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Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Volvo XC 90 Inscription versus 2016 Audi Q7 Quattro
A Wheel Thing was fortunate enough to have the stars align and be given the keys to two new range toppers: from Sweden comes the 2016 spec Volvo XC90 Inscription and from Germany the 2016 Audi Q7 Quattro. Similarly priced, similarly sized and similarly specced, it’ll come down to personal preference for a potential buyer and certainly the end decision as to which A Wheel Thing would keep is a personal choice.
What’s on offer are two very well kitted out SUV’s, ostensibly with off road ability, luxury trimmings and plenty of room. Yet, at their heart, two totally different approaches on how some basics are delivered…
Up front is how these two get their get up and go. The Volvo goes slimline with a turbocharged four cylinder petrol whilst the Audi squares its shoulders with a brawny V6 diesel. Capacities are different; two litres vs three and the end power/torque numbers tell the story. Volvo offers up 235 kilowatts at 5700 revs, with 400 torques on tap across a plateau flat 2200 to 5400 rpm.
Being a one litre bigger, naturally torquey V6, Audi says you can have 200 kW from 3250 to 4250 revs but if you insist on out twisting a tornado, Sir says thank you for 600 Nm from 1500 to 3000 revs. Both get self shifters with eight ratios; Audi’s gear selector is a super easy to use rocker lever style with Park selected by pressing a button embedded in the back of the lever.
Consumption from the oiler? Audi says around six litres per one hundred klicks on a combined cycle. The big Swede drinks a little more heavily, at 8.5L/100 km. Even the dirty stuff has the Audi cleaner, with 163 grams of CO2 per kilometre versus the petrol’s 199.
Stood side by side, there’s bugger all between them. Volvo: 4950 mm in length whilst the the German heavyweight goes 5052. Width? Sir can choose 2140 mm (including mirrors) for the blue and yellow flagged entrant or 2212 mm for the Audi. Height wise it’s 1776 mm for the Volvo vs 1740 mm. Interior room, as a result, is within cooee; Volvo says 1465 mm for front shoulder room, Audi 1512 mm. Wheelbase comes into play as well, with the Q7 just under 3 metres at 2994 mm whilst the XC90 is almost lineball at 2984 mm.
In profile they’re almost identical, with the Volvo having a slightly larger area for the rearmost window and a touch more upright in the nose. It’s at the front that the XC90’s dramatic makeover gets shown off. Think two pick axe shaped LED inserts, laid T outwards in the headlights. Sun bright when looked at head on, they provide a high level of safety during the day by providing oncoming drivers a clear signal the Volvo is on its way. Hidden away at the bottom corners of the front bar are normal globe lit lights, almost redundant they are.
Audi have LED lit headlights and a similar but less intense design philosophy for the driving lights. The massive hexagonal grille dominates the front and both, leaving the Volvo’s grille feeling diminutive in comparison. Both cars come with forward collision alert and cameras hidden within the front ends, with rear reverse parking and sensors an/or cameras for lane avoidance, blind spot alert and cross traffic.
There’s power tail gates, folding third row seats and LED lighting for both at the rear, with both exhibiting an evolution of the previous design in regards to looks and lights, with the Volvo’s looking more streamline and lithe than before. Inside, mid and rear seat passengers get aircon controls, with Audi allowing four zones of climate control, controlled from the front.
Staying inside, there’s two noticeable things: both have classy looking trim, featuring wood, carpet, slide and folding mid row seats, easy to flip & fold rears and high end audio with Bose for Audi and B&W (Bowers and Wilkins) for the Volvo. For the front seat passengers, here’s the divergence: Volvo’s gone with a large, almost laptop sized touch screen for the control system, whilst Audi has eschewed that tech, staying with touch sensitive flip buttons for the aircon and their proprietary push button/jog dial system for car/audio/drive settings.
The Volvo system immediately presented a conundrum: at the top of the screen was a warning note about one of the parking system options. This note covered a little touch tab which allows the driver to access the Settings tab….but without clearing that warning and not knowing it hid the tab, access to items such as changing the driver’s display screen was blocked. By staying with their system, Audi’s was straight up easier to use. A simple thing, yes, but for people that may not be of a technological bent, it’s a speed hump.
The multi-function display or MFD isn’t as intuitive as other Volvos but info on how to use it can be found here: Volvo XC90 user manual
The issue A Wheel Thing found wasn’t huge, in the greater scheme of things, but hints at the needless complication of what’s intended to be simple. The centre console screen is now the main home for things such as changing the look of the driver’s dash screen.
So a whole wealth of information hidden by an ultimately unneccessary warning message which could have been fixed by simply including the Settings and manual on the Applications section of the appropriate screen….Simplicity, overlooked. The Audi’s system, although not perfect, is simpler to use in its “click, twirl, push to select”.
Also, in the Volvo, the electrically assisted steering does feel too light and the lane keeping assistance is perhaps a little too violent in its helping for the more dour driver in one setting. It tugs, not gently, to tell you you’re off line. Audi’s system had the driver feeling almost as if autonomous steering was on board; there’s four external cameras on the side of the car, tracking the white lines and was mostly bang on, with the occasional exception of when the cameras lost sight of the lines of the lines faded. Couple that with the forward collision avoidance system (which both have and sometimes set off false positives) when cruise control is engaged, and it’s almost drive by itself ready.
Speaking of driving; there’s a substantial difference in how they get under way, with the diesel’s low end thump matched nicely by the turbo four once under way. Getting under way is the difference, with the turbo suddenly coming on song versus the diesel’s more linear delivery. Although the Volvo offers less torque, it’s across a more useable, in real terms, rev range. Acceleration, once the throttle has been feathered to avoid the lightswitch, is decently rapid as to be almost frightening in its pace. On road manners, regardless, were impeccable for both.
The Audi, with more torque but a slightly lesser range, does feel as if it runs out of serious urge whilst the Volvo is still ready to strap on the gloves. When the torque rolls off from the Volvo, it runs straight into the peak power and lends the Volvo a feeling of near unstoppability. The diesel’s rev range simply doesn’t allow it to continue the wave to the extent the Volvo does. Having said that, the Volvo feels almost dainty in its presence, ladylike, compared to the Audi’s broad shouldered, axe swinging assertiveness.
Both cars were taken onto some flat, compacted, gravel roads to test their off road traction, acceleration and braking. The Q7 had Pirelli Scorpion rubber, at a relatively low 255/55/19 size. Volvo went bigger at 20 inch wheels, with massive 275/45 Michelin rubber. For both, on road grip was stupendous, as expected and offroad, in the situation used, held on nicely, with the Volvo perhaps a touch, a touch, skatier. Braking pulled both of the cars up in similar distances, with the ABS and traction systems audible as they did so.
The Audi’s variable drive system also involves airbag suspension, so to select the off road mode you can feel and see the car rising and lowering itself. Volvo also offers variable drive modes such as Comfort and Eco. Air suspension is available as an option. One thing the Volvo had and, in A Wheel Thing’s opinion, should be more widespread, is a HUD, a Head Up Display.
Volvo YouTube interior of XC90
Looking through and ahead from the driver’s position, the display is intuitive but, more importantly, utterly non distracting. It’s adjustable for info, height and brightness, via the central touchscreen. It’s surprising just how unobtrusive a HUD is yet how useful it becomes without realising.
Soundwise, there’s little between the B&W system versus the Bose, with perhaps the Volvo’s system displaying a touch more separation in the notes, a sense of airiness and clarity to the ears.
The Wrap.
Buying a car has, largely, been a matter of preference, allegiance too, such as a dedicated Holden or Ford supporter. This pair comes down, in this case, to personal preference and the Audi takes the chequered flag.
In A Wheel Thing’s opinion, touchscreen technology has its place in cars. Some minor layout tweaks and refinement for the Volvo’s would make it more user friendly and, with the presumption that the majority of buyers will have a measure of tech savvy that won’t reach the Volvo’s level of sophistication, may broaden the appeal somewhat.
The Audi’s tried and proven interface isn’t perfect, but for A Wheel Thing, it’s better.
The Audi drive modes, the feeling it’s a more capable soft roader and that torque, which in a real world driving scenario felt easier to live with, and offered to A Wheel Thing a more blokey handshake, wins the election on preference votes.
For info on the Audi Q7, click here: 2016 Audi Q7 Quattro
And for the Volvo: 2016 Volvo XC90 range
For A Wheel Thing TV:
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Hyundai Tucson Elite
A Wheel Thing is lucky to be part of a team that Hyundai Australia contracts to deliver a dealership model launch experience. Earlier in 2015, it was the new Tucson, a reinvigoration of the ix35, itself once called Tucson. There’s a four model range, a mix of engines and gearboxes and slightly different headlights for the top two, the Elite and Highlander. Originally booked for the top of the range Highlander, a bingle saw that car taken out for a repair break and the Elite subsequently handed over.
A new buyer has a choice of Active, Active X, Elite and Highlander, with a combination of 2.0L petrol with either multi-point or direct injection, a 1.6L petrol turbo and a brawny 400 Nm 2.0L diesel; the Elite came with the diesel. 
Choosing the diesel gives you all wheel drive as well, along with a sole gearbox option, a six speed auto (the others have either a six speed manual or 7 speed dual clutch auto for the turbo petrol). The donk is a typical, low revving, load lugger, with that 400 Nm on tap from 1750 to 2750 revs.
The second or so that it takes to fire up the engine once the starter is pressed is disconcerting, and unusual in today’s crop of diesel engined cars, which are alive in a blink after twirling the key or hitting a stop start button. Another question mark is the lack of brake bite when the pedal is pushed. There’s no real sense of grab and it really does need a firm shove down to feel any retardation. Given there’s no less than 1622 kilograms to haul down, using 305 x 25 mm vented front discs and 302 x 10 mm solid rears, it wasn’t confidence inspiring.
Of real note with the Tucson, is the overhaul of the exterior compared to the ix35. It’s physically a bigger car yet still compact at 4475 mm x 1850 mm x 1660 mm (with roof rails,) compared to 4410 x 1820 x 1690 mm for the ix35 and rolled on 17 inch diameter wheels, with 225/60 rubber. There’s some carry over in the look, with the rear window line not dissimilar to the outgoing ix35 but there’s a dramatic difference at the front.
Gone is the laid back headlight cluster and solid horizontal bar in the grille, replaced by Hyundai’s new corporate look and a slimmer, dual headlight (for Elite and Highlander) cluster with LED technology, bending and self levelling tech as well.
It’s a full five seater inside, with plenty of leg room for the driver and passenger thanks to a 2670 mm wheelbase, at 1053 to 1129 mm, whilst passengers on the rear pews get a more than decent 970 mm, sitting ahead of a 488L (1478L, seats down) cargo space. There’s LED lighting, curtain airbags, pretensioning seatbelts, ten position electric driver’s seat, dual zone aircon, satnav, Hill Start Assist but only the Highlander gets the higher safety package systems such as Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist, four sensor Front Park Assist, Lane Departure Warning and Cross Traffic Warning.
All Tucsons also miss out on an important feature; a dash and console that’s visually appealing. It’s not unattractive but there’s a distinct lack of cachet, bling, “look at moi, look at moi”. Yes, it’s clean to look at, ergonomically laid out but seriously lacking in eyeball pulling power.
Having said that, there’s two 12V sockets, power tailgate, puddle lamps in the wing mirrors and door handle lights, comfortable cloth trimmed seats,an eight inch touchscreen, rain sensing wipers, steering wheelmounted audio and phone controls and the Tucson comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and 10 years’ roadside assistance to sweeten the deal even further.
On road manners are impeccable; the Australian engineering team worked hard and hand in hand with their Korean counterparts and have endowed the Elite with some of the best handling characteristics you’ll find in a mind size SUV. On a flat road, with the expected little bumps, dips and undulations, there’s nothing that appears to faze the Elite Tucson. It’s firm yet with just enough give to not rattle teeth, settles nicely from quick moves and shopping centre bumps. The steering is well weighted enough in Normal mode, as Hyundai persists in its three mode steering assault, and is best left in that mode as anything else simply enhances the feeling of unnatural feedback and response.
Engine response is as expected; off boost there’s hesitation; under way there’s that mountain of troque to keep the Elite bubbling along and makes overtaking a doddle. It’s reasonably quiet, with plenty of insulation keeping the noise at bay and economical enough. Hyundai quotes around 6.5L per 100 kilometres for the combined cycle but, as its natural home will be suburbia, the 8.2 to 8.9 (depending on wheel size) seems more realistic.
The Wrap.
Lack of dashboard pull aside, the Tucson Elite ticks a lot of boxes. Missing out on some of the safety features the Highlander has is neither here nor there, in A Wheel Thing’s opinion. The range covers all the bases and with the size increase moves up to compete with Mazda’s CX-3 AND 5. Toyota has just released a facelifted RAV4 and, of course, there’s the Tucson’s sister vehicle to consider as a competitor, the Sportage.
It’s a handsome looking beast, well and truly at home on tarmac, is HIGHLY unlikely to see any off road action (even with 18 cm of ground clearance), has some of the best ride and handling characteristics you’ll find in its class. The range kicks off at $27990 plus ORC’s, with the Elite well priced at $35240 to $40240 plus costs. Click here for detailed information: Hyundai Tucson range brochure
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser GXL diesel V8.
Every now and then, a legend comes along. That legend may be a film, a person, a car. In this case, A Wheel Thing went one on one with the four wheel drive legend, the 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser LC 200. It really is the kind of car that will, in normal off road situations, be able to do more than what most normal drivers are able to do. This particular press car came fitted with the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, KDSS, of which more information can be found here:Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System
There’s certainly no lack of oomph, with a 200kW diesel V8, thanks to revised injectors and engine mapping, compared to the previous iteration, with torque still a Superman twisting 650Nm. No, it’s not quick off the line, not is it indecently slow. It’s more a load lugger, a crawler, especially with the four wheel drive system engaged in low range. There’s no two wheel drive setting either, stamping the GXL V8 as a dedicated 4WD.
On road it’s not as blunt edged as expected; it’s certainly no ballet dancer but there’s more finesse than one would think in the ride and handling departments. The steering is lighter than anticipated on tarmac, yet shows signs of old school toughness in some off road sections.
As expected, under brakes, the big boofa takes a bit of distance to haul up, but is sure-footed and confident in doing so, with a measurable amount of dive when stamped hard. Off road braking is nicely calibrated, with the drive system working smartly to pull down the near three tonne (2740 kg dry!) mass.
There’s a muted but familiar V8 burble from the exhaust, a subdued chatter from the front under a light foot, a deep inhalation and an impression of implacable confidence when pressed hard. There’s certainly no doubt that this is a driver’s car, as in it might be a smooth shifting six speed auto, but a driver needs to be in control and aware 110% of the time.
Economy for a large engine and a large car (4990 x 1980 x 1945 mm ) with a weight of three tonnes (with passenger) was surprisingly frugal, at around 10.9L of the good stuff consumed per 100 kilometres.
On A Wheel Thing’s test track in Faulconbridge, in the lower Blue Mountains, the choice of fitting the KDSS was an inspired one, with both the varying surfaces (mud, gravel, granite outcrops) providing an ideal mix to test. Throw in some rocky and sandy slopes, some judicious throttle usage (and knowing there’s more electrical backup in the form of Hill Descent Control, for example), the Land Cruiser easily exhibited more ability than most drivers would require.
On one particular slope, the view from the cabin, and eyeballed by a walk, gave the impression that it would be a tricky one to try for a comparitively inexperienced off roader. But, simultaneously, ideal for the kinetic suspension. Low range and centre diff lock were engaged, a gentle prod of the go pedal and a minute later all aboard were wondering what the fuss was about. Yes, there was body roll and some moments where a dry cleaner may have been needed but the ‘Cruiser is more than adept in this kind of country.
It’s clear, when you step up and inside, that Toyota feels the GXL will be driven and used by people that don’t need certain fripperies. There’s no steering wheel mounted controls for audio, a basically trimmed interior, sensible rubber floor mats, a functional infotainment touchscreen, typically good ergonomic but no hint of luxury. The only apparent concession was the addition of a Reverse Parking camera. The dash itself is clean and simple, plus has extra information such as battery charge level whilst aircon controls are oldschool “Press Me, I’m a button” with clearly readable markings.
As you’d expect from a behemoth like a Land Cruiser, there’s plenty of room inside for five adults, complete with rear passenger air vents and two extra folding seats. They’re comfortable enough and supportive enough on and off road to not leave a passenger wanting for more. 
Plastics are are good quality but it’s a functional interior, intended to be hosed out every now and then, one suspects.
The exterior of the LC200 has been given a mild freshen up. The tail light covers have been subtly redone, but it’s the front that’s raised an eyebrow. The design team have extended, horizontally, the chrome from the grille, through the headlights, with the front now looking uncannily like Ford’s new Ranger and Everest. LED driving lights add to the resemblance. The front bumper, guards and bonnet (noticeable for the twin ridges now) have also been updated.
The Wrap.
The Land Cruiser LC200 GXL V8 diesel has more brawn than a chain gang, more subtle on road menace than an angry bull, enough off road ability to make a mountain goat weep and enough lack of luxury to satisfy any cocky that just wants a car to do the job. At around 90K, it’s not cheap and compared to something like a Q7, XC90 and suchlike, lacks the perceived value those cars offer.
But they’re HIGHLY unlikely to come close to being used for what the ‘Cruiser can deliver and that’s the crucial difference to the bloke in the bush or the company in the Outback that needs a solidly built, mud mauling, no bullshit off roader. The Land Cruiser’s heritage has it standing tall for its legions of followers.
Although there’s been price rises across the range, in the order of a couple to a few thousand, this model comes in at around $89600 driveaway. Given that this particular specification level isn’t aimed at the finger lifting, latte sipping, dahling set, but good, solid, dependable farmers and such like, it’s a performance bargain, especially with that suspension system. No, not performance as in how quick down a quarter mile but how it’ll clamber up hill and down dale with more ability than a normal driver needs. Naturally you’ll get Toyota’s three year/one hundred thousand kilometre warranty as well, check with your local dealer in regards to servicing costs.
Toyota Land Cruiser GXL. Big diesel V8. Big car. Big winner.
For A Wheel Thing TV’s video review, click here: 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser GXL V8 diesel
For details on the Land Cruiser: 2016 Land Cruiser range
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Tesla Model S P90D
What a stupendous car. A Wheel Thing could almost leave the review at that, except there are a couple of things…
Earlier in 2015, A Wheel Thing had the opportunity to spend a few hours in the Model S Tesla. Late November, an email from Heath Walker initially offered a two night stay, which became a weekend.
Friday morning, a brief with Will at Tesla’s St Leonard’s, Sydney, HQ, before being set free with the dual motored P90D, complete with V7 software, which included Tesla’s much touted “Ludicrous” mode.
Suffice to say that the claimed zero to one hundred kmh time of three seconds is truly achievable, as are speeds that will leave many, many, many cars in its wake.
But, in order to drive such a car, you need those batteries charged. Tesla supply buyers of their vehicles with a home supercharger unit, or there’s a charger that is household ten amp compatible.
A sidenote: driving a Tesla of this capacity (no pun intended), is akin to driving a V8 engined car. The harder it’s driven, the quicker the “tank” will empty. Tesla say their Model S cars can achieve something like 500 klicks from full charge. A Wheel Thing saw nothing that would raise any doubts about that figure, under normal driving circumstances. Punted enthusiastically, expect that range to drop quickly.
The car itself is quite secure: the driver needs the keyfob in order to access the P90D, as a presence sensor reads the fun and slides out four door handles, which are buried into the doors. Walk away from the car and they will slide back in shortly after.
On one occasion, the key was left inside the car and the doors had locked. This is where, for A Wheel Thing, that this became a security issue; one, for the fact the car locked up and, two, for the fact the car read my presence upon approach and unlocked. Sure, the car couldn’t tell who it was that had approached, however it left the car open to anybody approaching it and gaining access. Thankfully this was at home and in the driveway.
As you’d expect, the Tesla is packed full of technology, operated via a seventeen inch touchscreen, located centrally in the dash console. There’s an AM/FM/app audio system (no digital tuner in Aussie spec cars, oddly), access to web based applications via the built in 3G mobile sum, which begs the question of why not the latest 4G spec? The driver is greeted by a LCD screen, with push and hold buttons on the steering wheel spokes to customise the look they can see.
Navigation is via Google Maps, there’s suspension adjustment, a built in update information manual, describing the V7 update, charging and drive options including the aforementioned “Ludicrous” mode (which also flashes a warp starfield on the screen). This is a tongue in cheek nod, apparently, to the cult classic Mel Brooks film, Spaceballs.
V7 also brings parking assistance and, crucially, autonomous driving. Cameras and radar combine with the cruise control to track the car’s progress on the road, reading both the traffic ahead and roadside line markings. There’s also a form of AI on board, helping the car learn a route and lessening the time required for the car to drive itself. A grey steering wheel icon appears on the dash display and turns blue when the onboard system feels all is OK to go autonomous.
There’s no Start/Stop button; once you’ve entered the car, it’s on. There’s a lever on the right hand side of the steering column which is moved to access Reverse and Drive, with Park a button on the end.
Once Drive is selected, it’s simple, press the go pedal and enjoy the serenity.
There’s a hint of whine from the twin powerplants, wind noise at speed…otherwise, nothing.
It’s a truly unique experience, being able to harness the full might of the 90 kilowatt-hour engines, with that robotic whine and that never ending wave of acceleration, coupled with the surefooted handling and three mode steering. Massive 21 inch diameter wheels and licorice thin rubber grip and grip hard but don’t detract from the ride quality. The brakes are superb and add to the range with adjustable regeneration of kinetic energy back into the system.
The touchscreen also provides access to the charge port, sunroof (steplessly adjustable) and the front trunk or “frunk” as it’s called stateside. Integration is one thing but sometimes a simple button, such as that provided for the glove box, would be easier.
Although the Model S body is big, at five metres in length, a full two metres in width and providing enough room for a full five seated configuration, plus a huge boot thanks to the battery pack being the floor, it never feels heavy, unwieldy. Rather, it’s nimble, responsive, belying the two tonnes plus weight.
The Wrap
Although the purchase price might seem excessive to some, a buyer gets a large, roomy, car, with eye watering performance. It’s not perfect, perhaps being over technologied for some simple things, but what it promises and embodies is one of two potential options for the automotive industry, the other being fuel cell powered cars.
It’s also quick; insanely, devastatingly, pants wettingly quick. Overtaking is a blink, acceleration a thought, and hauling in the mass a sneeze. But, is there really a need for everything to be buried in sub menus? Is there something wrong with the plain and simple, the humble button?
Is it worth the money, for Australia? A Wheel Thing says yes. For info on this truly astonishing vehicle, click here: Tesla Cars Australia
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