those factors are evident. Yet, even on smooth tarmac ride quality seems a bit hit-and-miss.

Given the performance pep, it’s a pity the Escape wasn’t a bit more intuitive and interesting. You sense this factor could well undermine the pluses, not least that great packaging and tech credentials, which would be a pity. Yet, as is, if you pitted this car against the likes of the Toyota RAV4, a car which has really stepped up considerably in respect to driving character, and the Mazda CX-5, it’d deliver less driver enjoyment.

Still, in overall terms, even though it lacks the Puma’s spunk, the Escape is very much a good consideration for crossover and SUV fans. If the ST-Line X seems a bit rich – and it might be, unless you intend to cross-ship against the VW Tiguan and Volvo XC40 – then the $5000 cheaper ST-Line would be a decent choice.

Once the PHEV includes, Ford’s hand will be all the stronger, notwithstanding that it is set to carry a $11k premium over the ST-Line X. There’s always a stern price to pay for savings at the pump when batteries are included, sadly.

Even so, having this car and the Puma at least gives Ford a chance to divorce from being known for selling Rangers, some Mustangs and little else. As much as the ute and the Pony car have done the Blue Oval proud, there’s nothing wrong with having a properly full house hand.

Ford Puma ST-Line: Back in the good books

Blue Oval’s latest small crossover mainly rights every EcoSport wrong – and should scare the heck out of category rivals. Shame it wasn’t a little cheaper.

Price: $37,990.

Powertrain and economy: 1.0-litre turbo petrol three-cylinder with 92kW/170Nm, 5.3L/100km, 7-speed dual clutch transmission, FWD.

Vital statistics: 4207mm long, 1805mm wide, 1570mm high, 2588mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 468 litres, 17-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Equipment level, effervescent engine, great chassis.

We don't like: Slightly uncomfortable price zone; no 1.5-litre option.

A POOR drivetrain, second-rate finish, outdated infotainment and design awkwardness … for anyone holding conviction that crossovers, especially small ones, are the motoring equivalent of gunge on a shoe, the Ford EcoSport made for an easy target. 

It was terrible, delivering way too little, staying in the market way too long and serving only to make everything in the sector look great by comparison.

Unloved and unlovely, it demanded to be called out and I slept all the better for doing so. The best thing to be said about that car is that, as years of desultory sales suggest, it didn’t sucker too many cash-carrying consumers. 

Anyone who wondered how much embarrassment Ford felt about foisting that car on us for almost six years will find the answer in the replacement.

If ever a vehicle feels as though it’s here to make up for past wrongs, it’s the Puma: It’s the gift that’s required after you’ve made a total mess and need to do something truly extraordinary to put everything to rights.

After a week of driving, the only reason I don’t feel compelled to call the Puma a trump card is, well … America, right?

Like the preceding product whose name deserves no further mention, the Puma is a quasi-sports utility built upon on Fiesta underpinnings. Only this time the genetic modification required to create a crossover has maintained, if not actually enlivened, all the good DNA.

When thinking Puma, it’s only right to also consider how it stands with the Fiesta given both are so closely related. They could be closer – I’ll get back to why in a moment – but it’s fair to suggest that if you know the hatch, you should know what to expect from the Puma: A mixture of good looks, incredibly sharp, engaging handling, and sensible old-school Ford practicality and mechanical simplicity.

Our market only takes the Fiesta in its ST hot hatch format, and has also selected the Puma with a less fiery drivetrain, yet perusal of the pricing sheets shows this hasn’t been enough to cause clear separation between the cars.

Regardless that the entry Puma has been launched with a tasty sub-$30,000 price tag (albeit a temporary inducement, the full RRP being $10 short of $34k), there is challenge with the alternate flagship ST-Line format as tested, in that it costs another $2500 over the $35,490 Fiesta ST. 

That premium would be easier to swallow had they common powerplants. Yet that’s not the case. The Puma delivers with a smaller capacity and lower output version of the three-cylinder petrol specific to this class of car; so, a 1.0-litre with 92kW and 170Nm against a 147kW/290Nm 1.5-litre.

Imagining a Puma with the larger unit? It does exist, as the Puma ST, a sister ship to the Fiesta flier, even more pumped for pep with another 30Nm but also tuned for similar dynamic result. I’d like to see it here. Perhaps you feel the same. Don’t hold hope.  

It’s the gearbox. Puma ST is in the same camp as Fiesta ST; it’s manual or nothing. And while that non-choice is apparently fine for Fiesta ST cognoscenti, Ford NZ reckons it would be cold-shouldered by Puma buyers. Hence why we restrict to the 1.0-litre. It marries to a seven-speed dual clutch auto (a new gearbox with a wet clutch, not related to Ford’s previous and problematic PowerShift).

More relevant to the price premium a Puma ST-Line has over the Fiesta ST is the difference in equipment. As much as the Fiesta ST always seemed well-sorted, Ford has chosen the Puma to be a showcase for its best driver assist tech, so it picks up additional features that aren’t yet available to the hatch.

These include evasive steering assist, a more advanced (as it has pedestrian and cyclist detection) evasive steer assist, automatic park assist, all-round parking sensors (Fiesta is rear only), adaptive cornering lights, a power liftgate, a wireless phone charging pad and Ford Pass connectivity with an embedded modem, which allows remote checking, lock function and engine pre-start from your phone.

Standard across both Pumas are cruise control with adjustable speed limiting, emergency brake assist, a rear-view camera with 180 degree split view, speed limit sign recognition while the ST-Line adds black exterior detailing, paddle shifters on the steering wheel, auto high-beam, upgraded interior trim, full digital instruments, auto climate air, adaptive cruise and automatic parking.

The end result is that even though it hasn’t the punch to match a Fiesta ST, it does rather out do the hatch for panache; in the SUV, there’s a nicely quasi-premium air.

So, there’s that to look at. Then there’s the look itself. A shape that suits some shades more than others was hugely appealing in the test car’s silvered grey metallic, which Ford calls ‘solar’. There’s just something about how this car sits and the smiley front end is a friendly element that’ll do no harm.

It's good inside, too. Yes, there's a lot of familiar carry-over from the Fiesta and the Focus as well, yet as much as that means a fair swag of dark plastic, and not all of it is soft to touch, it does deliver well for ambience and ergonomic quality, with a somewhat youthful aesthetic (check out the USB-C outlet next to the usual USB slot).

An analogue instrument cluster is complemented by a 4.2-inch TFT driver display nestled between the tacho and speedo, providing a host of information including speed sign recognition, fuel consumption and a digital speedo. It all works well enough and is intuitive to use and scroll through. 

Comfort is also good and though the cabin will not pass the Tardis test in respect to space in the rear, that section will be tolerable for children up to and including tall teenagers, as much as anything because there's plenty of head room. The front is plenty roomy. The boot is decent, by both the standards of the class and when compared to the Fiesta. It’s also highly practical, thanks to its clever height-adjustable floor and useful 80-litre MegaBox, a plastic-lined storage tub under the floor. Other storage options are also well considered, including a large central bin with two layers.

And now comes the bit where the engine gets bagged, right? Actually no. It doesn’t. For sure, it’s a wee thing and, yes, the outputs aren’t terribly amazing, but it really works hard to convince that a one-litre is well big enough for the kind of car it sets out to be.

The car was no sooner in my hands than it was put into a six-hour open road drive through which it was shown no particular mercy. No ignoring the lawful limits but certainly running right to those, particularly over the last 90 minutes after my wife phoned to say one of our dogs had decamped to a neghbour’s farm on a rabbit hunting spree and was showing no willingness to return (it all ended well).

It needs to be rowed along, no argument, and you need to ready to manually stir the gear changes because sometimes the box can be a slow to react, but the effort it worth it. These tri-cylinder EcoBoost engines are really special and this one is eminently likeable. The higher it revs, the more effervescent it seems and though it doesn’t have the muscularity of the 1.5-litre – the 0-100kmh time is nowhere near as athletic, nor the cited top speed – it is a very willing, sweet, little engine, with surprisingly strong spurts of acceleration and a gently fruity exhaust note, too.

The overall abiding memory from our time together is that, even when given the stick and lots of redline-heading hand-shifting, it simply sips petrol; Ford’s claim of 5.3 litres per 100km was never touched, but on the big run alone it sat on 6.1, which I thought was pretty fare given the driving condition. The only reason I was almost out of petrol by the end of the run was that it has a small fuel tank, just 42 litres.

It’s not just this engine that makes the Puma a rewarding drive. The steering is just wonderful, communicating all the time and allowing you to feel every nuance of what the car is up to. 

The rest of the chassis keeps up, too. It’s the car the EcoSport never came close to being. The widish wheeltrack lends something a settled feel in cruising, but it’s only secondary roads with loads of twists and turns where Puma really becomes deeply impressive; it really makes the most of the Fiesta’s gifted chassis and its agility and confidence through bends is truly immersive. It’s a more involving and engaging experience than comes from Ford’s other newly-released SUV, the Escape, and surely that’s a result of the different genetic compositions, the latter being rather less Euro-centric.

If there’s perhaps one bugbear, it’ll be the ride quality. Those 215/55 17-inch tyres offer great grip, and from an aesthetic perspective the rims look decent, from the comfort perspective, there’s some cost, with a degree of jiggle and fidget over coarse chip, where tyre roar also becomes evident. Drivers might not mind, but passengers do tend to comment. 

All in all, though, this is a car that deserves consideration. The small-compact crossover category is very much a shoppers’ paradise at the moment, and the Puma has some stern opposition from all the over place. The year began with the surprisingly engaging and strong value Kia Seltos making a play and since the Puma came along Toyota has introduced the Yaris Cross.

 This version would be better if it had price equality with the Fiesta ST; yes, with Puma you get a bit more kit, but it’s not easy to argue why a smaller, less power engine should carry that premium. And while latest European design and build clearly comes at price, let’s not forget it also sources out of one the cheapest places to build cars, Romania.

Nonetheless, the ace cards are that it is strongly outfitted, has an interesting styling and drives and handles far better than it ought to. It’s the complete antithesis of the EcoSport in that regard – and, so, also proof that Ford now at least understands a small crossover needn't be a cynical marketing exercise, and can actually be as entertaining as it is practical, and that neither of those need be a compromise.

Toyota Yaris Cross GX hybrid: Moving on up

Timing couldn’t be better for a new Toyota compact SUV that’s basically a Yaris in name alone.

Price: $33,990
Powertrain and economy: 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, 67kW/120Nm, total hybrid system output 85kW. Continuously variable automatic. Official combined economy 3.8L/100km, CO2 86g/km.
Vital statistics: 4180mm long, 1765mm wide, 1590mm high, 2560 wheelbase, 16-inch alloys and 205/65 R16 tyres.
We like: Looks distinctively different to Yaris hatch, impressive interior room, good ride and handling, hybrid economy.
We don’t like: Lane trace assist is quite touchy, rear doors don’t quite open wide enough.

TALK about perfect timing. At the very time when compact SUVs take over as the most popular model type in New Zealand, Toyota introduces its first-ever offering in that market segment.

The vehicle is the Yaris Cross, which is related to the new Yaris hatch in that it is built on essentially the same platform, has the same petrol and hybrid powertrains, and boasts pretty much the same interior.

But it is in fact a much different vehicle. It doesn’t share any body panels, it is bigger and rides on a longer wheelbase, and has the SUV-style higher ride height via 30mm greater ground clearance.

All this means that although Toyota New Zealand is happily marketing the Yaris Cross as a member of the Yaris family, just as it is with the stonking little Yaris GR hot hatch, the reality is it is a separate model.

And that places the vehicle in a perfect position to take full advantage of the booming state of the compact  SUV segment.

Consider these statistics. Last year it was medium SUVs that were the most popular passenger vehicle genre with a 19 percent share, while the compact models held 15 percent. But this year to date to the end of October this gap had closed to 20 percent for mediums and 19 percent for compacts – with a feature of October’s sales being a complete reversal of fortunes, with the compacts taking 23 percent and the mediums 18 percent.

Expect that gap to become more pronounced over the last months of 2020, because since the end of October we’ve seen the arrival of Ford’s nice new Puma as well as the launch this new addition to the Toyota SUV lineup.

And something that gives the Yaris Cross a potential edge over all the competition is that it is available as a petrol-electric hybrid. In fact the majority of the Cross models on offer are hybrids. The range begins with a standard petrol-engined $29,990 GX, and then moves into the hybrids – an entry GX for $33,990, a higher-spec Limited for $38,990, and topping out with a Limited with two-tone paint scheme for $39,490.

It all impresses as a rather intelligent pricing structure. The entry GX petrol’s list price is exactly the same as several other small SUVs currently on sale here including the Honda HR-V, Hyundai Venue, Mitsubishi ASX and Suzuki S-Cross.

And then there are the hybrids, which are unique in the small SUV segment. So really, it could be said that from the powertrain technology perspective the only vehicles the Yaris Cross hybrids compete against are other Toyota hybrid SUVs – the slightly larger and more powerful C-HR which costs from $36,990, and the medium-sized RAV4 from $38,990.

In many respects it is notable that the Yaris Cross has arrived in New Zealand at roughly the same time as the Ford Puma. That’s because they have a certain similarity of looks, both of them light years away from the more traditional SUV-lite design menus of other compact SUVs currently on the market.

Maybe it’s because of their European design influences – the Puma is a Ford of Europe product and is assembled in Romania, and while the Yaris Cross comes out of Japan, it is the result of a collaboration between Toyota design studios in Europe and Japan.

Compared to the swept looks of the Yaris hatch, the Yaris Cross has more chunky and rugged styling, particularly a distinctive frontal area and big squared-off wheel arches. As I said before, it doesn’t share any body panels with other members of the Yaris family.

While the Cross shares Toyota’s new TNGA-B vehicle platform with the hatch, it has a slightly longer wheelbase, the bodyshell is 240mm longer, and the roof is 90mm higher, all of which translates to superior interior room.

Our drive has been in a GX hybrid, which being an entry model is fitted with 16-inch wheels and tyres that to my eyes don’t seem quite big enough to fill the vehicle’s very large squared-off wheel arches that are framed with protective cladding. The Limited models have 18-inch wheels which I’m sure would look better.

Yaris Cross is a nice-looking small SUV though, with a particularly distinctive frontal design. The rear opens up to reveal 390 litres of load space with all seats in use, which is among the best of the compact SUV class, and the cargo area features a rear seat that can be split 40/20/40, and a 60/40 split adjustable deck board, for better versatility of use.

Interestingly, the Cross is also rated to tow 400kg. Being a hybrid, that’s less than the 1250kg tow rating of the standard petrol model, but at least it can tow – which is something the likes of the Yaris hatch hybrid and the Corolla hybrids can’t do.

Under the bonnet is exactly the same powertrain as the hatch hybrid. The petrol engine is a de-specified 1.5-litre three-cylinder Atkinson Cycle unit that for the hybrid application delivers 67 kW of power at 5500rpm, and 120 Nm of torque from 3800 rpm to 4800 rpm. When combined with the electric motor the total system output is 85kW.

That’s sufficient to give the vehicle totally acceptable urban performance. Under accelerator load the little petrol triple can get a bit noisy in a three-cylinder raucous sort of way, but overall things are very good.

During our time with the Cross we took it on a decent road trip, and I was impressed with its open road performance, ride and handling. It really does drive like a slightly higher-riding hatch, improved visibility and all.

Obviously helping things along in this regard is the Yaris Cross’ TNGA-B platform which gives it exceptional rigidity. The vehicle also carries the latest generation of the Toyota Safety Sense active safety and drive assistance package, which features such items as a pre-collision system with autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitor, lane tracing assist, all-speed dynamic radar cruise control, automatic high beam, and eight airbags.

There are also two new safety features – emergency steering assist, and crosswind assist.

Emergency steering assist kicks into action when there is a possible collision risk in the vehicle’s lane of traffic, and the driver needs to swerve to avoid an impact. The system provides additional steering torque to help get the vehicle out of the way.

Crosswind assist uses the vehicle’s stability control system to help reduce unintended lane departure caused by a sudden crosswind gust. When it detects such a deviation, it calculates the necessary brake force required according to vehicle speed and the intensity of the deviation, and it operates the brakes on the side of the vehicle hit by the gust.

It wasn’t particularly windy during our drive, so crosswind assist wasn’t put to the test – at least I think it wasn’t, as such systems are normally so fast-acting that they have started and finished their tasks before those aboard know it.

An obvious feature of any hybrid vehicle is fuel economy. Toyota claims an average fuel consumption of 3.8 L/100km with the Yaris Cross, which I was unable to achieve. But that was because such official figures are never attained in real-world conditions anyway, particularly on New Zealand’s coarse chip highway seal. But I did achieve a 4.7 L/100km average.

The interior of the Yaris Cross is essentially the same as the Yaris hatch. At the GX level of specification the seats are black fabric with khaki-accented side bolsters. There’s also felt material used for the door trim.

Audio and entertainment is access via a 7-inch touchscreen, and the system enables both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Surprisingly, the vehicle doesn’t feature satellite navigation which I thought was just about a given in all vehicles these days. It is available in the Limited models, however.

Something else the GX doesn’t have, which also surprised me a little, is push-button start. I lost count of the number of times I chucked the keys into the centre console before realising I had to use them to start the vehicle. It wasn’t an issue – just a surprise.

Overall though, the Yaris Cross interior as spacious and comfortable. It has more room thanks to the fact the vehicle is longer, wider and taller, and it eats the hatch in terms of rear luggage space – which I should add, is close to double that of the larger Corolla hatch which is notorious for its lack of cargo room.

In fact the whole of the Yaris Cross experience is comfortable. I like the concept of a small SUV that is practical and rated to tow, offers the environmental and economic benefits of hybrid technology, and is a good drive both around town and out on the open road. This vehicle does all of that in spades.

Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 4Matic: Social climbing comes first

Don’t get at too hooked up about judging this car by what its badge implies.

Price: $86,500.

Powertrain and performance:  2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. 165kW/5500rpm, 350Nm/1200rpm. All-wheel-drive. Combined cycle fuel consumption 7.5L/100km (claim), 8.7L/100km (road test).

Vital statistics: Length 4417mm, height 1494mm, width 1804mm, wheelbase 2699mm. Wheels: -inch alloys with 235/50 R19 tyres.

We like: MBUX interior, smart looker, a hatch with extra ability.

We don’t like: The $6000-dearer GLB 250 makes more sense in the SUV role and has seven seats, no adaptive cruise control.

IN ‘Mercedes speak’ GL stands for Gelandewagen - literally ‘off-road vehicle’ but suggestively more akin to ‘go anywhere over any terrain with jaw-jutting confidence’ – but when meeting the GLA 250 4Matic, it’s really quite obvious the translation is, erm, a bit optimistic.

That’s not to say it lacks a degree of robustness; more a reminder that, as is often the case with this kind of vehicle, ‘road’ has more relevance to ‘rugged,’ so it’s tailored accordingly.

 Take in this shape at the kerbside and it come as across much more strongly as a sporty, if bulked up, five-door five-seat hatchback than something that’d be up for joining a four-wheel-club endurance outing. 

There’s certainly nothing junior G-wagen about how it drives, either. As much as Mercedes will attest that the AWD variant as tested are handy when the metal road turns to a dirt track, chances are the one function on the Dynamic Select system least likely to be used with frequency is the Off-Road mode. As rugged as the whole car in engineered to be, it just feels way too premium to risk for mud-plugging.

No problems there. When did you ever see one its rivals – and, to Benz, they include the Audi Q2 and Q3, BMW X1 and X2, Jaguar E-Pace, Lexus UX and Volvo XC40 – clambering to a mountain top, smashing through a boghole or taking on a windswept beach? Exactly.

 What also comes into question here, as well, is the ‘A’ part of the name. The obvious inference is that you’re looking at a bulked up member of the A-class family, The most compact, mainly (with exception of the AMG 45 hotshot) city-contrived hatchback that aims at everyone from young first-car buyers to those seeking a second set of wheels for town and around.

Can you see it? Erm, not really. Appearances again speak to a different bloodline and unpacking the development makes association seem all the more tenuous.

Really, it’s actually more correct to track that to the Mercedes B Class and GLB, as they are the other models on the platform that the GLA establishes upon. Put them together and it’s plainly obvious that the GLA picks up elements of both co-shares in terms of its exterior and interior styling and layout.

Don’t think this is a whinge. If anything, this car being not quite as it seems is a strength. The big appeal of this car is as with some rivals; it steps out of a proscribed zone. It’s a bit different, a bit edgy and, because of that, it’s a bit more interesting. 

The styling direction is one appeal. The general design influence is plainly from the larger SUVs in the line-up. The manner is which everything is beefed up is certainly set to raise comment and, agreed, the vibe from some angles is better than from others. Yet nothing looks bodybuilder-on-a-steroids-binge obscene. One immediate plus is that the glass to metal ratio looks just right.

 This is Benz’s second tilt at designing this car. Alterations over the previous blueprint are mainly to do with scale. The second-generation is most obviously larger than its predecessor, not in length but in height – it’s a good 104mm taller – and the wheels are 30mm further apart front-to-rear, too, so the overhangs are much shorter. That’s conceivably better for the off-roading no-one will ever entertain, but is not wasted effort, as it also enhances the way it presents.

 Mercedes is on a real roll in respect to its interiors; not just in general look and ambience – which is always swish – but also with its technology. The MBUX displays and functionality is likely the envy of all category rivals and though the ‘hey Mercedes’ voice control function is a bit frivolous, it’s impressive how it synchs neatly with Apple CarPlay’s Siri.

You do have to be careful avoiding your hand or wrist across the touchpad that sits just ahead of the display console; even the lightest touch can trigger unintended consequences. There’s no great chance of this happening with frequency because it’s another of those many Benzs that have a steering column mounted drive selector in place of a centre-set gear stick, so as to free up space in the centre console. The gear wand is likely something that will become second nature if you were a permanent owner, but for those who don’t have that chance, it’s invariably going to mis-interpreted as an indicator at some point. That’s only an issue for left hand turns, as you’ll pop it into neutral.

The cockpit feel is more car than off-roader, but there are a few details to remind you of it being a SUV, in classification at least. Most obviously, some of the controls are chunkier and the seating position is higher than in a pure road car. By a full 140mm compared to an A-Class, apparently, I mention that because, while it’s obviously a bit taller standing, the GLA doesn’t have much in the way of an SUV stance. So, it’s not a car that you need lift yourself up to get into.

The GLA is potentially not going to cry out of attention as a family car, and not just because it’s probably too plush to risk being besmirched by crayon-wielding junior terrorists, with a panoramic powered sunroof and heated electric front seats. 

It’s also not the best size. For one, it is a touch too compact and, for another, even though the back is not too bad for head, shoulder and lower leg room, the seat is set low and the roof and rear window shape do make the back part of the car feel a bit claustrophobic.  

Performance is decent. The 250 variant packs a turbocharged 2.0 engine that is good for 165kW and 350Nm, running through an eight-speed twin-clutch gearbox. It’s an eager but smooth engine, not overly hot hatch snappy at kick-off, but very responsive once it gets moving and endowed with good mid-range muscularity. The torque spread is wide and rich; conceivably, that’d be useful if you were heading onto non-sealed terrain. As if. 

Even when the driver’s chair is set to its lowest point, you’re sitting relatively high up. There's great visibility in all directions and its comfortable, because the driver's seat and the steering wheel have loads of adjustment.

The driving is brand-typical solid, but there’s a degree of enlivening sharpness; the AMG Line specification does sacrifice suppleness, but it's not anything like outright harsh. The 250 achieves what’s called the Lowered Comfort Suspension setup, which aside from being odd-named makes it look nice but does introduce some fussiness into the ride. For all that, wheel and body control is quite decent, in fact, and more large hatch than small SUV. The only letdown for push-on is that the car will at times outrun the actions of the eight-speed gearbox, at least when it is kept in the default mode. You’ll find yourself livening it up by utilising the gearchange paddles behind the wheel.

There are plenty of incredibly good crossovers and SUVs just in the premium end of the market, but so improved have a number of less expensive mainstream models in this category also become that, really, some of those could be considered as relevant rivals, as well. Really, it does come down to how important a prestige badge is to you.

If the GLA is to outdo its rivals in any key area, it’s in respect to its technology inplementation and functionality; though big screens with lots of trick functions and touch and voice activation are spreading across more vehicles, the MBUX set-up really is still in a class of its own.

So there’s that, and there’s the GLA also being quite stylish in how it looks, plus it drives more like a sporty hatchback than any kind of SUV. 

On the other hand, this is the cheapest variant with all-wheel-drive and it’s exactly inexpensive.

 Tick a few options, such as our car’s AMG Line and must-have Driving Assistance packages, and you’re up into $90k bracket, where the GLB with the same powertrain, all the same kit and fundamentally far more family-friendly functionality awaits.

If you want the look are seeking to escape some of that hit, then why not the GLA 200: Smaller engine, one fewer cog in the gearbox and front-drive … but frankly, none of that probably penalises if making an impression counts most.