AutoMiddleEast.com

Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine debuts in the Focus

George Kuruvilla — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:51:48 +0000

Ford’s turbocharged, direct injection 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine will go on sale across the Ford Focus range in the UK next month. The 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine is available with two power outputs in the 5-door Focus. One delivering 123bhp and 170Nm peak torque (200Nm with overboost) between 1,400 and 4,500rpm with a combined fuel economy of 5l/100km and CO2 emissions of 114g/km, while the 99bhp version delivers a combined fuel economy of 4.8l/100km and CO2 emissions of 109g/km. About 200 UK engineers based out of Dunton and Dagenham developed the powertrain. It’s cylinder block can fit into a A4 sheet of A4 paper it delivers up to 123bhp, giving it the highest power density of any Ford production engine to date.

100,000th Porsche Cayenne rolls out of the Leipzig plant

George Kuruvilla — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:14:06 +0000

The 100,000th Porsche Cayenne rolled off production line at the Leipzig plant. The SUV will be shipped to a customer in Brazil, whose choice of colour was “pure white” and engine was that of the Cayenne S i.e. the 4.8-litre V8 engine. 2012 happens to be the 10th anniversary year of Porsche’s Leipzig plant and this is a production milestone of sorts. Leipzig is also where Porsche produces the Panamera luxury saloon, of which 70,000 units of which have now rolled off the production line. In 2011 93,800 vehicles left the Porsche plant, beating every year in it’s past.

Elite BMW diesel models get M power

George Kuruvilla — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:32:57 +0000

BMW has given ‘Diesel Power’ a new meaning by adding diesel powered models to their M-division range, namely the BMW M550d xDrive Sedan, BMW M550d xDrive Touring, BMW X5 M50d and BMW X6 M50d. All models get a newly developed 3-litre 6-cylinder in-line diesel engines with 3 turbochargers. Yes that is no typo-error, 3 turbo chargers. Maximum output is rated at 381bhp and 740Nm from as low as 2,000 rpm. All models get the 8-speed Sports automatic gearbox and the intelligent all-wheel-drive system BMW xDrive. Besides a personalized interior and uprated suspension you get a fuel economy of 6.3l/100km on the M550d xDrive Sedan which BTW does 0 to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds (the ‘ordinary’ M5 does it in 4.3) while emitting 165 grams of CO2 per km. The rest of the models are not too far behind.

1st production Aston Martin V12 Zagato at Kuwait Concours D’Elegance

George Kuruvilla — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:43:57 +0000

Making its debut at the Kuwait Concours d’ Elegance on 15-18 February 2012 will be the first production Aston Martin V12 Zagato. The event in its 3rd successive year and will plays host to some of the world automotive art’s finest from over 19 countries. Continuing the partnership between Aston Martin and Zagato that started 50 years ago with the DB4 GT Zagato, the V12 Zagato will be hand assembled at the company’s global headquarters in Gaydon, England. The car is based on the V12 Vantage and features hand-crafted aluminium and carbon fibre body and a bespoke interior. A 6.0-litre V12 engine producing 510 bhp and 570 Nm of torque will power this AM. The prototype car was launched in late May 2011 at the Villa D’Este Concours on Lake Como, Italy. It was awarded the coveted Design Award for the concept and prototypes class. 2 prototype V12 Zagato racers made their racing debut at the at Nürburgring 24 Hour race – both finished the race, an achievement of sorts. The V12 Zagato is limited to 150 units and first customer deliveries are due late 2012. The V12 Zagato is on sale at GBP 330,000.

Highlights of the Lexus LF-LC Concept

George Kuruvilla — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:11:25 +0000

The Lexus LF-LC Concept is a front-engine, rear-wheel drive 2+2 hybrid sport coupe powered by Advanced Lexus Hybrid Drive. It was first viewed at the 2012 North American International Auto Show and was designed by Calty design studio in Newport Beach, California. The concept car’s glass roof features a lightweight, cantilevered pillar with a glass-to-glass juncture inspired by modern architecture and the the tail lamps, inspired by the look of a jet afterburner at take-off. The twin 12.3-inch LCD screens information and navigation display will be the amongst the largest of it’s kind if it makes it to production.

Next-gen Maserati Quattroporte | Rendered or real?

George Kuruvilla — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:07:21 +0000

Renders of the next generation Maserti Quattroporte have been posted on the net, all over. But these pictures seem like ‘it’. Designers of the 4-door luxury saloon seem inspired by the GranTurismo sportcar and Kubang Concept unveiled in 2011. The model has been built on a new rear-wheel drive platform that in all probability will accomodate a hybrid drive system also. The new Quattroporte will get downsized V6 and V8 engines, mated to an 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox.

Record graduate applicants at Jaguar Land Rover for 2012

George Kuruvilla — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:53:05 +0000

Jaguar Land Rover received 10,632 applications for its graduate recruitment this year and continues the recruitment drive to support a multi-billion pound investment plan for new product creation. Applications are 61% higher than in 2011 and are 5 times higher than they were just 3 years ago. For 2012, graduates will be hired for a variety of positions across the business – from Product Development Engineering, Manufacturing, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing & Sales, IT and Purchasing. Successful applicants will work for one of the UK’s top graduate firms. J & LR moved up 27 places in the influential Times Top 100 Graduate Employers list in 2011. Jaguar Land Rover’s 2 year graduate scheme gives candidates the right blend of technical expertise and personal development required for a rewarding career.

2011 Audi RS5 | Road Test

George Kuruvilla — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:04:43 +0000

Lets face it, Audi ain’t the speed demons dream machine, neither has it been the protagonist of the Fast & Furious series, nor has it been on the cover of a Need For Speed game. They are seen as premium people carriers with family values. As hard as it may seem to believe, Audi is the most successful auto manufacturer at 24 Hr Le Mans in recent times winning 9 overall championships since 1999 with the R8, R10 TDI & the R 15 TDI. But does racing pedigree translate to production sports cars? Well, the RS4 enjoyed some limelight and then came the formidable R8 with it’s almost comical, in-your-face styling and road gripping entertainment that would rock your socks off, killing virtually every supercar by measure of the buck. Now, Audi is back with the 2011 Audi RS5 and we drove it fast and slow on deserted roads, through population for show and we think it’s a piece of work. Good or bad? Read on for an insight into our drive…

STYLE EYE

Unlike the built-from-scratch R8 sportscar, Audi’s incarnation of speed is essentially a 4.65mts long and 1.86mts wide A5 coupe adorned with a large honey comb grille, satin finish front air dam and side view mirrors, dual oval exhausts and 5-spoke 20” “Rotor” design wheels. An extra AED 500 gets you that Titanium finish on the wheels. Our test car looked plenty good in Misano Pearl Red. Audi also offers the 2011 RS5 in black, grey, blue, white and silver. Overall, the M3 and CTS-V display a greater sense of aggression but the RS5 with its wide squatting low-slung body and sinister anonymity holds its own.

The interiors are very intimate, by the ergonomics of it, from the snug fit seats to the reach of the steering wheel and buttons on the centre console. The 2-tone aggressively bolstered sports seats do a great job of wrapping your shoulders and bottom while you steer around that tight corner and are sedan comfortable…almost! Although getting in and out is hassle. The rounded gear lever looks planted in a manual shift gate which makes one tempted to jump in and drive. There is not much else that sets it apart from the Audi next door, besides the red stitching on the steering wheel which was wrapped in perforated leather and the gear lever. Do note the sculpted light weight aluminium body panels are like the sensual but sensitive curves of a lady; treat them with respect by steering away from tight parking spots; they are prone to easy denting.ENGINE & PERFORMANCE

Like the Hammer is to Thor, Anger is to Hulk, the 2011 Audi RS5’s story centres around the 4.2-litre FSI V8. It is shared with many other Audi models, but none have seen this sort of output – 450 horses at a meteoric 8,250 rpm, (50 rpm shy of the M3 at peak power) and with 107 bhp/litre of specific output, a salute is guaranteed from engineers in Europe, Japan and USA. 430Nm of peak toque seems less prodigious compared to the blown motors but the acceleration numbers speak for themselves. 5.0 seconds to a 100 km/h was the closest we ever got to the claimed 4.6. We had the needle pointed at 6000 revs the many times we engaged Launch control. I doubt if it could have been bettered. Passing acceleration specifically 60 to 120 km/h comes in less than 5 seconds.

On the other end of the performance spectrum, I’d like to say no car shows obedience to the stop sign better. The 2011 Audi RS5 literally stops on the dime. In fact it has the best performing brakes in all cars we’ve tested and anyone who knows of the 18” brake rotors will make sense of that. But don’t confuse this for brake feel, which is not particularly linear.

Besides numbers, the part of the 2011 Audi RS5 that will strike a chord with anyone is it’s exhaust note. It’s a synthesized sweet symphony. The deep boom emitted with throttle blips on down shift, is org*smic. The range projected based on 64-litre tank capacity and claimed fuel economy is 592km. We can’t vouch for that but the car runs far for a sports car before you need to hit life support a.k.a. petrol station. In case you’re the sorts that observe earth hour, you would be happy to know the RS5 emits a very average 252g/km, and that’s not hurting the environment too much.RIDE & HANDLING

The RS5 comes with 3 different drive settings that can be adjusted with a touch of a button on the centre console or via the MMI, namely Comfort, Auto & Dynamic. Each making progressive modulations to the steering assistance, throttle response and suspension settings. You can switch from being lazy and comfortable to being frantic and bone rupturing. If you ignore the slightly disconnected steering feel, you will find that the RS5 steers well through random directional changes and holds its composure through long sweeping corners. The driver is easily informed of its handling limits, (which are M3 good) by the understeer that gently trickles in; common to most AWD cars. Fortunately the ride quality is suspicious soft for car that wears an RS badge and it won’t kill you to drive this for a few hundred kms, when needed.

FEATURES & PRACTICALITY

The 2 rear seats are barely usable unlike the relatively spacious, ventilated front seats. The dual zone a/c system works without worry. Optional is the 505 watt 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system with inbult 10GB hard drive, 2 sd car slots, USB port and aux-in. The B&O on the A8 we tested earlier looked and sounded better. Boot space is decent at 455litres with the seats up and that should satisfy your shopper and traveler needs. Any sporting daddies will find use for the standard fitted isofix seat mounting on front passenger and rear seats. One niggle…the panoramic roof can’t be slid open, just tilted. (What is the point?).

PRICING & WARRANTY

The base price of AED 350,000 is not cheap and the price as tested was AED 400,000. Prepare to spend your summers driving, rather than vacationing. It is fractionally more expensive than it’s peers. But you get an well engineered car with an air of sophistication that is traditionally German.VERDICT

Truth is, in the company of the elite Speed Olympians the 2011 Audi RS5 loses out to the CTS-V Coupe and C 63 Coupe at the drag strip, to the M3 for steering feel and track antics, and to the Lexus IS-F for being pricey. But who says you can’t have fun in all-wheel drive sports coupe with an automatic transmission! The RS5 is brilliantly packaged by Audi, scoring an A- in everything its good at i.e. looks, drivability and noise and a B+ for everything it ain’t, i.e. popularity and price. Good Speed, Audi!

Specifications:

Body type: Sports coupe
Seating Capacity: 2+2
Engine: 4.2-litre FSI V8
Max power (bhp @ rpm): 450bhp @ 8,250 rpm
Max torque (Nm @ rpm): 430Nm @ 4,000 – 6,000 rpm
Transmission: 7-speed S tronic
Drivetrain layout: Front engine; quattro a.k.a all wheel drive
Weight: 1725kg

Performance:

0 to 100 km/h: 4.6 seconds (claimed)
0 to 100 km/h: 5 seconds (tested)
0 to 60 km/h: 2.4 seconds (tested)
100 to 0 km/h: 2.6 seconds (tested)
60 to 120 km/h: 4.5 seconds (tested)
80 to 120 km/h: 3.2 seconds (tested)
Top speed: 250 km/h / 280 km/h w/ performance pack (claimed)

Fuel Economy:

City: 14.9l/100km (claimed)
Highway: 8.5l/100km (claimed)
Mixed: 10.8l/100km (claimed)

Price:

Base price : AED 350,000
Price as tested: Dhs. 400,000

Competition:

BMW M3, Merc C 63 AMG Coupe, Lexus IS-F and Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

2012 Chevrolet Cruze LT hatchback | Road Test

Martin Victor Alva — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:12:43 +0000

The LT gets front fog lamps as standards equipment.

Associating certain objects with America is pretty darn simple. Talk cheeseburgers, muscle cars or SUVs and the first country that pops into your head is the US of A. Talk hatchback cars and the first country that flashes in your head is probably Japan followed by Italy, Germany and a long list of Asian and South American nations but certainly not America.

Next, take Chevrolet; this brand is synonymous with powerful muscle cars like the Corvette and the Camaro and gigantic SUVs like the Silverado and the Trailblazer. A Chevy hatchback certainly doesn’t entice anyone and with Chevrolet’s recent foray into the small car market, they seem to want to change all that. Lets find out if they can.

Ever since the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback was revealed at the Dubai motor show, it hasn’t really sold like hot cake and is hardly a thorn in its competitors shoes. Selling a hatchback car in the Middle East is an uphill task for any manufacturer and this task is twice more difficult for Chevy with the Japanese and the Koreans having a go at this segment.

The dashboard is well designed and has a futuristic feel to it.

Look and feel

First look and the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze hatch looks identical to its sedan version with no significant changes in design. The striking rear end of the car is something that deserves attention though, a lot of it. Chevy gets full marks for the way it’s managed to make a sedan look like hatch without making it look drab. Most hatchbacks which have originated from sedans do not have a stirring, or if I may, a sexy appearance. They appear as if someone sawed off the boot and bolted on a large, vertically opening door. The Cruze however has a very well designed and a well-put together rear and with a coupe-ish downward sloping roofline. The tail lamps too have a contemporary design compared to the competition, which add decisive finishing touches to the overall sporty appearance of the car. In profile, the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze hatchback appears low and grounded, and exudes a sporty intent.

The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze hatchback has a well-appointed interior in terms of quality and equipment. The car’s dual-tone interior feel up-market and space is what we can call, decent. The rear legroom does feel a bit cramped with four seats occupied but there is ample shoulder and headroom to go by.

Engine and performance

The 2012 Cruze hatch gets a 1.8-liter four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 141bhp at 6200rpm and 176Nm of maximum torque at 3800rpm. This engine certainly isn’t a compliment to the cars sporty intent. It fails to deliver the punch you expect and with a not so great amount of torque being delivered at not so great revs, the car feels under powered and acceleration feels dull.

The six-speed transmission, with its lethargic shift speed and tall ratios add to the boredom. The brighter side of this lack luster performance is its impressive fuel economy. The 2012 Cruze hatch burns just 6.6-litres of petrol per 100 kilometers bringing the fuel economy close to 15km/l.

Ride and handling

Given its low stance and wide track, the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze hatchback does a fairly decent job of going around corners without much fuss but don’t expect it to corner like it’s on rails. The steering feels light and the car displays a fair amount of roll while negotiating corners. With Chevrolet claiming that the 2012 Cruze is aligned to the brands sporty and performance heritage, there is certainly a lot of room for improvement in the car.

The 2012 Cruze hatch gets McPherson struts upfront with side-load compensated front strut modules with specially shaped springs and hydraulic bushings. The rear gets a torsion beam setup. The ride is on the stiffer side and surface undulations are transferred to the passenger without much filtering. Driving the 2012 Chevy Cruze hatch on long, empty stretches and at speeds close to the legal limit can be a bit tiring because of the stiff ride and the constant background note of tyre and engine noise that seeps into the cabin. On one occasion, one of the passengers was unable to have a proper phone conversation because of this disturbance, just saying.

Features, functionalities and safety

Internationally the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze hatchback is available in two trims, the LS and the LT. The LT is the fully loaded version while the LS misses out on certain creature comforts in favour a lower price tag. The LS is further segregated into the 1SC and the 1SD variant. The LS gets 15-inch pressed steel wheels, electronically adjustable outside rear view mirrors (ORVM) and keyless entry as standard equipment. Options list on the LS include alloy wheels and fog lamps.

The LT will have two sub-variants, the 1SB and the 1SC with the LT 1SC being the top of the line variant. The LT 1SB gets 16-inch alloys, fog lamps, and electronically adjustable ORVMs as standard. The top of the line LT gets 17-inch alloys and a passive entry as standard along with all other equipment mentioned above.

Other standard features on the car include climate control, anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brake distribution (EBD), in-dash audio system with AUX and USB inputs (LT), steering mounted controls, four airbags (LT) and leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob.

The Cruze sedan, which the Cruze hatchback is based on, has received a 5-star NCAP rating and Chevrolet claims the hatchback too delivers similar safety to its occupants. In our test however we noticed that the front passenger doesn’t have an occupant sensor.

Pricing and warranty

The Cruze LS hatch will set you back by AED 65,000 and the top of the line LT with leather seats and sunroof is priced at AED 70,000.

Chevrolet offers standard 3years/100,000kms warranty and the first service is all taken care of by the company, including consumables.

Verdict

The Cruze offers a satisfying blend of styling, space and equipment level for a hatchback. However, compared to its Japanese and Korean rivals, the pricing doesn’t tilt in it’s favour. The Cruze hatchback’s price sees it enter sedan territory and with cars like the Kia Optima, Nissan Tiida and the Honda Civic in the same price range, justifying the Cruze hatch’s price tag becomes somewhat of a challenge for Chevrolet.

Specifications:

Engine: 1.8L 4-cyl. engine
Max power (bhp @ rpm): 141bhp @ 6,200rpm
Max torque (Nm @ rpm): 179Nm @ 3,800 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic transmission
Drivetrain layout: front engine; rear wheel drive
Weight: NA

Price:

As tested: AED 70,000 (LT)
Also available
As specified: AED 65,000 (LS)

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Special Edition

Martin Victor Alva — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:23:29 +0000

Bugatti unveiled their all-new (yet another) special edition of the devastatingly quick Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport at the ongoing Qatar Motor Show in Doha. Bugatti will let you have one of these for a princely sum of $2.05 million, taxes and shipping charges extra of course.

This car has a horizontal colour split with a bright yellow body framed in visible black carbon, including black-tinted wheels. This combination of Ettore Bugatti’s favorite colours is continued inside with seats finished in yellow-colored leather with black stitching. The centre console has a carbon-fibre finish, while the dashboard, steering wheel and gearshift are made of black leather with yellow stitching.

With the roof up, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport can reach a top speed of 407 km/h, while speeds of up to 350 km/h are possible with the roof off. This makes the Grand Sport the fastest roadster in the world.

The Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport 16.4 will be assembled by hand at the company’s headquarters in Molsheim, France. Bugatti has limited the Grand Sport to 150 units of which 105 slots are still open.

For more photos, check our Facebook album by clicking here.