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.

Nissan Juke Ti: Working those quirks

The second-generation Juke has finally reached us, but is entering a far more crowded sector than its predecessor fronted up to on arrival all those years ago.

Price:  $44,990

Powertrain and performance:  1.0-litre three-cylinder DOHC 12-valve turbocharged petrol engine. 84kW/5250rpm, 180Nm/2400rpm. Front-wheel-drive. Combined cycle fuel consumption 5.8L/100km (claim), 6.5L/100km (road test).

Vital statistics: Length 4210mm, height 1595mm, width 1800mm, wheelbase 2636mm. Luggage 422 litres. Wheels: 19-inch alloys with 225/45 R19 Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 tyres.

We like: Supportive front seats, stylish interior, high-grade specification and generous load space.

We don’t like: Low-speed dual clutch hesitations, becomes quite pricey in the Ti grade.

 NOT many years ago a 1.0-litre car riding on 19-inch diameter wheels was unheard of.

With the trend toward engine down-sizing and compact SUVs taking hold of the market that combination becomes a reality with the new Nissan Juke.

The original Juke was a pioneer of the compact SUV segment a decade ago and the recently launched second-gen has increased dimensions to enable a more useful family configuration with enlarged boot space.

And it introduces Nissan’s ‘down-size’ 1.0-litre turbocharged engine and seven-speed dual clutch transmission.

There are three models – all with 1.0-litre turbo power and front-wheel-drive - with the ST providing a $32,490 entry point.

Priced at $44,990 the Juke Ti delivers the flagship specification. The Ti gains multi-spoke Akari-style 19-inch alloys, rear privacy glass, snug-fitting sports seats with combination leather and Alcantara trim, a shark fin antenna, tyre pressure monitoring and an eight-speaker Bose audio system which includes speakers integrated with the front headrests.

The mid-grade Juke ST-L with its $38,750 price point looks like the strongest value equation with content including 19-inch alloys, satellite navigation, an Around View camera with 360-degree and left-side view options, single-zone auto climate control, rain sensor wipers, LED fog lamps, two-stage heated front seats, auto fold and heated door mirrors plus Intelligent Key access with push button start.

In design the new Juke evolves the unique look of the original with the ultra-slim indicators and daytime running lights mounted high and large round headlights integrated into the bumper.

But it’s more conventional in its lines and proportions, particularly at the rear, while retaining the floating roof, high waistline and slim glasshouse themes of the original.

The dimension increases have boosted space and practicality. The new Juke sits on a wheelbase that is extended by 106mm while the overall length increases by 75mm.

It’s also 35mm wider and 30mm taller. There’s a little more cabin width and decent headroom front and rear while load space is one of the new Juke’s main benefits with an increase of 68 litres to offer generous 422 litres capacity.

With its slightly raised seating position, large door mirrors and slim A-pillar shape the Juke offers excellent visibility from the front seats. But the narrow glasshouse and large front seats do restrict the visibility from the rear.

The Ti cabin will be a talking point with its smart combination of leather and alcantara surfaces including soft-touch alcantara dash and door trim, front armrest and knee pad surfaces.

There’s a flat bottom steering wheel with paddle shifters and an 8.0-inch dashtop touchscreen display with Apple Car Play and Android Auto connectivity.

The 999cc direct-injected and turbocharged triple develops 84kW at 5250rpm with peak torque of 180Nm at 2400rpm. It’s a free-revving triple with a lively engine note when it worked harder.

Close ratio seven-speed gearing allows the engine to settle at 2100rpm in top gear at 100km/h with paddle-prompted downshifts to 2500rpm in sixth gear and 3100rpm in fifth.

During parking manoeuvres, and when making a momentary stop at a roundabout or give way sign, there can be delayed response from the dual clutch transmission. But once up to speed the shifts are quick with minimal interruption to the power flow as the little engine delivers its overtaking response.

On ST-L and Ti models Eco, Standard and Sport drives modes adjust the throttle response and gear shift protocols. Nissan claims combined cycle fuel consumption of 5.8L/100km and road testing revealed a 5.6L/100km average on a relaxed highway run and 6.5L/100km as an overall efficiency number.

The small turbo engine requires 95-octane premium fuel.

It’s efficient and responsive but in the same size, price and sporty compact crossover category the Juke Ti is out-performed by the new Peugeot 2008 GT with a slightly bigger 1199cc triple that develops 114kW and 240Nm.

On the road the Juke holds true to its wide tyre and wide track appearance by putting a confident footprint on the road. It steers accurately and rides firmly with plenty of grip from the 225/45 R19 Hankook tyres.

Encounter some corrugated surfaces and the large wheels and tyres will produce some abrupt bump-thump responses, mainly from the twist beam rear suspension. And the wide tyres generate some intrusive coarse surface road noise at highway speeds.

Along with increased dimensions and down-sized displacement the other significant change for the new Juke is its enhanced safety and driver assist roster.

All models have LED headlights with High Beam Assist plus LED tail lights and daytime running lights.

ST-L and Ti models also boast intelligent lane intervention, adaptive cruise control and the Around View camera system but all three grades have intelligent braking assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning, blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert, driver alert and forward collision warning.

With almost a decade of hindsight it’s interesting how far ahead the original Juke foresaw the growth of the small SUV segment. And while it’s been a long time coming, the gen-two Juke gives Nissan a stylish and competitive alternative to the more recent arrivals.

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.

Mercedes GLB 250: How to go big with compact

Does a small seven-seater SUV stretch credibility? The GLB makes positive points about how to sidestep substance to achieve spaciousness.

Base price:  $92,900 (as tested: $99,560)
Powertrain and performance:  2.0-litre four-cylinder direct injection turbocharged petrol engine. 120kW/5500rpm, 350Nm/1800-4000rpm. All-wheel drive. Fuel consumption 7.7L/100km (claim), 9.2L/100km (road test).
Vital statistics: Length 4634mm, height 1658mm, width 1834mm, wheelbase 2829mm. Boot volume 565 litres. Wheels: 19-inch alloys with 235/50 tyres.
We like: Clever interior design, smart styling, tech-packed.

We don’t like: Column stalk shifter, solely configured for US-C, having to take sunroof to achieve best headlights.

 IRREFUTABLE scientific fact: We’re taller than our ancestors.

The further back you go, the greater the differentiation, though some experts say in even just the last 150 years the average height of people in industrialised nations has increased approximately 10 centimetres.

Assuredly, then, were a troupe of Tudor troubadours to ever time-travel to today’s world, they’d likely consider the newest addition to Mercedes’ seven-seater sports utility family to be incredibly spacious, regardless that this latest opportunity is in fact the most compact yet. 

Modern families? Well, even the most worldly would have to surely concur that, if considered purely on the merits of its seating plan, this is a car that is less tailored for the ‘everyday’ than it is for the ‘occasional.’

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not arguing this is a package driven by outright delusion. Quite the contrary. The label on this packaging doesn’t deceive. You’re quite probably looking at perhaps one of the most cleverly conceived products of this year. 

Even with handsome Benz styling suggesting it as a big hatch, GLB is at heart a box full of chairs and the cleverness of the design and engineering of the interior is such that you truly wonder how a car so tight in its exterior dimension can be anything like as commodious. Brand testimony about GLB being specifically designed to be a seven-seater is not a truth stretch.

And yet, at same token, it’s built upon the platform also used by the A-Class, which is Benz’s smallest passenger model. So, even though the underpinnings have been stretched, and as useful as the full-blown format clearly is …. well, yes, the further back you’re assigned to sit, the tighter it becomes. If hardly for emergency use only, the third row pews are also obviously the most anti-adult.

So as much as a ton of very smart thinking (and using Volkswagen’s Tiguan Allspace for benchmarking) delivers decent head and legroom, excellent outward visibility and good stowage solutions, it’s all to a point.  Running full occupancy, the luggage space remaining is miniscule and stowing the back pair (neatly, into the boot) and it becomes much more convenient.

Which means? Well, just this. You’re looking at a car designed for the realities of modern life. The one that can, if asked, carry the kids’ mates to soccer on Saturday morning as a last-minute favour because Rick’s best friend forgot to ask his dad about using their GLE. 

And also the car that, later in the day when it’s in town on the shopping beat, is so much more convenient to slip through the traffic stream and slot into the last remaining decent park outside the supermarket because it’s just so much more sensibly sized than like-styled but far more substantial sister SUV.

Insofar as Mercedes’ sales plan goes, then, the GLB is quite a crucial car. It basically creates a new sub-category - there are virtually no direct rivals, certainly not from the prestige brands – and yet it also meets a known demand.

Small SUVs are hot. Given how its priced, specified and presented – in a 1.4 front-drive GLB200, the next step four-wheel-drive GLB250 on test here and an AMG edition, also all-paw, yet to land - Benz NZ conjects a significant customer call, core interest coming from families for whom this might well be their first new Mercedes. I cannot see how they can be wrong about that.

 Thought of this being a ‘budget’ step into Benz SUV-dom needs taken with a certain degree of open-mindedness, all the same. There are plenty of brands of less premium nature than can provision significantly larger, more powerful vehicles for the money asked for this 2.0-litre edition, even before adding in the embellishments that featured on the tester.

Options of Galaxy Blue paint, an AMG sports package, plus driving assistance and vision packs – the first provisioning active cruise control, lane change assist, a more intelligent stop-start and ability to relay localised speed limits, the other delivering fully auto headlights in LED, a sunroof and the full parking assist (so, a 360 degree camera in addition to front and rear sensors) – pushed the car’s $92,900 retail to just $440 short of $100k. 

Fortunately, there’s more than the sticker to remind you’re playing in premium territory. The car’s affluent look is abetted by a very upmarket feel. Impression gained from last year’s international launch about wanting to take care, before letting the kids in, to pre-check for sticky little fingers was all the cemented on this drive. 

The flashiness extends beyond the fully digital dash with its MBUX interface (and over-eager ‘Hi Mercedes’ prompt). That a lot of the interior carries familiarity for those more used to the B- and A-Class is no slur.

This is a five-star model. Touch surfaces use high-quality materials, buttons and knobs have a satisfying tactility and reassuring clicks and it’s beautifully trimmed, with cushy seats.

This being the first Benz to come to us from a plant in Mexico does not impact on the sense of it being constructed to any lower standards than you’d expect from a German plant. The test car being blighted by a minor electronic annoyance that threw up occasional erroneous fault messages was no fault of the Aguascalientes assembly workers, but rather a duff chip in the transmission management computer. If it happens to you, rest assured a quick reboot will remedy all.

Starting off and concluding the test period with decent open road driving was a good plan. As much as the GLB delivers fantastic competence in urban use, it’s going to reassuring to know it’s not shy about taking on the open road.

Out in the 100kmh zone it straight away evidences quite a different feel to the rest of the compact car range, all the same. Whereas the other models on this platform tend to sacrifice outright comfort to elevate a sense of agility and sportiness, the GLB focus is more toward solidity and comfort.

Obviously, the car’s feel is dependent on which of the drive modes you select. Keeping in those better-suited to passengers – in other words, staying out of ‘Sport’ -  delivers enough suspension pliability to soak up most ruts and bumps. Of course, this means allowing some concession for body lean in the corners, and the steering isn't the most precise, yet quite potentially the average GLB buyer won't notice or care. They’ll be more pleased about how planted and grown up it feels; the car has a wide stance and is on meaty rubber, but the 4Matic four-wheel-drive is also a good accomplice, regardless that is far from fulltime (to assist fuel saving).

What’s also quite appealing is that is doesn’t propose to be so wholly serious that it cannot evidence some sense of character. For sure, you’re not going to feel as compelled to dump the dog and kids and head off for a winding road in this version as you will with the AMG. But there’s no doubting that there’s a degree of talent, not least in the performance-tinged mode, that is worth tasting. The main difference in this comes with a sharper throttle response and elevated exhaust bark, but anyone wondering how much fun can be extracted by something so family-prioritised will surely raise a smile that the AMG 35 will turn into a full-out grin. On evidence of well it went on Spanish roads, that car is set to establish as something of a school run rebel.

The difference in performance between the AMG-ised edition and the 250 here is quite noticeable. A claimed 0-100kmh time of 6.9 seconds shows the 2.0-litre here isn’t lacking in spirit, but ultimately its talent is more aligned with delivering good economy and decent low to mid-range torque than to chase performance medals. With this in mind, you might pause to wonder if it always has enough snuff to keep itself together in family bus mode? I was unsuccessful in recruiting a full house of passengers for this test, instead having to settle for four adults aboard. Even that load was enough to take a little of the edge out of the engine’s oomph, though it did not seem to affect the powertrain’s refinement nor the fuel burn. Even when pushing up hills under load, it is a relatively inaudible and smooth unit. An average of 9.4 litres per 100km for the week was also fair, giving the driving it entertained.

The often-heard comment about SUVs being appealing simply on grounds that they offer good visibility has some relevance even in this scaled-down package. The upright design and highly adjustable driver's seat make it easy to see out of the GLB in almost all directions, and any blind spots are well covered by the sensors and the camera set.

The other appeal of this car is how it looks. As said, it’s clearly drawn a lot from the GLE (and even the GLS) but doesn’t look awkward from taking that approach. It also snuggles up quite nicely against the also-new Mercedes GLA, and though the GLB is taller, has a longer rear overhang and a much longer wheelbase it doesn’t appear at all awkwardly proportioned.

Coming back to where this story started, it’s understandable why Mercedes Benz here has only chosen the seven-seater edition for local distribution and ignored versions that come with five chairs.

Sure, I know from firsthand experience that the latter will deliver an even larger boot and so likely stand as an even more affordable alternate to, say, the GLC - which already looks very exposed by the GLB regardless.

But fact is, even though it is too tight to be considered as fully comfortable everyday proposition for full house operability, the seven-seater is a good choice on grounds of flexibility. The middle row slides fore and aft so you can apportion legroom between the passengers as needs be, while the seatbacks of the middle row adjust for tilt, too, and they can be folded down completely flat, just as the back pair can.

Beyond that, there’s plenty of industry evidence to suggest that even when used sparingly, this format is a smart buy in the sense that it'll be easier to sell on later.

What’s also interesting about GLB is where it will take Mercedes next. The brand has already expressed some interesting family expansion ideas. It’s now clear, also, that the wholly-electric EQB releasing internationally next year has drawn significant inspiration.

So, more intrigues to come from a car that already pulls surprises from the box.

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: Playing the numbers

Another year – another Mitsubishi special edition.  Don’t yawn … they always represent good value.

Price:  $39,990
Powertrain and economy: 2.4-litre  inline four cylinder petrol engine, 126kW/224Nm, CVT automatic transmission with six-speed electronic sport mode, 4WD, combined economy 7.2 L/100km, CO2 167g/km.
Vital statistics: length 4695mm, width 1810mm, height 1710mm, wheelbase 2670mm. Luggage capacity up to 1608 litres. 18-inch black alloy wheels.
We like: Strong value, five-star ANCAP rating, seven seats
We don’t like: Powertrain, styling starting to age.

COVID lockdown level one: Back to the footie, shoulder-to-shoulder in the stands, packing seven people into an SUV ...sweet.

These days there are a decent number of seven-seater SUVs available in New Zealand, with the most popular being the Mitsubishi Outlander.

Despite this generation having been around for eight years already, it consistently features in the list of the top 10 biggest-selling new vehicles here.  The reasons seem obvious: It’s an honest and safe SUV that in typical Mitsubishi fashion is offered at reasonable prices.

Little wonder then that the brand happily markets Outlander as the SUV you’d design for your family.

There’s sound reasoning behind that marketing strapline, too. As any parents of a young family will tell you, it can be difficult to safely and legally secure small children into a vehicle, especially if any of said children have any of their mates with them.

If the kids are aged six or less, they must be properly belted into approved child restraints. If they are seven or immediately older, they must use a child restraint if one is available. Up to and including the age of 12, they should be seated in a back seat.  It’s only when a child reaches 148cm tall that they are officially considered to be ‘adult’ enough to be able to be seated right up front.

All that is why complications can arise, particularly with the so-called nuclear family. The parents take up the front seats, the kids are in the back – but what if said kids have a friend or two? And that explains why seven-seater vehicles can be so useful for any family.

The current Outlander is a third-generation model, and it has been in New Zealand since 2013, in build since slightly earlier. It has received regular updates, the most recent last year, so it now sports Mitsubishi’s latest family grille and a host of other refinements.

But underneath it all it is essentially old-school – it is built on the same GS platform as the smaller ASX and Eclipse Cross SUVs, as well as various Chryslers. Dodges, Fiats and even Citroens, a throwback to the time Mitsubishi held a Chrysler shareholding.

I’d argue the Outlander doesn’t feel old-school, though. That’s particularly the case with the electrified version, the PHEV, which can be plugged in and charged up overnight to give it a 55km range as a pure EV.

Trouble is, the PHEV has just five seats, and the XLS and VRX versions cost $52,490 and $57,990, which is a substantial amount of money. That explains why, excellent SUV that it is, the PHEV accounts for not much more than a fifth of all Outlander sales. Considerably more popular are various versions available with a choice of 2.4-litre petrol and 2.3-litre turbo diesel powertrains, with 2WD and 4WD – and the seven seats - and with prices as low as $34,490.

And then there are limited-edition special models that Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand regularly makes available in an effort to keep Outlander sales ticking over.

MMNZ is good at doing the special-edition thing – that’s a primary reason why most of its vehicles boast real longevity. Think ASX, for example. That SUV has been around for close to two decades and it is still highly popular because it offers such good value.  

Same with the Outlander. This test is of the latest limited-edition special – a $39,990 Outlander Sport, which is essentially a $36,990 4WD 2.4-litre petrol LS model but with a bunch of added features normally reserved for the top $45,990 VRX.

Driving was a challenge, because the day the press Outlander Sport arrived was the day our world changed. New Zealand went into Level Four Lockdown. So the car was out of reach and, even if it had successfully transferred from the local dealership to my driveway, it really could barely be driven anyway.

But eventually the Covid crisis began to pass, and we were allowed to pick up the Mitsubishi – and beautifully sanitised it was too. It came with a note stating that we were the first to enter the vehicle since it was sanitised, which was comforting.

Also comforting was the knowledge that the Outlander Sport had been fitted with an array of premium features, but still carried a price tag of less than $40,000. Such features included a ‘black-out’ package that previously featured in another limited special, the Outlander Black Edition, comprising such things as a black grille outer, black skid plates front and rear, black roof rails, black door garnish, and black door mirrors.

The Sport also came with black 18-inch alloy wheels.  Was it also available with black paintwork, we wondered? The answer was yes – but our vehicle was coloured silver, the hue matched by the colour of a specially installed rear spoiler.

The VRX treatment continued on the inside, naturally with a touch of black via piano black trim on the dash and centre console, and black headlining.

Another important feature was heated leather-appointed front seats with power lumber support.  The vehicle also came with dual-zone air conditioning, a sunroof, and a new 8-inch smartphone link display audio system.

The Outlander Sport also had an electric tailgate, making it easy to open access to the rear load area. With all seven seats in use this cargo space is reasonably restricted, but it does open up to a massive 1608 litres when the second and third row of seats are folded down – perfect for a parent needing to chuck the bike in the back for a spell away from all those kids...

These days the Outlander isn’t the liveliest medium-sized SUV on the market, but with 126kW and 224Nm on hand it does the job well enough, and there’s a Sport button for a bit more oomph if required. But its doubtful that would be for sheer sportiness – rather, to carry a heavy load of up to seven bodies and potentially a trailer.

But, for a bit of more enthusiastic driving, the Outlander’s CVT auto can be turned into an electronically controlled six-speeder able to be operated using paddles on the steering wheel.

The vehicle’s 4WD system is also electronic, with 4WD Eco, Auto and Lock able to be selected at the touch of a button.

The thing is though, the Mitsubishi Outlander is intended more as a family vehicle than an enthusiast’s ride, and in that respect it does the job admirably. And that, perhaps, is why the special edition versions sell so well when they are released in limited numbers – they provide a little more pizzazz and comfort for the parents, allowing them to luxuriate just a little while travelling with all the kids in the back.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport VRX: Trading on tough

As a wagonised Triton utility, Mitsubishi’s seven-seater is within a diminishing sub-species. But it seems in good health nonetheless.

Price: $68,990 ($58,990 on test)
Powertrain and economy: 2.4-litre inline four-cylinder turbo-diesel, 135kW/437Nm, 8-speed automatic, 4WD, combined economy 8.0 L/100km, CO2 208g/km.
Vital statistics: 4825mm long, 1815mm wide, 1835mm high, 2800mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 131/502/1488 litres, 18-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Strong value, slick auto, good equipment level, excellent AWD.
We don't like: Slow steering, diesel harshness, quirky infotainment.

TO SOME it’ll be the second-choice sports utility, the one settled for on realisation all like-sized and specified new-age types are simply out of reach.

To the others, it’s the sensible choice, selling itself by virtue of solid basics and  realisation it has most of what you can also get  on more expensive alternates. Why spend more when you can get it all for less, right?

The Pajero Sport really seems to have settled into its role as diamond in the rough, a good choice for those who sign up on acceptance that, even in its latest and heavily updated format, it nonetheless does ‘new’ in a slightly old-fashioned way. 

Speaking to that. How soon before the days of taking a ute, giving it a boot and calling it a station wagon still being a tried-and-true construction formula are over? Time is surely running short. So many makers have moved on to monocoques that the chassis rail club can barely raise a quorum any more. With the Holden Trailblazer about to hit the road, and Isuzu’s M-UX equivalent also driving into history, really there’s just this Mitsubishi, the Ford Everest and Toyota’s Fortuner left to fly the flag. All are well into their production life cycles and none of those makers are discussing replacements.

Yet even if what we have now is on a one-way trip, that doesn’t diminish their value. If you don’t mind accepting body roll, raised knee second-row seating and engine roar in your driving day, there are patent pluses from keeping one foot in the past.

While those old-school constructs just aren’t as polished as the new-age products, they certainly still stand tall for robustness and are just the ticket for a life of honest toil. If you anticipate hauling properly big loads and possibly thumping into truly places that more elite and street-set fare would find challenging, if not impossible … well, then it’s hard to imagine how a Pajero Sport still couldn’t escape consideration. 

And if that doesn’t get your attention, there’s another draw. In situations when the money side of things holds primary currency, then even among its own kind, this model pitches a strong ‘value’ argument. All the moreso during test, when the VRX was selling for $10,000 under list, making it a $59k proposition. How they can make a buck? One assumes they still do and, if that is the case, it’s probably a reminder about how much ‘fat’ this type of vehicle (and utes) carry at full retail.

All the same, why spend more when you can get much the same for spending less? While Mitsubishi isn’t at the very sharp end for tech these days, it still bangs out some solid product and even if the Pajero Sport only sells on perceived value alone, that’s probably enough to keep it rolling out the door. 

Certainly, nothing came out of this latest experience to alter views established when driving the vehicle in its original format four years ago: Namely, that it’s still a pretty honest machine that, now it’s undergone a mid-life refresh that delivers not just a different look but also considerably more kit, is probably good enough to soldier on solidly for the remainder of its life cycle. Which could well be at least five more years, depending on the outcome of decision-making between this brand, Nissan and Renault about who gets to build what under their latest platform-sharing agreement.

Picking the Pajero Sport from the SUV pack has never been a chore; the Dynamic Shield design language ensured it has a face no-one could easily forget. The 2020 revision brings quite a lot of alteration, but the basic ethos is still as before, with a lot of drama going on, not least around the nose. The lights are much slimmer now and the grille less extravagant, but as before you’re left thinking whoever shaped this has been influenced by Klingon attack ships. All the same, it does at least bring it more in line with the latest Triton, which seems only proper given their DNA link, and creates visual impression of the vehicle being lower and more square-shouldered, regardless that it really isn’t.

The touch-up crew has also tended to the rear end, by touching up the tail-light shape as best they can, given the limited space these take up, but with a more orthodox outcome. New bumpers also affix front and rear and the bonnet is now rendered from aluminium, though it still remains a hefty thing to lift. 

The interior has come in for a freshen-up as well, of course, and not before time. The general ambience is less Triton familiar and the fitout is definitely plush, with more soft-touch materials than you’ll find in the ute but still a fair  few hard-wearing plastics.

The biggest change is the introduction of a 8-inch multi-information display that replaces the traditional dials behind the steering wheel, plus a new and larger central touch screen.

The latter isn’t one of those displays that is easy to immediately acquaint with; the lack of buttons isn’t so much as an issue but there’s an initial confusion about how to access some rather fundamental operations: Changing a radio station means first having to fathom how to locate the frequency settings; even altering the volume control on the interface is initially tricky. Stick with it. All ultimately becomes clear.

One trick is to understand that so much of the operability is governed by the usual Japanese over-zealousness toward safety, which makes it impossible to influence much of the functionality unless the vehicle is stationary and in Park. That’ll be a frustration for those used to set-ups that are far more lenient. Plus, you’ll initially imagine there’s a quirk in the audio side of the system that occasionally kept it from defaulting back to radio when leaving Apple CarPlay. Again, there’s a way around this. But it takes time and a bit of detective work to fathom. 

All the same, the displays are more coherent and even if having three different ways of showing the speed and tachometer is, ultimately, a bit gimmicky, the manner in which that display relates core information is easily understood.

The electronic update also introduces ability to enable remote control access via a phone app, which is probably a first in this price band – certainly, I’ve only previously encountered it in far more expensive fare.

Three choices of instrument display …..

Change doesn’t stop there. The VRX also takes an electronic tailgate – if you’re tall, watch your head when loading up the rear, as the max height setting is still a touch low for the lofty – and while it still doesn’t access the same level of snazzy driver assists that Ford delivers to the Everest, that the VRX also includes a 360 degree camera, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring and an adaptive cruise control for a whole lot less money makes the absence of even more complex aids easy to accept.

Claim that the cabin has more room before seems based on a myriad of millimetric alterations here and there. The front seats seem to have changed in shape – again, for the better – and storage space has also increased, though the choice of handy slots and flat spots for holding keys, sunglasses, your wallet, mobile and other paraphernalia is still modest. 

Sense that Pajero Sport (and Triton) has always looked a touch narrow for its height hardly disperses when you sit in it. The cabin simply feels a touch narrower that most. In saying that, there’s no actual shoulder-rubbing and it’s hardly lacking for length, with good knee and lower leg room in the second and third rows. For sure, that seven-seater format is more adult-adult-kid, but given that an elevated mid-row bench and rear-set chairs are an unavoidable compromise (because of the suspension and floor design) that means taller passengers’ in the second row might find their heads close to the sunroof lining than they might in a car-based SUV, it’s acceptable overall. For the most part it makes sense to drop the third row seat as you then get a fairly decent, if somewhat high-set load area. 

Driving-wise, it’s much the same experience as ever, but with tangible improvement to the ride quality, wrought purely from some suspension tune amendments and switching to another brand of tyre, which also seems to produce less road noise and has better gravel surface qualities.  

The drivetrain element that has most potential to be beneficial remains the Super Select 4WD II system. Four-wheel-drives that are actually all-wheel-drive all the of the time are a great thing, especially for those who adventure trek only occasionally, and it’s astounding there aren’t more of them.

There’s never an issue of ‘should I, shouldn’t I’ about Mitsi’s system, which provides ability to drive on high-grip surfaces in high-range four-wheel-drive mode without trashing the transmission.

There are also four driving modes - gravel, mud/snow, sand and rock – tailoring toward more specialised operation, all accessed via a rotating dial on the centre console, plus an electronic locking rear differential – always a good ‘last resort’ when the wheels start churning uselessly - and a hill descent control.

That’s a comprehensive fitout that will doubtless offer a lot of reassurance to owners who might tend to only venture off seal occasionally or will need to make prudent use of the traction when towing. 

In saying that, it’s by no means an elevated Quattro. You’re always aware of its mass, so driving does ask for a more thoughtful approach than can be entertained with a monocoque SUV. It’s not a nervous type, but definitely isn’t in any way car-like, either; it might be a wagon, but those ute genes still show through. Push too hard and the stability control will be intervening as a last resort to a situation you won’t want to be in.

On the other hand, take it off-road and it’s eminently friendly. The increased length from the enlarged bumpers hasn't affected the approach angle, still an impressive 30 degrees, and only fractionally diminishes the departure angle and ground clearance of 218mm is awesome.

The Pajero Sport uplifts the Triton’s 2.4-litre diesel four-cylinder and, frankly, it’s not going to be an obvious selling point. As neither the most powerful nor the most refined in the category; it requires working to get the best out of it – peak torque doesn’t occur until 2500rpm, which is bit high for a diesel - and when driven in that way, you do occasionally tend to hear all about it, though the eight-speed transmission at least removes a lot of the rough spots and enables the power delivery in unflustered (meaning highway) driving to be fluent and relaxed.

A relatively handy 11.4m turning circle and reasonably good visibility – apart from the restrictions imposed on the rear three-quarter view by the small, tapering rearmost side windows – are factors that play positively for urban use, less so the steering, which still feels slow, and the overall length. Sometimes you’re not so much parking as berthing.

The Pajero Sport certainly isn’t the most polished choice to settle on by any means. Even within its sub-category it is more relaxed about refinement than others and, frankly, if you’re of the mind that a snooty badge and a swankier ambience are keys to SUV success … well, it’ll struggle.. 

Keep an open mind and acknowledge and admire the sheer honesty of the concept. Fact is that, if you only have so much to spend and all you want is competence, with good quality build and a level of engineering that, while perhaps not quite leading-edge, is at least extremely reliable and failsafe when it matters most, then it still stands scrutiny. All the moreso now that the only like-sorted (and even cheaper) rival in this small family, that Trailblazer, is about to leave the scene. A rough diamond, perhaps, but still a gem if your SUV intent is genuine.

Kia Seltos, Hyundai Venue: Don’t sweat the differences

The Kia Seltos has stormed into the compact sports utility sector, but let’s not forget Hyundai has a contender in that arena as well.

HYUNDAI VENUE ELITE
Base price: $33,990 full RRP ($31,990 on test)
Powertrain: 1.6-litre petrol four, 90kW/ 151Nm, six-speed automatic, FWD, fuel economy 7.2 litres per 100km, CO2 160g/km CO2.
Vital statistics: 4040mm long, 1565mm high, 2520mm wheelbase, 17-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Strong spec, versatile cabin.
We don't like: Harsh and underwhelming drivetrain, challenging price position.

 KIA SELTOS LX
Base price: $30,990 full RRP ($26,990 on test).
Powertrain: 2.0-litre petrol, 110kW/ 180Nm, eight-step constantly variable, FWD, fuel economy 6.8 litres per 100km, CO2 157g/km.
Vital statistics: 4370mm long, 1615mm high, 2630mm wheelbase, 16-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Strong value, roomy cabin, perky performance.
We don't like: Secondary ride needs sorting, poor front seats.

WHENEVER Kia and Hyundai contest a common segment with a common kind of car you’d be brave to bet against their respective products not being related. 

Brand-specific styling inside and out surrounding core common parts (the chassis, engines, transmissions and other gear) … that’s been the recipe for years. 

Yet anyone considering the Kia Seltos and the Hyundai Venue and expecting more of the same will be in for a surprise.

Even though these cars draw from other, already-established family members, what they lack is a direct relationship. 

Here’s how it goes. Venue bases on Europe’s i20 hatch, plucking the floorpan and 1.6-litre six-speed auto transmission. Seltos? It actually has a lot more in common with the 2.0-litre Hyundai Kona than you’d ever possibly imagine.

Yet insofar as finding any direct chromosonal link? Some say you’d have better luck looking for the lost city of Atlantis. They’re not only disparate in DNA, but Hyundai asserts – quite strongly – that the Venue is not a Seltos competitor.

Who’d bet on car buyers either (A) thinking as Hyundai does or (B) giving a jot regardless? Not I.

For all the technical disassociation and regardless that there’s also a degree of price disparity – less noticeable during now discontinued launch price promotions that were shaving $2000 from Venue’s recommended retail and up to $5000 from that entry Seltos LX) – they’re still two city slick front drive petrol crossovers of similar size chasing much the same crowd. So I’d suggest cross-shopping is going to be something of a certainty.

Straight out, both brands can take a bow for delivering a pair of interesting natural urban adventuring fits. On top of this, Kia can take extra kudos for its especially aggressive pricing strategy. It is possible to consider the base Seltos not only against the most expensive Venue but even the cheapest Kona.

For sure, Venue’s Elite designation means it packs more comfort and safety features. On the active and passive safety side, Venue stands well-sorted with a SmartSense package that includes Forward Collision Avoidance, Lane Keep Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Hill Start Assist, and automatic high beams is. Seltos is also looking strong, though be aware that automated emergency braking at this level is tailored for vehicle-versus-vehicle scenarios and so lacks the pedestrian-sensing ability provisioned further up in the Seltos family and standard to the Venue.

Enough blanked switch locations to be impossible to ignore, a less creative interior, manual air con and old-school ‘key in the lock’ ignition also signal why the spending gap between a Seltos LX and next-up LX Plus is so wide. Stick at LX also asks for you to control any envy felt about the more expensive Seltos derivatives having a better, touch-activated media screen  But, hey, as much as keyless start would be nice – given its so commonplace nowadays - that’s not to say that it outright shouts out for more technology.

In fact, when you come to box-ticking what might be regarded as ‘essentials’, it really isn’t shown up to be way miserly. The most pressing imperative would be to negotiate putting in onto the dearer versions’ factory 17 inch rims. The 16-imchers the LX arrives with are fine for ride and fair for dynamics, but they just look too small for the body.

If the LX has any particular weak point, it is being cursed by pretty mediocre front seats. Anyone who appreciates the merits of good lower back support won’t be at all satisfied by the driver’s chair; it’s too soft and shapeless and not a patch on the one that goes into the other variants. In this test, too, if you had to pick which had the better driving position, Venue wins out. Hyundai just delivers a better span of  seat and steering wheel adjustment, accommodating all shapes and sizes.

Even so, Seltos through simply being a slightly larger car – appreciably so for wheelbase and overall length, a little less evidently for width and height – makes a more convincing choice if you’re carting stuff, including other people.

The cabin is simply roomier and the extra few millimetres it provisions in key areas, like rear seat lower legroom, is going help sell it. The Venue was also capable of carrying four adults in comfort, proved incredibly adept at swallowing some large, awkward objects and earned points for good storage space for bottles and paraphernalia in the centre console and doors. However,while lower leg and headroom is good, it hasn’t the same shoulder room and that might be telling with all-adult ensemble.

While the Seltos shape has a slightly more modern, appealing sharp-lined air, I really warmed to the Venue’s chiselled, upright body and stance and excellent visibility. Both cars are enhanced by a range of colour options; the two-tone, grey with green highlights and contrasting roof scheme applied to the Venue I drove also provisions with the Kia and lends a pleasing look to both. 

Out on the road, they’re similar in driving feel yet as far apart for performance as you’d imagine. Neither is what you’d call muscled, yet there’s simply no dispute about which has more zest.

It’s not that the Hyundai unit is utterly puny, yet the 20kW power and 29Nm torque that Kia’s bigger engine delivers is telling at kick-off and … erm, everywhere else. Really, though, what irks most about the Venue unit isn’t so much its more limited reactivity as its lack of refinement; it’s much more vocal and raw-edged and seems in constant dispute with the transmission. The Seltos would be better with paddle shifters to better engage with its eight-speeder, but it just operates more effectively and enthusiastically.

The dynamics are interesting. If you want something approaching youthful and sports-tinged, go straight to Seltos; it’s no outright GT, but drives with a level certainty not usual for this grade . For a more grown-up and measured feel, Venue is the place to be. It’s not vague or unduly remote, but there’s far more of an air of laidback amiability. 

Dimensional pertness and tight turning circles ensure they both work well around town and neither feels at all overawed by open road running, either, though it’s in the latter environment where the Seltos’ secondary ride seems a touch busy. It’s nothing a slight suspension retune couldn’t remedy.

Would you off-road? Venue’s provision of Sand, Snow, and Mud traction modes activated by a dial controller suggests it’s up for something, though we’d say keep it ‘lite’. Seltos has a control just like it, but turning it simply puts the transmission into a sports mode. So, yeah. There’s your answer from Kia.

Crystal ball gazing these cars’ futures is easy; consumer swing to crossovers and SUVs ensures each will find a ready audience. Venue does a reasonable job, but it lacks the Kia’s character and Kia’s value edge is much sharper. If you’re seeking to chase an ascending star, Seltos is definitely the one.

Holden Acadia LTZ-V: High-stakes Holden

General Motors’ Australian outpost looks to America for salvation.

Base price: $71,990.
Powertrain and performance: 3.6-litre petrol V6, 231kW/367Nm, nine-speed automatic, AWD, Combined economy 9.3 litres per 100km, 0-100kmh N/A.
Vital statistics: 4979mm long, 1762mm high, 2857mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 292-2102 litres, 20-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Ride and handling, comfort, high level of safety aides, infotainment. We don't like: Second-row split on traffic side, blind spots, no diesel or petrol-electric option.

AROUND 92,000 first year registrations would seem a dream run for Holden’s latest big hope, right?

It’s happened. The 2018 North American sales count for the Acadia large sports utility suggests this model has potential. 

GM’s Aussie outpost is keen to see its first American-made product gain acceptance. Holden needs a break. Logic suggests SUVs can pull it out of the mire.

A seven-chair wagon designed primarily to deliver a swish sealed road experience, Acadia is a $100 million gamble. The cost of rejigging a US domestic GMC into a right-hooker is 60 percent higher than it might have been had Holden involved from the start, instead of two years in.

Acadia comes in three trims, all in two and four-wheel-drive, all running a Commodore-shared 3.6-litre V6 and nine-speed-auto, and aims at everything from Hyundai’s Santa Fe and Mazda’s CX-9 to the Ford Everest and Toyota Prado. 

Impression from testing the LTZ-V flagship suggests near on 100,000 North Americans aren’t wrong. Sure, some aspects require getting used to, yet it feels born to run comfortably here.

Will the square-jawed and hunky styling demand time to settle? The shape’s not divisive but expect discussion. The front-end is Holden-ised to the point where a GMC grille won’t fit, but all else is as North America knows it. The rhomboid wheel surrounds divide opinion, why the rear glass lacks the chrome edging meted the side windows piques curiosity and those thick A-pillars and large side mirrors create blind spots.

Despite sharing basic ergonomic ideals with Commodore, from comparing interiors for look and layout, fit and finish would you ever pick the SUV as the more modern? It’s plush and practical and right on point for tech, yet more polish and pizzazz wouldn’t hurt.

Right-way-around indicator and wiper stalk placements are achieved yet left-hand-drive-centricities remain. The convex outer section of the driver’s door mirror suggests it was meant for the kerb side. The mode switch is awkward to reach, being on the left rear of the centre console. Families with scampering young ‘uns might be alarmed the second-row seat split fold accessing the rear seat is engineered for the traffic side.

Trim rattles undermine GM’s quality boast but the spec’s rich. Leather, wireless phone charging, keyless entry/start, sat-nav, triple-zone air conditioning, power tailgate and automated parking are popular convenience and comfort features and LTZ-V adds memory for the driver's chair (which, like the passenger pew, is heated, cool-air ventilated and power adjustable), dual-panel sunroof, gas-discharge headlights, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree camera and Bose audio which, with a radio that abdicates stations as quickly as Trump drops staff, pleasingly lends Apple CarPlay podcast provision as a fallback. A Bluetooth system that accepts two devices simultaneously and five USB ports spread across the three rows, including 2.1-amp outlets for charging iPads, highlights expectation every occupant will have an electronic device. 

There's huge comfort and heaps of head and shoulder room for the front and middle-row seats and though the back row will only provide a knees-up seating position for big adults, it’s big for kids.

Luggage space is tight in three-row mode, generous otherwise, but hope you won’t get a flattie, with the space saver spare buried so deeply it’s a mission to access, let alone remove. The tailgate thoughtfully has a setting for 75 percent opening height and will open/close off the keyfob. The boot floor has sturdy tie-downs.

Holden’s touch is felt foremost with suspension retuning. I’ve not experienced a GMC Acadia but Holden’s claim it has firmed the spring rates seems reasonable. It’s still soft and loping but stable enough not to wobble over ruts or bumps.

Holden intent to make the LTZ-V feel like the VF Holden Caprice luxury sedan used to was evidenced during an almost six-hour solid open road run, where it came across as being capable and composed, if not a car that asked to be chucked about. The AWD dismisses in normal driving, so it’s not always quattro when pushing into a bend.

It might odd to propose the Acadia shines brightest in relaxed operation when it has a relatively rorty big six. Particularly when this mill marries to a transmission that, in addition to the usual sport mode (which sharpens shifts and seeks to self-downshift at slowdown), has an 'L' setting that provides a full manual mode. You won’t bother as this facilitates by toggling a ridiculous plus/minus switch atop the gear lever.

Though this engine hauls the heft well, offers a nice rumbling sound and is seamless in acceleration to the 6700rpm redline, you get the sense it’s probably just as well the Acadia wasn’t bigger or heavier than its 2032kg mass. The modest 2000kg braked towing capacity suggests it hasn’t too much left, so it’s a shame there’s no torque-rich diesel as an option. Economy depends on the roads you regularly drive. Relaxed running, with just 1400rpm at 100kmh in ninth gear, delivers parsimony that’s easily undone by ascents, winding stretches or push-on play.

Going by how it looks, you might have trouble convincing Acadia is Holden’s most advanced vehicle yet. Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist recognition is a fantastic provision and even though it annoys by flashing incessantly once you go 5kmh above any posted limit, Traffic Sign Recognition is also highly useful – it’ll even read temporary roadworks signs. Acadia also has Equinox’s initially weird, ultimately worthy haptic seat alerts, plus blind spot and rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist and lateral impact avoidance.

At a time when some argue about the Holden nameplate’s ongoing currency, let’s hope a model name recalling a moment of history that didn’t go well (Acadia being France’s New World foothold subsumed, under protest, into America in the early 18th century) isn’t a portent. I’d hate to see Holden relegated to the past.

RAV4 Hybrid: A better kind of Prius

A winning formula for Toyota’s world famous petrol-electric hardware.

Price: $39,990
Powertrain: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol hybrid, 131kW/221Nm (163kW total system output), continuously variable transmission, AWD, fuel economy 4.8L/100km, CO2 112g/km (Toyota NZ), 0-100kmh N/A.
Vital statistics: 4600mm long, 1685mm high, 2690mm wheelbase, 18-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Improved dynamics, refined powertrain, roominess.
We don't like: Austere GX trim, CVT, road noise.

TIME to give up on the Toyota that delivered pioneering technology to average suburban driveways all over the world?

Maybe. Not so much because hybrids are no longer the tip of the technology spear – yes, they’re old-hat, but there’s still a role – but more because the ground-breaking Prius is surely no longer crucial to Toyota and Lexus petrol-electric placement.

Those Corollas, Camrys and CH-Rs, RXs and UXs and so on are increasingly becoming the product that allow Japan’s No.1 to make ever more hybrid hay while the sun of environmental concern shines. 

Implanting a battery-assisted drive-set into the RAV4 creates the most socially relevant petrol-electric Toyota of the moment.

The only mystery is why Toyota waited so long. Sports utilities of this size have become consumer favourites and the RAV4 has been a giant since its inception in 1994, with more than 8.5 million units sold globally.

What sells the nickel hydride battery-included model line is that it improves efficiency while pretty much maintaining all the positives of the non-hybrid line – a sharp chassis, aggressively rugged new styling, improved specification and more comfortable, roomier cabin.

Toyota build quality is superb and the car’s tech lift, notably with the Toyota Safety Sense package (that now includes an emergency braking system that can spot pedestrians and cyclists day and night) is a winning asset.

That’s not to say this is a product exempt from criticism. Even though it’s another new-age Toyota to display premium touches within, you cannot help but notice unfortunate cost constraint. A front passenger seat fixed awkwardly high, a touch screen with fiddly menu functions and utterly outdated sat nav graphics and, in this entry GX, trim hues that – notwithstanding this is often a fleet grade – from the bargain bin; all could surely be improved without significant effort.

The driving delivers more positively, save that it asks acceptance of a constantly variable transmission. Toyota’s is better than some, thanks to a smart ‘launch gear’ - a physical first gear that "changes up" to the CVT after 40kmh – which helps minimise flaring at kick-off. Yet there’s still irritating high-rev thrash and, overall, it demands an easier-going approach that is at odds with the car’s overall character.

The powertrain itself is otherwise quite pleasant. As per usual convention, it’ll reverse and crawl forward under electric impetus alone, but anything more than a feather-light prod will generally incite the four-cylinder petrol engine to kick in.

A 2.5-litre is relatively large capacity unit for this class of car nowadays and the output from it in isolation is fairly impressive. Add in the impetus from the electric motors and the combined output is all the more of a turn-on. Performance is punchy and the torque flow is solid from low to medium revs. It’s only when you really start to push that it loses its cool; but as said, the CVT will crack first.

You might like to push the envelope, though, because the vehicle dynamics this time around are impressive. The platform is rigid and hanging off it is a well-sorted MacPherson-strut front and multilink rear suspension that’s compliant enough to cope with bumps and uneven surfaces yet firm enough to provide tidy cornering. The electromechanical power steering delivers well, too. Only the brakes raise a flag; they don’t lack for ability but the feel is wooden, as it goes with regenerative braking.

The all-wheel-drive comes from using a 40kW electric motor mounted directly to the rear axle. That’s a far cry from hardcore tradition, but even though RAV spells out to ‘recreational activity vehicle’, Toyota never intended it to be a junior Land Cruiser.

It can run all four wheels or alternately divert power to the rears alone, uses the brakes to mimic the effect of a limited slip differential and can even handle towing. Just 1500kg, mind, so don’t get carried away at the garden centre.

Is 6.1 litres per 100km economy from my week worth crowing about? Not if you have any faith in the maker-claimed optimal of 4.1L/100km being even remotely achievable outside of a laboratory. A colleague burned a touch more from a long, exclusively open road run, whereas mine included a fair mix of urban tootling and I’m confident it could have improved if more gently driven.

Of course, it’s fair to argue that, with hybrid, the RAV4 is merely catching up with the Toyota norm and might have made more impact had it matched the Mitsubishi Outlander and gone to a plug-in rechargeable set-up.

Good news is that this expectation might not be far from being fulfilled. Talk is that a RAV with the same hardware that goes into the Prius Prime PHEV will be revealed at a motor show before too long. That’ll conceivably give us a RAV with capability of travelling up to 50km on battery juice alone. Game set and match, Outlander?

As for a fully electric Toyota? Well, one of those is coming as well. But probably not in this format.