Archive for January, 2017
Will Motorists Really Benefit from the Government's Proposed Fuel Changes
Late last year, shortly before Christmas, the Federal Government released three draft proposals that seek to improve the fuel efficiency of Australian vehicles. As part of the proposed measures designed to make our vehicles cleaner, an overhaul in standards would seek to align local regulations with those found in Europe. Currently, Australia is ranked last among 35 OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) nations for petrol quality.
While being touted as a move that could eliminate 65 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions before 2030, and also potentially affording motorists’ savings upwards of $500 per year in fuel costs, not everyone is cheering the news.
The outcry isn’t so much concerned with the idea of reducing our environmental footprint, but more towards one of the radical overhauls proposed to achieve it. Said proposal involves removing regular unleaded fuel from sale across the country, while also decreasing sulphur limits for premium unleaded and ethanol fuels. The other two measures focus purely on sulphur reduction.
Even with headline savings for motorists being touted by the government, it is likely to have a harder time convincing motorists about such savings. This is primarily due to the fact that there is an inherent price gap between regular unleaded fuel, and the next highest grade of fuel – premium unleaded (95).
Advocates will suggest that higher grades have a greater driving range that actually make them cheaper to fill per tank. They’ll also note the record number of new car sales, suggesting more and more motorists are converting to vehicles that ‘benefit’ from premium fuels – even though this goes against the fact that some would clearly be disadvantaged by the move. However, as the AAA point out, recent research into fuel emissions has suggested a stark difference in real-world performance compared with laboratory condition.
One must also consider that many motorists have a hard time justifying a greater expense at the point of purchase. Analysis should also consider the role that the leading fuel companies will play in this development. The leading implication would be that refineries, already struggling, and even terminals around the country, would need to invest some degree of capex into their assets to facilitate the changes. With this, motoring bodies such as the NRMA are concerned oil companies may take advantage of the changes and increase the price differential for premium fuels. If refineries opted to close instead, a reliance on fuel imports would hurt motorists even more.
As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, regular unleaded fuel is used by nearly 80% of motorists outside NSW. Its removal would be sure to draw ire from many in the community. It’s certainly time we cleaned up our game and improve the quality of our fuel, however, offsiding the majority of the population is something that clearly goes against reason. With more practical alternatives being proposed in the form of sulphur limitations, it’s logical we use those as the starting point of what is a much-needed reform.
New Cars for 2017
With seeing the New Year in auto enthusiasts can get a bit of a spring in their step as they anticipate the new models of car that will be on sale. This year we’ll be seeing numerous new models for sale in Australia. Here’s the ‘’heads-up’’ for what’s coming.
The first quarter of 2017 will see the arrival of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi S4 sedan and S4 Avant wagon, Mazda MX-5 RF, Mercedes Benz AMG E43, Mercedes-Benz E350e, Nissan GT-R Nismo, Skoda Superb Sportline, Toyota C-HR, Holden limited-edition Commodores, Holden Trax, Kia Rio, Suzuki Ignis, Maserati Levante, Porsche 911 GTS, the new BMW 5 Series and the Toyota Yaris facelift.
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Toyota C-HR
If speed is your thing then, perhaps, the most exciting car to drive in this bunch will be the new Alfa Romeo Giulia, Mercedes Benz AMG E43, Maserati Levante or the Nissan GT-R Nismo. Nissan’s 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 will be hard to beat with its full-throttle 420 Nm, six-speed dual-clutch automatic and AWD powerhouse. Expect a 0-100 sprint time of less than three seconds. BMW’s new 5 Series is a ‘pearler’ – combining the best in family luxury and performance. Holden’s limited edition models will be roomy and comfortable, while the Toyota C-HR looks really cool and is sure to be on the radar for those on the lookout for a new small crossover vehicle.
Roll on into the second quarter and we’ll see the new Hyundai Genesis G80 boasting a V8 5.0-litre option, however the flagship model still sits pretty with a 3.8-litre V6 alternative. One thing is certain; the Genesis is quiet, large and luxurious. Ride quality is excellent and the car feels well planted with good grip.
The new Holden Astra sedan will be another great alternative to other mid-size sedans. We’ll see the new Lexus LC, Suzuki Swift, fast Mercedes-AMG E63 and the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class All-Terrain vehicles.
Want a new off-road king pin? Then the last half of the year has Land Rover bringing in their next generation Discovery. This one looks really good. Staying with the off-road theme, a brand new model sees the Skoda Kodiaq rolling on in. At 4.70m in length the Kodiaq SUV will be a roomy and practical wagon. Other models to be on the lookout for are the Mercedes-AMG GT R, Haval H7 and interesting Volkswagen Arteon.
Volkswagen Arteon
Advance warning is always good, and this “heads-up” 2017 new car list is perfect for comparing and making choices over which new car to buy.
Jaguar's F-Type Ready For 2018 With Updates And New Additions.
Jaguar’s F-Type caused a stir when it was released and now it’s set to do the same with a world first in video technology. Here’s what they have to say.
“Every F-TYPE now features the Touch Pro infotainment system. Its super-fast responses, intuitive tablet-style operation, intelligent navigation functions such as Share ETA and online services such as real-time traffic and live weather reports make every journey more rewarding and put a world of information at the driver’s fingertips.
True enthusiasts will be able to capture and share their driving experiences using the new ReRun app developed in collaboration with GoPro. In a world-first, ReRun combines real-time video from the driver’s GoPro with key vehicle performance data including speed, throttle position, gear selection, braking force and g force. The high quality video – including unique ‘highlights’ sections – can be downloaded to the driver’s smartphone and shared on social media.
The F-TYPE’s award-wining design is stronger and more focused, with clearer visual range differentiation thanks to model-specific front bumpers. Full LED headlights boost visual appeal still further and help improve driver safety and comfort.”
There’s more: a new R-Dynamic model joins the family, with the 250 kilowatt and 280 kilowatt V6s under the redesigned front end. Yep, the F-Type has had a facelift. For the 2018 model year the front end look becomes clearer and more powerful, with LED headlights adding a technological edge, plus the running lights have double duty, with indicators now their other function. 
Those headlights have been colour temperature keyed to be 5600 – 6000 Kelvin, giving a natural daytime look along with improving the reach of the lights ahead of the car.
Inside, lightweight slimline seats (with Jaguar saying 8 kilos have been saved) deliver more style, more room and greater comfort. A harmonious selection of new interior finishes and materials give the F-TYPE a more exotic feel.
The F-TYPE’s grille shape and graphic are unchanged, remaining – as ever – key elements in the sports car’s design DNA. However, for the 2018 model year, designers paid particular attention to the bumpers, introducing bolder surfaces and simpler forms with discreet signature features subtly enhancing the front end form, providing greater differentiation across the model range, from the F-TYPE up to the F-TYPE SVR.
In place of its predecessor’s double ‘shark gill’ apertures, the new F-TYPE features large, powerful single apertures with a lozenge mesh design. Building on this design theme, the F-TYPE R-Dynamic models gain Gloss Black bezels.
To help celebrate the update, Jaguar will release a new model, available for just 12 months. To mark the introduction of the new F-TYPE range Jaguar has developed the exclusive 400 SPORT launch edition, which will go on sale worldwide but for one model year only. Power from the new 294 kilowatt, or (hence the name)400PS version of the 3.0-litre supercharged V6 engine is complemented by an uprated chassis comprising the Super Performance braking system, Configurable Dynamics and 20-inch wheels with a unique Dark Satin Grey finish.
Distinctive Yellow and Dark Satin Grey 400 SPORT badges on the rear of the car and on the front splitter hint at the extra power concealed beneath the clamshell bonnet and perfectly complement the choice of Indus Silver, Santorini Black and Yulong White metallic paint. Interior design elements include 400 SPORT branding in the centre console, steering wheel, treadplates and embroidered headrests. Yellow contrast stitching features throughout the cabin.
Jaguar have also added a semi automated parking facility; ultrasonic sensors read potential parking spaces for length and if suitable will steer the car in once the driver has engaged Reverse. Throttle and brake are also controlled by the system.
Pricing and further details will be released for the Australian market in the early part of Q2, 2017, ahead of the car’s launch in the latter part of Q2.
(With thanks to Jaguar UK and Jaguar Australia.)
Get away from it all with the Ford Escape.
Ford’s forthcoming Escape brings that nameplate full circle, replacing the Kuga which replaced the Escape. It’s part of Ford’s global naming strategy but also brings a kit bag full of technology. Here’s the lowdown on the 2017 Escape.
When compared with the current Ford Kuga model, the Escape will have a sharper recommended Manufacturer’s List Price (‘MLP’) of $28,490* for the entry level model, a new front-wheel drive 1.5-litre Trend model further heightening appeal. The Escape range offers families a suite of advanced Driver Assist Technologies (DAT). Seven airbags, Dynamic Stability Control, Rollover Mitigation, Reverse Camera and sensors will be standard on every Escape. SYNC® 3^ – Ford’s all-new communications and entertainment system – featuring faster performance, intuitive smartphone-like full-colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay#, Android Auto# compatibility and embedded sat-nav is standard across the range.Key changes for Escape over the Ford Kuga include:
- Refreshed design inside and out for a distinctive look.
- Improved specification including paddle-shifters on auto Escape, building on the fun-to-drive ethos.
- Improved fuel economy for 2.0-litre models thanks to automatic start/stop as standard, reducing running costs.
- New FWD 1.5-litre Escape Trend fills the gap in Ford’s line-up, providing a variant that almost one-third of customers in this segment choose.
- Sharper starting MLP of $28,490.
The new Escape features Ford’s latest design language for a bold and sporty look that is shared with fellow Ford SUVs, including the global Ford Edge. A large upper trapezoidal two-bar grille and a smaller lower grille are flanked by sleek new headlamps incorporating Daytime Running Lights, complemented by stylish fog lamps.
Restyled taillights complete the sporty look, while a new range of 18- and 19-inch alloy wheel designs will appear on Trend and Titanium models. Two new colours, White Platinum (tri-coat) and Copper Pulse, will be offered throughout the range.
The Escape’s sculpted bonnet features a wider, uninterrupted central dome that not only serves to complement its sporty new looks, but also incorporates a structural design that more closely controls deformability and flexibility of the bonnet, developed to improve pedestrian protection in an accident. The bonnet and rear liftgate also have been re-engineered to help mitigate damage to more expensive-to-replace components following a collision.
The meticulously crafted interior has seen an upgrade in tactile quality, fit and finish, and has been refined to offer a more ergonomic, stylish and comfortable experience for occupants. The steering wheel and air-conditioning controls are even more intuitive, and feature fewer and more distinguishable buttons and switches, making the Escape’s cabin features easier to recognise and navigate. All automatic Escape models will feature paddle-shift functionality that enables drivers to manually select gears, adding to its fun-to-drive ethos. 
New convenience features also make Escape even more user-friendly; an electronic parking brake is effortless to operate and frees room for improved storage in the centre console. The second-row stadium seating boasts family-friendly packaging, with rear tray tables on the Titanium, as well as ISOFIX anchorage-points and rear air-vents on all models. It also offers up to 1603 litres of convenient cargo space with the stadium seating folded.
The Escape Trend is available with an optional Hands-Free Power Tailgate with Smart Keyless Entry that can be opened or closed with a swing of the foot beneath the rear bumper. The technology helps parents to easily access the new Escape’s boot when returning to their vehicle with shopping, pushchairs or toddlers. 
More equipment for less, with SYNC 3^ standard on all Escapes
The new Ford Escape will allow drivers to control audio, navigation and other functions plus connected smartphones using simple, more conversational voice commands with Ford’s new SYNC 3^ connectivity system. Ford has drawn on more than 22,000 comments and insights gained from research clinics and surveys to ensure the most customer-centric system to date.
By pushing a button and saying “I need a coffee,” Escape drivers can find nearby cafés, for instance, while simple voice commands can also guide them to petrol stations or car parks, train stations, airports and hotels. The system then guides the driver to the selected destination via the embedded navigation that’s standard across the Escape range.
Voice search results are also enhanced by a better understanding of how consumers refer to businesses and points of interest. Drivers don’t have to know an exact name. They can search for “Sydney Airport” rather than using the official name “Sir Charles Kingsford Smith International Airport.” To finding a specific address, they can say, “Seventeen Thirty-five Sydney Road” instead of “One Seven Three Five Sydney Road.”
Escape drivers can operate SYNC® 3’’s 8.0-inch touchscreen – the largest in this class – in the same way that they use their smartphones. A new interface features larger, easier to operate buttons and enables pinch and swipe gestures for the first time.
Apple iPhone users can activate Apple CarPlay, the smarter, safer way to use your iPhone in the Escape, allowing drivers to make phone calls, access music, send and receive messages, obtain directions optimised for traffic conditions and more while they stay focused on the road. Android users can activate Android Auto.
Android Auto makes apps and services that drivers already know and love accessible in safer and seamless ways, including Google Search, Google Maps and Google Play.
SYNC 3 also delivers SYNC AppLink+ for customers, enabling voice-activation from the driver’s seat of a range of smartphone apps that now includes Spotify, AccuWeather and Pandora+.
Enhanced Driver Assist Technology
The latest Ford technologies and sophisticated body engineering help drivers see more clearly and enhance safety on the road for new Escape occupants and other road users.
Ford’s Adaptive Front Lighting System is available for the Escape and monitors ambient light conditions, automatically optimising visibility by adjusting the beam angle of the new bi-xenon headlights depending on the vehicle’s speed, steering angle and distance to an object in front. It features anti-glare capability, as well as country road, city street and also maneuvering beam-shaping abilities.
The Escape also offers advanced Ford Driver Assist Technologies, including an enhanced version of Ford’s optional Active City Stop collision avoidance system, which now operates at speeds of up to 50km/h, increased from 30km/h. Active City Stop uses sensors at the front of the vehicle to look for objects in the road ahead. If the system detects that the vehicle is approaching an object too quickly it pre-charges the brakes. If the driver still does not respond, the system reduces engine torque and automatically applies the brakes to help reduce the impact of collisions, or avoid them altogether.
Sophisticated technology for simpler parking
The new Ford Escape will make driving and parking simpler for customers. New Perpendicular Parking functionality enhances the semi-autonomous Active Park Assist technology. Using additional ultrasonic sensors, Perpendicular Parking at the push of a button helps enable drivers to locate parking spaces alongside other cars as well as parallel to the road, and steers the vehicle into them while the driver controls the accelerator and brake.
Driver Assistance Technology and features that further help new Escape drivers include:
- Cross Traffic Alert, which warns drivers reversing out of a parking space of vehicles detected that may soon be crossing behind them.
- Park-Out Assist that helps drivers as they exit a parallel parking space.
- Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Warning and Brake Support, which is designed to detect a slow-moving vehicle in certain circumstances and adjust vehicle speed accordingly.
- Ford Intelligent All-Wheel Drive to optimise handling and traction.
- A Driver Alert System that’s designed to detect certain signs of fatigue and provides a warning in the instrument cluster.
- Torque Vectoring Control, which assists traction and cornering stability.
New Escape Trend
The Escape will introduce a fresh key model to the segment from Ford: the new front-wheel drive 1.5-litre Escape Trend. Capitalising on consumer demand for a high level of equipment, safety and technology in a family-friendly package with low fuel consumption, the Escape Trend comes with the proven 1.5-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder with start/stop technology as standard. This enables the Escape Trend to achieve an official 7.2L/100km1fuel economy figure while delivering a fun-to-drive 134kW/240Nm power and torque.
Driver engagement is further heightened with paddle-shifters on automatic models, in addition to 18-inch alloys, full-colour reversing camera via the 8.0-inch SYNC 3 touchscreen as well as sat-nav. Sat-nav is standard across the entire Escape range. The Trend also adds convenient features including privacy glass to keep its rear-seat occupants cool, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers.
The Escape Trend also offers an array of sophisticated options that aren’t offered by key rivals on mid-spec models. These include a Hands-free Power Tailgate with Smart Keyless Entry, and a Technology Pack that boasts features available only on competitor’s flagship models.
The revitalised line-up sees the family-friendly new Escape offered in a broader variety of models, reflecting the fragmentation of the SUV market in Australia, and Ford’s more than doubling of its SUV range since 2012.
The Escape joins the growing family of Ford SUVS, including the EcoSport and the locally-engineered, award-winning Everest in Ford dealerships, capitalising on Ford’s SUV heritage and expertise. In 2017, Ford will launch a five-seat Everest to further broaden its SUV range, capitalising on the $2 billion local investment over the past six years and ongoing innovation at Ford’s You Yangs, Victoria, Proving Ground as a hub for Asia-Pacific engineering and global development.
The New Ford Escape: model-by-model
New Ford Escape Ambiente
1.5L FWD 6-speed manual MLP $28,490
1.5L FWD 6-speed automatic MLP $29,990
1.5L AWD 6-speed automatic MLP $32,990
Standard Features
- SYNC® 3 with 8.0-inch capacitive touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Embedded satellite-navigation with Traffic Management Control (TMC)
- Dual-zone climate control with rear air vents
- AM/FM/DAB+ radio, six-speaker audio with USB input, Bluetooth streaming
- Reverse Camera and rear parking sensors
- Cruise Control with speed limiter
- Daytime running-lights
- Push-button start
- Front and rear fog-lamps
- Electronic Parking Brake
- SYNC® Emergency Assist
- Ford MyKey
New Ford Escape Trend
1.5L EcoBoost FWD 6-speed automatic MLP $32,990
2.0L EcoBoost AWD 6-speed automatic MLP $35,990
2.0L TDCi AWD 6-speed automatic MLP $38,490
Standard Features
As per Ambiente, plus:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Roof-rails in silver finish
- Privacy Glass
- Automatic rain-sensing windscreen wipers
- Automatic-dimming rear-vision mirror
- Automatic on/off headlights
- Follow-me home lighting
- Leather-wrap gear lever
New Ford Escape Titanium
2.0L EcoBoost AWD 6-speed automatic MLP $44,990
2.0L TDCi AWD 6-speed automatic MLP $47,490
Standard Features
As per Trend, plus:
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- Smart Keyless Entry
- Power folding mirrors with approach light Bi-Xenon HID headlights with auto levelling
- LED Daytime-running lights
- Adaptive Beam Shape and Dynamic bending headlights
- Leather upholstery
- Heated front-seating
- 10-way power-adjustable Driver’s seat
- Front parking sensors
- Enhanced Active Park Assist
- Panoramic glass roof
- Front and rear velour floor mats
- Hands-free power tailgate
- Multi-colour ambient lighting
- LED tail lights
- Nine-speaker audio
New Ford Escape: powertrains
1.5L (six-speed manual)
110kW@ 6000rpm
240Nm@ 1600-5000rpm
6.3L/100km (FWD)
Towing capacity: 1500(FWD); 1600kg (AWD)
1.5L (six-speed paddle-shift automatic)
134kW@ 6000rpm
240Nm@ 1600-5000rpm
7.2L/100km (FWD)
7.5L/100km (AWD)
Towing capacity: 1500kg in front wheel drive (FWD); 1600kg in all wheel drive (AWD)
2.0L (six-speed paddle-shift automatic)
178kW@ 5500rpm
345Nm@ 2000-4500rpm
8.6L/100km 1
Towing capacity: 1600kg
2.0L Diesel (six-speed paddle-shift automatic)
132kW@ 3500rpm
400Nm@ 2000-2500rpm
5.5L/100km (Trend)
Towing capacity: 1800kg
(With thanks to Ford Australia).
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