The Maybach Landaulet concept car returns to the traditional ’30s style of limousine, featuring a rear compartment that can be converted to a topless cabin; while the front ‘chauffeur’ driving area remains under cover.
Rear passengers are seated in opulent surroundings, including white leather reclining armchairs, white velour carpet, piano lacquer, black granite and gold trim, voice-control DVD/CD entertainment and information unit, cooler and a drinks space to hold champagne glasses.
Peter Fadeyev, DaimlerChrysler Australia’s corporate communications manager, says the Landaulet concept has been based around the Maybach 62 S automobile, which is not offered for sale in Australia.
“The Maybach Landaulet study is a concept car that showcases this new Maybach variant for the first time,” he states.
“It is expected to move into production some time soon."
“Currently there are no plans for this unique car to come to Australia as it is not yet in production, but we will naturally think about making this vehicle available according to our customers’ requests.”’
The word ‘landau’ means carriage and ‘landaulet’ generally refers to a simulated convertible vehicle.
When the Landaulet’s roof is in its folded-down mode the side walls remain fixed, and have been reinforced with an integral tubular steel structure.
This means that the silhouette of the luxury saloon; as well as the huge doors; will remain unchanged.
When shut, the black soft-top of the Landaulet rests on the frame formed by the roof bows, and is wind and weather-proof.
When requested by the passengers behind him, the chauffeur operates a switch in the centre console that electro-hydraulically opens the roof, which will fold back on to the parcel shelf in 16 seconds.
Landaulet has completed the traditional limousine look with gloss white paintwork and 20-inch traditional white-walled wheels with glossy spokes.
Despite all the opulence of the interior, the traditional exterior styling and floating on air suspension, under the bonnet is a modern twin-turbo V12 engine which has been developed at Mercedes-AMG.
The 5980cc V12 develops a maximum output of 450kW between 4800 and 5100rpm, delivering 1000Nm of torque between 2000 and 4000rpm.
The Maybach marque was launched in Australia at the end of 2002.
“At present, nine Maybachs have been sold in Australia since its local market release,” Fadeyev stated.
Australia sells three different models; the Maybach 57 ($945,000), 57S ($1,050,000) and the 62 ($1,150,000).
[Source : road tests & reviews]
There’s a bold but stylish rendition of the familiar Mitsubishi family nose, strong profile lines and a tapered rear roof line that helps distinguish the Outlander from me-too rivals.
It remains one of the more handsome offerings in this class. And, for a time, the Outlander with its optional V6 was one of those with an advantage over the likes of Toyota’s RAV4 and the Honda CR-V.
That has changed since Toyota added a V6 to the RAV4 range, but the Outlander might still lay claim to being one of the first in this soft-road business of confusing those lines between compact and medium SUV segments.
To further its case as a “big compact” the Outlander is now available with seven seats, even if that third row is suitable only for the smallest of passengers.
This second generation machine is a tiny bigger than the first. It is 4.6 metres long and 1800mm high, enough for decent accommodation for four adults in the first two rows and room for luggage (packed tight) sitting above a space saver tyre.
The four-cylinder Outlander has been quite capable in its own right, providing an easy drive around town or down the track.
But the three-litre V6 with its 24 valves and variable valve timing is the one for a sporting blast down an old dirt road.
The V6; mated here to a Continuously Variable Transmission; runs out to 162kW at 6250rpm. The shift to maximum power and highway (or back road) speeds can be helped along by flicking through the six-step transmission; with the help of paddle shifters placed behind the steering wheel or the traditional transmission shift lever.
The only downside to taking full advantage of this willing, and fun, engine-transmission combination is a little extra fuel. Mitsubishi state the V6 Outlander should deliver 10.9 litres per 100km, but spirited driving will see that blow out to more like 13 litres per 100km.
The VRX version is the smartest, most pricey of the Outlander mob.
It misses out on tiny, from nine-speaker stereo with sub-woofer to 18-inch wheels, automatic airconditioning plus side and curtain airbags.
That comes on top of the Outlander’s standard gear including keyless entry and engine start, cruise control, roof rails, ABS and Mitsubishi’s Active Select all-wheel-drive system. This system allows for two-wheel drive from the front, automatic all-wheel drive with sensors telling the electronics to send drive to the rear if traction is found wanting, and all-wheel drive locked with torque shared around the four wheels.
As in most systems these days, this is a pretty painless, unobtrusive business.
The auto-mode is a useful piece of work for running along a bush track where surfaces might vary instantly and constantly.
It is also handy for pulling back out of washaways or away from slow and loose corners.
The VRX also arrives with stability control, another piece of technology, which allows a driver to make the most of the V6’s willingness to have a go.
The Outlander has a MacPherson front strut and trailing arm, multilink set-up on the rear. The front track is a fair 45mm wider than before, while the rear end scores mono-tube shock absorbers similar to that found in Mitsubishi’s hotter Lancers.
The result of all this mechanical and electronic business is a compact wagon, which can be hustled along with confidence, for the Outlander’s on and off-road manners are among the ideal in this business.
While lighter than its predecessor, the Outlander’s body is stronger and more rigid. All this helps the suspension and the electronics make the most of their jobs.
The cabin stands up to the rest of the pack with good fit and finish, a comfortable front cabin, plenty of storage spots and good driving position. There’s now a handbrake lever, unlike the previous wagon’s foot-operated parking brake.
Speedometer and tachometer are massive and clear, sitting either side of digital read-outs for other functions, including average fuel consumption and average speed.
It is all very sporting in style, even if there might be debate about that red-tinged illumination to the instruments.
Aside from the questionable (even if ubiquitous) use of a temporary spare wheel for an SUV, today’s ZG Mitsubishi Outlander has some decent attributes over the original ZF model and some current, if sometimes cheaper, rivals.
It is not a tough off-roader, but it is a very capable soft roader with presence and, in V6 guise, a decent amount of performance well handled by its chassis engineering.
Mitsubishi Outlander VRX
Price: $43,190-$47,990
Body: 4-door wagon
Engine: 3 litre V6
Power: 162kW @ 6250rpm
Torque: 276Nm @ 4000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Wheels: 18-inch
Dimensions (MM): 4640 (l), 1800 (w), 1720 (h), 210 (clearance)
Weight: 1640kg
Towing: 1600kg
Price: $43,190 to $47,990 for seven-seater
[Source : road tests & reviews]
It wasn’t so much that buyers could not see the wisdom of downscaling from fat Australian sedans and reaping the benefits of superior economy and infinitely superior quality.
No, it was more that the motors then available for the money were anonymous to the point of invisibility. One of them was Ford Europe’s Mondeo, a automobile the Blue Oval’s local operatives did not really know what to do with; as opposed to Holden, which initially did quite nicely out of its more or less equivalent Vectra.
The arrival of the Mazda6 in 2002 acted on the mid-size segment like a dose of lightning through Frankenstein. By that time, though, the Mondeo had died here and Holden was well on the way to stuffing up sales of the second-generation Vectra by pricing it miles north of its worth.
This day, excellent Japanese models such as the soon to be superseded Mazda and Honda’s Accord Euro are the segment’s benchmarks, though the volume seller remains a Toyota that’s as much middle-of-the-road as middle-sized.
The field has a UN quality, with entrants from Volkswagen, Renault, Chrysler and Dodge. The most current is Czech; Skoda’s Octavia, which comes in either wagon or liftback-style sedan.
While Holden is reduced to fielding yet another Daewoo in disguise (the Epica is the most profoundly ordinary new automobile of 2007), Ford didn’t have a true mid-sizer until last month.
Like the Fiesta and Focus, the new-generation Mondeo is Belgian-built and receives the same sort of fervid reception from the Pommy press.
It’s gradually dawned on Ford Australia that it is no longer enough to merely build a vehicle to have the people buy it. So the good news is that the Mondeo is a competitive mid-sizer.
Indeed, in isolation it’s compelling. But competition is tougher only in the Golf/Mazda3 segment, so is being good quite good enough?
The Mondeo comes in two petrol and two diesel iterations. Our test model was a Zetec hatch, the 2.3-litre four-cylinder petrol model with six-speed auto that’ll likely be the best seller.
Seen in the metal for the first time, it looks each bit as bracing as when punted along by Daniel Craig in the latest James Bond flick.
As a 4 1/2-person family car, it has all the room you could reasonably want, with the added facility of the hinged hatch roof and fold-flat rear seats.
It’s big in there. Tardis-like. At this point, you start to wonder if there’s any point strolling further up the dealer’s lot towards the Falcons, especially as the Mondeo’s $34,990 asking price is about par. Except we are not comparing Fords here and that ask is $2000 more than a Mazda6 Sport Hatch. And this is where the Mondeo’s prospects start to dim. Not only is there a more massive, and what looks to be even superior, new 6 coming here in May, the Ford’s flat out being competitive next to the outgoing model. Visibility is blighted wherever you sit. Behind the wheel, the elephant’s leg-thick A-pillars and Dumbo-like wing mirrors eat peripheral vision. The high waist and tall tail render the parking sensor a barely adequate precaution. And it’s no bargain in the back.
While you do not lack for room, the view out ain’t great and the lack of flow-through air contributes to claustrophobia. The active and passive safety package gets top marks, though, with seven airbags and DSC standard. Invariably, huge dynamic claims are made for the Mondeo.
The 16-valve four-potter moves the automobile along adequately without moving it to the front of its class, with its 118kW less than the current Mazda6 of identical capacity. The 208Nm top torque comes late at 4200rpm. When the open-road going gets hilly, the six-speed slusher needs to be shifted manually back into fifth and even fourth. Combined consumption of 9.5L/100km is claimed. We did that on the freeway.
Then, with a porky 1537kg kerb weight, that’s not altogether surprising. More than once we wondered if our colleagues who strongly advocate the diesel variants mightn’t have a point. But then no front-wheel-drive oiler is prone to keep up with the Zetec when the road goes winding. This is where this particular Mondeo goes toward the head of its class, with a sharp turn in and balance served by lightly, but evenly weighted, steering. The vehicle’s heft actually works for it here.
Indeed, so adroit and assured does it feel when so deployed; and this is the conventionally suspended model riding on standard 16-inch rubber, that something a bit special can be expected of the more rarefied XR5. For its humbler sibling, however, any verdict has got to be subject to some serious caveats. Yes, Ford finally has itself a sound and serious contender in the class. It is just that it is receiving it at a time when the middle class is upwardly mobile.
The bottom line
Very good but no better than the Mazda6.
Snapshot
Ford Mondeo Zetec
Price: $34,990
Engine: 2.3L/4-cylinder; 118kW/208Nm
Economy: 9.5L/100km (claimed)
Transmission: 6-speed auto
The rivals
Mazda6 Sport Hatch
Price: $32,990
Engine: 2.3L/4-cylinder; 122kW/207m
Economy: 9.5L/100km
Transmission: 5-speed auto
Honda Accord Euro sedan
Price: $35,990
Engine: 2.4L/4-cylinder; 140kW/223Nm
Economy: 9.2L/100km
Transmission: 5-speed auto
Skoda Octavia sedan/hatch
Price: $33,290
Engine: 2.0L/4-cylinder; 110kW/200Nm
Economy: 8.6L/100km
Transmission: 6-speed auto
[Source : road tests & reviews]
One stretches to near full length in the rear of the limo, an ottoman propping extended legs while the vertebrae are manipulated by a cunning practitioner of shiatsu. Then a wailing sound assails the ears …
This would be all too Hugh Allow, except the noise is not a Highway Patrol siren. Or the Vice Squad. Though it is The Police.
That is the 1980s popsters, of all things to pick. The nasal whine of the vocalist is surround sounding through 11 speakers from a DVD screen that is dropped from the inner roof.
And the masseuse is not some flower of the orient, but a mechanical function built into the optional-with-ottoman left rear seat of the new Lexus LS 600hL.
And that’s about the only option in a automobile whose decadent lushness contrasts utterly with frugal fuel use and a carbon dioxide emission rating that wouldn’t disgrace a V6.
The LS 600hL is the world’s first V8 all-wheel-drive hybrid.
It can reach 100km/h from standing in 6.3 seconds, but will use as little as 9.3-litres of 95 RON petrol per 100km.
Its globulous, 2.4 tonne kerb weight can be clawed through a tight bend with surety via a Torsen all-paw system, leaving a fairly petite carbon footprint of 219 grams per kilometre.
All this and it just about parks itself too.
While the LS 600hL undercuts by more than $100,000 certain German LWB limos, it still costs $240,000 for the full-specced four seater as described above or $233,000 for the five pew model.
All right already, so that is light years beyond the likes of you and I.
So too, for that matter, is the $120K GS 400h released 18 months back and even the $94K RX 400h SUV that followed.
Where all this does impact on us is in Toyota’s luxury arm making hybrid performance automobiles their domain.
While the Europeans adhere to ever-cleaner diesels — and BMW spruik their Hydrogen 7 to the mega-rich and famous — the Lexus petrol-electric gambit will surely devolve to the compact executive class.
So what chance a hybrid of the IS to compete against the 3 Series and C-Class?
“Very possible, completely,” the 600hL’s chief engineer and my fellow backseat passenger Osamu Sakata assured Carsguide as he ratcheted up the shiatsu setting to intense.
For now, the bombastic halo exercise that is the most high-priced Lexus to date serves to provide glimpses of our motoring future.
The easiest to see are the first application of LED low-beam headlights — near daylight bright, it’s claimed. One you hope you will never have to see is the anti-submarining in-seat airbag in the four seat model.
Then there’s the Intelligent Park Assist (IPA) system, which is sending a thrill through the geeky and the ability-shy.
IPA uses a rear camera and ultrasonic sensors to identify a parking space and calculates the correct steering angle to guide the huge bugger in without curbing the 19-inch rims or bending fenders.
For a decent part of the exercise your only involvement is pressure on the gas pedal.
The side and rear window blinds are push button. A body heat sensor (I’m not making this up) automatically controls the climate. The grab handles and bin doors are damped so they shut at uniform rate. Which is nice.
SNAPSHOT
LEXUS LS 600hL
Price: $233,000 (five seat); $240,000 (full spec)
Engine: 5L/V8 hybrid; 290kW/520Nm
Economy: 9.3L/100km
0-100km/h: 6.3 seconds
THE KEY RIVAL THEY FORGOT TO MENTION
Lexus compares its LS 460hL flagship against a list of leviathans such as BMW’s $346,000 760Li and even the Bentley Arnage.
Insofar as these fat-capacity petrol-guzzlers are towards thetop of their respective makers’ ranges, that is a reasonable recommendation.
Lexus just happens to flog them in terms of value and green credentials.
A automobile Lexus failed to mention was another biggish, V8 AWD — one that uses a hi-tech diesel engine to accomplish its ends.
At $210,000, Audi’s A8 4.2 TDIquattro undercuts the LS600hL on price. It also
has better acceleration
(5.9 seconds to 100km/h over 6.3) and competitive fuel economy (9.4L/100km to 9.3).
The first eight-cylinder diesel in this class, the A8 has twin turbos and intercoolers to deliver 650Nm of turbine-like thrust.
If the hybrid system is eco-friendlier in city traffic, the TDI comes into its own on the open road, proving that performance and prestige are compatible with diesel, too.
There is 11 airbags, Pre-Collision Safety System, Active-radar Cruise Control, Adaptive Variable Suspension and Automobile Dynamic integrated Management (VDiM) system. And a sunroof. So you get the lot. Lock and stock as standard. Leave the option gouging to the Germans.
And leave the hybrid engines to theJapanese.
This latest Lexus petrol-electric combo is another modern marvel, shifting a game it has almost to itself to another level.
A 5.0-litre version of the 4.6 quad-cam V8 used in the much huzzah-ed LS 460 is combined with a new dual-stage transmission incorporating the electric drive system for a combined output of 290kW and 520Nm from 4000rpm. The 650-volt electric drive motor delivers 165kW/300Nm, with all those lovely Newtons available from zero revs.
The hybrid system blends the two power sources according to operating conditions to provide a maximum 327kW. That is about the output of 6.0 petrol — hence the designation.
A switchable EV mode2 allows 40km/h on electric power only. Indeed the automobile stops its petrol engine whenever possible (when the vehicle’s stationary, for example) to save fuel and reduce emissions and noise.
It says much of the intended buyer that the Lexus minders saw that we spent as much time in the back as behind the wheel. On the basis of our limited and mostly straight line exposure, any of the myriad vehicles that Lexus pits itself against are more involving drives.
That stated, with the sport suspensions selected and the eight-speed manual mode of the CVT engaged, the V8 emits the heartfelt growl and something approaching the overtaking ability of the lesser, conventional LS.
Unlike the latter, it’s afflicted with a hybrid’s little boot (albeit with full size spare), all those clever gubbins chewing up the golf club space.
While your captain of industry might accept that it’s not simple being green, he mightn’t take so kindly to a lack of implements to use on the green.
Still, at least the Lexus will massage more than the ego.
[Source : road tests & reviews]
There is a new Wrangler in town, and things have changed — massive time. And nowhere in the extensive range of new JK-Series Wranglers are the changes more deeply felt than in the four-door, turbo-diesel variant.
Extra doors and diesel donk aside, the huge change from old Wrangler to new Wrangler isone of refinement and civility.
No longer does the Wrangler drive like a truck and handle like a horse cart. The latest version, at least in four-door CRD guise, is a pleasant place to be regardless of the task at hand.
Although the JK Wrangler retains its predecessor’s separate chassis/live-axle design,it is, in fact, new from the ground up.
The old four-litre, straight-six petrol engine has also been consigned to history. The JK-Series sports either a 3.8-litre petrol V6 or the first turbocharged diesel to appear in a Wrangler.
The turbo diesel we tested was backed by a six-speed manual; alternatively, there is an optional five-speed automatic.
As well as its turbo-diesel engine and six-speed manual, the test vehicle was fitted with the Renegade Pack, a $2500 option that includes a hardtop (as well as the standard soft top), tinted glass, side steps and a premium audio system with seven Infinity speakers (including a sub-woofer), a 368-watt amp and an in-dash, six-CD/MP3/DVD player.
If you are a tiny confused about Wrangler nomenclature, the Sport is the standard model, the Rubicon is the far more serious off-roader, while the Renegade Pack is the aforementioned hardtop-plus-extras package.
The “Unlimited” moniker simply refers to thelong-wheelbase, four-door variants.
The Wrangler’s live axles may not do much toenhance on-road dynamics, but they are one of thesecrets behind its impressive off-road ability.
Live axles, especially in conjunction with coilsprings, provide lots of wheel travel, thusmaximising the chances of the tyres remaining incontact with the ground.
In what is an unusual combination, the Wrangler combines live axles with electronic aidsthat include stability control, and both
brake- and throttle-activated traction control.
The throttle-activated traction control cuts the power when the wheels lose traction, while the brake-activated traction (BLDs, or brake-lock differentials, in Jeep-talk) can brake any individual wheel that has lost traction and is spinning faster than its mate on the same axle.
The Wrangler’s system has three operating modes that grant the driver to dial in the degreeof electronic assistance appropriate forthe situation at hand.
With the ESP system fully engaged, full stability and traction control is maintained. Thisisthe default mode.
In “partial” mode, the throttle-activated traction control is switched off and the stability control operates at a higher threshold. The brake- lock differentials are still engaged, however.
The third mode grants the driver to fully switch off the stability and throttle-activated traction control, but retain the full functioning ofthe BLDs.
The Wrangler’s off-road strengths also extend to excellent approach and departure angles, good ground clearance, and solid front and rearrecovery points.
On the other side of the ledger, the ramp- overangle of the four-door model is not almost asgood as the two-door’s, visibility from the driver’s seat could be improved, and the part-time 4WD system lacks the convenience of a full-time one.
The Wrangler is not so much a 4WD as a lifestyle. Witness the fact the doors can beremoved, the windscreen can be droppeddown and, with the Renegade Pack, youhave the option of a soft or hard top.
Half-doors are also an option, and even thehardtop can be configured a couple of ways.
Two easily removed panels above the driver and front-seat passenger give the feel of open-air motoring without having to remove the rear section of the hardtop — a two-person job.
The interior is also comfortable and roomy with surprisingly good legroom in the rear. Safety features include driver and passenger airbags. Front-side airbags are an option.
But there are some drawbacks. The centre rear-seat cushion is poorly shaped; the hardtop generates some wind resonance at highway speeds; there is no electric adjustment for the side mirrors; and the tailgate badly needs a brace to hold it in the open position.
Some aspects of the interior fit and finish arealso pretty ordinary by this day’s standards.
But there’s no doubt the JK-Series Wrangler is light-years ahead of its predecessor in all theareas that count.
The turbo-diesel engine is right up at the pointy end of things in terms of performance, refinement and economy, while the four-door model brings day-to-day functionality that previous two-door models could never achieve.
With its various body options, the automobile can be configured — nearly on a day-to-day basis — to suit one’s mood, or the activities planned.
This is a Wrangler you can use every day, goholiday touring in, or head off for some serious weekend fun. It will do it all.
[Source : road tests & reviews]
