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Private Fleet Car Review: 2015 Range Rover Evoque Dynamic.
There’s SUV’s. There’s AWD. Then there’s Luxury. Brands once thought of as never going down the luxury SUV path, such as Jaguar, Bentley, even Lamborghini, have done so. Yet there’s one brand that spans luxury through to bare bones and offers a very diverse range to boot. A Wheel Thing looks at the lifestyle choice offering from Land Rover’s luxury arm, Range Rover’s Evoque, in Dynamic specification.
Powersource: The vehicle supplied came with the EcoBoost turbo 2.0L petrol engine (a diesel is also available), pumping out 177 kW and 350 Nm and puts those numbers to the tarmac via a sophisticated all wheel drive system with electronic terrain selection and a nine ratio automatic transmission.
It takes fuel from a 68L tank whilst motoring to 100 km in 7.6 seconds. Range Rover claim 10.3L per 100 kilometres on the urban cycle, 6.4L/100 km for the highway and 7.8L/100 km in the combined cycle.
The Suit: It’s a style not to everyone’s taste, with a stocky presence; a sharp wedge shape, a bluff front end that tapers into a steeply sloping roof line that hints at a lack of interior rear seat room. There’s different front end treatments for the Evoque, with the Dynamic’s front being served a horizontal cross bar in the lower air intake, bracketed by sharply angled joiners, whilst the main grille receives the blackout treatment.
LED driving lights frame the Xenon main lights, with a strong Range Rover look under the current design philosophy highlighted by an almost “Spirit of Ecstasy” profile to the head and tail light cluster design.
The Dynamic Coupe is, by virtue of its name, a three door design, with two longish main entry doors and a powered rear tailgate. The doors themselves are nicely balanced, not requiring any major extra exertion to open or close. The rear door itself rises and falls at the mere touch of a rubber button on the outside, a push button in the lower plastic extremity.
Rolling stock is 20 inch six spoke alloys, wrapped in 245/45 Continental tyres. There’s little give in the sidewalls, making the electronically adjustable suspension do the work. It’s a compact car, too, at 4335 mm in length, 1605 mm in height and a whopping 2090 m in total width at the front with the mirrors folded out.
On The Inside:No surprises that it looks and feels sumptuous inside; from the soft touch and fabric covered dash, to the rising and rotary gear selector, from the superbly comfortable and supportive seats to the surprising amount of rear seat room.
From the moment you unlock the door via the remote or touch pad on the handle, it’s luxury all the way. There’s provision for three memory positions for the leather wrapped driver’s seat, the premium look and feel of the dash, the blue backlit Range Rover logo in the door sill, complemented by the logo that shines from under the wing mirrors. The test car came fitted with the optional full length glass roof, opening up the interior to the outside world visually.
The seats have a flip lever and are motored electrically in order to allow access for rear seat passengers. It’s a nice touch but no good when you’re in a hurry. The rear seat itself is configured for just two, not three, people but due to the width of the Evoque, it’s a comfortable pew, plus the seats are set deep which provides better than expected head room.
Although the engine provides a nice purr, Range Rover fitted the Dynamic with a Meridian speaker system, a well known high end British company; it’s operated via the touchscreen, has numerous sound parameters and is, as expected, a full and nicely balanced sound. Below the centre dash is a hollow back panel, lit by LEDs and changeable in colour and brightness.
Also, in the centre console is a set of buttons for the various off road driving options, including one called, naturally, Dynamic. When pressed, it changes the driving mood plus lights up the dash in a stark red. The profile, however, precludes seriously wide vision rearwards from the front seats; yes, there is a camera when Reverse is selected but when on the move it’s difficult to get any rear clear vision.
On The Road:
The turbo four has gained much acclaim for its flexibility, with that torque figure and the range it’s spread over making for a easy driving experience. It’s smooth and linear with a gearbox that works. The nine speed auto does, mostly. There were some occasional clunks, indecision and hesitancy, with enough lack of smoothness in the change at times to dull the effect of that engine.
Acceleration is decent by the seat of the pants feel, seeming to be quicker than the official figures, when the right pedal is given the command. It’s here the gearbox shines, with rapid, imperceptible, shifts, digging deep into the torque curve. It was more under light throttle the aforementioned issues appeared.
The ride quality was, somewhat unexpectedly, a touch harder than anticipated. The size of the wheels and the rubber would certainly have contributed, however the suspension didn’t feel as if there was much “give” past a minor amount of small bump absorption. As a result, however, there’s minimal body roll, dive and squat, with road undulations reduced to a single pogo.
Steering is light, responsive, communicative yet the big tyres don’t tramline, allowing the tiller to stay well within the driver’s control. On most road surfaces, too, there’s minimal external noise or tyre rumble that makes it way into the cabin. Handling wise it’s planted, no discernible understeer and thanks to that wide footprint, no provokable oversteer.
Braking is well modulated on the pedal, with feedback from within the initial travel downwards of the pedal providing a positive impression; there’s bite aplenty and hauls up the Evoque confidently and without any fuss, under light braking. When the brake pedal is given the heavy foot, ABS makes itself known but not to the extent that people unfamiliar with how the pedal will pulse and the system chatters back will lift the foot….
The centre console has buttons to change the driving dynamics, through Snow, Gravel, Mud, Wet Grass etc and it works. The changes seem minor but they are effective in how the handling and overall setup of the car changes, with sensors reading the road surface conditions and adjusting the throttle and brakes as required thousands of time per second.
The Wrap: Range Rover delivers on its luxury SUV promise. The Evoque Dynamic Coupe is, certainly, a lifestyle choice vehicle, in that two doors and four seats really aren’t a family orientated gear set. Price wise, at over $70K, it’s not within the “average” family sights, pricewise.
There’s plenty of tech to play with, for the technologically minded and it’s got a tractable, flexible engine with a gearbox that worked near nigh perfectly and more than enough room for one or two people and their luggage. At 1640 kilos, for its size, it’s not as light as it should be and Range Rover’s official fuel figures of 10.3L per 100 kilometres for an urban cycle, however, won’t trouble the likely buyers of the Evoque Coupe.
Fit and finish is of the quality one expects, from the feel of the cloth through to the sight of the gear selector rising majestically through the centre console.
The driving position imbues confidence, and there’s plenty of vision forwards. Rearwards, though…..
There’s an astounding range of options available, allowing a new buyer to personalise the Evoque to within an inch of its life and that’s what a true luxury brand offers discerning buyers. The Range Rover Evoque Dynamic is not in the reach of ordinary men (and women) but those that can grasp it, it’s well worth the time spent with it.
For information on Range Rover and Land Rover, head here: http://www.landrover.com.au/index.html
The Car.
Engine: 2.0L petrol with turbocharger.
Transmission: 9 speed automatic.
Power/Torque: 110 kW/340 Nm @ 5500 rpm/1750 rpm.
Fuel: 68L tank.
Economy: 10.4/6.4/7.8 (L per 100 km, urban,highway,combined).
Weight: 1640 kg.
Warranty: 3 year/100,000 km with Roadside Assistance.
The Integrated Road: Android Auto.
Technology can move at a blinding pace, bewilderingly so at times. A person born in late 1903 will have been there when the (allegedly) first powered flight by mankind took place at Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, in the US. Just under 66 years later they would have seen mankind walk upon the moon for the first time and just 12 years later, the beginning of the space shuttle era.
Science fiction postulated the use of mobile communication devices, most notably in the legendary tv series, Star Trek. Motorola pioneered the use of flip phones, exactly like the communicators shown, then, in 1987, the new series showed the crew using touch style badges for communication, as well as media devices suspiciously like the tablets that are commonplace today.
As seems to be the nature of business, there’s two competing brands, Apple and Microsoft. Enter a third option, in the form of the operating system known as Android. Backed by technological giant, Google, Android’s forte is being flexible, tweakable, customisable. Companies such as Samsung, LG and Sony utilise the base platform in their smartphones, themselves a device seemingly around for ever yet have been in the light for less than a decade. Now the automotive industry looks to take on the system, alongside Apple’s version called CarPlay, in a further effort to integrate technology, real and useable technology we use at home and at the office, into our cars.
Android Auto uses both touch screen and voice activation, starting with an app that’s downloaded to a car’s built in navigation and entertainment system. A smart phone with Android is then connected. The catch is this, at the moment: it needs to be the Android 5.0 OS in order for the system to work. But if you’re familiar with Android then the Android Auto will fall to hand just as easily in usage.
Of note is the change in navigation; the setup uses Google Maps and integrates voice activated controls and direction requests. There may also be lane guidance, traffic updates and more. Then there’s the music app, allowing streaming of music, access to your own music library and music from Google Play Music.
The voice activation service has been reported as almost flawless; users have said that the system is quick, responds to almost every word spoken without issue and provides a safer level of control by using vocal rather than touchscreen inputs.
Holden already has plans to provide the service as does Hyundai. Apple also has their version, Apple Play, waiting in the wings, however at the time of writing it’s unclear as to what that service will deliver.
For further information on the basics and an idea of just how many car brands world wide plan to integrate Android Auto, click here: http://www.android.com/auto/
Private Fleet Car Review and Driver Education: 2016 Hyundai Sonata at Drive To Survive
Turbo technology has come a long way for passenger cars since SAAB popularised them back in the 1970s. Once fraught with danger, either by revving too high or having fragile components explode, they’re now safe, reliable, more fuel efficient and make driving safer and easier.
However, there’s still a stigma attached to turbo charged engined cars, to the point that governments in Australia ban drivers of certain ages from driving them. Ian Luff, owner of Sydney based Drive To Survive, appears to not entirely agree. Drive To Survive promotes driver training and promotes safety but not merely through buckling up.
A Wheel Thing undertook a day’s further education in Drive to Survive’s Performance Driving course and took Hyundai’s new Sonata Premium (with a turbo engine) along for the ride.
The Sonata Premium sits at the top of the revamped (formerly i45) range; behind the bluff, upright nose, looking very much like bigger sibling Genesis, is a two litre power plant, complete with a very usable 350 Newton metres of torque, spread across a range of revs, from 1400 through to 4000. Peak power is 180 kW, requiring 6000 revs to do so. It’s the torque, of course, that makes the Sonata such an easy going car to live with and such an easy car to drive. Ideal, in fact, for the Performance Driving course.
It’s a six speed auto in the Premium (in fact, there’s no manual option available in the Sonata range….) and bigger brake discs to add extra stopping power (320mm by 28mm), MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link independent rear with both ends getting amplitude selective dampers. They provide a firm, almost sporting ride yet lose no comfort for the occupants. This was important in the first stanza of the Performance Driving course, with a quick right/left slalom before jumping on the anchors to deliberately activate the ABS. Noticeable was the activation of the hazard lights, a European fixture slowly making its way through into other brands.
Sonata is a big car; classified as a medium car solely because of its engine, it comes in at 4855 mm long, with a 2805 mm wheelbase. There’s a slightly narrower track (distance between left and right wheels) front and rear compared to the Active an Elite, at 1597/1604 mm (front/rear) compared to 1602/1609 mm due to the meatier rubber fitted to the 18 inch alloys. They’re 235/45 instead of 215/55 and proved to be a conversation piece later in the course. It stands at 1475 mm and is broad at 1865 mm, offering 1470 mm of shoulder room for the front seat and 1435 for the rear.
Being, effectively, a revamped i45, the profile is almost identical, down to retaining the chrome strips in the front fenders. A redesigned front clip brings the Sonata more into the family look, includes LED driving lights and turning lamps whilst the rear lights cop a mild makeover.
The second part of the course involved a more dynamic use of the car; tight turns (which the 2.78 turns lock to lock steering loved), ABS braking and appropriate braking into turns was the aim. Luff believes that a lot of crashes happen because people look no further than the end of the car’s bonnet. By not watching what traffic is doing ahead of you, you become almost immune to reading the road and being able to judge what is required for your driving style. Also, arm position is important, as if they’re in the wrong position should a steering wheel airbag deploy, there’s a better than even chance severe injury can occur.
The course also shows that better driving comes from looking ahead, look to where the car needs to be in the very short term future, due to the speed and ability of the car working with (or against) the ability of a driver to calculate where they want to be. If you look only to the end of the bonnet, by the time you look to where you need to be, you’re already there. Look further ahead in order to be able to deal with the situation.
Luff is a firm believer in technology being used to work for us, not the other way around. He peppers his delivery with an occasional reference to statistics, interspersed with adult style conversation. He pulls no punches in his presentation, as he shouldn’t, having worked with a number of Australian racing drivers including Mark Webber. Drive To Survive uses Hyundai cars for their work, as Luff also feels they are the best cars, for the money and with the level of safety features, such as the aforementioned ABS.
This is an important part of the course, as statistics show that many people have never experienced a full ABS stop and therefore, when they do, think there’s an issue with the braking system and lift their foot…….the result is a crash.
The Sonata Premium comes fully loaded with all electronic driving aids and safety packages, both passive and active. There’s the expected stuff like Traction Control, Brake Distribution, Vehicle Stability Management then the somewhat unexpected such as Hill Start Assist Control. There’s a full array of sensors for Rear Parking Assist plus the Premium gets Front Park Assist and Auto Hold built into the Electronic Parking Brake.
Naturally there’s airbags galore; front, thorax, curtain, then pretensioning seatbelts all around, necessary, says Luff, as people are taught to steer a car but not necessarily to drive a car. He points out the preponderance of drivers wearing earbuds for sound, instead of utilising the Bluetooth streaming or auxiliary inputs, therefore the driver focus isn’t on driving and being aware.
The tyres on the Premium certainly hand a driver some extra ability for most normal driving situations but the question was raised about tyre pressure. Important, says Drive To Survive, to monitor, as under and over inflation can affect the driving style of a car in a negative sense. In the tighter parts of the tracks laid out and emphasising just how fine a line it is between control and not having it, the Sonata’s handling became that of understeer, with the tyres flexing on the sidewall and “scrubbing under”.
The point here, says Luff, is that coming in “too hot” to a turn will have most cars understeering, hence the emphasis on the braking aspect of the course. The Sonata has a superb ride quality but perhaps a little tuned in tyre pressure towards a softer aspect.
There’s no doubt the Sonata Premium is a cosseting place to be, whether on the road or in a driver education course. Leather seats with heating AND cooling, two position memory for the driver, dual zone climate control, a cleaner and classier looking console layout than the Active, LED interior lights, rain sensing wipers and a steering column fitted for reach and rake.
The audio was superb and having a bigger touchscreen than the Active (8 inches versus 4.3) made that more enjoyable as did having a full length glass roof. An old style touch for the rear seat passengers came in the form of manual (but hugely effective) curtains. Also, by buying the Premium, you’ll get three years free map updates to the navigation system.
The final part of the course tests what has been imparted during the day. A longer, tighter, twistier course combined with some acceleration straights has the Sonata largely unmoved, such is the composure of the chassis. The tyre pressures again came into question; what wasn’t questioned was the sheer ability of the Sonata’s turbo engine and transmission. On the shorter “tracks” the gearbox was told to be in manual mode, as the length of the sections would see second gear and that was it.
Seat of the pants tells zero to one hundred kilometres per hour time is about seven seconds, Hyundai don’t appear to officially quote one. What they do quote is fuel economy; a combined figure of 9.2L per 100 km, with highway and urban lobbing in at 6.7L and a shocking 13.4L respectively. Overall economy averaged out at just over ten litres per hundred from the 70L tank.
Drive To Survive, in essence, is exactly what all drivers should do. Cars come with electronic aids and SRS (Supplementary Restraint System) equipment because too, too, too many choose not to. Note the usage of the word “choose”. A highlight of the course is the emphasis on the human element. Luff makes clear that cars don’t have a brain, they don’t lose control by themselves. The organic component is still the most valuable part of driving but bad drivers choose to drive badly.
The Hyundai Sonata Premium is one of Hyundai’s best cars. It’s a good looker, goes hard, handles well and comes with a pretty damned good feature list. The safety features are world class, as is the fit and finish of the cabin.
It also proves, beyond reasonable doubt, that a turbo engine and a bit of smart driving can go together just fine.
Step up, Sonata Premium 2.0T. (That’s T for Turbo).
Step up, Drive To Survive.
Go here for info: http://www.hyundai.com.au/vehicles/sonata/specifications
and here for Drive To Survive: http://www.drive-to-survive.com.au/
The Car: 2016 Hyundai Sonata Premium.
Engine: 2.0L petrol engine with turbocharger.
Power/Torque: 180 kW/350 Nm @ 6000/1400 – 4000 rpm.
Tank: 70L.
Consumption (quoted litres per 100 km): 9.2L/6.7L/13.4L combined/highway/urban.
Dimensions: 4855 x 1865 x 1475 (L x W x H in mm.)
Wheelbase: 2805 mm.
Wheel/Tyre: 18 inch, 235/45.
Warranty: five years, unlimited kilometres.
Service: Contact your Hyundai dealer to confirm.
Private Fleet Car Review: Audi S1 Quattro Sportback.
Sports cars are, generally, thought of as having a front mounted engine, driving the rear wheels and no roof. That’s certainly not untrue, however, there’s plenty that offer the same ability and experience with different drivetrains and a different look.
A Wheel Thing looks at an all wheel drive sports car with a roof, the Audi S1 Quattro Sportback.
Powersource.
It’s a lusty 2.0L turbo, pumping out 170 kW and an impressive 370 Newton metres of torque. Combined with a six speed manual and pushing power to all four corners and a selectable drive system which adjusts engine tuning and suspension, it’ll sprint to 100 kmh in a tick under six seconds and top out at an electronically limited 250 kmh.
Power comes in at a peaky 6000 rpm but the engine’s party piece is the linear delivery of that monstrous torque: it’s mesa flat from 1600 to 3000 revs, allowing scintillating acceleration under way and back bending launches off the line, with a short throw gear selector providing rapid punching through the six forward ratios.
Along the way, the engine throws out surprising fuel economy, with Audi quoting for the five door hatch 7.3L of 95 RON being consumed for every 100 kilometres for the combined cycle (9.3L for suburban and 6.0L for the highway). It needs that economy as the S1 can only squeeze in a 45L tank.
The Suit.
The S1 manages to cram this performance into a sub four metre long vehicle; at 3975 mm it’s in no danger of being considered a big car yet manages to tempt drivers with a 2469 mm wheelbase, big for a small car. It’s broader than what the looks suggest,with a total width (including the overly stubby mirrors) of 1906 mm, or 1740 mm sans reflectors. Height is just 1417 mm.
The car provided came clad in Misano Red and Brilliant Black, an eyecatching combination. Rolling stock was a grippy set of 225/35 tyres wrapping five arm facet design alloys at 18 inches in diameter, hiding red painted brake callipers. There’s a spoiler at the rear of the roof line and Quattro stickers adorning the lower part of the rear doors.
Audi’s signature “koala nose” grille sit proudly between the Xenon headlights and LED driving lights at the front whilst a subtle alloy strip highlights an air intake at the lower extremity, with the rear featuring a sports diffuser at the bottom, housing four chromed tips for the sports tuned exhaust. Sitting above them is a piano black strip with LED powered brake and night lights, looking like a pair of demonic eyes at night.
The five door weighs 25 kilos more than the three door Sportback, at 1390 kilos against 1415 kilos.
On The Inside.
Yes, it’s compact inside but not as tight as you’d think. The main issue here is rear seat legroom, with a person of average height sitting in the front seats needing to move their well appointed and supportive pews back enough that the plastic backed seats compromise, drastically, any real leg space there was.
Interior trim is muted; there’s grey leather for the seats, black plastic abounds apart from the body coloured trim on the backs of the front seats and on the centre console surrounding the gear lever. There’s also red piping highlighting the alloy look airvents whilst alloy also raises the profile of the interior door handles, pedals, aircon, exterior wing mirrors and the upper surrounds of the red console.
Mounted in the top centre of the dash is Audi’s infotainment screen; in true Audi style it takes some getting used to as it’s operated by a dial and buttons in the console immediately forward of the slick shifting gear lever. The dial (and a button) rotate through navigation, audio and settings; it’s not exactly intuitive but becomes easy to use after a bit of practice.
It’s a 6.5 inch screen, with the navigation screen proffering plenty of information. There’s a hard drive to store music plus two SD card slots for media as well, plus Bluetooth audio streaming on board. Audio quality was high, with clear and punchy bass underpinning a fairly well defined soundstage. The tech continues in offering a wifi hotspot, local petrol stations and apps.
The seatbelt mounts for the front seats are awkwardly mounted and located, close to the pivot point for the centre console are rest that folds up. The rest gets in the way of the left elbow and the mounts themselves are not easy to slot the belt latch in to, with adult hands feeling claustrophobic trying to slot the mechanism in. Also, the rear vision mirror is simply too small to really be considered safe.
The dash itself is simple, legible and hints at the family linkage that Audi has with a couple of other Euro makers, with a monochrome centre screen flanked by two large dials in the binnacle holding the tacho and temperature on the left and speedo and fuel gauge on the right.
The column has indicators on the left, wiper controls from both front and rear windows plus headlights whilst a third column makes it messy with the cruise control. This could and should be relocated to the spokes.
Interior fit and finish is highly specced with nary a squeak or out of place noise. What was “out of place” was the larger than expected battery located rear and centre in the boot, underneath the 210L cargo space. Spare wheel? Um. No.
On The Road.
The strength of the S1 is its powerhouse engine. That incredible flexibility brought on by the torque, couple with the smooth, close ratio, six speed manual, make it a doddle to drive around town, with an easy progression through to fifth before reaching 60 kmh. The clutch is light but not vaguely so, giving enough feedback through the travel to let the driver know when it’s in or out of gear in changes.
Acceleration is gentle when needed, ferocious when required, with that all paw delivery working hand in hand with the Pirelli rubber to rocket the S1 along at any speed and with an indecent amount of confidence in its handling. The low ride height and centre of gravity work together beautifully, “spoiled” only by the suspension that has the S1 sitting as flat as a pancake and has as much give as one, as well.
The quad tipped exhaust emits a somewhat subdued yet subtly raucous tone when the S1 is on song but lacked the truly visceral bark and popping something like a Fiat 500 Abarth adds to the soundtrack.
Under way, overtaking is done as easily as breathing. It’s either a gear or two back or a simple press of the right foot, depending on current and desire velocity. It certainly winds up nicely enough, either way, surprising a few people in bigger engined cars as to how the gap between them and the S1 suddenly went to a yawning chasm.
The suspension is taut, very taut, with the barest compliance initially to absorb undulations but it dislikes any bumps bigger than a five cent piece. However, it’s a sports car so it’s part of the package. The location of the battery to rear also helps with the balance of the car, with the S1 being able to change direction in a blink with fear of the front and rear wishing to go AWOL….a shortish wheelbase in the context of the car’s size didn’t hurt either.
The Wrap.
The 2016 Audi S1 has an impressive engine and gearbox, a sports car ride, manages to provide enough room for one or two people and can be specced with many options (click here:http://www.audi.com.au/dam/ngw/au/model_brochures/a1/s1_sportback/s1_sportback_model_brochure.pdf)
It’s certainly a car for a driver that likes to DRIVE a car, rather than be a passenger in “D” world and really suits a single person or a couple as the lack of truly flexible rear leg room places shackles on it being a family friendly car. The overall economy, Audi’s quality, the sheer exhilaration that engine and gearbox imbue, along with the sure-footedness the quattro drive train provides, will appeal to many but only a few will truly appreciate the depth of ability and talent the S1 has.
Backed by a three year and unlimited kilometre warranty as standard (Audi do offer an extended warranty) there’s plenty of peace of mind as well
Head to www.audi.com.au for info on all Audi products.
For A Wheel Thing TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r86V6Dmq0QM&feature=em-upload_owner
The Car: Audi S1 Quattro Sportback.
Engine: 2.0L, four cylinder.
Fuel: 95 RON.
Tank: 45L.
Power/Torque: 170 Kw/370 Nm @ 6000/1600-3000 rpm.
Economy: 9.3L/6.0L/7.3L per 100 km, urban/highway/combined.
Transmission: six speed manual, all wheel drive.
Dimensions (L x W x H in mm): 3975 x 1906 x 1423.
Wheels/Tyres (as fitted): 225/35 on 18 inch alloys.
Warranty: three years, unlimited kilometres.
Level 2, 9 Help Street