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Jaguar Sharpens Its Claws: The 2016 XE Is Released For Australia.
Jaguar Australia has hosted the local launch of possibly its most important model of recent times, the XE. Replacing the largely unloved X-Type and S-Type range, the aluminuim chassised, rear wheel driven, saloon will feature ground breaking levels of technology as the classic British brand prepares to take on, head on, its German based rivals.
In its class, the XE will be the only vehicle to use aluminuim, predominantly, in its monocoque chassis design, with large, single stamped, panels offering increased torsional stiffness and reducing weight simultaneously. This engineering puts the XE into first place as the lightest and stiffest Jaguar released, along with being the slipperiest. Jaguar quotes a drag coefficient of just 0.26 cD.
Even the suspension features aluminuim construction; the toe links and upper arms are forged aluminuim with the knuckles and lower control arms being hollow in construction. Yes, the XE eschews the conventional MacPherson strut setup, going to a double wishbone configuration. At the rear, Jaguar looked at a multilink setup, but chose instead a system called Integral Link. Jaguar has also chosen electronically assisted steering for the XE, with the computer controlled system even adjusting for ambient temperature!
The cars will all hover around the near 4.7 m mark for length, 1416 mm in height, 1850 mm width (excluding mirrors), sit on a 2835 mm wheelbase and almost identical track at 1602/1603 mm front and rear. Boot space, as a result, is rated at 450 L. Underneath, the XE gets bigger brakes discs, at 350 mm and 325 mm front and rear.
There’s four models in the range: Prestige, Portfolio, R-Sport and S. Each will be featuring individual design highlights; the R-Sport, for example will feature unique technical mesh fabric inserts inside and a specific exterior body styling.
Powertrain wise, there will be Jaguar’s own, fully in-house developed, Ingenium range of alloy blocked diesel and petrol engines in four cylinder configuration. To kick off,the two litre diesel will offer a stupendous 430 Nm of torque and economy of 4.2L per 100 kilometres with all cars getting a 63 lire tank. Jaguar will also offer two specification levesl for a petrol engine: both will be of 2.0L and direct injection, providing a choice of 147kW/280Nm and 177kW/340Nm. Fully assembled, they’ll weigh just 138 kilograms.
There will be also be the fire breathing, supercharged, 3.0L V6, with 250 kW and 450 Nm of torque, as found in the F-Type. Jaguar will make shifting gears easy, with all versions getting one transmission, a weight optimised eight speed auto. Naturally, it’s computer linked and features adaptive programming. Top speeds vary from 250 kmh for the 3.0L V6 and 177 kW four down to 228 kmh for the diesel.
Part of Jaguar’s history is about being technologically advanced, showing off either classic designs or showcasing the engineering. In the XE, Jaguar debuts a world first for the brand: All Surface Progress Control. It’s a unique mix of cruise control and traction control, all for speeds between 3 and 30 kilometres per hour. Surfaces will include wet grass or snowy driveways; the driver sets the speed and the system does the rest.
Lasers feature heavily in science fiction; Jaguar has utilised laser technology for an industry first Head Up Display. Apart from the projector being smaller and lighter than traditional HUD units, it also provides brighter, sharper imaging, with a range of information set to “float” two metres in front of the driver and additionally allows drivers that wear polarising glasses to see the image. 
There’s also other driver awareness technologies such as Tyre Pressure Monitoring, Autonomous Emergency Braking and Proximity Cameras (as part of the Advanced Parking Assist package).
Soundwise, there’s a premium audio system packing 380W from Meridian, however it’s an odd choice to offer a DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcast) tuner as an option, given a Mondeo Titanium or Toyota Camry has it…
Pricing wise, the Prestige starts at $60400 for the entry level petrol, $62800 for the diesel and $64900 for the upper level petrol. The XE Portfolio comes with one engine, the 177 kW petrol and will see $70400 next to its name. Then, the R-Sport will have $64400, $66800 and $68900 following the same structure as the Prestige. Finally, the supercharged S at $104200 rounds out the range, with all figures being Jaguar’s Recommended Retail price.
The XE range is due to go on sale in the final quarter of 2015. Contact your Jaguar dealer for a test drive.
Private Fleet Car Review: 2015 Hyundai i40 Tourer Series 2.
A Wheel Thing has spent three weeks with three almost completely different Hyundai models and wraps up the trio with the Series 2 i40 Tourer with Active specification, complete with a 340 Nm, 1.7L, diesel and stylish nosejob.
Straight up, the front end of the i40 Tourer brings it into line with the new family face that Hyundai are presenting to the world; there’s a definite resemblance to the sibling Sonata and forthcoming Elantra with the handsome, angular,headlights with LED driving lights and hexagonal grille. The rear, when seen directly from the rear, is also pleasing enough but in profile the rear looks heavy, too low to the ground, rather than matching the sleekness of the new front.
There’s 16 inch alloys all round, with eco look tyres (the sidewalls are festooned with flowers) and they’re high profile tyres too, at 205/60. Somehow, they still manage to not look as if they fill the wheel arches. It’s an unusual look overall and reminiscent of the XF Falcon. In profile, the swage lines joining front to rear and the tapering of the windows front and rear, stand out. Overall length is 4775 mm, with height and width 1470 mm and 1815 mm.
The engine,as mentioned, rolls out 340 torques, from 1750 rpm through to Hyundai’s customary 2500 rev point. It’s an astounding amount of torque and wonderfully economic. When picked up and the70L tank brimmed, the onboard computer was offering a range of over 1050 kilometres and that number barely changed, from distance covered to expected range, throughout the week, with a final economy reading of six litres per hundred. That part is simply sensational. Hyundai’s own figures are 5.1/5.9/4.7L per hundred (combined/urban/highway) .
What isn’t sensational is the seven speed dual clutch transmission that has been fitted and calibrated for the i40 Tourer. Bluntly, if it were a horse, it should have been taken to the back paddock and shot. A huge gap between Reverse and Drive, an insistence on finding third and holding it on the slightest slope (requiring manual changes to give the engine the appropriate gear plus lower the din from forward of the driver), an unwillingness to offer smooth and unnoticeable changes, an ever persistent feeling that the clutches were given too much time to think about when to engage, a millennium between removing the foot from the brake and feeling forward motion…the love experienced on day one dissipated rapidly.
Although the final driving experience was badly diluted, the interior more than made up for it. It’s the interior the newly released Tucson should have; classy, elegant, sweet, ergonomic, pleasurable to look at and be in. First up, the dash. It’s the dial within dials look that is found in the Santa Fe; it’s smart and it works. Then there’s the centre console; Hyundai have drawn a line down the middle and have mirror imaged the buttons, more or less.
All are legible (as expected), with the plastics here (and elsewhere) of a higher quality than seen in other offerings, smart usage of visual cues (LED backlighting is widely used and sensibly employed, such as in the sliding scale look for the fan speed and temperature) and a tasteful mix of colour for the plastics (including piano black), plus the trademark sweeping arch motif from the passenger door into the dash all add up to make it a wonderful location to be in, especially with 1170 mm legroom and 1420 mm shoulder room.
At the rear is a seemingly huge cargo space (576L seats up, 1672L seats down), with storage below the well carpeted covers as well. There was certainly no issue in loading up the Tourer’s cargo with kids stuff and shopping, seeming to not have enough to make it look full. There’s no power option fitted to the review car but there’s an insert in the tail gate’s plastic to indicate there could be. Rear seat room is also considerable at 850 mm.
Apart from the transmission issues, it’s a pleasant, cossetting ride, with the 60 profile tyres sponging up ripples and bumps, a luxury tune suspension providing no qualms about handling except for an odd and unsettled skipping sideways on off camber turns and over bumps. The 2770 mm wheelbase and near 1600 mm tracks front and rear offer up plenty of stability. Thankfully there’s no steering mode choice, just a nicely weighted tiller and a decent level of communication between it and the front end.
Brake feel was spot on, with the subconscious knowing that the pressure required resulted in the right brake setting and pedal feel. Being a torquey diesel, there was some noticeable torque steer when pressed hard into action, but not to the point it was intrusive. What it did show is how much grunt Hyundai has managed to screw out of such a relatively small engine and offer such incredible fuel economy, as a result.
The Wrap.
In profile it’s dragged down at the rear, yet that is not noticeable when seen directly. The reprofiling at the front brings it into line with its siblings and it’s a pretty face to have. The inside is just beautiful and it’s wonderfully economic. The whole package was let down by that DCT and that, for A Wheel Thing lowered the overall enjoyment considerably and had me wondering what a person that isn’t technically minded would be thinking.
There is another aspect to the i40 Tourer; it’s the only station wagon in the Hyundai range whereas there’s the i40 sedan, Sonata sedan, Accent sedan and the bigger Genesis sedan. For details and pricing options on the i40 range, click here: Hyundai i40 range
Private Fleet Car Review: 2015 Series 2 Hyundai Veloster Turbo SR
The funky Veloster from Korean carmaker, Hyundai, has polarised opinions since its release. With a driver’s door some inches longer than the passenger door, plus the addition of a rear door for the left hand side of the hatchback styled vehicle, the unusual styling has both caught the eyes of road users and divided those into do and don’t like.
A Wheel Thing spent time with the latest iteration of the turbo Veloster SR, updated to a seven speed dual clutch automatic and clad in flat metallic paint.
It’s a compact little thing, at just 4220 mm in overall length and wouldn’t look out of place amongst a class of grade five students height wise, at 1405 mm. It’s wide, though, adding to the squat look and proportions, at 1790 mm and sits on a spacious 2650 mm wheelbase, weighing a svelte 1265 kilos. 
The SR came with the panoramic sunroof, which compromises headroom slightly, dropping it from 990 mm on the standard Veloster to 945 mm at the front with the rear getting 896 mm. As each 225/40/18 wheel and tyre is pushed out to the corners, the Veloster offers up a handy 1114 mm and 805 mm of legroom, front and rear, whilst shoulder room gives room to breathe, at 1412 mm and 1371 mm, front and rear.
Under the truncated snout lies Hyundai’s 1.6L petrol, turbocharged and direct injected powerplant, with 150 kW at 6000 revs; the important numbers, however, are these: 265 Newton metres of torque between 1750 and 4500 rpm. That’s a mesa flat delivery of a very usable amount of torque, put down to the tarmac via the new (for 2015) seven ratio dual clutch auto. 
One hopes these issues experienced: jerkiness, indecisiveness, over revving under hard acceleration and not engaging the next gear as one would expect, a slow uptake of Drive from Reverse, are limited to the test car. It simply didn’t inspire, initially, unlike the manual tested some time ago which took full advantage of the engine’s playfulness. On a slight uphill slope, there’s a measure of rollback before the transmission engages, plus there’s just a bit too much annoying creep on the brake.
On the road, the 40 profile sidewalls did nothing to add to anything resembling ride comfort; the overly taut suspension and damper settings combined to comment harshly about any ripple or speed bump, cat’s eye or ten cent piece.
Along with the underwhelming electronic steering modes (Sporting, Normal, Comfort, with Comfort over light, Normal numb and Sporting feeling….normal) the overall driving experienced was lacklustre also.
To be fair…the drive issue DID seem to clear itself after a legal, high speed, run…perhaps not so much the gearbox (to a point) but a minor fuel delivery issue? When punted hard on a particular road, with plenty of curves, a downhill run and some hard braking, the Veloster came alive, throwing out the anchors nicely, squirreling under ABS on a tightening radius turn and seeming more suited to that environment…
Gear changes felt crisper, more in tune with the rest of the car and doing what’s expected of a DCT. Using the paddle shifters also felt as if the programming recognised human input and reacted accordingly.
Hyundai quotes fuel economy for the Turbo SR as 7.1L per 100 km (combined), 9.4L and 5.5L for Urban and Highway, with a constant figure of 8.5L per 100 km being the end result from the fifty litre tank.
The interior is starting to date; there’s nary a soft plastic to be found, although there’s a colour coding situation to brighten the office (the exterior is clad in the flat metallic blue available, a snip at $1500.00….) with blue leather inserts on the sports seats (heated and vented) and highlights on the upward rising door grab handles.
There’s plenty of hints towards the name, Veloster, with both the tiller and centre stack being of a distinctive V shape.
The centre stack itself is typical Hyundai in its clear and crisp ergonomics, with a push button for Start/Stop at the bottom of the V, leading towards a crosshatch/carbon fibre look, hard plastic, on the dash, which can reflect quite badly in the windscreen. 
The plastic either side is also quite hard, with a different texture as well. Both doors are black plastic lines and have a similar, fluidic sculpture, inspired curve along the door into the dash structure. They’re unusual in that they rise vertically from the lower parts in a square shape rather than the traditional angled one line style.
The seats are comfortable, supportive, with the driver’s seat getting a mix of manual and electric adjustment.
There’s a five inch, responsive, touchscreen for audio (still no RDS), Navigation (clean and simple to read) and settings, the steerer has the appropriate tabs and buttons for audio, Bluetooth and cruise and the dash itself is simply laid out, with fuel and engine temperature gauges located neatly inside the dials for speed and engine revolutions. On the steering column are flat black plastic paddles for the transmission, a touch disappointing, to be honest. Some proper metal ones would be more appropriate.
The sound system also surprised, with FM being the band of choice, there’s a decent, punchy bottom end, not fluttery and blown out but crisp and tightly controlled, whilst separation and range were also surprising in their presence. 
Rear seat access is via the left hand rear door; yup, Veloster being Veloster, there’s no change to the quirky two and one design, door wise. The profile is still unusual enough to divide viewers, being of a (newly reprofiled grille) short bonnet and steeply raked roofline, not unlike that of a Lotus Elise. There’s a sunroof fitted to the SR Turbo, as previously mentioned, with a glass section directly overhead for the rear seat passengers plus no interior light for them either.
Body wise, the Veloster gets a sports style kit, with twin exhaust centrally mounted in the rear diffuser whilst the front gets a larger air intake and chin style extensions. Headlights sport LED driving lights underneath whilst the rear lights up like a neon factory at night. There’s a surprisingly useful amount of cargo space as well, hidden under the hunchback rear hatch and cargo cover. There’s also a Turbo specific grille.
The Wrap.The DCT in the Veloster is its weak spot; the lack of engagement between Drive and Reverse, no engagement on slight slopes which allows rollbacks once the foot is off the brake (giving cars behind a fright!), the lack of smoothness in changes….there’s an argument for money versus expectations but if Hyundai want to see how to do a DCT properly, see Audi and take a ride in their TT…
The interior is getting close to needing a refresh and could do with some different treatments for the plastics, with an ergonomic issue such as the reflective dash plastic into the windscreen really requiring attention. the ride could do with a touch of softening and a touch only, as to not reduce the rawness of what the Veloster is intended to be. However, you will get peace of mind with the five year/unlimited kilometre warranty, Roadside support and the Service plan.
As prices vary, contact your local dealer however expect to pay around $30K plus on roads. Click here: Hyundai Veloster Series 2 for info.
Private Fleet Car Review: 2015 Hyundai i30 diesel series 2
Hyundai is on a roll, with new or updated models being released for the Australian market. A Wheel Thing was part of the dealership launch of the Hyundai Tucson range in July of 2015 and kicks off a Hyundai Triple Treat with the updated diesel i30 Active hatch, with seven speed dual clutch auto.
The heart of the test car is a relatively quiet 1.6L diesel, with a thumping 300 Newton metres of torque, on tap between 1750 to 2500 rpms, powering down to the road via a seven speed, dual clutch, auto. Peak power is a reasonable, for the size, 100 kW at a high 4000 rpm. The combination works well, efficiently, but isn’t without foibles.
First gear can take a touch longer than expected to engage, from a standing start, leaving the i30 stranded and there’s also a curious lurching sensation at standstill, as the torque on idle appears to semi engage the transmission and wishes to push the car into motion.
Under hard acceleration, it’s surprisingly thrashy and seems to not be as seat of the pants quick as normal driving has it.
Otherwise, it’s a fine combination, with that wonderfully seamless sensation of acceleration and almost imperceptible gear changes. There’s torque enough to cause both a wheel chirp and a minor measure of torque steer as well when the go pedal is punched hard off the line, which is easily controlled. Fuel economy is quoted as being 4.6L to 4.9L per 100, depending on Manual or Auto, for the Combined cycle, just 4.1L to 4.3L per 100 km on the highway and an impressive 5.7L to 5.9L per 100 km in an urban environment (Hyundai i30 specifications.)
Speaking of steering, Hyundai persists with its three electronically assisted steering modes, being Comfort, Normal and Sport. The system loads up the feel in Sport, excessively by feeling too heavy, in A Wheel Thing’s opinion, somewhat less so in Normal and oddly, Comfort ended up being the ratio that felt most natural in the way the steering felt connected to the front wheels. 
Normal and Sport artificially eliminated the feel expected through the tiller, leaving A Wheel Thing disassociated from the driving experience and a touch uncomfortably so.
Ride quality of the car provided was skewed towards comfort, with a softish ride, some understeer and with shopping centre carpark speedbumps noticeable but not excessively intrusive, as in there’s no sudden hard jolt. With relatively high profile tyres, 205/55 on 16 inch steel wheels, the Active hangs on quite well however the tyres will allow a measure of understeer in certain driving circumstances; you can feel the sidewalls feeling like they’re rolling in and under slightly, flexing enough so the footprint isn’t holding on.
Steering, as mentioned earlier, was decent enough with Comfort, and whilst the other two may have their fans of the three mode system, A Wheel Thing isn’t one of them.
It’s not the heaviest thing around either, with Hyundai quoting 1337 kilos to 1439 kilos for the automatics in the range
There’s been a subtle yet noticeable makeover for the front, with the grille being redesigned to show flatter slats and a subtle reshaping of the housing itself. The rear continues much as it has done from the previous model, with an interesting note being how much the latest (2016 spec) Corolla hatch tail lights look like the i30’s…
In profile, the pedestrian friendly slope of the bonnet and windscreen is noticeable, as is the sinuous wave of the sheetmetal joining the wheelarches. Driving lights are non LED equipped in the Active.
It’s a compact car to the eye, at just 4300 mm in total length, whilst packing a 2650 mm wheelbase. Height is low, at 1470 mm with width being a surprising 1780 mm.
On the inside it’s an intriguing mix of curves, relatively soft touch plastic and an oddity or two. From the driver’s (manually operated) pew, looking at the passenger side sees an embossed line in the plastic, making the join between the door and the dash look as if it’s one continuous curve, 
rather than the flat line it is. The door handles feel as if they’re an inch or two too far back for naturally opening without looking for them, plus there’s no sense of pressure as you pool, feeling as if it’s a string to open the doors, rather than a latch mechanism..
Also, the gear selector lever for manual selection requires the lever to be pushed away from, not to, the driver’s position. All seats in the Active diesel are cloth and the three level range all get cooling for the glovebox. All doors get moulded in holders for drink bottles as well but another oddity is the one touch Down only for the driver’s window, not one touch up as well..It’s roomy enough, that’s to that near 1.8m width.
The office space is comfortable and pleasant to look at; the dash houses two cobalt blue backlit dials that bracket an hourglass shaped, monochrome, display screen. 
There’s fuel and temperature (engine and outside) the gear of the transmission and average speed, amongst others. The controls for the cruise control, audio and Bluetooth phone connection on the steerer and clear and simple, as are the ones for the audio and aircon.
There’s a small smartphone screen (five inches) sized touchscreen, with Hyundai persisting in not including RDS.
If there’s a downside, it’s the tactile feel and the somewhat meh look of the plastics used for the buttons themselves. Another question mark is the lack of Auto on for the headlights.
Access to the rear cargo space is done via a soft tab release in the hatch door (just below the hidden rear camera) or via the folding (60/40 split) rear seats, which gives a range of capacity, from 378 to 1316 litres of storage. All cars in the range get a full sized spare.
Safety is high across the board, with a knee airbag for the driver, curtain airbags, a full suite of active electronic safety aids, pretensioning seat belts and ISOFIX for child seats.
Hyundai offer a five year, unlimited kilometre warranty plus a free service at 1500 kilometres. There’s also a Lifetime Service Plan and Roadside Assistance service available as well (Hyundai Roadside Assistance) Metallic paint is a $495 option and Hyundai offers a choice of three Accessories packs. At a starting price for the Active diesel of around $30K, it’s a bit pricier than expected, however, at the time of writing (August 2015) Hyundai Australia are doing a $19990 driveaway offer for the 1.8L petrol i30 Active with a manual transmission. Check with your local Hyundai dealer for pricing and offers.
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