Archive for July, 2016
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Land Rover Discovery TDV6
It’s as big as The Hulk, has more grunt than a GT3 race field, the poise on road of Nureyev in Swan Lake and the agility of a salmon leaping from an ice cold river. They’re flowery words to describe the latest iteration of Land Rover’s venerable Discovery V6 but it’s all that and more. A Wheel Thing takes the beastie for a solid on road stint and comes away wishing the keys stayed for longer.
The Discovery TDV6 is blocky, squared off, seemingly hewn from a single piece of metal. It stands a massive 1891 mm tall (including roof rails) and has a face not unlike the sibling Range Rover, complete with LED driving lights and logo shone down to the ground from the wing mirrors. At the rear are the classic Land Rover tail lights (now with LED lighting) and split fold non powered tailgate with electric release for the lower section. In profile there’s windows large enough to be sails for an America’s Cup yacht. From 1890. Yep, the Disco is a big ‘un all round.
And that extends to the beautifully appointed bone/beige and chocolate coffee( aka Almond and Arabica) leather interior, optioned in the test vehicle over the cloth covering normally found in the TDV6, with driver, passenger, mid row passengers and rear seat passengers (which fold flat into the floor) all having plenty of shoulder, leg, and head room. The Discovery did lack heating for the front seats (which were the optionable electric powered) and, to be honest, a heated tiller would have been nice too, but it’s optionable on the other two models. Such is the manner of companies differentiating between models in a range.
The middle row seats have a solid mechanism to their folding; some middle rows simply feel as if they’ll fold with a slight breeze once unlatched, the Discovery’s give an impression of needing some muscle to do so. Of course that’s not the case, but there’s that implied sense of oomph required. They’re also separate seats, three seats, not a sixty to forty split fold and big enough for three average sized adults to be in. This configuration is also an option, with the 60/40 split the norm.
Up front, well it’s just a beautiful place to be. The Arabica leather across the top, the symmetrically designed console (bar the Start/Stop button at driver’s left in a right hand drive vehicle) and the simple and elegant dash dial look. Not that it’s a major thing but the temperature dials adjusted by one degree stops, not 0.5 as seems to be the standard and a button or tab for dual zone operation to single wasn’t readily apparent either. Controls for the drive modes are button operated as is the variable height air suspension, giving up to 310 mm maximum ground clearance.
But there’s that sweet colour combination, the subtly supportive seats (subtle because although there was room to move you also feel safe and after a good stint behind the wheel there’s no feeling of tiredness) and the JLR touchscreen’s familiarly cluttered look. DAB is fitted and the sensitivity of the units that Jaguar/Land Rover/Range Rover again comesunder scrutiny, with drop out in areas other manufacturers systems don’t have. Meridian supply the speakers and it’s again a clean, well defined sound stage.
As mentioned, the Discovery is big; there’s a wheelbase of 2885 mm inside a length of 4829 mm and with the mirrors folded ut, it’s 2200 mm wide. It’ll wade up to 700 mm in depth, on the 19 inch alloys and 255/55 Wrangler rubber and can climb and depart at 32.2 and 26.7 degrees without raising the body on the air suspension. Otherwise it’s 36.2 and 29.6. The size provides up to 1260 litres of cargo space and gives passengers 1020 mm of head room at the front, plus 983 mm to 1018 mm in the third row if fitted with the “Alpine roof”. Weight? Well, it’s more than it looks, at a hefty 2558 kilos…
Although there’s a decent 155 kilowatts at 4000 revs, there’s an even better 520 torques at 2000. This contributes greatly towards the fuel economy figures, which Land Rover quotes as being 9.8L per 100 kilometres in the ‘burbs, 8.1L/100 on the highway (which is higher than expected) and comes from a 82.3L tank. A Wheel Thing finished on 9.0L after just under 670 kilometres. They’re good, if not great figures, considering it’s an eight speed auto connected to the constant 4WD (no transfer case in the base TDV6) system and there’s a 0-100 kilometre time of over ten seconds. Some weight loss work would see both figures improve.
Although it’s a tad weighty, it doesn’t deter the Discovery from being agile and nimble. Also a strong advocate of road safety and driver education, A Wheel Thing sees far too much of what could be politely termed bad driving whilst out and reviewing cars. Thanks to Sydney drivers exhibiting said bad driving, it gave the Discovery opportunities to display its flair for handling, manouverability and mid range acceleration. The family pizza sized disc brakes 360/350 mm front/rear) also do a sterling job of hauling up the 2.5 tonne machine in anything from mild to wild situations.
On an overnight jaunt to Nowra, some 160 kilometres south of Sydney but a two plus hour drive, the tacho showed why an eight speed auto is a wonderful thing, with barely 1400 revs showing at 100 kmh. With something like 90% of that peak torque available at around that rev point, it makes for an easy, relaxed, cruising speed. There’s a well weighted steering system that can be moved with just one finger yet has real heft and feel to it, with plenty of feedback.
It’s also a superbly planted vehicle, supple to the point of being unbelieveable in its ride quality, with a confident sense of control being imparted to the driver. The driver education also plays a part in knowing how to manhandle the Discovery through tight curves and turns, such as those found heading to Nowra via Kangaroo Valley, with the front tucking in and the rear settled with 
just a touch of acceleration. There is, however, still the matter of 2.5 tonnes of mass to consider…yes, it’s a great ride and handler, but you can feel that mass move about and come into play in turns and braking.
At The End Of The Drive.
It’s a helluva car for a surprisingly low price: RRP is around $68K (as of June 2016) but there’s something like $9400 in on road costs to tack on as well. THEN there’s the extensive options list, allowing you to personalise your new Land Rover to your own taste. But you’ll get Land Rover’s standard three year warranty, road side assistance and the option of extended warranty for extra piece of mind (Land Rover Extended Warranty)
Fit, finish, driveability and in real terms pretty damned good fuel economy make this car a winner in the eyes of A Wheel Thing. Land Rover continues the legend and the Land Rover Discovery TDV6 was given back with a heavy heart.
Details of your new Land Rover Discovery are right here: 2016 Land Rover Discovery
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Haval H9
Haval is a new entry to the Aussie car market and is certainly, judging by the Haval H9, poised to make an impact on the sales figures. It hails from China but that doesn’t make it a non worthwhile consideration. Here’s why…
Haval have loaded the H9 (the premium model from Haval) with more fruit than a grocer’s store. Tri-zone climate control, exterior night shining logo which doubles as a puddle lamp, glowing door sills, seven seats, leather, satnav via an eight inch touchscreen, sunroof with presets and LED lit surround, mood lighting (operated via touch tab at the sunroof operation area), swiveling and leveling headlights, plus dash mounted 4WD info such as inclination, compass and external air pressure. Not sure about that last one, admittedly. It’s a big car, too; think Nissan X-Trail meets Mercedes GL class for looks and size.
Cloud to the silver lining? A surprisingly lacklustre turbocharged 2.0L petrol engine (Haval are reportedly working on a diesel) producing 160 kilowatts and 324 Nm between 2000 and 4000. Haval quote 12.1 litres per 100 kilometres for a combined cycle meaning urban consumption (not quoted) has to be something over 14.0L. That’s from an eighty litre tank and requiring a minimum of 95 RON. Haval don’t quote a kerb weight however it’s quoted elsewhere as being 2250 kilograms. Haval also states the H9 will tow up to 2500 kilograms. It may do but expect a hefty fuel bill and a glacial progress initially.
The gearbox is a six speed auto that has options such as Auto, Sports and off road modes; in Sports mode which with the lack of torque the engine has, sees second gear held for too long under most normal accelerative conditions. Have to say, though, it is a smooth ‘box and engine combo, with most changes audible in revs but not physically felt.The steering rack felt as if something was loose, such as a mounting bracket or joint. There’s a noise and a feeling of untoward movement underneath. Minor, but worrying enough to be of concern.
It has a good steering feel, however, with good weight and a turning circle of just over eleven metres. That’s good for a car that measures 4856 mm in length and has a 2800 mm wheelbase. And when not shifting about, it’s responsive enough also, with enough feedback to keep a modest driver informed about where they’re going. It does feel as if, though, the rack and pinion steering has too much of a requirement for a full lock to lock steering response, needing close to four turns.
On road, apart from the leisurely acceleration, it’s good enough to please most people. Front suspension niggle aside, it’s a competent handler, points well and rides nicely. Over some unsettled surfaces it did skip more than anticipated, has some bump steer, yet isn’t overly firm in the overall ride. On the flat, it’s surefooted, compliant if a bit taut but deals with Sydney’s undulations by simply following the curvature and not pogoing.
There’s big Cooper Discoverer asymmetric tyres, at 265/60/18
underneath as well as double wishbone suspension at the front, multilink at the rear and certainly, overall, will be fine for all but the fussiest or sporting oriented drivers.
It’s not an unhandsome car, the H9, with beauty being in the eye of the beholder. In profile the rear has an X-Trail kick to the rear window line ahead of Kia style “neon” tail lights, solidly defined wheel arches, some musculature in the curves and LED driving lights up front. The bonnet has two non vented vents, being solid plastic and definitely modelled on a German brand’s look. 
There’s side steps, lit at night, and the tail gate is a side opener, hinged on the right. A quibble here is that the tail gate didn’t seem to unlock even though the four main doors had. It could be a setting needing a tick or a cross but it was frustrating knowing the passenger seats would open but the interior door lock button needed a tap or you needed the keyfob to have the handle respond.
There was a niggle in the well appointed inside as well. The H9 would take it upon itself to go to Auto climate control and window defrost, with the fan speed at Mach 2. Not all of the time, hence the niggle. There’s grey faux wood panelling but not looking out of place with the black leather trimmed seating. The dash itself was of a good look and feel, with strong ergonomic engineering to it, locating the Start/Stop button down on the centre console near the gear selector and a simple if somewhat hard to read layout for the climate control system.
The centre seats are fold and slide, have their own heating controls mounted on the end of the centre console and give up a VERY handy 1457 litres of cargo space.
It stays with the family friendly thought process by throwing in a 150W/220V power socket, 12V socket, ISOFIX x 2 mounts, 
a pretty good hifi system and Bluetooth connectivity. The driver’s seat also has memory seating with the switches hidden in the base of the seat itself, plus both seats have a front cushion section that can be pulled forward for extra under thigh support. 
The third row seats are powered, need a finger held on the buttons (inside left in the cargo area) but are verrrrrrrrrrrry slow.
Safety wise there’s full length curtain airbags, front side airbags, seatbelt pretensioners but doesn’t get blind spot alerts, cross traffic alerts, emergency braking assistance or radar cruise control assistance.
The centre console also houses the dial for the off road modes; Auto uses the onboard sensors to adapt to the terrain, plus you’ll get Sand, Mud and Snow modes that sport different ESC calibrations, and alter the torque distribution.
At The End Of The Drive.
The H9 comes in two levels, the Lux and and Premium, with the Lux being the vehicle tested and despite the name being the more expensive at $51K plus on roads. The Premium is $46490 plus ORCs. Haval pitches this into a hotly contested market, such as Kluger, Everest, Santa Fe and Fortuner.
Bluntly, it acquits itself well in this group but does miss some equipment taken for granted nowadays, not just in this style of vehicle, but in sedans and hatches lower down the automotive family tree. It’s a pleasing enough handler, voluminous inside, well trimmed and needs a diesel. Soon.
For info on the Haval H9 and an opportunity to check out the Haval family, look here: Haval H9 and range
The Cardboard Lexus
Remember when you were a little kid and a cardboard box could provide hours of fun and games? I have vivid memories of my son pretending a cardboard box was a car, especially after his uncles decorated the box with BMW logos (is it a coincidence that he now dreams of owning a BMW X3?).
Lexus has managed to come up with a grown-up version of the cardboard box car, with a little help from LaserCut Works and Scales And Models in the UK. I’m not sure if you’d call the result a sculpture, a model car or the first glimpse of the next big thing in environmentally friendly motoring. In a nutshell, what they’ve made is a cardboard version of one of their very popular IS range . Yes, cardboard. Just about very single bit of the body. What’s more, you can really drive it.
Apparently, the idea was inspired by one of the more unusual tests given to the engineers who work on the Lexus assembly lines: they have to be able to fold an origami cat using their non-dominant hand (this is the left hand for those of us who are right-handed). The origami skill test alone is intriguing enough, as well as being so very typically Japanese. Some of the design features of many Lexus vehicles (Lexi? Lexuses?) look like traditional origami sculptures, so the next best thing for a good publicity stunt failing an actual origami Lexus was to come up with the cardboard version. I guess they couldn’t find sheets of paper big enough.
The cardboard Lexus looks just like the real thing apart from the colour and the visible lines where the different segments of cardboard end. However, if the light’s not brilliant or if you just see it trundling past down the road, you might easily mistake it for the real thing. It’s got the distinctive Lexus spindle grille. It’s got the twin headlights and the air intakes. It’s got the logo. It’s got doors that open and shut, and it’s got a full interior – it’s more or less made a 1:1 scale model car using very, very sturdy cardboard around an aluminium and steel frame.
How they did this is the LaserCut precision laser tooling folk took a standard Lexus IS 300 h sedan and got all its specs from the CAD drawing used by the actual Lexus production works. The car – interior and exterior – was then reduced to a series of slices, each as thick as the sheets of cardboard used by the creative team. A precision laser cutting machine cut each slice out and each piece was numbered so that the cardboard Lexus could be put together properly. The cardboard version was assembled entirely by hand after the cutting process. Here’s a video showing you how it was done:
The finishing touch was to add an electric motor into the engine bay so this cardboard Lexus can really drive. Whether or not it’s the same electric motor as you’ll find in the real Lexus 300h (which is a hybrid vehicle), we don’t know. However, the motor really turns the cardboard wheels, which respond to the cardboard steering wheel.
The result is a little short on the bells and whistles you’d find in the real thing, and the cardboard version certainly doesn’t go anywhere near as fast. However, it does go from A to B.
This model was done just for fun. However, given the current high use of plastics and the like in vehicles, the drive to make things lighter and the push for using sustainable resources, have Lexus stumbled onto something? Add in the requirements for impact-absorbing crumple zones and steering columns that collapse in the case of a collision so the driver doesn’t get impaled and a lot of possibilities open up. In future, will parts of vehicle bodies (not the ones that have to be structurally sturdy and protective, of course) be made from renewable and recyclable cardboard?
They’d better do something about the waterproofing or any future cardboard cars will suffer the same fate as my son’s long-ago cardboard box BMW: getting wet and soggy, then disintegrating.
Level 2, 9 Help Street