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Archive for December, 2018

Car Review: 2019 Renault Koleos Life

Renault’s push to gain more market share in Australia is working well if the 2019 Renault Koleos Life is any standard to judge by. Model shared with Nissan (the X-Trail), the Life is the entry level model of the Koleos range. Renault have sharpened the pencil and it’s available at a driveaway cost of $29,990.Power comes from a 2.5L petrol engine which is mated to a CVT, or Constant Variable Transmission. Peak power of 126kW comes in at 6000rpm, with peak torque on tap at 4400rpm. There are 226 torques to play with and most of them don’t come out to play until around 3000rpm. The CVT is an old school style in that it feels like a slipping clutch on a manual gearbox under full load. The tacho swings around to the 4000rpm mark before easing off. Freeway speeds sees the tacho at around the 2200rpm mark. It’s also old school in that there aren’t any pre-programmed steps for manual shifting. This also means no paddle shifts on the steering column.Renault quotes 8.1L per 100km for the 1552kg front wheel drive Koleos Life from the 60L tank. AWT saw an average of 10.1L/100km in a purely urban drive and that near enough matches Renault’s figure of 10.4L/100km. It’s fair to say that a good portion of that consumption would come from the acceleration part of the drive as the Koleos needs a reasonably heavy right foot if any rapidity for forward motion is needed. Although CVTs do tend to work best with low torque engines, in the Life it works against the engine’s characteristics by not having the “steps” more commonly found now.Where the Koleos picks up bonus points is in the ride and handling. It’s got a sweet tune to the suspension with a suppleness and confidence to the ride rarely felt in this kind of vehicle. It’s a composed setup at worst, a delight to be in at best. Rebound is controlled quickly, road intrusions are damped rapidly, and sits flat on most types of surface. The steering rack is fast in the initial twirl, but there is a sense of numbness in between. It’s light and perhaps over-assisted to boot. As a driving package, it’s not quite the whole being bigger than the sum of its parts, but it’s also not far off that. Cornering is a doddle, again thanks to the steering, and it sits nicely as it does so. The 225/65/17 rubber from Kumho contributes to the comfort and handling.The exterior is smooth, with plenty of curves front and rear. It’s a pretty car, if such a thing can be said about a mid-sized SUV. The signature part of the Koleos is the swooping LED line around each corner of the upper front end, starting with the top of the headlights, that slides down into the lower corners. The indicators are LEDs and are integrated into the overall design. It’s a stylish look, visually effective, and is an ideal counterpoint to the similar curvature designed into the rear.It’s a non-powered tailgate in the Life, not unexpectedly, but it’s an easy lift and exposes a 458L boot (seats up). That has an increase to 1690L once the seats are folded, and with a 770mm sill lift, isn’t the most difficult place to get a load into. Seating is comfortable to a fault, there is plenty of space for four, five at a pinch, and the plastics, although not soft touch, look good. It’s a “proper” key start, not a wireless fob, and unusually it’s a foot operated parking brake, an anachronism nowadays.What’s also a standout, and not always necessarily in a positive way, is where Renault place items such as audio controls and cruise control buttons. Where some companies have a stalk behind the steering wheel for cruise control, Renault has a similarly designed and placed stalk for the audio. And where some may have cruise control buttons on the steering wheel arms, Renault place the on/off switches in the centre console.The driver’s dash itself is a simple and elegant affair. A centrally placed full colour LCD screen is bracketed by two almost semi-circle dials showing temperature and fuel, whilst inside on the LCD csreen is an understated display option, with the drive modes to the left and variable info to the right. The centre stack is dominated by a large touchscreen with one interesting feature. Renault has programmed in a Distance Without Fuel Consumption display, a unique idea indeed. The overall design is balanced, uncluttered, and user friendly.Safety at this entry level is decent. A full suite starts the party, with the mandated braking and traction systems on board backed up by the Advanced Emergency Braking System. The Life misses out on front sensors but does get rear sensors. Tyre Pressure Monitoring is standard across the four level Koleos range. Life dips out on Blind Spot Warning however does get Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Warning. It does get a five star safety rating in the EuroNCAP ratings system.

Warranty is five years and is backed by capped price serving, which gives Renault owners four years of 24/7 roadside assistance if Renault services the car.

At The End Of The Drive.
Although sharing some basics with its Nissan sibling, the Koleos can be considered to be a more appealing vehicle in the looks department, and would need to be driven directly against the X-Trail to fairly compare the ride and handling. Having said that it definitely is a cushy ride and a responsive handler. At at a driveaway price of the $30K the Life is a great starting point. You can find out more here. http://credit-n.ru/zaymi-na-kartu-blog-single.html

Private Fleet Car Review: 2019 Kia Optima Si

Kia’s once large sedan contender has been overshadowed by the Stinger, itself an excellent and vastly underrated vehicle. The Optima, though, remains the hidden gem in the bigger sedan family and the updated 2019 Kia Optima Si still impresses. The test car provided comes at a cost of $33,390, paint at $595 for premium paint, making the test car $33,985 plus on-roads.Power comes courtesy of a naturally aspirated 2.4L four for the Si or a turbocharged 2.0L four for the GT. Peak power is 138kW at 6000rpm, with peak torque a reasonable 241Nm. That comes in at 4000rpm, with a steady curve to there from idle. Powering the front wheels via a six speed auto that’s been slightly recalibrated for 2019, Kia quotes a combined fuel economy figure of 8.3L/100km from the 70 litre tank inside the 1540kg (dry) Optima.Rubber is from Continental, with Kia specifying their ContiPremiumContact5 at 215/55/17. It’s a grippy choice, with the front driven Optima making good use of the tyre’s adhesion. During the week’s review period, Sydney had both summer and winter driving conditions. The Continental rubber powered through both with equal levels of confidence. They also coped with the Si’s propensity to torque steer, an unusual sensation in an age where that quirk of front-wheel-drive cars is almost non-existent.Suspension is the proven combination of MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link rear. The suspension has been massaged for the 2019 Optima, with the dampers erring towards the sporting side, a choice that sporting drivers will enjoy. Others may find that a little too severe. Indeed, on Sydney’s mix of unsettled and undulating roads as opposed to the new and smooth tarmac found in roadworks, the Optima Si had no issue in equalising both into a comfortable and composed ride. The only time PF semi-wished for a softer setup was over the bedamned shopping centre and local residence speed restrictors.The setup provides a nimble and communicative chassis. Steering input is received and processed quickly, with rapid changes of direction. Body roll is minimal, and the overall feel of the body is one of connection, not isolation from the road and its varying conditions. The steering is also relatively free from bump-steer.

Overall drive response is perhaps also not for those that aren’t of a sporting bent. The throttle response is virtually instant, with a “light-switch” feel. Tap the accelerator pedal and the engine engages instantly; go off, and it responds by damping down the revs quickly. It does take a bit of practice to get the smooth and progressive acceleration less responsive systems have. It’s a free revving engine, too, eagerly spinning around and bringing with it a steady rate of urge. It’s a tad buzzy past 4000rpm but that’s a rarity in seeing those numbers in normal driving. The transmission is a simply gorgeous piece of engineering, with invisible, seamless, changes. There’s no real sense of transition between ratios at all, with zero forward and back bodily movement as the cogs swap quietly and efficiently.Kia’s efficiency in packaging is in abundance in the Optima Si. Inside the 4855mm overall length, (yep, just 8.4 centimetres shorter than a VF Commodore) is a 2805mm wheelbase. That’s just eleven centimetres shorter than the Commodore’s. This equates to ample leg room front and rear, a luggage space of 450L (SAE measurement, 510L VDA, and complete with full sized spare), and 1475mm shoulder room up front. Rear seat passengers have 1432mm shoulder room and 904mm leg room.The Si has manually adjusted seats up front, with the driver getting a two position lumbar support seat. Cloth is the material of choice all round in the Si and all seats are comfortable enough to have passengers egress after a long drive feeling fine. Kia’s worked hard to make sure the cabin is a good place to be, and the quality of the fit and finish is testament to this. The trim is black, with a leather look texture, and there are subdued uses of an alloy hued plastic. The Optima has the almost standard arch sweep at the upper edge of the dash., joining in one fluid line both sides of the cabin.Switch-gear is typically clinical Kia in layout and look. The touchscreen in the Si is a seven inch unit, the GT gets an eight inch setup. Audio is AM/FM only with no DAB tuner fitted to both. The Si also misses out on satnav. However there is Android Auto and Apple CarPlay with voice recognition, backed by Bluetooth streaming and the usual USB/Aux inputs. There are four cup holders and four bottle holders, map pockets, and back of seat pockets. Rear seat passengers also have a pair of charging sockets and air vents.The exterior received a mild refresh in 2018. The Schreyer grille now has an almost Maserati look to it, and the lower front bumper has been reprofiled with the lower intake now more angled in towards the corners towards deep-set cornering lights. The familiar angled headlights retain their LED driving lights and commence a long, sweeping, line to join the rear non-LED lights in the Si. The GT has LEDs here. The profile is a handsome coupe style and the test car came clad in Temptation Red.Safety is naturally of a high level with a five star rating. Lane Keep Assist and Autonomous Emergency Braking are standard, with the Si not receiving Rear Cross Traffic Alert. Dusk sensing headlights are standard, as are a pair of ISOFIX seat mounts. There are six airbags and the usual mandated safety equipment levels. Parking sensors front and rear take the edge off any parking problems in those tight shopping centre carparks.The seven year warranty is standard and Kia has a seven year fixed price servicing structure, with 15,000 kilometre or one year intervals. Year one/15,000 kilometres comes in at $289, with year four the most expensive at $559.

At The End Of The Drive.
The 2019 Kia Optima Si slides unhappily, it seems, into that niche of very good cars that are largely ignored by the buying public. Sedans on the whole are a class of car that were once loved but now sit, licking their wounds from an SUV mauling, in the shadows. The Optima itself, a handsome looker, a good drive, and well equipped, suffers from a number of factors in not having the sizeable presence it once had.

Head to the Kia website for more info. http://credit-n.ru/kredity-online-blog-single.html

Best In Class: Euro NCAP Releases The Safest Cars In Each Class For 2018

It’s that time of year when a lot of us are making like Chris Rea (driving home for Christmas) and thinking about the year that’s been.  The boys and girls in blue are also starting to ramp up the usual Christmas and New Year clampdown on drunk driving (fair enough) and speeding (sometimes getting a bit too picky). News announcers are going to dampen our festive mood by letting us know what the holiday road toll is for this year.  In keeping with this combination of wrapping up 2018 and keeping our minds on safety in a way that isn’t quite such a buzzkill, let’s take a look at the stars that Euro NCAP rated as being the safest new cars in each class for 2018.

Euro NCAP puts out its list of Best in Class vehicles (sounds like a dog show).  This list shows you who came out top out of the new vehicles in each vehicle class for that year.  It’s based on a bunch of different aspects of safety: protection of adult occupants, protection of child occupants, pedestrian safety and safety assistance.  These four factors have different weightings when they’re added together to get the final score.  Tests are carried out on the vehicles with standard safety equipment.

Some categories of vehicle don’t have a Best in Class for the year.  This happens when Euro NCAP hasn’t tested enough in that particular category to really make it a contest.  They only tested one in the Fleet category and none in the Vans category this year, for example.

And now (drum roll), here’s the winners for 2018:

Large Off-Road Vehicle: Hyundai Nexo

This one’s not currently available in Australia but it should come in a limited edition in 2019, according to Hyundai Australia.  This 5-door SUV (which isn’t exactly a big brute but was classed as a large off-roader by Euro NCAP) used hydrogen fuel cell technology plus electric, making it a hybrid among hybrids.  Looks pretty nice, too, so it’s going to be worth the wait! It scored 94% for Adult Occupant, 87% for Child Occupant, 97% for Pedestrian and 80% for Safety Assistance.

Large Family Car: Lexus ES

Euro NCAP is talking about a large car for families, not a car for large families, and this luxury hybrid sedan will certainly carry your family in style.  It got a score of 91% for Adult Occupant, 87% for Child Occupant, 90% for Pedestrian and 77% for Safety Assistance.

Small Family Car: Mercedes-Benz A-Class

This snappy little 5-door hatch scored 96% for Adult Occupant, 91% for Child Occupant, 92% for Pedestrian and 75% for Safety Assistance.  Its automatic brake assistance scooped it a whopping 11.8 out of a possible 12 in the safety features category.

Euro NCAP also has a separate class for electric and hybrid vehicles.  This year, the Best in Class in this category was the Lexus ES.  Something tells me that as Europe phases out straight ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles and brings in more and more hybrids and EVs, this category is going to be scrapped, as they’re all going to fit into it.

According to the official Euro NCAP press release, this year, the safety tests had a particular focus on “vulnerable road users”, namely pedestrians and cyclists.  And yes, they use crash test dummy pedestrians and cyclists for these tests, especially for the AEB (automatic emergency braking) systems.  (Can some bright psychologist tell me why the walking pedestrian dummies they use in the AEB tests always make me want to laugh?).

Here’s the A-Class going through its paces at the Euro NCAP facility so you can see exactly what they do to these cars.  Part of me thinks that these tests waste a nice car but then, to ensure great safety, you need to make some sacrifices, and it’s better to waste a machine than a human being.

Euro NCAP also puts out lists of the top vehicles in each of the categories.  Not all of the ones listed in these rankings are available in Australia yet, but we’ll certainly let you know all about them when they get here.  Here’s the ranking for family vehicles (i.e. small and large family vehicles and MPVS), ranked by overall score:

  1. Mercedes-Benz A-Class
  2. Lexus ES
  3. Audi Q3
  4. Volvo S60
  5. Volvo V60
  6. Peugeot 508
  7. Mazda 6
  8. Nissan LEAF
  9. Ford Focus
  10. Ford Tourneo Connect
  11. Opel Combo
  12. Citroën Berlingo
  13. Peugeot Rifter

Safe and happy driving not only over the Christmas and New Year period but also all through 2019, whether you score yourself one of these super-safe new cars or whether you prefer something else. http://credit-n.ru/zaymyi-next.html

2019 Mitsubishi Triton Is Ready To Rumble.

Updated, stronger, and better, the Mitsubishi Triton update for 2019 is on the way. Mitsubishi have given the Triton a new face, with their proprietary “Dynamic Shield” front and centre. The all wheel drive system has been given an update, and the level of safety has been improved even further.The design team have gone to some length to ensure that, as a 4WD capable off-roader, that design elements provide good looks and safety. This extends to the placement of the headlights and the judicious use of chrome to highlight the Shield design ethic. The rear end has been given a makeover also, with reprofiled tail lights and bumper adding extra visual appeal.Underneath and outside are changes to the drivetrain and body styles. There is the four door cabin or double cab, the club cab with storage space behind the seats, and the single cab, with extra tray capacity. The all terrain system has been improved with the 2WD and 4WD Super-Select now getting Mud/Snow, Sand, Gravel, and Rock in the GLS and GLS Premium trim levels, with the latter receiving a rear diff lock. Naturally there are the high and low range gearing in the drivetrain. The 4WD versions have a ground clearance of 220mm, an approach angle of 31 degrees, and a departure angle of 23 degrees. Breakover angle is 25 degrees. The suspension has been kept at the double wishbone front and double leaf rear springs, with a change to the structure and the addition of bigger dampers for better ride control.

Safety now has Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Blind Spot Warning (with Lane Change Assist), Front Collision Mitigation (FCM) autonomous braking with camera and laser radar systems to detect cars and pedestrians;and Ultrasonic misacceleration Mitigation System (UMS) which reads surrounding areas and blanks engine power if it reads a presence.The interior has had the wand waved over it. Materials have been given a colour change to a more even toned scheme, with a alloy look plastic trim fitment and stitching on certain parts of the cabin bringing in a luxurious look. A repositioning of the console has extra storage space being made available, plus there is the addition of a USB charging point for rear seat passengers. Up front, the driver seeds a redesigned dash display with a higher definition than before screen.To get the Triton underway, Mitsubishi use their well sorted 2.5L diesel. Peak power is 133kW at 3500rpm, with peak torque of 430Nm coming in at a very usable 2500rpm. The engine block itself is lighter and built using a diescast alloy formula. the existing five speed auto has been bumped for a six speed, with taller gear ratios for better fuel economy. The existing six speed manual remains. The entry level model stays with the 2.4L petrol engine and five speed manual combination.

The range kicks off with the 4×2 GLX cab chassis, with the 2.4L petrol engine and manual at a manufacturers list price of $22,490. The Club cab starts at $35,490 for the GLX manual and diesel, whilst the dual cab starts with the GLX pick-up from $36,290 and tops out at $51,990 for the 4×4 GLS Premium 2.4L Pick Up Auto Diesel.The 2019 Triton range is due for release in the first quarter of the year. http://credit-n.ru/zaymyi.html