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Private Fleet Car Review: 2015 Kia Rio S Premium
The small car market is populated with some pretty good cars and therefore is hotly contested in that segment. Kia’s entry, the Rio, has been an entrant since 2000 in the small car class and has undergone a few body style changes. In its current guise, it’s a three or five door hatch with a 1.4L engine (1.6L in the Sport) and archaic four speed auto (in the test car provided, there is a six speed manual as standard for the 1.4L and an auto only for the 1.6L). A Wheel Thing spent a week with the 1.4L, four speed auto, S Premium and came away more than a little surprised.
It’s a compact, almost boxy body, with the current iteration sitting on a 2570 mm wheelbase and is just 4045 mm in length. Toss in a 1220 kilo weight with driver and Kia’s claims of 5.7L (manual) and 6.3L (auto) of unleaded from a 43 litre tank seem feasible, with A Wheel Thing finishing on 6.9L, not far off (8.2L/100km highway, 5.2L/100 km highway). 
The 1.4L engine pumps out just 79 kW at 6300 revs and a seemingly undertorqued figure of 135 Nm (4200 revs). That light weight makes the difference but a four speed auto simply dulls it down to a lacklustre feel. Acceleration, overtaking, aren’t measured in seconds but by calendars.
It’s not an unattractive car, especially in the Deep Blue paint ($520 option…); there’s the signature Kia “tiger” grille, somewhat goggle eyed headlights, plastic inserts at the front bumper extremities (driving lights get fitted in the Sports model) and, in profile, the nose rises gently to meet the A pillars in an almost constant line, with a couple of subtle crease lines joining front and rear.
The roofline rolls off nicely to a vertical and pert backside. Considering the overall size of the Rio, it’s a pleasant surprise to find a very usable 288L of cargo space available with the 60/40 split fold rear seats up, which increases to 923L when they’re laid flat.
Wheelwise, the Rio S Premium sits on 15 inch alloy wheels and they’re clad in 185/65 rubber. Forward motion is hauled in by 256 mm vented front discs and 263 mm solid rears, with surprisingly competent brake feel.
The interior in the S Premium (model tested, there’s an S below and Si/SLi above) is spacious enough however lacks an amount of pop and sizzle. It’s a standard steering wheel nowadays with audio controls but does include Bluetooth and cruise, seats are manually adjusted and there’s more a sitting on than in sensation. The centre console is bare and the radio screen is old school, with red dot matrix lighting, sitting above some delightfully simple aircon dials and aircraft styleflick switches.
The dash dials housed in the binnacle are as basic as they come, with two large ones for speed and revs with fuel and temperature housed in two separate, small sections to the right of the speedo, which houses a similarly red matrix display. No auto headlights is also a no-no nowadays and only the driver’s window is auto up and down. There’s some class, with piano black surrounds for the audio and ventilation controls, some alloy look highlights for the gear selector and steering wheel and tasteful shades of charcoal and off white for the rest of the cabin.
Driving the Rio S Premium turned out to be a mix of fun and frustration, erring on the fun side, showing you sometimes don’t need power or speed to enjoy a car. Hamstrung, as it was, by a comparatively underpowered and undertorqued engine, it still managed to raise a smile with sheer grit and tenacity. How? By exhibiting life, character, verve in its handling. It’s not surefooted, it’s not well planted, it’ll rebound a few times in freeway undulations, it’ll kick the rear around and get unsettled easily but it involves the driver in the driving, not isolating you and leaving you six inches away from the tiller.
There’s bump steer (and the steering tends towards understeer), needing instant attention, some body roll and a bit of sponginess, yes, but it brings you, the driver, into its world and asks you to be part of it. Absolutely, you need a water bottle, a cut lunch and a calendar if you’re thinking of overtaking but that’s the fun, the involvement because the driver is no longer waiting on the expectation of the car to do what you think it will do. There’s planning, calculation involved and that can only be a good thing.
Once the engine is wound up, there’s a bit of a rasp, a sense of rortiness, from the front, as the speedo does its impression of global warming by moving glacially at first then starts to pick up speed. The gearbox is smooth enough under normal driving but the hole between first and second is noticeable as the revs fall right off and you have to start again.
It might be a small car, but it doesn’t scrimp on safety, with a full array of airbags across the range, hill start assist is also standard but only the SLi gets rear parking sensors. There is ISOFIX child seat mounting points and pretensioning seatbelts as standard in all models.
The Wrap.
The car provided was listed as $19690 plus $520 for the metallic paint, totalling $20210, with the S Premium starting from $16990 (manual). Compared to cars it’s not in direct competition with, that’s a fair amount of coin to ask and A Wheel Thing struggles somewhat to reconcile that figure with what is delivered. Not everyone will see the fun factor the Rio has however the economy will be a strong point in its favour. Lacking a more modern looking dash, again, may not faze some, but that’s no excuse to offer something that the 1980’s quickly forgot about.
For pricing and more details, click here: 2015 Kia Rio 5 door
Tesla Powers Up The Hume.
American based electric car maker, Tesla, announced that it has opened two new car supercharging stations for the Hume Highway, which connects Melbourne and Sydney. The stations will allow an owner of a Model S vehicle to potentially achieve 270 kilometres of travel after just thirty minutes of charging time.
The Goulbourn station is located at the visitor’s centre in the town itself and is provisioned to charge up to eight cars at once. The Wondonga station, located in the riverside town at 5-13 Havelock Street, will allow up to six cars to be parked for the quick charge system. Both stations have been strategically placed to allow drivers access to town amenities whilst their cars are plugged in and will complement the two charger station at Euroa, north of Melbourne. Power provided is up to 120 kilowatts.
All charging stations are programmed in and can be found by the Google Maps navigation system the Model S cars have. Accessed by the 17 inch touchscreen the vehicles come standard with, it provides peace of mind for a Tesla Model S driver, as the system also shows a clear indication of expected range under driving conditions. The charging system itself can be seen as akin to rapidly filling a glass of water then backing off the flow so as to not overflow, as the charging system computer slows the charge rate as full charge nears. To achieve full charge can take up to eighty minutes as opposed to approximately 80 percent in just that half hour.
The two new stations bring the total amount, worldwide, to 501 with close to 2300 individual charging bays. The Goulbourn station at 201 Sloane Street is also the largest in the southern hemisphere. A highlight of the charging stations is that there is no charge (no pun intended) to the driver. For life.
Tesla has also added to its range, with the launch in the U.S. of the Model X. An SUV based design, the Model X is unique in having “double-hinged Falcon Wing” doors, which require a mere 30 centimetres of room either side for passengers to board or step out. For extra safety, each door is fitted with capacitive, inductive and sonar sensors to monitor the surroundings and for extra pizzaz, the driver’s door opens and closes automatically as the driver approaches or exits.
The Model X has been designed and engineered on a clean sheet, to be the safest SUV available. Across the categories measured, it will receive a five star rating, the first SUV to do so. Adding to the safety aspect is the standard fitment of autonomous emergency braking, 360 degree sonar sensors, a forward looking camera plus locates the battery pack, like the Model S, in the floor, giving the Model X an exceptionally low centre of gravity. Steel rails reinforce the aluminuim pillars to provide both extra strength for the passenger safety cell and reduce weight if afull steel cage was used.
These add up to give the Model X a zero to 100 kmh time of 3.2 seconds (with the recently announced Ludicrous program engaged), the quickest of any SUV, with a top speed of just over 240 kmh. Aiding these numbers is an exceptionally low drag figure, just 0.24 cD and an all wheel drive system.
When it comes to passenger comfort, there’s a full HEPA air filtration system plus monopost seats that slide fore and aft, allowing both flexibility and ease of access to the third row seats. For the driver, Tesla add their Auto Park and Auto Steer systems.
Pricing for Australia is yet to be confirmed. 
Private Fleet Car Review: 2016 Jaguar XE Prestige
Jaguar‘s renaissance has continued with the September 2015 launch of the XE, the smaller sibling to their XF saloon. Powered almost exclusively, for the moment anyway, by a range of four cylinder engines from the diesel and petrol powered (as the S gets the 250kW V6 found in the XF…), there’s a four model range to select from, being the Prestige, S, Portfolio and R-Sport. A Wheel Thing was handed the keys to the Prestige, with a 2.0L petrol turboed four on board.
There’s a clear family resemblance, as expected, to the XF, but also design cues from the F-Type family. Toss in a mix of style hints from the XJ, such as the bluff, vertical nose, the lonnnnng bonnet and short tail with F-Type inspired tail lights and it’s clear it’s a Jag.
The Prestige, as mentioned, is powered by a two litre petrol engine with a little extra help for the induction side. There’s two levels of oomph, with either 147 kW or 177 kW and 280/340 torques available from a mesa flat 1750 to 4000 revs. Transmission comes in any ratio spread you like as long as it’s an eight speed auto. Economy is (ahem) not bad from the 63L tank, with Jaguar quoting 10.2/6.0/7.5L per 100 kilometres on the urban/highway/combined cycles.
A Wheel Thing levelled out at around 7.0L/100 km. Considering the 1530 kg weight (dry, thanks to the aluminuim construction), that’s pretty decent. Plus, Jaguar have engineered in a regenerative charging system that helps to top up the battery under braking and passes the fuel savings on to the engine.
The XE is aimed fair and square at Germany; Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen too in the mix. Physically it’s a good size, at 4672 mm long, 1850 mm wide (excluding mirrors) and a compact 1416 mm in height. Check out an A4, 3 series, C Class etc and they’ll all be in there size wise. Riding on a 2835 mm wheelbase you’d be forgiven for presuming there’s a bucketload of room inside. More on that, later.
Wheelwise, the XE (coated in a gorgeous “Ultimate Black” and a $1300 option for the Prestige) rolled on 225/45 rubber with black painted “Matrix” alloys of an 18 inch diameter. There’s plenty of option packs available for the XE range, including a Black Pack for the Portfolio, lobbing you a black grille, side window surrounds and more. Does an XE look good in black? Does it ever!
At night the tail lights glow with an almost volcanic orange hue, a neon line on either side, balanced by the J curve of the LED running lights at the front. There’s a phosphor blue interior light, plus, with the driving modes on offer, Sport mode lights up the dash dials with a deep red.
On the road the XE sets the dynamic cat amongst the benchmark pigeons. Yes, it’s that good. There’s next to no main road surface that will unsettle it, the EPAS (electric powered assisted steering) is knife edge sharp in response and perfectly weighted. Turns are smooth, with next to no hint of understeer when pushed and balanced on the throttle there’s no understeer, thanks to the near 50:50 weight distribution. Body roll is unheard of and when Dynamic mode is selected (via centre console mounted buttons) the “cat” comes more alive.
Throttle response is sharper, the steering feels, incredibly, more en pointe, the suspension feels more glued to the car and the road, feeling every ripple and tracking every curve yet screens out the annoying bumps and transmits pure driving joy. The acceleration from the 2.0L turbo petrol is astounding in Dynamic and more than pleasing in Normal. The aluminuim construction helps, with torsional stiffness and rigidity (22 kNm/degree) holding the bodyshell taut as the XE is driven with verve, plus gives the XE the lightest body in its class.
The eight speedauto in Eco or Normal mode is smooth, like a fresh made vanilla milkshake. Under acceleration, be it light, moderate or exuberant, there’s forward motion and gear changes blurring imperceptibly. Using the paddle shifts elicits the same response…then there’s the Dynamic mode. Changes aren’t as crisp, sharp, there’s even some indecisiveness at low speeds.
In profile, the XE looks as if there’s plenty of room inside. There is, for the front seat passengers but even a driver of average height, having settled and adjusted the electric seats and steering column, leaves the rear seat passengers a touch cramped for leg room. Some smart engineering allows head room, with an indentation in the roof just behind the sunroof’s rolling fabric screen locker, but leg room is an issue. Having the rear seats a couple of inches forward of where logic (and we’re not talking safety or engineering here, mind you) would have you think they’d be, contributes to the feeling of tightness.
Luxury wise, the XE Prestige needs some more. There’s hard plastic for the centre console, hard as in there’s NO give whatsoever and a driver’s left knee rests naturally on it and it becomes painful. Even the door trims and dash covering need more softness, as could the steering wheel, it’s just that tad too unpadded. Ergonomically, the cabin is mostly ok, however the two level door trim, with (driver’s side) window switches high up and 3 position memory seating almost where you’d expect the armrest to be, clash with the simple and clearly laid out aircon controls on the lower centre dash, underneath the 6.1 inch touchscreen ( a delight to use in its own right). Noticeable, in its absence, is any hint of woodgrain, but the XE does get the curved upper dash wrap around as first seen in the XJ.
The seats are, naturally, wonderful to sit in (but heating and cooling are options…), allowing the driver and passenger to look at a dash where the outer air vents are set too low down for true effectiveness. A laid back angle to help direct air upwards would help or a relocation further upwards. The dials in the driver’s binnacle are easy to read and of a mechanical needle style, however a full or partial LCD screen here would also have been nice. There’s the aforementioned sunroof, with a roll into the roof fabric screen, to start with before the glass is exposed.
The sound system is from Meridian, all 380 watts of it, and has the front mounted tweeters cleverly mounted to fire at the driver and passenger, rather than across the cabin as many others do. The touchscreen system makes adjustment of the sound and utilising the nav system a doddle.
There is some great tech on board, with Jaguar’s All Surface Progress Control, allowing the traction system to work as a low speed cruise control. Working between 3.6 kmh and 30 kmh, it gives the driver the ability to steer the XE on slippery and wet surfaces, even on a downhill run, stopping or minimising loss of traction. There’s another acronym to learn, EDC or Engine Drag torque Control, which ties in with the ABS by providing more torque to the braking wheels under heavy deceleration on slippery surfaces.
Naturally there’s a reverse camera, which can also be selected whilst the Jaguar is under way, the engine Stop/Star system, parking assist (front and rear sensors for rear and nose in parking), Lane Departure Warning, Tyre Pressure Monitoring and a swag more. Storage wise, the boot is a considerable 455L.
The Wrap.
There’s little doubt the Jaguar brand is thriving, with the launch of the XE and F-Pace, Jaguar’s first SUV, plus a new XF on the way for Australia as well. The big cat, the XJ, also underwent a styling update recently. The XE range is aimed, it would seem, at a “younger” audience, with the somewhat unJaguar like lack of anything resembling wood, the slightly cramped rear passenger section but it’s a market that’s growing.
Jaguar also recognises the growth in the SUV segment, with the F-Pace on the way. There’s plenty of tech-spec to play with, such as the (almost) purely turbo charged engine range with four pot configuration, it’s possibly one of the best cars in a dynamic sense in its class and doesn’t look half bad either, an important consideration for some. It’s keenly priced to attract that segment of buyers, as well, starting in the low $60K bracket. Should the Germans, the target for the XE’s guns, be worried?
Yes. They should.
Information, including brochure downloads,can be found here:Jaguar XE range and brochure downloads
Private Feet Car Review: 2015 Jaguar XF R-Sport
Iconic British brand, Jaguar, has long been an innovator in the auto industry. It’s also come perilously close to going under as a maker but thankfully Indian based conglomerate Tata threw them a chequebook and said go for it. As a result we’ve seen the rebirth of the XJ, the fantastic F-Type and its sibling, the F-Pace SUV. The XF series (now into its third styling), has been a favourite within the brand and A Wheel Thing looks at an example of the outgoing model, in the shape of the 3.0L V6 R-Sport.
First released in 2008, with a bug eyed look and a svelte coupe profile, the XF quickly made its mark against its traditional German rivals. A facelift in 2011 gave the front a much needed makeover, a minor change to the rear and an eight speed gearbox. The car Jaguar Australia provided to A Wheel Thing, the R-Sport, had that plus a grunty yet silky smooth supercharged V6 with petrol the preferred juice, as Jaguar also has a diesel version.
Hiding underneath both a lithe bonnet and acres of plastic is a 250 kW/450 Nm engine, sipping unleaded at a rate of 13.9/7.0/9.6 litres (urban/highway/combined) from a 70L tank. 
Although tractable, flexible, enjoyable, the thirst was a touch unexpected. But, there’s a caveat and an odd one, to be sure. On a return run to Canberra, the R-Sport used slightly over a half tank of fuel, brimmed before departure to reach its destination.
On the return journey, bearing in mind a portion of this was an uphill run, the car was slotted into Sports mode. This has the effect of tightening up the whole feel of the car, from transmissions shifts to steering to engine response. The R-Sport came home with fuel to spare…
Although it’s an aluminuim build in parts, the XF R-Sport still weighs in excess of 1850 kilos, which contributes towards that fuel consumption. That mass is also noticeable when seriously hustling the R-Sport, along with the fact that peak torque figure doesn’t happen until there’s 3500 revs on board, meaning a bit of a peddle is needed to get the big cat up and running. 
There’s plenty of grip to play with, though, with chunky and ultra low profile Dunlop (255/35) rubber on black clad 20 inch alloys, which are highlighted by the deep blue on the car.
Compared to the first XF, there’s the far more attractive headlight design, the LED tail lights and J-shape LED driving lights, a reworked front bumper design and,for the R-Sport, a small boot lip spoiler.
Taken through a road that’s popular with drivers, being a downhill run with off camber turns, sweeping curves into hard brake points and a wonderful tightening radius turn, the R-Sport hunkered down and powered through with the grace, pace and space expected. The brakes themselves are wonderfully progressive, with feel from the first touch and biting more on the downwards travel without any feel of fading or needing more pressure.
The interior has been updated for the forthcoming model and perhaps not before time. It’s a plush place to be, true, but starting to look dated. There’s the monolithic grace of the rising and opening of the gear selector and airvents, electric adjustment for the steering column, comfortable and supportive seats, clean ergonomics on the switch gear, a solid and chunky feel to the tiller however the overall look and feel is a touch tired. Wood grain is one thing, plastic wood grain is another…
That’s not surprising, given the design of the XF goes back close to a decade. The satnav interface is a bit clunky, not altogether intuitive and the touchscreen display is over populated with icons. The dash itself is “old school” with a mechanical needle look to the speedo and tachometer and a seeming lack of information being able to be accessed for the centre screen. 
Located in the glovebox, however, is a sign of pride…
There’s some handy tech though, such as rain sensing wipers, auto dim headlights (option), blind spot alert (option), the imperceptible shifts in the eight speed auto, Winter and Sport Mode for the drivetrain, Stop/Start for the engine, Pedestrian Contact Sensing System, tyre pressure monitoring (option) and the 380W Meridian sound system,plus the usual suite of airbags and driver aids.
The Wrap.
There’s little doubt that Jaguar, as a brand, is iconic. A Wheel Thing owns two XJ6’s, a series 2 and a series 3 Sovereign. Being able to test the modern Jaguars is both an honour and a tug of the heartstrings, as Jaguar has survived unlike so many other British brands. The open chequebook from Tata has gone a long way to help Jaguar reposition itself in the automotive marketplace, from the completely redesigned XJ to the F-Type and Jaguar’s first SUV, the F-Pace.
The XF R-Sport stands as a testament to the innovation of the company and a link to the past, with its almost gentleman’s club interior. With the R-Sport somewhere north of $105,000 and a somewhat hefty weight for its size, coupled with urban fuel consumption of around 14L per 100 kilometres, it’s certainly a car for the well heeled. But it’s also a car for the driver. For a look at the not so old and the new, go here:Jaguar XF sedan, outgoing and 2016 range
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