Mazda3 SkyActiv X: Lighter shade of hybrid

Combining beneficial petrol and diesel engine design elements and adding a degree of hybridisation lift this Mazda3 hatch.

Price: $51,995
Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre four cylinder SkyActiv-X mild-hybrid petrol engine, 132kW/224Nm. Six-speed automatic transmission with Sport mode. Front-wheel drive. Combined fuel consumption 5.5 L/100km, CO2 127 grams/km.
Vital statistics: Length 4460mm, height 1435mm, width 1795mm, wheelbase 2725mm. Luggage space 295 litres. Wheels 18-inch black alloys, 215/45 R18 tyres.
We like:  Revolutionary new engine combines spark and compression ignition; mild hybrid helps things along; beautiful interior, excellent levels of specification.
We don’t like:  Those A-pillars; it’s early days yet, but CO2 emissions will still be too high.

THERE’S surely little doubt the Government will accept what is recommended in the Climate Change Commission’s interim report on how New Zealand can reduce its net carbon emissions to nil by 2050.

Realising this goal means that, amongst other things, it will adopt the recommendation to ban the importation of all fossil-fuelled light vehicles after 2032.

It’s a hard call, but the cold fact is that in order to achieve its emission reduction goals, our country has to do it.

Latest figures are for 2019. These show transport being responsible for 36.3 percent of all our emissions of long-lived gases, and that petrol and diesel-fuelled cars, SUVs and trucks were responsible for 91 percent of that.

Such emissions for that year were calculated to be 16.6 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent (mt CO2-e).

 The Climate Change Commission’s big report says this must be reduced to 8.8 mt CO2-e by 2035 if New Zealand is to meet its 2050 target.

The only way for New Zealand to do it, says the report, is to go big on electric vehicles. It suggests the EV share of our country’s light vehicle fleet must reach 18 percent by 2025, 40 percent by 2027, 60 percent by 2028, 80 percent by 2030, and reaching the 100 percent by 2032.

That’s a big call, considering that last year less than two percent of all new vehicle registrations were EVs. In fact sales in 2020 of vehicles with any form of electrification accounted for just 9.2 percent of registrations, hybrids making up almost 80 percent of that.

Things didn’t change in the opening month of this year, either. January figures showed that registrations of 244 EVs represented just 1.7 percent of all new vehicle sales. So there’s a very long way to go, and it is obvious – as has been pointed out in the Climate Change Commission’s report – that it is going to require support and incentives from the Government.

Feebate scheme, anyone?

And here’s an interesting thing: while the report looks at everything through green-tinted glasses and is extremely EV-centric, it does offer a small dose of pragmatism. It suggests that while the national EV supply grows over the next few years, there will need to be a focus on importing more efficient internal combustion-engined vehicles, particularly hybrids.

That’s because the report’s suggested path forward assumes the average efficiency of ICE vehicles will improve by around 1 percent per year, to reach a 15 percent improvement by 2035.

Is that a big ask for the motor industry here? Not really. Greenhouse gas emissions from light vehicle exhausts have been falling in recent years anyway, with CO2 emissions down 21 percent between 2006 and 2019 (the 2020 figures are not yet available). So it’s a sitter that the emissions will continue to fall over the next few years as the manufacturers continue to continually improve their internal combustion-engined product.

An outstanding example is Mazda, which is committed to reducing CO2 emissions to 50 percent of 2010 levels by 2030 and to 90 percent by 2050. A major weapon in this strategy is the brand’s SkyActiv engine technology, which since 2012 has continually improved the efficiency of Mazda petrol and diesel engines.

So far we’ve had SkyActiv-G (petrol) and SkyActiv-D (diesel) engines, and now we’ve received first examples of SkyActiv-X, which is quite revolutionary because it combines the higher-revving performance of a petrol engine with the torque and fuel efficiency of a diesel.

The engine is hybridised, too. It features a mild hybrid system that uses a belt-driven integrated starter generator and a 20V lithium-ion battery to recycle energy recovered during deceleration and braking and use it to assist the engine.

First examples of SkyActiv-X are aboard highly-specified Takami versions of the Mazda3 hatch and its SUV sibling the CX-30.

They’re pricey at $51,995 and $54,990 which is $3200 and $4000 more expensive than the Limited versions of each model, but for the money they are chock-full of efficiency, safety and comfort technology.

So how does SkyActiv-X work? Spark Controlled Compression Ignition (SPCCI) is a new technology that compresses the fuel-air mix at a high ratio, with a very lean mix. The engine uses a spark to ignite only a small and dense amount of the mix in the cylinder, which raises both temperature and pressure so that a remaining fuel-air mix ignites under pressure like a diesel, burning faster and more completely than in conventional engines.

The result is up to 30 percent more torque than the current SkyActiv-G petrol engine, better fuel efficiency than the current SkyActiv-D, and a power increase of 10 percent.

In the case of the Mazda3 we’ve been driving, this translates to an official average consumption figure of 5.5 L/100km and CO2 emissions of 135g/km. Unusually this figure is accurate too, because it is exactly what I achieved over a lengthy journey of several hundred kilometres.

By way of comparison, the 2.0-litre SkyActiv-G Mazda3 GSX is rated at 6.2 L/1`00km, while the 2.5-litre GTX and Limited models are rated at 6.6 L/100km. It must be said however that the SkyActiv-X model runs on 95 octane petrol while the others drink 91.

To my eyes this hatchback’s performance is more akin to the 2.5-litre model than the other 2.0-litre version, and this is underlined by the power and torque figures. The SkyActiv-X model offers 132kW of power which isn’t much short of the 139kW developed by the 2.5, and while maximum torque of 224Nm is less than the 2.5-litre model’s 252Nm, it gets there at 3000rpm which is  1000rpm further down the revs range.

As a result the hatch offers a nice spread of torque at open road speeds. This is particularly the case when the Sport mode is engaged, which enhances the vehicle’s accelerator response. But when in Normal mode and cruising at normal highway cruise speeds, the SkyActiv-X model is almost diesel-like in the relaxed way it lopes along.

The M Hybrid system is interesting.

Mazda has replaced the alternator and starter motor with the integrated starter generator (ISG), which captures energy that would normally be wasted during braking. This electrified energy is stored in a lithium-ion battery and then used to power electrical systems and assist the engine under acceleration by offering an additional 5 to 6 kilowatts. The result is improved efficiency and a smoother driving experience.

The ISG also has an involvement in the hatchback’s i-Stop system, which is unusual because it is able to shut the engine down before the vehicle comes to a complete halt – in fact, the i-Stop kicks into action as soon as the vehicle’s speed gets below 20 kmh. It’s all in the interests of keeping the engine stopped longer so less fuel can be used.

Then when the Mazda3 is about to move off again, the ISG operates as a starter motor to provide a quick and very quiet restart.

Dislikes? None really. Just like the other Mazda3 models, this version continues to have very thick A-pillars that can hamper views when turning, but you get used to it. And while the jury remains out for some regarding the ‘car as art’ exterior look of the vehicle with its large rump, there’s no arguing at all about the interior – its uncluttered  design is beautiful.

At the Takami level the vehicle features a 360-degree view monitor for ease of parking and for negotiating into tight spots, and there’s also a reversing camera with dynamic guide lines that bend when you turn the steering wheel.

From the comfort perspective there is black leather seat trim – burgundy is an option – and a black cabin theme, a frameless automatic interior mirror, and even a steering wheel heater. Outside, the visual clues that this is the takami model are 18-inch black alloy wheels, larger exhaust pipes, and SkyActiv-X badging on the rear.

But overall, the visual treatment is all quite low-key – which is no doubt just how Mazda wants it, preferring instead to let the vehicle go about its work in an unobtrusive sort of way as it works to play its part in the Japanese brand achieving its environmental targets.

But will the Mazda3 SkyActiv-X M-hybrid meet the Climate Change Commission’s very tough targets?

Mazda Motor Corporation believes that most new cars will still have an internal combustion engine for many years to come, and it is using worldwide new passenger vehicle sales to underline that belief.

The corporation points out that international research forecasts that even by 2030, battery and fuel-cell EVs will account for just 10 percent of the 130 million vehicles that are expected to be built. All the rest will be ICE models – but of those, better than half will be electrified in some way.

So with that as background, it’s obvious we will have hybrids of various forms – including SkyActiv-X and its successors – for some years yet. Ironically they will need to improve too, if they are going to meet the Climate Change Commission’s green ambitions for New Zealand motoring.

Mitsubishi Triton Black Edition: Hello darkness my old friend

The name can be taken all too literally. It’s all value too.

Price: $46,990
Powertrain and economy: 2.4-litre MIVEC turbocharged and intercooled in-line four cylinder diesel, 135kW, 437Nm. Six-speed automatic transmission. Super Select II 4WD with Off-road Mode. Combined fuel consumption 8.6L/100km.
Vital statistics: Length 5305mm, height 1795mm, width 1815mm, wheelbase 3000mm, ground clearance 220mm. Wheels 18-inch black alloys.
We like: Diesel performance is over a broad revs range; Super Select 4WD among the best around.
We don’t like: Black-on-black may not appeal to some; air conditioning seems hard to get warm; hard lid restricts use of wellside.

WOULD you own a vehicle in the olour most notorious for showing off dirt the quickest?

A lot of people do.

Latest worldwide statistics show that while white was by far the most popular colour – or non-colour – in 2020 for a massive 38 percent of all vehicles built, black ran next with a 19 percent share.

A large proportion of those were luxury cars, because everybody knows that black looks really classy with that genre. But black is of course also offered as a choice of body hue with every other style of motor vehicle, from the smallest hatch to the largest ute.

I mention all of this having just been driving what is perhaps the blackest vehicle on the market.

It’s the Mitsubishi Triton Black Edition, a limited-edition ute that is based on the GLS, a model line that isn’t now a part of the Triton lineup here, having being replaced by the VXR as the top Triton on offer.

To make it a Black Edition model, MMNZ has added a black ‘dynamic shield’ front end and grille, black LED headlight surrounds, black 18-inch alloys, and black alloy side steps.

Black Edition Triton is available with a choice of paint hues including blue, orange, white and grey, but the version we had for road test was – naturally – painted a colour called Pitch Black. And on top of that, our ute also had a black deck liner, black sports bars, black two-piece hard lid, and even a black towbar.

So the black version of the Triton Black Edition is black – spectacularly black. It is also spectacularly priced, on the market for $46,990 which is well below the $62,990 RRP for the VRX. That’s good buying, because the only things the VRX has which the Black Edition doesn’t are leather seats, seat heaters, paddle shifters and a rear roll bar.

Granted, in typical Mitsubishi fashion the VRX is currently being offered with a special retail price of $51,990, but even so that offer for the Black Edition model is highly competitive.

Mind you, these days nobody buys a new ute in New Zealand without spending a few thousand extra accessorising it. In the case of our Black Edition test vehicle the accessory spend was at least $6100, which took the total price to more than $53,000 – more than the SRP for the VRX. But then again, a VRX buyer would almost certainly accessorise that ute, and so the process goes on and on….

Triton is the third most popular ute and the fourth most popular vehicle in New Zealand, with sales last year running at around 10 a day. It’s easily the most popular Mitsubishi, well ahead of the ASX and Outlander SUVs.

The replacement of the GSX with the VRX as the top model happened a couple of years ago when the massively facelifted ‘Beast Mode’ model was launched here.

All the utes in the Triton range are powered by the same 2.4-litre MIVEC turbo diesel, which is part of a Mitsubishi family of petrol and diesel engines with variable valve timing technology, and which have been installed into everything from the smallest Mirage up to the largest SUV.

In this case the engine develops 135kW of power and 437Nm of torque, figures which on the face of things look a bit modest when compared against the likes of Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux. But that variable timing of the intake and exhaust camshafts works efficiently in supplying the power and especially the torque over a broad revolutions range, so overall performance is sound.

Adding to the attraction of this ute, big-time, is that it carries Mitsubishi’s Super Select II, which is one of the few 4WD systems that allow a vehicle to operate on seal in 4WD without voiding the manufacturer warranty – and of course not destroy the diff.

It’s a very good system, which in the latest models is controlled using a twist dial on the centre console. It offers 2H and 4H - 2WD High and 4WD High – which can be selected at speeds of up to 100kmh and are able to be used on seal. Then there is 4HLc, which is 4WD High with the centre differential locked to provide a 50:50 torque split for best performance off the seal, and finally there is 4LLc which is a crawl gear for the really tough off-road work.

On top of all that there an Offroad Mode selector which offers the choice of gravel, mud/snow, sand and rock drive modes for improved performance through various ground conditions.

Super Select is one of the things that sets Triton apart, easily compensating for the fact it doesn’t offer quite the same power as the Ranger and Hilux, or the brand-new models Mazda BT-50 and Isuzu D-Max. The Mitsi ute also isn’t quite as large as the Ford and Toyota, but it is a bit bigger in most dimensions than the Mazda and Isuzu.

During our time with the jet-black Black Edition we used it for a summer camping trip in the wilds of Bay of Plenty – well, Papamoa, which these days is so populated it feels about as ‘wild’ as the Auckland CBD. But there’s a great beach there, the weather was nice and the water warm, so we weren’t complaining.

For us, a camping trip usually involves loading a vehicle to the gunwales, and the trip with the Triton was no exception. It didn’t unduly affect the ute’s performance – in fact being fully laden meant its ride and handling felt rather secure. The only downside was that fuel consumption rose from the official stated average of 8.6 L/100km to around 9.2 L/100km.

That was still acceptable though, with very little difference in consumption between the times the Triton was run in 2WD in dry conditions, and in 4WD High when we opted for extra safety in the wet. Actually, the bigger annoyance was the massive differences in diesel prices at various service stations around Papamoa and the Bay in general. How can the fuel companies justify 35c differences in diesel prices at sites mere kilometres apart?

Talking about fully loading a ute, I have to say that those hard lids installed over the wellside deck are a pain. They seriously compromise the ability of the load area to carry cargoes of any size. If I had to fit anything in the interests of rear load security, I’d much rather opt for a removeable tonneau cover (which is a lot cheaper) or go the whole hog and install a canopy.

But at least the hard lid, which was lockable, did provide secure storage. And it has to be said it helped make the Triton Black Edition something of a looker – which is important in the current ute-crazy motoring environment in which highly-accessorised ‘hero’ utes are all the rage.

Equally important is the Black Edition’s price, which is very attractive. Little wonder then that this limited-edition model is contributing solidly to Triton’s good sales performance.

‘Little Limpopo’ in Te Popo – an African adventure in deepest Taranaki

Ford’s latest Escape is an appealing touring vehicle. The ST Line X flagship is taken on safari.

TE Popo Gardens was established 45 years ago in hill country east of the central Taranaki town of Stratford.

Over the years it has been developed so it now covers 13 hectares, has a café and camping area, and offers bed and breakfast accommodation.

In recent times current owners Les and Amanda Heynie have taken it all to a new level – they have placed a series of life-sized galvanised iron sculptures of African wildlife throughout the gardens.

At the entrance you’re met by an antelope. Further along the driveway there’s a rhino quietly grazing. Close to the café a jaguar is chasing down a wildebeest. Nearby there’s a hippo in a pond. Two adult elephants with a youngster. A giraffe family. Two sparring gemsbok.

It’s all very impressive. The Heynies’ hail from South Africa, and during a visit there a couple of years ago they discovered a street vendor offering the sculptures for sale. So they purchased the lot, and had them put into a shipping container and sent to New Zealand.

And now they populate Te Popo Gardens, which is about 13 km east of Stratford along winding country roads through Taranaki hinterland. It all goes to show how international the world is becoming – a South African couple working to put their country’s touch to an iconic regional garden in Aotearoa.

Motor vehicles are totally international these days too, and the Ford Escape ST Line X we used to visit the gardens is a classic example.

The first Escape, which was launched in 2001, was a joint venture between Ford and then Ford majority-owned Mazda, essentially marrying the underpinnings of the Mazda 626 sedan with a range of Ford powertrains.

 That model was sold as the Ford Escape and the Mazda Tribute in many parts of the world including New Zealand. But then the nameplate disappeared in this country - Mazda went its own way and began developing its own CX range of SUVs, while Ford concentrated on selling the larger Aussie-built Territory.

It wasn’t until 2013 that a medium-sized Ford SUV returned, but this time it was sourced from Europe and therefore carried the European name of Kuga. That name remained until 2017 when the model underwent a heavy facelift and the decision was made to revive the Escape badge.

Now a brand-new fourth-generation model is on sale, and it maintains this convention.

It also retains a few other things too, all of which underlines the international-ness of today’s motoring – it continues to be sourced from Valencia in Spain, and it is still powered by a 2.0-litre four cylinder turbocharged and direct-injected EcoBoost engine that is also made in Spain.

And that means this model continues a tradition of being one of the most powerful medium SUVs on the market. That’s particularly the case with the model we used for our visit to that New Zealand garden with the South African touch; the paint hue being called Rapid Red seemed appropriate as it certainly made good use of the 183kW of power and 387Nm of torque on tap.

This Escape is al-wheel drive and runs on big 19-inch alloys shod with 225/55 R19 tyres, and the suspension is sports tuned. The Ford offers selectable drive modes which includes Sport, and if you hit an M button on the vehicle’s rotary gearshift you are able to operate its eight-speed automatic manually by using paddle shifters.

So the latest Escape has the ability to scoot along, with excellent low-down torque thanks to its turbocharging, which in many respects belies outward appearances that, while more swept than the model it replaces, are still quite conservative. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, perhaps?

That isn’t to say the new Escape isn’t attractive, because it is. It is longer, wider and 83mm lower than the previous model, and that helps make it one of the best-looking medium SUVs on offer. Actually it looks very much like an enlarged Focus hatch, which makes sense as both vehicles are built off the same platform.

The interior is well-designed and quite Focus-like, too. That makes it significantly different to the Escape it replaces, with the major features including that rotary shifter instead of a traditional gearshift, and at the ST-Line X level a 12-inch full LCD instrument cluster.

Escape also features some design elements that I really like because they give a point of difference between the Ford and most other choices in the burgeoning medium SUVs segment.

For example, I really liked the little rubber arms that pop out of the doors whenever they are opened, which helps protect paintwork in places such as supermarket carparks. I also appreciated a sliding rear seat that can be moved back and forward to provide a choice of more cargo room or more rear leg room.

Another example of good industrial design is a tonneau cover that is attached to the rear glass so it moves out of the way when the rear hatch is lifted up.

The new Escape carries a very high level of convenience and safety specification too, particularly at the ST-Line X level which carries a retail price of $55,990. Just about every state-of-the-art safety, security and driver assistance item is aboard this SUV, which helps give it a five-star Ancap safety rating.

But there are some downsides with this latest Ford.

One is that, like the Escape it replaces, its fuel economy is quite high. The vehicle is rated to run on 95 octane petrol, and while its official combined fuel economy is 8.6 L/100km in actual practice it is higher than that.

Another slight downside is that despite the sportier intent of the ST-Line X version of the Escape, it’s not really a sporty SUV. Not really.

That begs an obvious question as to whether family-oriented medium-sized SUVs are meant to be sporty anyway. No they are not, just as these days such vehicles aren’t designed to be off-road capable. I mean, there’s no way I’d want to take this Escape, with its 18-inch low profile tyres and 178mm ground clearance, across too much rough ground.

But what the new Escape is, is a spacious and comfortable SUV full of convenience and safety aids, all there to help provide a very good motoring experience. Just the ticket to cruise New Zealand and visit surprise attractions such as those gardens at Te Popo with all its African animal sculptures.

Express carries value, cops ANCAP hit

After five years absence from the van sector, Mitsubishi finally has something to sell. Does the new Express tick all the commercial vehicle boxes?

Mitsubishi Express 2.0DT
Price: $44,990 (introductory pricing, regular RRP $52,990)
Powertrain and performance:  2.0-litre four cylinder dCi intercooled turbo diesel engine, 125 kW at 3500rpm, 380 Nm at 1500 rpm. Six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Fuel consumption 7.3 L/100km, emissions 191 g/km CO2.
Vital statistics: Length 4999mm, width 1956mm (excluding door mirrors), height 1971mm, wheelbase 3098mm. Cargo space 5.2 cubic metres. Pseudo MacPherson strut front suspension, beam axle and coil springs at the rear. 16-inch steel wheels with 215/65 R16C tyres.
We like: Comfortable and easy drive. Brilliant access to the cargo area. Plenty of minor storage up front. Appealing special retail price.
We don’t like: ANCAP assessment’s ‘Not Recommended’ judgement.

DID anyone hear an unusual noise coming out of Porirua a few weeks ago? That was the sound of the people at Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand Ltd breathing a collective sigh of relief when, after five years, they finally had a commercial van to sell again.

During that time it must have been a tough few years for MMNZ as it watched other distributors sell their vans in the thousands.

That’s what MMNZ used to do with its famous L300. A total of close to 40,000 of them were sold here between 1980 and 2015, with the L300 being top-selling van in several of those years. But then calamity - the decision had to be made to pull the plug on the vehicle because it no longer met modern-day safety standards.

The tragedy of that decision was that it had to be taken in the knowledge that no replacement van was available. And that forced the company to sit on its hands for five years and watch as established van manufacturers including Toyota and Ford, then newcomers such as Hyundai and more latterly LDV, combined forces to sell more than 6000 vans a year.

But then, good news.  Mitsubishi became part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, and that quickly resulted in a decision to build a Mitsubishi version of the Renault Trafic van exclusively for the commercial vehicle markets in Australia and New Zealand.

But what to call it? The van we Kiwis knew as the L300 had been marketed as the Express in Australia – and presumably because the Aussie market is much bigger than ours, it was decided that the replacement van would be Express.

Trafic is well-known all over the world, including in New Zealand. The first such van was produced in France way back in 1980, and the current model has been on the European market since 2014 where it is also sold as the Nissan NV300. A Vauxhall Vivaro version also used to be built at Luton, but that has now been replaced by the Citroen Jumpy van following PSA Group’s takeover of Opel/Vauxhall.

And now the Mitsubishi version has arrived here. It is available as a 1.6-litre twin turbocharged diesel with a six-speed manual transmission, and as a 2.0-litre single-turbo diesel with a six-speed dual clutch automatic.

Both models are front-wheel driven with what is known as Extended Grip, which is a traction control mode activated by the driver to assist in low-grip conditions. Both versions are also identical in size and offer all-important cargo volume of 5.2 cubic metres.

From the practicality point of view, Express immediately impresses as a useful van, even though it is not quite as large as the volume-selling Toyota Hiace and Ford Transit. And crucially, due to the fact it is developed off a Renault van that is at least six years old, it lacks several modern-day convenience and active safety features. More about that later.

Load space design is very good. The load area is easily accessible through dual sliding side doors and full-width rear ‘barn’ doors that feature stops at 85 degrees and 160 degrees. To open the doors to their widest you simply lift a couple of catches and they will swing open enough to allow forklift access to the cargo space.

This space measures 1268mm between the wheel housings which means it can accommodate standard-width pallets and such things as GIB sheets. Not only that, but the cargo area has 16 inbuilt cargo rings, including three on each side of the floor and five on each side wall.

In addition, there’s a large storage compartment that is accessed from the rear load area and extends under the passenger seats up to the dash, which helps allow really long items to be carried in the Mitsubishi by extending the loading length by 413mm to 1213mm.

Both versions of the Express run on a 3098mm wheelbase, with the manual model offering a maximum payload of 1150kg and the ability to tow up to 2000 kg braked, while the auto’s payload is 1116kg and braked towing capacity 1715kg.

The Express’ passenger compartment is separated from the cargo area by a bulkhead, and that means the driver environment is rather pleasant. It has three cloth-trimmed seats – a drivers seat and a passenger bench – the gearshift is up in the dash area, and a feature that underlines the van’s commercial intent is 89 litres of total storage capacity, including almost 25 litres built into the dashboard.

The middle seat has a fold-down workstation complete with pull-out clipboard, a clipboard holder, a non-slip laptop tray, and storage a laptop.

The Express also comes standard with a smartphone holder, which under normal circumstances would be a great idea, but unfortunately these days it is next to useless because it can only accommodate smaller phones from iPhone 6 size down. And although the van also has rear reversing sensors, also a bit useless is a reversing camera display which is located in the rear-view mirror.

I first encountered such a location aboard earlier model Hyundais and didn’t like it then – and I don’t like it now, because to look at the rear view requires the driver to take his or her eyes too far away from the frontal view. It’s much more user-friendly to have such a display as part of an infotainment screen mounted on the dash, but there isn’t such a thing aboard this van.

Nor is there Apple Carplay or Android Auto – the audio is a bit old-school featuring Bluetooth with voice activation and DAB.

From an operational point of view however, there are some more encouraging features. The Express has what are called aspherical wing mirrors which divide the mirror images into three sections for increased viewing, a wide-angle view mirror integrated into the passenger sun visor to help remove the left-hand blind spot, and it also has cornering front fog lights which turn on at night to light the inside of a bend.

The model we had for road test was the automatic, which is powered by a 2.0-litre intercooled turbo diesel that offers 125kW of power and 380 Nm of torque, and which is mated to a Getrag six-speed wet dual-clutch transmission with a flick shift manual sports mode.

It performs well, with an ECO mode and engine stop-start function helping reduce fuel consumption to a published 7.3 L/100km. The driver position is very good, the steering wheel is adjustable for both reach and rake, and the location of the gear lever is great. And of course visibility is great, with those big mirrors very useful.

Unlike several other competing vans, the Express is front-driven, and an interesting feature is what is called Extended Grip which is designed to enhance traction when pulling away or at low speeds on soft ground or low-grip surfaces.

When activated by the push of a button, the Extended Grip de-activates the van’s electronic stability control (ESC) to maintain torque split to each wheel. It is quite easy to get wheelspin with a van, particularly when it is unladen, and this system prevents that.

Another feature is a driving style indicator on the dashboard, which changes colour from green to yellow to red depending on how heavy-footed the driver is. Gee – wonder what colour the indicator would normally be with most courier drivers…

One modern-day issue with the Express – and this illustrates what can happen with badge engineering – is that although it is a brand-new entry on New Zealand’s commercial van market, it is in fact a vehicle that has been around for so long it doesn’t have any of the advanced collision avoidance systems that are aboard many of the other truly new vans.  

This explains why, after the Australian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) had recently assessed the collision avoidance capability of a total of 15 vans, it stamped the Express with a ‘Not Recommended’ due to its poor active safety specification.

The ANCAP people acknowledged that due to longer product cycles for commercial vehicles, many vans currently on the market – Express included - are either unrated or have ANCAP ratings that pre-date the introduction of latest collision avoidance technology.

But the organisation added: “Commercial vans generally operate with higher levels of exposure and hold a much longer economic life-span due to their primary commercial use and goods carrying function, and this makes their active safety capability arguably even more critical than that of passenger cars.”

In the case of the Express, ANCAP said that although it has an adjustable speed limiter and a driver’s seatbelt reminder, it lacks a number of other important active safety systems including autonomous emergency braking and lane support systems such as lane-keep assist.

Is that ANCAP criticism fair? Yes and no.

The Mitsubishi Express does carry a good level of passive and active safety specification that includes six airbags, ABS brakes with electronic stability control and electronic brake-force distribution, emergency brake assist, hill-start assist, trailer sway mitigation and the Extended Grip system.

But the fact the Express is a Mitsubishi version of a Renault Trafic that is way into its current model cycle means that it doesn’t carry the sort of very high-level active safety specification that is increasingly demanded by the safety assessors.

None of this means that the Mitsubishi Express is an unsafe van.  Quite the opposite in fact. Our week with the vehicle showed it to be a secure and comfortable drive with excellent ride and handling characteristics. And let’s be frank here – it is streets ahead of the old forward-control L300 van it replaces, albeit after that hiatus of five years.

And here’s another appealing thing about the Express: it’s price.

While it carries recommended retail prices of $47,990 for the manual and $52,990 for the auto, MMNZ has lopped $8000 off and given them ‘special’ retail prices of $39,990 and $44,990.

That’s value, despite the fact it can’t emergency brake on its own or assist the driver to keep in the correct lane. And value for the money is vital for any commercial operator.

Ageing Mirage no longer a hoot

Mitsubishi’s facelifted and safer Mirage hatch remains one of New Zealand’s value motoring packages – if you can put up with that annoying noise.

Mitsubishi Mirage XLS
Price: $21,990 (down to $19,990 on special)
Powertrain and performance:  1.2-litre three cylinder DOHC MIVEC petrol engine, 58 kW at 6000rpm, 102 Nm at 4000 rpm. Continuously variable automatic transmission. Fuel consumption 5 L/100km, emissions 115 g/km CO2.
Vital statistics: Length 3845mm, width 1665mm, height 1510mm, wheelbase 2450mm. Luggage space 235 litres. MacPherson strut front suspension, torsion beam at the rear. 15-inch alloy wheels with 175/55 R15 tyres.
We like: A motoring value package, excellent safety specification for the price, good interior room, easy to drive.
We don’t like: That pronounced engine noise.

YOU’VE got have a certain amount of the affection for the Mitsubishi Mirage. But does it have the goods today for that affection to last?

For several years from the early 1980s the little hatchback was good enough to be the backbone of the brand’s market presence in New Zealand, to the extent that not only did it account for 35 per cent of all hatchback sales here, but it helped Mitsubishi rule as the country’s most popular new vehicle brand with a market share of close to 19 per cent.

These days it is Toyota that dominates, with sales more than double those of any other vehicle brand. But Mitsubishi continues to do well all the same – year to date it is in third place behind Ford with a share of 8 per cent.

But just like every vehicle brand, it is achieving its market share largely via ute and SUV sales. Triton ute and the ASX and Outlander SUVs all feature in the list of New Zealand’s top 10 best-selling  vehicles.

And as for Mirage, these days it’s well and truly out of the sales limelight as it performs its duties as the smallest, most economical and least expensive Mitsubishi on offer.

I suppose you could say the Mirage is now living the quieter life, which is probably reflective of the more senior age group that buys this type of vehicle.

This year the Thai-built car received its second facelift, with exterior changes including a fresh take on Mitsubishi’s so-called dynamic shield design language. In other words, Mirage has a new nose complete with chrome detailing. The model also sports new 15-inch alloy wheels, and daytime running lights.

Interior changes include a black-on-black colour scheme with – you guessed it – black fabric seat material. There’s also a new combination meter cluster, cruise control is now standard, and the car gets its own unique smartphone link display audio (SDA) system that is compatible with both Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

It’s all rather good. So too are a number of safety features that have been added to the Mirage as part of its facelift.

The little car now has lane departure warning, forward collision mitigation with pedestrian detection, and a reversing camera with its view displayed on the hatchback’s 7-inch central touch screen.

All of that is an addition to numerous existing safety features that include active traction control, hill start assist, four-wheel ABS with brake assist, and driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags. All of that contributes to the five-star Ancap crash safety rating.

So the 2020 Mirage boasts a fresher look, improved interior, and it carries great safety specification for a model that currently retails for $19,990. All of that helps keep the model up to date, despite the fact it has been on the New Zealand new vehicle market since 2013.

But what is falling behind is its drivetrain.

Mirage continues to be powered by a 1.2-litre three-cylinder DOHC MIVEC petrol engine that develops 58 kW of power and 102 Nm of torque, mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission.

This CVT has a two-step planetary gear set that is designed to better match engine revs with the job at hand, and when the vehicle was last facelifted in 2017 the transmission was re-mapped to improve vehicle acceleration.

I remember when the Mirage was first launched seven years ago, and even when it was facelifted three years ago, many critics enjoyed the experience of driving the hatch with its three-cylinder engine, with one fellow journo even going so far as to describe it as a “hoot”. In retrospect I suspect this wasn’t so much because of any lightening acceleration but more because of the car’s pronounced three-cylinder engine note.

Triple-cylinder engines traditionally have a rougher sound because there’s a slight gap in the timing of their four stroke internal combustion cycle. Trouble is many other car manufacturers have succeeded in reducing this engine note, while Mitsubishi hasn’t.

There are numerous cars with three-cylinder engines out there, too. They range from the more expensive Audi A1, through the more reasonably priced product such as Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia and Ford Fiesta, to the very small product such as Suzuki Celerio.

In more recent times we’ve also received the latest Toyota Yaris and Ford Puma, both of which are powered by three-cylinder engines of varying sizes – culminating in the Yaris GR which pours 200kW out of its little triple.

I suppose it has to be said that the Yaris GR’s engine is 1.6-litres and turbocharged, while the Mirage’s unit is 1.2-litres and normally aspirated, so in a motoring sense they are as different as chalk and cheese. But other product such as the Fabia and the new Puma come closer in terms of engine sizes, and they are much quieter and more powerful.

But then again neither of those vehicles retail for less than $20,000, and that is what helps to keep the Mirage relevant in the small car class. It’s one of the least expensive cars you can buy, which helps present it as one of the value packages when all that new standard safety specification is taken into account.

And it remains an enjoyable drive too, although these days the experience is no longer a “hoot”. The car is easy to operate, there’s good interior space and comfort for the vehicle size, and it is safe. But it is also noisy, which is why this generation Mirage is now showings its age.

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.

Ford Focus Active: I’m not an SUV, OK?

Here’s a hatch that likes to stick to its knitting as a passenger car– even if it has pinched a few SUV design elements.

Price:  $37,990
Powertrain and performance:  1.5-litre three cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, 134kW at 6000rpm, 240Nm at 1750-5000rpm. Eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive. 6.4L/100km, 148g/km CO2.
Vital statistics: Length 4398mm, height 1502mm, width 1979mm, wheelbase 2700mm. Luggage 443 litres. Wheels: 17-inch alloys with 215/55R17 tyres.
We Like: Sparkling performance, particularly in Sport mode. Nice ride and handling. Higher ride height for ease of entry and exit. Excellent safety specification. Give the bird to SUV pretenders.
We don’t like: Automatic gets a little confused at times. Vehicle competes in a shrinking market.

ONE of the more under-reported events of New Zealand’s 2020 motoring year has been a substantial reduction in the choice of a long-serving nameplate – the Ford Focus.

We first saw that name close to 22 years ago when the first-generation model was launched here to replace the Mazda 323-derived Laser. Since then, the Focus has regularly been a solid competitor in the small car segment against the likes of Toyota Corolla and Mazda3.

But times change, and the advent of the small SUV is having a massive effect on the ongoing viability of small front-driven hatchbacks and sedans. Year to date to the end of August this year, what are known as compact SUVs have commanded 18 percent of our new vehicle market – while small passenger cars have reduced their share to a measly six percent.

So what to do? Ford New Zealand’s response has been to make some members of the Focus lineup redundant. The entry Trend hatch and Trend wagon have gone, and the Titanium level of specification has disappeared.

Instead, there are now just three members of a Focus lineup that Ford New Zealand has dubbed the 2020.75 selection. And interestingly, they’ve all moved away from being standard hatchbacks – instead, the focus (ahem) is on them being a bit special in different ways.

At the top there’s the Focus ST, a 206kW 2.3-litre turbocharged hot hatch that has entered the Kiwi market at $59,990. Then there’s the ST-Line X, which at $42,990 essentially replaces the Titanium but which has a greater driver focus (ahem again) via such things as lowered sports suspension, and sporty interior detailing.

And the entry model is now the $37,990 Focus Active, a hatch which gives the bird to those darned SUVs by pinching various design elements off them, such as increased ground clearance and extended wheel arches with protective cladding, and still claims to be a hatch.

I love it. As a motoring journalist I’m always banging on about how silly it is for some small vehicles to be described as SUVs when they clearly aren’t. They might have jacked-up ride heights, but they’re also front-wheel drive and with hatchback body shapes – and to my eyes that makes them small passenger cars, not sports utility vehicles.

But with the Focus Active, Ford doesn’t suite describe it as an SUV. Closest the brand goes is to describe the vehicle as having an SUV-inspired design. And that’s great, because it leaves the real Ford SUVs, such as the upcoming Escape and the smaller Puma, to market themselves as SUVs.

I’ve just spent a week behind the wheel of a Focus Active, and it’s a great compact car. It’s jacked-up ride height – 30mm at the front and 35mm at the rear – means it is easier to get in and out of than a traditional small hatchback, but in just about every other respect it operates like any hatchback should.

Just about. The latest Focus range has a selectable drive mode system that normally offers Normal, Sport and Eco. But in the Active, this has been extended so the system also offers a Slippery mode for low-traction conditions, and a Trail mode for soft surfaces. So that’s another difference that underlines the ‘active’ intent of the Focus Active.

But it still doesn’t make it an SUV.

Powering the Focus Active is a 1.5-litre turbocharged three cylinder EcoBoost engine that develops 134kW of power and 240Nm of torque. The engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic that is operated by using a rotary gearshift dial, which was something that I simply couldn’t get used to.

The dial is simple enough to operate – you turn the dial to select Park, Reverse, Neutral or Drive – and there’s a central button to push if you wish to operate the transmission manually using paddles on the steering wheel. But I discovered that I must spend a lot of my driving time with my left hand resting on a gearshift lever, because the lack of one in the Focus felt a bit strange.

It’s a very good engine and transmission combination though. I was fascinated to learn that the little triple engine has cylinder deactivation technology that automatically shuts down one cylinder at times when torque demand is low, such as cruising along a motorway.

Sometimes it feel as if the transmission got a little confused when the Focus was operating in the Normal drive mode. I felt things were much better in Sport, with the auto able to extract quite sparkling performance from what remains a small capacity engine.

A major selling point of the Focus Active when it was first released here was that it has independent rear suspension, whereas the likes of the Focus Trend had a torsion beam setup. But with the 2020.75 rationalisation, all three Focus models now have the IRS.

The Active’s multi-link setup remains a little different however, because the suspension is high-riding to give that little extra ground clearance. But don’t think that translates to any lessening of ride and handling ability, because this vehicle drives really well, helped along by the stability of 17-inch wheels.

The Active theme is carried through into the interior, with all seats featuring an ‘A’ on the seat backs. It also has rear privacy glass, an eight-inch colour touch screen, Ford’s Sync-3 in-vehicle communications system which includes Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone compatibility, wireless smartphone charging, and satellite navigation.

The vehicle also now has the FordPass Connect embedded modem which features an array of remote vehicle functionality and connected services such as remote vehicle lock and unlock.

Perhaps if there is one downside to the Focus Active’s claim to offering the benefits of being a crossover vehicle without calling itself an SUV, is that it doesn’t look like an SUV – and given New Zealand’s current fixation with that vehicle type, it might be a disadvantage.

I hope not, because the Active really does appeal as a vehicle that spans the boundary between a small hatchback and a small SUV. Best of both worlds, you could say.

Twin test - Kia Seltos LX, Limited Turbo: The price of power

Comparing the entry and top versions of Kia’s compact crossover provides reminder about the depth of its core talent.

Seltos LX (above) hasn’t the full suite of technology availed to the Limited Turbo (below) yet, though a little undercooked in some aspects, nonetheless presents strongly for value and competence.

Prices: LX $27,990, Limited Turbo $46,990.
Powertrains and performance: LX: 2.0-litre four cylinder petrol, 110kW at 6200rpm, 180Nm at 4500rpm, constantly variable automatic, 6.8L/100km, 157g/km CO2. Limited Turbo: 1.6-litre four cylinder turbocharged petrol, 130kW at 6000rpm, 265Nm at 1500-4500rpm, 7-speed dual clutch automatic, 7.6L/100km, 175g/km CO2.
Vital statistics: Length 4370mm, width 18000mm, height 1615mm with roof rails, wheelbase 2630mm. Cargo 468/1428 litres (LX), 433/1393 litres (Limited Turbo).
We like: Good looks, plenty of interior room, LX value for money, Turbo cheerful performance.
We don’t like: LX price point lowers safety specification, Limited Turbo transmission can get confused.

AN old saying about twins: Two unique souls united by birth.

It’s of relevance with Kia’s compact SUV, the Seltos. There’s the front-drive LX that represents as the entry choice. And, at the top of the family, there’s the all-wheel drive Limited Turbo which costs a whopping $19,000 more.

And yet both these variants of the Seltos share the same body – in fact, if you lined them up alongside each other and squinted, it would be impossible to differentiate between the two. But the two models are way different, nonetheless.

Of course this sort of thing happens all the time. Obviously all vehicle model ranges have to begin with an entry model, and they invariably top out with either a highly specified or performance-oriented version.

There are two differences with the Seltos range, though. The first is that the entry LX presents as an outstanding value package for the money even though it does lack in some important areas. The second is that the Limited Turbo offers both specification and performance – it has a different engine and transmission, different running gear and suspension, and a much higher level of standard spec.

Little wonder then that Seltos is currently New Zealand’s biggest-selling small SUV, with 1437 registrations to the end of July, well ahead of its nearest competitors Mitsubishi ASX, Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V and Suzuki Vitara.

But in the case of the LX, in some respects you do – or should that be don’t – get what you pay for.

What you don’t get is the full suite of safety features that is otherwise standard on every other member of the Seltos range, including an LX+ model that Kia New Zealand has cleverly included which carries an $8000 price premium over the LX.

What the LX doesn’t have, which the LX+ does, includes blind spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert, front parking sensors, and electronic park brake. Not only that, but the LX’ camera-based autonomous emergency braking system (AEB) is designed to recognise cars and pedestrians only, while the rest of the Seltos range’s radar-based AEB also recognises cyclists.

Despite this, the LX has received a five-star ANCAP safety rating, although the organisation does warn that it is important consumers are aware that there are some differences in safety performance for the entry level Seltos.

“Base models of the Seltos miss out on some of the more advanced features available with the radar-fusion AEB system, and we would encourage consumers to purchase a variant which offers the advanced collision avoidance capability as this can translate to real differences on the road,” it says.

Truth be told, at this time safety features such as blind spot detection, rear-cross traffic alert and cyclist detection should be the preserve of the more expensive higher-specified vehicles, not product that retails for less than $28,000.

And despite its price, the LX still carries good specification that includes lane keep assist, ABS brakes with all the goodies, hill start assist, high beam assist, a reversing camera, tyre pressure monitor, and even a driver attention alert that judges when the person behind the wheel is losing concentration and sounds a warning.

Powering the LX is a 2.0-litre Atkinson Cycle four cylinder engine mated to an intelligent continuously variable automatic that Kia calls iVT.

Atkinson Cycle engines, which up until now we have mainly seen in hybrid vehicles, are designed for efficiency and economy rather than sheer power, and in that regard are ideal for the sort of operation that would normally be expected of a small SUV such as Seltos.

The vehicle performs well if slightly breathlessly at times when the vehicle selectable drive mode is set to Normal, but the major upside is that the average official fuel consumption is 6.8 L/100km. The drive mode also offers an Economy setting but that felt like somebody had connected a parachute to the vehicle, while a Sport setting quite markedly improves performance. So overall, it works well.

At the LX level the Seltos drives rather well, too.  It is front-driven, and the suspension comprises MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam axle at the rear. I found the ride to be quite firm, and the handling felt secure despite the vehicle’s 177mm ground clearance.

Being the entry Seltos, its level of specification is entry as well – albeit in a new-age way. Lighting is halogen rather than LED, all the exterior finish is black or body-coloured, and the wheels are 16-inch. Inside, the front seats are manually adjustable, the trim is cloth, the air conditioning is manual, there’s a single USB port, it’s the only Seltos with no satellite navigation as standard, and both the instrument cluster and central touch-screen are the smallest of the Seltos range.

This model also comes with a space-saver spare tyre, which ironically gives the LX the best rear cargo space of the Seltos selection. It offers 468 litres with the rear seats in use, compared to 433 litres offered by the Limited which has a full-sized spare.

Right up at the top of the Seltos range there’s the AWD Limited Turbo, which with its $46,990 price tag, is quite a different vehicle.

For starters, it carries a lot more kit. The exterior features a lot of chrome and black highlights down its beltline, and the interior includes such luxuries as heated and ventilated composite leather seats that are power adjustable, climate control air conditioning, a head-up display, and wireless phone charging.

The Limited Turbo also has an interior mood lighting system with six selectable themes and eight colours that can change at regular intervals or even pulse in sync with whatever music is being played through the audio system.

Good heavens. Fortunately the performance potential is in keeping with whatever colour-coded rock might be blasting out of the speaker system. That’s because under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. It is quite grunty, especially when the vehicle is in the Sport setting.

The engine is mated to a fast-acting seven-speed twin-clutch auto, and for improved handling potential the vehicle’s rear suspension is a multi-link setup. This Seltos also runs on 18-inch alloys shod with 235/45 R18 tyres, and it has an upgraded braking system.

What’s interesting about this model is that it is quite capable of being trundled around town in the normal way. Then if more sparkling performance is desired, then the Limited Turbo is quite capable of providing that, too.

But is it all worth the extra $19,000 that must be shelled out to purchase the Turbo model over the LX? That’s up to the buyer to decide, and the good news in that regard is that there are three other models in between for the customer to choose from.

You could say they are quintuplets – five unique souls all united by birth.

Hyundai Venue Elite: Passenger car by any other name

Isn’t it time we stopped marketing very urban models as sports utilities?

 

Price: $33,990
Powertrain: 1.6-litre 16-valve OHC petrol engine with CVVT, 90kW at 6300rpm, 151Nm at 6850rpm. Six-speed auto with SportShift. Combined economy 7.2L/100km, 165g/km CO2.
Vital statistics: Length 4040mm, width 1770mm, height 1592mm, wheelbase 2520mm. Luggage capacity 355 litres. 17-inch wheels with 205/55 R17 tyres.
We like: Excellent interior design, good room, easy drive.
We don’t like: Engine gets a little breathless; it’s not an SUV

HYUNDAI’S Venue is a sports utility vehicle, right?

It certainly looks like an SUV, its ground clearance is slightly higher than a passenger car and so its ride height is also slightly more elevated. Armed with all that detail, the Hyundai marketers tell us that makes the Venue an SUV.

But it isn’t. What the Venue is, is a front-wheel drive hatch with new-age bodyshell design, and with ride and handling characteristics that are all passenger vehicle.

That’s no criticism of the Venue, which is an excellent example of latest trends in passenger vehicle design. But it is also a latest example of the current blurring of the lines regarding what is an SUV and what is a passenger vehicle.

The Motor Industry Association, the organisation which represents the interests of New Zealand’s motor vehicle distributors, classifies vehicles according to a market structure set down by Australia’s Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

At the highest level, vehicles are split into three classes – passenger, SUV, and commercial. The FCAI classifies an SUV as a vehicle based on a wagon body style and with an elevated ride height. And while typically an SUV should have either 4WD or AWD, the organisation says that 2WD variants of a model are acceptable.

But here’s the rub. While it used to be that a true SUV was a rugged medium to large vehicle with an elevated ride height via ground clearance of 200mm or more, these days that ground clearance is reducing so the ride can be more passenger car smooth than SUV lumpy.

With the Venue the ground clearance is 170mm, which isn’t much more than a hatch or sedan which is usually around 145mm-150mm. To my reckoning the Hyundai’s ground clearance is the lowest of all compact SUVs currently on the market – even the diminutive Suzuki Ignis, which is the smallest SUV of all, has a minimum ground clearance of 180mm. And by the way, the equally little Suzuki Jimny’s clearance is 210mm.

So the question needs to be asked: isn’t this getting just a little silly? Aren’t the vehicle marketers taking so much advantage of the current popularity of SUVs – they currently take up close to 50 per cent of all new vehicle sales here – that they are ruining the intent of the vehicle classification system?

MIA chief executive David Crawford agrees that motor vehicle design, and customer preferences, are evolving to the extent that the classification process needs to be reviewed.

“I think things are reaching a stage where we need to decide what constitutes an elevated ride height. It isn’t defined. Is there a need for us to specify what a vehicle’s minimum ground clearance needs to be for it to be called an SUV? I think the issue has to be discussed among MIA members.”

Crawford and his team might overcome this issue by reviewing how SUVs are segmented.

At present, decisions on whether SUVs are compact, medium, large or upper large are made simply by multiplying their length by their width to get their so-called footprint. If the total is 8100 or less, the SUV is a compact. If the total is 8101 to 8800 the vehicle is a medium, and so on.

Maybe if minimum ground clearance was factored into this calculation, then anything with a clearance of less than, say, 180mm could be considered a passenger vehicle. Or crossover. Or lifestyle. Anything – but not an SUV.

As I said towards the start, all this is no criticism of the Hyundai Venue, because it is an excellent new vehicle from the South Korean manufacturer. It takes all the good things from the SUV style – elevated ride height for higher seating hip points and improved visibility, and superior passenger and cargo accommodation – and combines it with the ease of use normally expected of an urban passenger vehicle.

Two versions of the Venue are available – a $29,990 entry model, and a $33,990 Elite. Both are powered by a 1.6-litre Gamma engine that is under the bonnet of a number of Hyundai and Kia vehicles, and which in this application offers 90kW of power and 151Nm of torque, and which is mated to a six-speed automatic with a SportShift manual function.

While that’s modest amount of grunt – which underlines the fact that the Venue is very much an urban-oriented vehicle – an interesting feature is a Driving Control/Traction Control function that is operated by a rotator control on the centre console.

Select Driving Control and the driver can choose Normal, Eco and Sport driving modes. In the Eco mode the engine and transmission logic is set to maximise fuel economy, while the Sport mode changes steering effort and the engine and transmission logic for better performance.

By selecting Traction Control, the driver can then choose traction modes that cater for Snow, Mud and Sand. What the system does is adjust left and right front wheel slip control, and engine torque and gearshift patterns according to available levels of traction.

It all helps, and Hyundai says that theoretically it could put all the vehicle’s power through a single wheel, but it’s nowhere near AWD. The vehicle’s instruction manual warns exactly that. It says the Traction Control system’s design is based on 2WD, and the Venue should not be driven in conditions that exceed the intended design. So there you go. It could be said that the Traction Control is halfway towards proper SUV operation – which is exactly what the Venue is anyway.

The model we drove was the Elite, which offers a high level of safety specification for the price. This includes blind spot collision warning, lane keep assist, driver inattention warning, rear cross traffic alert, rear park assist, forward collision avoidance, and a reversing camera. It’s all part of Hyundai’s SmartSense safety package.

Ironically, the Venue carries a four-star rather than five-star ANCAP crash safety rating, because it doesn’t have the European-style ISOFIX child seat harness system, and there is no cyclist detection in its automatic braking system.

Comfort and infotainment specification is very good, too. The vehicle carries an 8-inch multimedia system that caters for Apple Carplay and Android Auto, and at the Elite level it boasts such goodies as proximity key and push-button start, climate air, and a heated steering wheel. A connected car platform also allows remote operation of such things as air conditioning by using a smartphone.

How very urban is that? Which is exactly what the Hyundai Venue is intended to be. That’s why while it might look like an SUV, it isn’t. It’s a passenger vehicle folks. And that’s what makes the model so appealing.

Subaru Outback: It’s that X-factor

This version waves goodbye to the fifth generation line.

Price:  $49,990
Powertrain and performance:  2.5-litre four-cylinder horizontally opposed petrol engine. 129kW/5800rpm, 235Nm/4000rpm. All-wheel drive. 7.3 L/100km.
Vital statistics: Length 4820mm, height 1675mm, width 1840mm, wheelbase 2745mm. Luggage 512 litres. Wheels: 18-inch black alloys with 225/60R18 100V tyres.
We Like: Solid boxer engine performance, all-wheel drive with dual-function X-Mode, excellent safety specification, water resistant seats a great idea for this outdoorsy SUV.
We don’t like: Rear load area not wide enough.

ONE of the great pleasures of long-distance motoring – particularly when you’re alone behind the wheel – is that it is an opportunity to let your mind wander a little.

Experts say it’s actually good for you to let thoughts freely move in and out of your head, as you’re doing something like cruising along the likes of the Canterbury plains.  Apparently it helps improve an individual’s creativity.

So there you go, folks. All that time behind the wheel, considering what you’d do if you won the weekend’s big Lotto jackpot, isn’t fantasising – it’s being creative.

The other day I let my mind wander during a long journey in the latest version of Subaru’s Outback SUV. I was reminiscing to myself about various experiences in all five generations of the model so far, silently congratulating the then Fuji Heavy Industries (now Subaru Corporation) for having the vision back in the early 1990s to simply jack up the ground clearance of a Legacy wagon and call it a crossover.

And naming it Outback.  What a great name for such a vehicle, I mused. Everyone has heard of the Outback, that word originally used in the 1860s to describe anywhere west of the inland New South Wales settlement of Wagga Wagga, but now used to describe the entire Aussie interior.

As the kilometres passed, the mind wandered some more.  Outback hasn’t been the first Subaru to carry an Australian name, I remembered. Back in the 1970s the brand developed a small ute that in USA was called BRAT  - for Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter, for Heaven’s sake – but thankfully in Australasia it was known as the Brumby, after the feral outback horse.

But the Brumby was never anywhere near as successful as the Outback. The SUV has been a major success all over the world, and in New Zealand it is the biggest-selling Subaru.  In fact it’s so dominant that these days Subaru doesn’t bother selling a wagon version of the Legacy – the brand leaves it all up to the higher-riding and more rugged Outback.

We’re on the verge of receiving a new sixth-generation Outback, and as is usually the case when it comes to vehicle runout time, limited numbers of the current fifth-generation model are now being offered as special edition versions.

The vehicle I was driving was a 2.5-litre Outback X, which the Subaru marketers describe as the most outback Outback yet.  In terms of its $49,990 price it sits right in between the two other 2.5 Outbacks on the Kiwi market, the $47,490 Sport and the $52,490 Premium.

So what’s so outback about this Outback?

For starters it is the first such model to be fitted with the dual-function X-Mode system that was first introduced last year in the latest generation Forester SUV. The X-Mode includes settings for snow, dirt and mud, and it constantly monitors the traction available to each wheel and centralises control of the engine, transmission and brakes.

It really does enhance the all-wheel drive capability of the Outback X, which with its ground clearance of 213mm has the ability to get to plenty of out-of-the-way places. Without being silly about , of course – you wouldn’t want to use such a vehicle for serious off-roading duties. More like getting to a remote surf or fishing spot, or up to a local skifield.

And if you do that, here’s a second unique Outback X feature:  it has water repellent seat fabric. Not 100 per cent waterproof mind you, so you wouldn’t want to drive for too long in your wetsuit after a day in the water.  But Subaru says the fabric is not easily penetrated by small amounts of water, which probably means that sitting on a wet towel should be OK.

Cosmetic differences include black treatment of its 18-inch alloys, front grille, wing mirrors and rear badging, and a nice touch is lime green accents on the side badges and grille, and lime green stitching on the seats, centre console, steering wheel and gearshift.

It all adds up to a really nice vehicle. Safe too, thanks to AWD, and Subaru’s EyeSight crash avoidance technology which is made up of eight features that include brake assist, pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane sway warning, and lane keep assist.

From the comfort perspective the Outback X also has electric sunroof, a rear power tailgate, and satellite navigation.

You could say the X adds a little bit of excitement to the Outback as the countdown continues towards arrival of the new sixth generation model later this year. It will initially be available with the normally aspirated 2.5-litre engine only, although power and torque will be boosted slightly to 133kW at 5800 rpm and 238 Nm at 4400 rpm.

The body style remains pretty much the same, even though it will be built on the new Subaru Global Platform that will offer much more torsional rigidity than before. The interior is a lot different to now, notably with a much larger, vertical centre screen.

One major change – and this won’t happen until next year – will be the replacement of the current six cylinder 3.6R model with a version powered by a turbocharged 2.4-litre boxer engine. This is the result of Subaru dumping the six from the Outback in USA, reserving the bigger engine for the seven-seater Ascent which is built only in left-hand drive.

The bad news is that this boxer six will no doubt be sorely missed by fans in New Zealand. But the god news is that despite its smaller cubic capacity, the turbocharged 2.4-litre engine offers superior power and torque.

Whereas the six produces 191kW at 6000 rpm and torque of 350Nm at 4400rpm, the turbo engine develops 193kW at 5600 rpm and 375Nm at a low 2000 rpm.

The new Outback will also be slightly bigger, with its 5mm additional length all going into improving the rear load space.

in case you were wondering … here’s the next-gen car