Author archive
A New Beginning And New Thinking For Luxury: Hyundai Genesis,
I was fortunate enough to be one of the drive team for the launch of a new entrant into the luxury car field, the Hyundai Genesis. Yes, Hyundai Genesis. Don’t laugh because you’ve read Hyundai and luxury car in the same sentence, it is a remarkably well engineered, thought out and produced vehicle, topping out at just $82000. It’s a big car with a massive interior, thanks to a 5 metre length and 3 metre wheelbase. There’s design elements for the exterior reminiscent of some other brands, with the front being commented on most as being Aston Martin. That’s perhaps due to the winged emblem front and centre on the panel edge leading into the bonnet. There’s only one indication of who the maker is, with the Hyundai H on the bootlid. There’s three models in the range, starting in the mid $60K bracket, with the Sensory and Ultimate pack offerings being the trio.
The leading edge is an upright, bluff looking part of the car, sweeping over a long bonnet (housing the 3.8L V6, 232 kW/397 Nm powerplant) into an almost coupe like roofline before tapering off into a a short tail housing a good sized boot. It’s a cohesive and handsome design. The interior is a reflection of the outside, with deeply sculpted seats front and rear, with heating and cooling for the front, heating in the rear, full electric adjustment for driver and passenger plus memory seating, electric sunblind for the rear window, photochromatic glass for the sunroof 
and heated wing mirrors (which dip when reverse is selected). There’s adaptive cruise control to play with; 
think an extension of cruise control which merely has you travel at a preset speed, this uses a camera to track the vehicle in front to keep the Genesis at a set time gap (one to four seconds) behind the vehicle in front and will bring the Genesis to a stop at velocities up to 80 km/h. Over that, Genesis expects the human factor to come into play and steer the car out of trouble. There’s four other cameras as well; front, rear, with two in the side mirrors that will display a 360 degree view on the 9.2 inch 720p display screen, plus offer a choice of four angles front/side/rear. A downlight is the switchgear; although smartly and simply laid out, they lack the luxury look and feel expected, being of typical high quality but hard set Hyundai plastic; there’s also a harsh feeling pocket on the rear of the front seats, devoid of the same velour lining found in the door pockets and soft open/close clamshell centre console locker. The “entry level” Genesis gets plenty of tech such as Hill Start Assist, tyre pressure monitoring, the afore mentioned smart 
cruise control with the Sensory throwing in Head Up Display, rear cross traffic alert, the around view monitoring system and powered steering column whilst the Ultimate gets the panoramic glass sunroof, the sound proofed acoustic glass and more. A nice touch is a LED light that shines the Genesis logo from each wing mirror to the ground. There’s audio controls and front passenger seat controls in a fold down section in the rear seat, allowing those that prefer to be driven rather than drive themselves to move the seat for room and choose their own music. Both features are lockable via the menu system activated from the steering wheel buttons.
The eight speed transmission is Hyundai’s; smooth, fluid, seamless, imperceptible in gear changes unless the right foot is a heavy one. There’s a snarl from the front through the induction system but barely an exhaust note, thanks to the 
high level of exterior noise insulation. It will accelerate nicely, thank you muchly, with an almost double clutch feel to the changes when really pressed…again it’s a seamless transition with no sign of hesitation. On the roads chosen for the demonstration drives, a good mix of flat and straight roads versus speed humps and tight corners plus a few roundabouts, the Genesis is composed, compliant with a feel stopping short of sporty without compromising the comfort level of the ride. Variable ratio steering tightens up the turning, surprising many in the drive sessions with just how compact a turning circle the Genesis displays. Fuel consumption is quoted as 11.2L/100 km combined, with some urban legs about 13L/100 km. This is not unexpected and will trouble those only of the penny pinching persuasion. Hyundai says the target market is the affluent, professional style aged from 40 to 60; certainly the Genesis garnered plenty of attention, with 
the test cars in while, black, blue, silver and grey catching the eyes of many as we drove in convoy.
The hurdles Hyundai faces are not insurmountable, but they are well entrenched in the Australian automotive psyche. The mere mention of Hyundai still brings stifled giggles or remembrances of years gone by. Hyundai acknowledge this by offering a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty with service costs built into those five years. Hyundai will also offer a conditional buy back price (contact Hyundai for details). Naturally, the most criticism will come from those that 
haven’t and won’t drive it, as it’s “just a Hyundai”. That fact means there’s no great loss to Hyundai as they don’t need that clientele; what they will get are people willing to be open minded and see the Genesis for what it is. A New Beginning and New Thinking. Click here for details: http://www.hyundai.com.au/vehicles/genesis?gclid=COia6r6S78ECFQYwjgodRi0AmQ&gclsrc=ds#intro
A big thanks to Ian Luff’s Drive to Survive group for having me involved.
"Backyard Mechanics" and Service Support.
Members may have read about a purported lack of support for non dealership mechanics by car companies in Australia. According to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, there’s no real detriment being seen, under the current guidelines, to customers. In a review conducted in 2012 by the Australian Treasury, a recommendation was that access to repair information would not become an issue, which appears to have been reached with the FCAI’s Voluntary Code of Practice relating to Access to Service and Repair Information. This represents a minimum standard for the provision of service and repair information to independent repairers, by car manufacturers selling vehicles in Australia.
There’s been assertions that car makers don’t supply information; this is, in fact, incorrect, with a number of manufacturers providing the minimum amout of information required and more to a wide range of independent repairers. Part of this is to do with security. Just as you may have a code for your tablet or smartphone, the Code of Practice allows makers to protect their customers from the release of personal and vehicle information, such as safety, security and legal matters. For example, it allows car makers to help customers protect their vehicles from theft by restricting access to the security codes that would allow any person who purchases the information to access a vehicle. Also, information that an manufactuer is prohibited from disclosing under any law, including privacy laws, will not be made publicly available.
You, as a consumer, have the rightto choose who and where services and/or repairs to your car. You should also expect that crucial and critical systems can be serviced without youself and others being put at risk. The Code is intended to reassure consumers that they can have confidence that their vehicles are being can be serviced safely and appropriately by repairers that have taken the time to ensure their equipment and tools are appropriate, along with up to date information. YOU have the right to have your vehicle serviced and repaired to a high level, a professional standard and why the FCAI will work with the independent service and repair industries.
Disabled Parking: Use and Abuse.
It’s a situation that burns people with a sense of right and fair play: seeing seemingly non disabled drivers parking in clearly marked Disabled Parking spots. Invariably, there’s no indication of a sticker inside the car, a requirement in order to use these spots. Unsurprisingly, when these drivers are talked to by security personnel, there’s an unleashing of swearing and attitude that would shame an old salt. Yet, like so many things we see on the roads nowadays, there’s no need for this, there’s no need for this attitude. and the NSW state government appears to have finally said “enough”
In a move that the government hopes will dissuade non-legal users of the Disabled car parks, it’s been put forward that demerits points for drivers that are caught improperly using Disabled parking spots be implemented and fines increased. In NSW, fines are currently $519 for using the space without a permit and $623 for improperly using a permit. NSW Roads Minister, the Hon. Duncan Gay, says his office is responding to the numbers of enquiries and complaints in regards to improper usage, including a submission from the Lane Cover council. Ironically, Lane Cove councillor, Karola Brent, was photographed parking her Range Rover in a Disabled car space…
Approximately 800,000 Australians are registered to have a Disabled parking sticker, while in NSW, around 16,000 fines are issued annually to people that have breached the regulations. The tough talking Mr Gay said: “Able-bodied people who steal disabled carparks from people who genuinely need them are low-lifes, plain and simple. I’ve asked Roads and Maritime Services to look at introducing demerit point penalties for people parking illegally in disabled carparks. I have utmost sympathy for the people who are disadvantaged by this sick behaviour.”
If you think over $500 for a fine is steep, consider this: the UK fines people up to Au$1840.00 whilst in San Francisco it’s up to Au$1100.00. The message is clear: don’t park in the wrong spot, take responsibility when you’re hauled up on it and be prepared to be stung when you’re caught.
What do you think: shound demerit points be introduced or should the fines be heavier?
No Hat Required: Volvo XC60 D4.
Volvo’s best seller is its mid size SUV contender, the XC60 D4, a nomenclature that says, simply, it’s a four cylinder diesel. Having never driven a Volvo before and having only one driving experience, that with Robert Dahlgren and the S60 Polestar as part of the 2014 Top Gear Festival Sydney, it’s with an open mind that the XC60 is approached.
The Donk.
The XC60 tested has a frugal, 2.0L, four cylinder diesel, with peak power being 133kW, at a high (for a diesel) 4250 rpm. There’s significant twisting force on offer, with 400 torques between 1750 to 2500 revs. 
Although it is a narrow torque band, it’s working with a gearbox that has eight ratios, spreading the load and the love. It’s no rocketship, with a zero to one hundred time of 8.5 seconds however those numbers are tempered by its bulk; at 1748kg dry, it’s no featherweight. It’s rare to hear the characteristic chatter of the diesel, intruding only rarely and tending to be at startup and hard acceleration, otherwise it’s barely noticeable. The XC60 has stop/start tech for the engine as well, to conserve fuel and reduce emissions (127g per kilometre) by switching the engine off when the vehicle has come to a stop. It’s somewhat disconcerting for passengers that aren’t aware of how it works.
The Suit.
Designers quickly worked out that, when it came to SUV styling, that the traditional three box look was not a winner and Volvo has been quick to work curved magic on the XC60 sheetmetal. From the smooth and aero looking nose cone through to the tapered rear, there’s nary a straight line, The front has some trapezoidal design elements in the bumper, the headlights have a seemingly teardrop look sitting above two strips of LED driving lights whilst the lower air intake has a whiff of Aston Martin. There’s a strongly defined creaseline from the front guards through to the rear, fading into the fold that terminates in the rear lights. It’s a bold look and draws the eye to the sloping tailgate, framed by the stylish tail light clusters. The rear bumper has chrome inserts and hides the exhausts whilst the tailgate itself is power operated, via keyfob, dash button and insert in the gate itself. There’s roof rails and folding wing mirrors to complete the package.
On The Inside.
There’s an immediate standout to the Volvo uninitiated: the sublime design of the centre console stack which is a brushed aluminuim, floating look. It’s classy to look at (Volvo call it Copper Dawn), ergonomic by being tilted towards the driver and has a mostly user friendly button layout. I say mostly because intrumentation should be intuitive; dual zone climate control should be easy to work, for example, but there doesn’t appear to be a simple one button press to link both sides for temperature. Volvo has an onboard user manual (great green thinking but who wants to sit in a car reading an electronic book?) and the central locking system, once the car had stopped and turned off, required a double press of the interior door handle to unlock that OR press the actual central locking button twice for all doors. Apparently there’s a bypass 
procedure, I couldn’t find it.
The layout of the stack has an ideogram of a human for aircon flow direction but is unusual in having a phone keypad as well. It does take up some room and may be better served by incorporating, like so many others, a touch screen at the top of the centre console, which, in this case, is simply an info screen. Being a European car, obviously, the indicator stalk is on the left side of the adjustable steering column, with a button and jog dial that accesses info but also allows the centre and (fully digital, looks great) dash screen 
to change through a choice of three display settings, modifying the info and layout shown. Satnav via the Sensus Connect system, however, is a near $3K option…but there is an app to allow web access by using your smartphone. In the rear cargo area, with 495L (seats up), there’s some under cover storage as well, by lifting the nicely carpeted locker cover. The eight speaker audio system is also very good, being nicely balanced and with some good punch, aiding the experience. Naturally there’s auxiliary inputs plus Bluetooth streaming for music, that gorgeous 7 inch LCD screen, plenty of safety 
with airbags everywhere and hazard light activation for emergency braking and emergency situations.
There’s full leather seating (heating at the front), memory for the driver, a pollen filter for the aircon plus vents in the pillars for the rear seat passengers, split fold rear seats which sit a bit higher than the front row and a cargo blind, face level B pillar mounted vents, plus a soft move and velour lined centre console bin, all contributing to a premium feel.
On The Road.
It’s an SUV but not as you know it: it’s not intended to be anything other than a midlargish two wheel drive diesel SUV. There’s no transfer case, 
no traction modes for anything other than tarmac and the tyres (235/65/17 Michelin Latitude Sport) are asymmetric in tread and not intended for anything else, really, than a road. So, within those guidelines (as an AWD version of the D4 is on its way), it works pretty well. There’s a touch of push on understeer with the relatively high sidewalls flexing and it’s noticeable in the driver’s seat, some noticeable body roll at times but the suspension does a good job of dismissing the smaller bumps before firming up and being a touch niggly. Undulations are despatched with ease and the XC60 rarely became truly unsettled, even into some sloping off camber turns. Under way the eight ratio gearbox moves quickly and quietly as the diesel settles down into its ryhthm, only really noticeable on startup with the chatter. Sports Mode on the transmission does makes things a touch quicker, however neither mode can do much about the turbo lag below 1700revs or so plus, there were times when the gearbox was seemingly caught unaware, with a clunk and thud at certain throttle input levels. The steering is light, a touch numb on centre and doesn’t really feel as if you’re connected to the road 100%. The stop/start system (it can be turned off) is sometimes intrusive, with a cutoff point of close to five km/h the engine goes off the grid and sometimes it’s a bare breath before you can move forward, restarting the engine. It is, however, impressively quick to do so; also impressive is the hush inside, even on Sydney’s goat track coarse bitumen, with plenty of work being put in to isolate the cockpit from the noise outside.
The Wrap.
Volvo has well and truly shrugged off its boxy headache in recent times; exterior designs are sexy, slinky, curvy, interiors are comfortable, welcoming and ambitious. The XC60’s ride is good enough for most drivers however the technology may overwhelm. I’m reasonably tech savvy yet found myself bemused and befuddled by Volvo’s system; for the life of me, I couldn’t find the override for the central locking, for example. It took a while to absorb how the menu system works as once an item is selected then the various dials and buttons work only for that selection. It’s a cool look to the interior and being able to tailor the digital dash is handy, maybe a touch gimmicky but the information available, once you figure out how to use the system, is considerable. Ride quality is quite acceptable as is handling and as long as a driver doesn’t expect rocket launch acceleration then there’s enough available. Fuel economy, given the predominantly suburban driving, ended up around 7.0L per 100 kilometres.
Overall, however, the XC60 failed to tick, for me, an important box, the one marked “Excitement” and that’s proved hard to identify why. It’s nice to drive, looks ok, has a plush enough interior….It’s just under $60K and, as tested, was a tick over $62K (metallic paint is a whopping $1750 option!) and is, naturally, well equipped. For information on the XC60 (and other Volvo products) head to www.volvo.com.au and for A Wheel Thing TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtIht5dgKiI&feature=em-upload_owner
Level 2, 9 Help Street