Buy A New Car
2015 Volvo S60 Polestar: The Review
In late 2014, I had the pleasure of the company of the S60 Polestar; a slightly revamped version was released shortly after and I check out the differences.
Powersource.
Take a three litre capacity straight six and bolt on an uprated twin scroll “hairdryer”, and you’ll have one more killer watt delivered 250 revs lower than before (now 258 kW at 5250 revs with 
redline of 6500). The monstrous torque delivery remains the same at over 500 Nm (3000 to 4750 revs) and puts power down via all four paws through a six speed auto with specific Polestar calibration. It’s moving a slightly less heavier vehicle, at 1766 kg, as opposed to 1770 kg previously but rated overall economy remains at 10.2L/100 km. Polestar gets an extra level of tech, with Launch Control, adjustable suspension thanks to Ohlins, Brembo brakes, power’s put down via the Generation 5 Haldex AWD system and the engine breathes out via stainless steel pipes. Fuel tank size remains unchanged at 67.5L.
The Suit.
The 2015 S60 Polestar is a compact looking, short tailed, long bonneted beauty, with overt and subtle curves, plus the same single sensually curved crease line joining the headlights to the rear lights. It’s not tall at just 1484mm in height, is compact at 4635mm in length and
has front/rear track of 1588mm/1585mm, sits on a wheelbase of 2776mm and has had some minor but noticeable external Polestar additions, including a restyled front bumper with extra chin on Polestar, a larger bootlip spoiler, different looking and bigger alloys, up one inch in diameter to 20 instead of 19. The design of the wheels has changed more to a tuning fork style and looks fantastic. There’s the same gloss look black highlights for the external mirrors, doors and grille, with Polestar badging.
The Interior.
Passengers are spoiled by being given comfortable and supportive Polestar highlighted leather 
seats, which are both electrically motivated in Polestar and heated for front and back. Being black leather, it would be nice to have a cooling option for Australia’s hotter conditions. There’s the floating centre console (a semi carbon fibre look) and the gorgeous fully digital dash display. Polestar gets “Engineered By Polestar” in the door sills. 
It’s a comfortable workspace, a good looking one however the compact design did make it cozy for three in the back, with 1401mm shoulder room and 1359mm hip room on offer, plus just 852mm leg room. The overall size of the car also contributes to the comparatively small boot space, at just 380L, but there is a ski port through to the main cabin.
The information screens that Volvo allows you to choose, including the “Themes” look great, as 
does the satnav, however I still query the way the info is set up to be accessed, with the various jog dials and buttons only working for what is on the screen. The former start system, that required a key fob to be inserted and press a button, has now changed to being keyless in the sense the slot handily provided for the fob now doesn’t need the fob to be put there. There’s plenty of tech on board, including CitySafe, a radar system that’ll apply the brakes automatically if it senses a vehicle (or anything big enough) in its path, Lane Departure Warning, Blind Spot 
Information System and more. Naturally, there’s plenty of unseen driver aids like ABS, traction control and more safety with airbags aplenty.
The headlight switch is down to the right, above the driver’s knee, as are switches for boot and petrol lid; they work however, ergonomically, they’re out of line of sight. The tiller has a couple of flat spots left and right, just enough to place the palms and get a secure grip plus there’s a velour on the inside to help with that grip.
The sound system is from Harmon Kardon, a high end manufacturer and, via 12 speakers, sounds clear with depth, punch and separation. The interface to find or store a different station is still unforgivably fiddly.
Being physically unchanged in regards to dimensions, it’s still a comfortable situation for four but three abreast would be a squeeze in the back seat.
On The Road.
The Polestar does have a “woofle” to the exhaust on startup and idle whilst getting a touch metallic and a mite drony under way…When given the command, the six draws a deep breath and spits out torque. Acceleration? The six speed in the Polestar is reactive enough, rarely found wanting for the right ratio and is quick to move via Sports mode. There’s proprietary software on board, allowing the ‘box to be put in Sports mode, play with the traction control or DTSC as it’s known, however I can’t help but feel that if a seven or eight speed box was fitted the economy of the car would improve…but that torque….wow, it winds up quickly from idle, getting into rapid motivation territory very quickly.
It’s taut, the suspension in the Polestar, and there’s enough suppleness to provide a measure of comfort, a measure of compliance with just enough give initially to not break the teeth. Tipping the Polestar into turns also produced surefooted handling, with minimal push on understeer backed up by a settling of the chassis when the go pedal was pressed, the rear squatting onto its haunches.
Polestar is a hard edged vehicle, to the point that it’s sometimes uncomfortable on anything other than a reasonably flat surface, with cat’s eyes roadside more than noticeable, making smaller speedhumps (car parks) and bigger (roads) bad enough to jolt a person momentarily 
from their seat. It does feel as if more initial compliance has been dialled into the suspension (MacPherson strut front, multi link rear, Ohlins two stage adjustable shocks) as the smaller bumps and lumps that niggled before didn’t seem as noticeable as before, surely a good thing.
Although the car comes with adjustable suspension, front and rear, it’s only done manually, via the bottom of the front right strut and from inside the boot atop the left rear. This would infer that it’s only to be done via experienced people, rather than offering an electronically adjustable setup from within the cabin.
The Wrap.
It’s a technofest under the skin, it’s a pretty looking car, it’s comfortable seating wise and seated four well enough. I handed it over, swapping to a V40 diesel, still uncertain as to how I felt about it overall, as I did with the previous version. It was that uncertainty that continued to both irritate and baffle me. The changes were minor, both inside and out, with a somewhat more purposeful look to the Polestar with the chin and rear wing additions. It goes hard, needs a more involving exhaust note and economy will, naturally suffer when the slipper is sunk. That’s teh price you pay for fun. But, on an emotional level, it had me excited but not willing to commit 100%, almost an automotive one night stand that you kind of want to have a gain with the same person…
To make up your own mind, go to www.volvo.com.au and follow the links to check out the S60 range and book yourself a test drive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh92J2om2lw&feature=em-upload_owner
The Car: Volvo S60 Polestar.
Engine: 3.0L petrol, turbo, straight six.
Power/Torque: 258kW @ 5250 rpm, 500+ Nm @ 3000 to 4750 rpm.
Fuel: 98 RON.
Tank: 67.5L.
Weight: 1766kg.
Economy: 6.4L/100 km (combined). 8.7L/100km (city)/5.1L/100km (highway). 10.2L/100km (combined), 14.5L/100 km (city), 7.3L/100km (highway).
Transmission: Six speed automatic via all wheels.
Emissions: EURO6.
Dimensions (LxWxH in mm): 4635 x 1825 x 1484.
Wheelbase/Track: 2776mm, 1588/1585mm (front and rear).
Wheels: 8 x 20 inch, 245 x 35 Michelins.
Cargo/Luggage: 380L.
Price: $99950 + ORCs.
As tested: $102640 (included optional sunroof at $2650.00)
Decoding Automotive Alphabet Soup
Do your eyes glaze over when you read some descriptions of new car models? I know mine do occasionally. It’s not because the new car isn’t exciting or anything like that. It’s the alphabet soup. Yes, I know that a lot of technical mechanical terms are rather long winded and it’s easier to just use an acronym. Who talks about deoxyribonucleic acid instead of DNA?
However, if you’re not particularly mechanically minded and are just on the lookout for a new car, all these strings of letters can be a bit confusing. Do you want an SUV with EBD and DOHC? Or an MPV with LPG and A/C? To make things worse, one marque might use a particular string of letters for a particular feature but another manufacturer will use a completely different acronym.
So just to help you navigate this alphabet maze, I’ll try to be a GPS (global positioning system – uses satellites and a grid system to pinpoint exact locations across the planet. Often involves maps which update themselves with “You are Here” dots). There – that’s one taken care of!
DOHC: Double overhead cam(shaft). One of the camshafts operates the engine intake valves while the other operates the exhaust valve. Engines with DOHC are more efficient than those with SOHC (single overhead cam).
EBD: Emergency Brake Distribution. Usually found alongside ABS brakes (see below). This system makes sure that when you bang on the brakes, the right amount of power gets to the right wheels to stop safely depending on your vehicle’s load and speed, plus the conditions…. without skidding.
ABS: Anti Brake Skid. Stops your wheels locking up with sudden braking. If your wheels lock up during emergency braking, you are likely to skid and lose control.
BA: Brake Assist. A cunning device that “reads” how hard you’re stamping on the brake pedal and supplies extra power to the braking system if it thinks you’re doing an emergency stop.
LPG: Liquid petroleum gas. A fuel for your car that usually (a) costs less and (b) doesn’t produce as much nasty stuff in the exhaust. Needs the engine to be converted. Popular with family cars with big engines (e.g. Ford Falcons ). LPG is the stuff that comes in the cylinder for your gas barbecue. Don’t attempt to fill an LPG car from one of these cylinders or vice versa.
AWD: All Wheel Drive. Means that the drivetrain powers all four wheel. Yes, this is the same as four-wheel drive (aka 4×4 or 4WD). Usually used for city vehicles that are too sophisticated to associate themselves with tough, rugged Outback-style 4x4s.
SUV: Sports Utility Vehicle. A kind of cross between a big classic 4×4 and your typical family station wagon. Usually has AWD and a bit more ground clearance. Has lots of towing ability and seating space.
ESC: Electronic Stability Control. This usually combines all the anti-skidding stuff in brakes plus traction control to make sure that the car stays on the road more or less where you want it to during a skid or during cornering. Also known as ESP (electronic stability program), VDC (vehicle dynamic control) and heaps of other names – every manufacturer seems compelled to come up with their own acronym.
MPV: Multi Person Vehicle. A big car with lots of seats (usually seven) spread over three rows. Has more of a nose on it than a van.
CVVT: Continuous Variable Valve Timing. Inside your engine, the valves controlling what’s going in and out of the combustion chamber could open and close at the same rate. Not with CVVT – this fine-tunes how long each one’s open for to make your engine burn more efficiently.
A/C: Air conditioning. Do I really need to explain what this is?
EFI: Electronic Fuel Injection. A very precise way of delivering the fuel to the engine. Another efficiency measure. It’s all about efficiency these days.
HEV: Hybrid Electric Vehicle. A car with an electric motor to back up the fossil-fuel fired one. You also hear about PHEVs. This stands for “plug-in hybrid electric vehicle” – same sort of thing but easier to charge.
RPM (usually rpm): revolutions per minute. Used to measure the speed at which your engine is turning over. Your rev counter probably drops the last three digits off.
LSD. Not the hallucinogenic drug from the 1960s and 70s. Not “pounds, shilling and pence” either. This stands for “limited slip differential”. This system makes sure that if one of the wheels slips, all the power goes to the other wheels instead. Usually seen in four-wheel drives.
LED: Light-emitting diode. Glows like a regular lightbulb but doesn’t use as much power or blow as often as regular ones. Because they produce bright lights, last for ages and don’t use much electricity, they’re becoming increasingly popular. More common in cars than in homes… at least for now!
LCD: Liquid Crystal Display. What an information display panel probably uses. Most screens use this technology these days.
VTOL. Vertical take-off and landing. If you are looking at a vehicle that has this, it isn’t a car. You are looking at a jet.
Safe and happy driving,
Megan
Talk The Torque: Mitsubishi ASX XLS Diesel
Around a decade or so ago, Mitsubishi released, in Australia, the Lancer based Outlander. It very quickly morphed into a bigger, more stylish vehicle than the compact and edgy original, leaving Mitsubishi without a smallish SUV styled vehicle. Some years later, the Lancer based ASX was released (and shared with Citroen and Peugeot). It started off as a semi harpish angled, petrol engined only machine and in 2015 is a softened slightly, diesel optioned chariot. A Wheel Thing talks to the torquey diesel ASX AWD.
Powersource.
Oddly, that diesel is a 2.2L, rather than a possibly more logical 1.8L. 
The caveat here is simple: it’s only available with the selectable AWD (in Mitsubishi speak, AWC or All Wheel Control) system, in the LS and XLS variant (the XLS does come in 2WD petrol as well). The petrol engines spin 110kW at 6000 revs, the diesel has the same power but 2500 revs lower. Naturally, it talks the torque with a more than handy 360 Newton metres between 1500 to 2750 rpm, shading the petrol’s twist of 197Nm at 4200 rpm. Mitsubishi quotes a combined consumption figure of 5.8L per 100 kilometres driven, from a 60 litre tank. I’d call that a range of 1000 kilometres (under the ideal driving circumstances, of course…). Perhaps Mitsubishi were looking at the economy vs weight, as the ASX XLS is 1530 kilos dry.
The Suit.
As did the Outlander originally, ASX has a resemblance to the host car (Lancer) at the front. The trapezoidal grille stands proud, identifying the 
ASX as a member of the Lancer family. The XLS tested comes with an AWD system, but the height of the car is that of the new breed of small SUVs, in that there’s a little bit of extra clearance but certainly nothing like, say, an Outlander. It’s squat, boxy in basic design, with enough curves to soften the overall impression. There’s been LED driving lights 
added at the front, wrapping the globe lit lights the ASX has had since release (bar the entry level) and, on the XLS, rolls on 215/60 Dunlop licorice wrapping some truly good looking ten spoke alloys. If you stand on a small ladder you’ll then notice a (almost) full length glass roof, with a curtain that rolls back at the touch of a button. Red LED lights add a nightclub style look, especially under dark skies. The test car was clad in Mitsubishi’s deep metallic red.
On The Inside.
You’d be hard pressed to pick it, unsurprisingly, from the donor Lancer car. It seats four comfortably, has a reasonable amount of room, colour LCD display for the driver with variable info displayed, chromed dials for the aircon, the flip out touchscreen with audio 
and satnav and the awkwardly placed (unusual for Mitsubuishi) heated seating switches, planted on the rear inside plastic centre console, right next to the seatbelt lock. It’s black on black for the trim’s lower half with the upper half a shade of beige. The rear seat is the now standard 60/40 split fold but rear cargo space is limited.
Drive selection is via paddle shifts on the steering column or traditional gear shift with sports mode.
Audio wise, the XLS has the Rockford Fosgate system; it’s clear, punchy and will accept Bluetooh, USB and Auxiliary inputs, plus CD behind the fold up LCD navitainment screen. The plastics look ok however the overall ambiance is lacking compared to other vehicles in its class; it’s the standard ripple effect over the dash and doors, with a strip of brushed alloy look just above the chromed dials for the aircon and all housed in piano black. It’s no longer groundbreaking or out of the ordinary.
On The Road.
Turbo lag is and will, more than likely, continue to be the bane of single turbo charged engines. The 2.2L diesel in the XLS has it in spades with 
all throttle applications seeing the ASX waiting before it launches. Being a front wheel drive chariot (with a lockable AWD system in this), a hard launch will have the front tyres scrabbling for grip. It’s a traditional, torque converter style, six speed auto in the XLS, to deal with the mountainous torque available so low down, yet felt as if it was programmed to act like a CVT, with hesitation from Reverse to Drive and acceleration had the same CVT feel. Steering was light and the suspension wasn’t overly confidence inspiring, with the initial softish ride seeming to go into a compressed, hard mode too early on some 
surfaces, making the ride feel skittish and unrefined. Towing is ok for its class, up to 1400 kg (braked).
The AWC system is engaged via a console mounted button, lights up a symbol on the dash but, really, didn’t feel as if there was a noticeable change in handling. Apart from the torque steer, it’s overall a neutral and predictable, if somewhat bland package.
Rolling acceleration is rapid, thanks again to that torque spread, however I’d prefer to see that spread moved up the rev range by 500 or so revs to increase the overall driveability.
The Wrap.
It’s currently, arguably, the second newest design in the Mitsubishi garage, after the Mirage sedan and hatch, yet is somewhat held back by the Lancer underpinnings. The exterior design is unoffensive as is the interior although the full glass roof is a nice luxury touch. The diesel is possibly the highlight, offering around six litres per one hundred kilometres covered; it’s quiet, refined, pulls like a train but is geared to provide torque, in my opinion, a touch too low in the rev range, with torque steer an issue, given the absurdly low starting point for all of that torque through the front driven wheels.
Although it seats four, the compact dimensions (just 4295 mm long with a wheelbase of only 2670 mm) preclude any truly usable rear cargo space when four are seated (just 393L), however that little issue is negated, naturally, if only two people at most intend to be passengers.
Although fitted with a switchable AWD system, the ride height of under 20cm unladen would also limit any off road usage to smooth gravel style roads, although the diesel, with that aforementioned torque, would probably haul the ASX over some mild rocky terrain if driven judiciously.
For my money, the ASX and its French badged brethren are what’s wrong and right with the smaller SUV category: wrong because they’ re really not used as an SUV and at the cost of a sedan’s usage, right because they do provide a cost effective and smaller packaged solution for those that may not need the next step up.
At the time of writing, Mitsubishi Australia had some pricing specials available across the range, with a driveaway price starting from $24990 for the entry level up to $36990 for the diesel XLS.
Head across to http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/vehicles/asx to price up your ASX.
For other pricing options, chat to us at Private Fleet.
The Car: Mitsubishi ASX XLS.
Engine: 2.2L diesel.
Transmission: six speed automatic, non CVT.
Tank: 60L.
Consumption: 5.8L/100 kms (claimed).
Weight: 1530 kg (unladen)
Dimensions: 4295 x 1770 x 1625 (L x W x H in mm).
Wheelbase: 2670 mm.
Cargo: 393L.
Seven Year Itch: Mitsubishi Lancer XLS Sedan.
The Lancer nameplate has been around, under both Chrysler’s and Mitsubishi’s wardship, for over forty years; the current model was released in Australia in late 2007 and judging by Mitsubishi’s cycle for the car, it’s looking like an update isn’t (hopefully) far off. A Wheel Thing goes one on one with the (current) top of the range XLS sedan with CVT and petrol engine.
Powersource.
Take a 2.4L normally aspirated four cylinder, petrol powered engine, bolt it to a constantly variable
transmission (CVT), make it spin out 125 kW and 226 metres of Mr Newton’s best, lob it behind the bluff and upright nose of the 2015 Lancer and there’s your basic mechanical package for the Lancer XLS. There’s the now common Sports mode, with flappy paddles attached to the steering column. It’ll quite happily swallow standard 91RON unleaded and is rated at a slightly high 8.5L consumed per one hundred kilometres travelled from its 59L tank.
The Suit.
The concept car was shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2005, with the first models off the production line sold in the U.S. in early 2007. Gone was the laid back nose cone with almost triangular shaped headlights (think the final Magna in Australia), replaced with a squared off, forward leaning, trapezoidal grille design with eagle eye headlights. The cabin remained largely 
unchanged on the exterior side whilst the rear copped a nip and tuck with a “cheek” left for the tail light cluster. There was the addition of the “Sportback” but the delisting of the wagon variant. The XLS comes with a tasteful rear deck lid spoiler, 18 x 7 alloys wrapped in 215/45 rubber. The spare is a space saver.
The chrome surrounded grille is split by a large horizontal beam, at bumper line level, and framed by globe lit driving lights pushed to the bottom of each corner. Oddly, there’s no LED’s…..
On The Inside.
It’s a case of evolution for the Lancer with changes compared to the previous model minor but noticeable. There’s the now standard colour LCD display flanked by the speedo and tacho dials in the dash, keyless start (with a rubber tab on the door handles for access) but a knob where the key might go is still to be turned (!), the now familiar touchscreen 
for audio and navigation in the centre dash, faux leather seating/steering wheel/gear knob, alloy pedals, the hugely simple but effective rotary dials for aircon. There’s a faux leather insert for the doors and the same, uninspiring, barely soft touch plastics on the dash; instruments, though, are housed in a simple and tastefully integrated binnacle. The centre console, framed by the heater buttons for the seats, feels flimsy and the storage locker lid is too low for support. Plastic trim is a combination of dull lustred ripple effect and almost piano black (it’s more a very dark grey) strips from dash through to doors.
The touchscreen system folds up to provide access to a CD slot and SD card access, although, bafflingly, the USB port is, still, in the glove box. Very inconvenient, quite simply. Storage in the rear (377L boot space) is accessed via pushbutton on the tailgate, a lever 
at the bottom right of the electric driver’s seat, the splitfold rear seats or via a button on the keyfob. Normal capacity is 400L however the subwoofer unit for the 9 speaker Rockford Fosgate audio system takes up a chunk. Audio quality itself was quite good but (to be nitpicky) the location of the subwoofer was audibly noticeable, with subs meant to be not audibly locatable. Safety is taken care of via curtain airbags, knee airbag for the driver and Mitsubishi’s energy absorbing chassis construction, plus rear park sensors and camera and ISOFIX child seat mounting points.
On The Road.
The XLS Lancer is not a heavy car at just 1360 kg dry, with a gross mass under 1900 kilos. Peak torque is seen at a high 4100 revs, however the CVT transmission does a decent job of putting power down through the front driven wheels. Loaded with four occupants, it sits nicely in the road but has an odd sensation of the rear feeling a touch more floaty than the front. Steering is light, nicely weighted but doesn’t seem as if it offers a lot of conversation though.
The ride is even, level across most surfaces, even with the low profile rubber; it tracks truly, rarely upset by any road influenced changes. Braking is safely progressive, with enough pressure through the pedal and lack of intrusion from 
the ABS system to provide a user friendly level of confidence.
It’s not hugely rapid under acceleration however will move you along decently, for normal driving; handling through tight corners such as roundabouts does indicate a measure of push on understeer but at no time are you left wondering if the car will go out from underneath. Naturally though, if you go in TOO hard then there’s a good chance of an issue….On a flat road, it’s firm enough, with enough softness to provide a level of comfort befitting its luxury 
orientation.
The CVT is fluid enough; with the change from a rise in revs to a preset point to a programmed feeling of more like a “normal” auto, there’s the sensation of gear change now and, with the Sports Mode, there’s the semi manual option available which is probably best used in a straight line situation. On a downhill run, foot off the go pedal has the CVT “braking” the car and on the flat, there’s a moment’s hesitancy before the transmission feels as if it clunks then drops back a gear.
The Wrap.
The Lancer’s biggest disadvantage is its age; to give a comparison, Kia’s Optima, a bigger car, uses the same capacity engine, at 2.4L. That powerplant provides 148kW and 250 Nm plus quotes 8.0L per 100 km. It uses direct injection, fuel directly into the combustion chamber from the injectors, rather than breathing from a rail into which petrol is injected. Economy overall varied, with stop/start 
traffic pushing the figure well over 10.0L per 100 k’s whilst good freeway runs dropped it to around 7.5L per 100 kms. Therefore, running costs for such a small car aren’t as good as they should be.
Although not unattractive, it’s been left behind by its two main Korean rivals and by its Japanese rivals in styling. Sitting at close to the top of the Lancer tree, to still twist a knob to start although it’s keyless entry and to have a media port in the glovebox rather than in the centre console is also historic.
Ride quality, fit and finish, engine and CVT all work well enough but the overall impression from my driver’s view is that the Lancer is now a generation behind.
For specs and pricing, go here: http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/vehicles/lancer/specifications/sedan.
The Car: Mitsubishi Lancer XLS sedan.
Engine: 2.4L petrol.
Fuel/Tank: 91RON, 59 litres.
Transmission: Constant Variable Transmission with six preprogramed shift points.
Economy: (combined, claimed) 8.5L per 100 kilometres.
Wheels/Tyres: 18 x 7 inch diameter, 215/45 R18.
Weight: 1360 kg unladen.
Dimensions (L x W x H in mm): 4570 x 1760 x 1490.
Wheelbase: 2650 mm.
Cargo: 377 L.
Servicing: 12 months or 15000 kilometres, roadside assist if car serviced under capped price servicing.
Level 2, 9 Help Street