Mazda CX-30: Equality through the ranks

Time for a second look at this new baby Mazda crossover, this time checking out the base model as well as the flagship.

The CX-30 GSX (above) is quite unfazed being compared to the richer-trimmed Limited flagship (below).

Prices:  $41,490 GSX, $50,990 Limited.
Powertrains and performance:  2.0-litre four-cylinder DOHC petrol (GSX) with i-Stop, 114kW/6000rpm, 200Nm/4000rpm. Front wheel drive, 6.4 litres per 100km; 2.5-litre four-cylinder DOHC petrol engine with i-Stop and cylinder deactivation, 139kW/6000rpm, 252Nm/4000rpm. All-wheel drive. 6.8 L/100km.
Vital statistics: Length 4395mm, height 1540mm, width 1795mm, wheelbase 2655mm. Luggage 430 litres. Wheels: 16-inch alloys with 215/65 tyres; 18-inch alloys with 215/55 R168 tyres.
We like: Feels crafted, surprisingly emphatically driver-centric attitude, fun attitude, strong warranty.
We don’t like: Little practicality benefit over a Mazda3, 2.5 getting gruff with age.

 “Well, it looks nice, but I like my little car; this one seems a bit too big for me.” 

So, less interest than I’d expected from the friend who owns a CX-3. Moving on, then, to two with CX-5s, mainly driven short distances and solo. Surely they could see the appeal of something of similar ilk, yet smaller, lower and more stylish?

Erm …

Positivity about the car’s overall style and the instrumentation improvements was mutual; but from one uncertainty about whether the rear seat would be comfy enough for fast-growing grandkids. And the other? “The one thing I really like about the CX-5 is that I sit high. I can’t get that from this, it’s more like a car.” 

Okay, so on basis on that hardly scientific poll, the potential for the newest addition to Mazda’s quasi soft-roader lineup, the CX-30, to simply create its own empire from in-house conquest alone seems challenging. 

Is all that effort to ensure every dimensional metric – save front headroom, which is more modest – sites the CX-30 between the larger and smaller alternates seems wasted if those with existing commitment to the lines sandwiching this new meat aren’t going to stand to be easily cannibalised? 

Well, no.  Even if CX-30 finds more success poaching customers new to Mazda than converting existing brand fans, that won’t inhibit progress. The small to compact sports utility sector is a big place in its own stead. In great health before we know about coronavirus, it seems so far to have come through the challenges of lockdown and diminished car sales activity pretty well, too. On top of all that, there’s this new twist of a crossover hatchback. That’s not without attraction, either. 

today’s challenge: Pick the base interior. Not easy, right?

As much as Mazda’s CX model plan has always represented something of a boundary push, with the only consistent being a tailoring to trend softly insofar as the sports utility side of operability, CX-30 presents particular commitment to what might be called crossover chic. 

This doesn’t mean it lacks eagerness for driving the mild side of ‘wild’ – it’s a confident car on gravel, regardless of whether all four or just the front set of wheels are laying down the power, and is as unfazed by steering onto dirt, sand and grass as the CX-3 and CX-5. Yet you immediately sense the newly-emerged middle child is sassier in different ways.

Certainly, it is particularly well polished in respect to presentation. Describing it as the best-looking CX model yet is bound to trigger enthusiast argument, given the Hiroshima design department has been smashing out hit after hit in this Kodo-influenced styling period. Comparing against rivals is suggests just two – the Toyota CH-R and incoming Nissan Juke - are as intricate in design and finish, but also debatedly do so with an outrage Mazda’s carefully-judged 'beauty through subtraction’ process carefully sidesteps.

Anyone who has been checking out recent Mazda interiors will understand, already, how these have become as ‘crafted’ as the exteriors. Here, you’re looking at the best yet. It’s an exemplar to the industry about how to lend a sense of premium expensiveness using materials that probably cost out effectively for mainstream duty. In many respects, the entry GSX offers better example of the execution than the Limited, not because the latter isn’t plush enough – it really is – but more because the base car lends very little obvious sign of the cost-cutting that allows it to fly $10,000 in the price stream.

Those lowballing on spend aren’t cutting themselves short on kit, either. Automatic headlights, an 8.8-inch infotainment screen, a head-up display, an eight-speaker audio system and the i-Activsense safety package - which includes lane-keep, active cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and active emergency braking that detects cyclists and pedestrians – come as standard fare, plus even base buyers also get a reversing camera, rear parking sensors sat nav and various electronic handling assists.

Spend more and there’s a swap from 16-inch to 18-inch wheels (which, admittedly, look better), autonomous rear braking which acts to inhibit, by jolting the brakes, potential to inadvertently reverse into something solid and more electric assists like 'Intelligent Speed Assistance' which is linked to the cruise control system and provides additional speed limiting warnings. There are also parking sensors on the nose and an off-road traction assist feature for the AWD system. The Limited also has LED rather than halogen headlights, gets leather trim and achieves a 12-speaker Bose sound system. Oh, yes, and Mazda has set a high standard with a five year, unlimited kilometre warranty and a very good scheduled servicing setup.

Whatever the fitment, the basics are the same. There’s positivity about the latest version of  Mazda Connect; the controls are clearer and operability more finessed. The addition of a head-up display in all levels is good; so too that it now projects onto the windscreen rather than a fragile looking pop-up gunsight … just the realisation that even all instrument fonts have altered a touch, to become sharper, there’s more change than might first seem warranted, and a lot that takes time to appreciate. But the overall impact will appeal to the faithful or newcomers alike.

Clearly, there’s one area where its shape and lower roofline impinges. It’s … cosy for overall space. Tjat’s not to say the rear section isn’t a wholly tough spot for adult passengers, but it’s obviously less spacious than a CX-5. The boot is deep but markedly narrower than the CX-5’s and, even with 430-litres’ capacity, really only competitive within the bounds of the class. Basically, growing families intent on giving the CX-30 consideration need to be careful for what they wish for. I’d personally judge it as being better suited to a couple who might just occasionally offer the back seat to occupancy.

The sense of its intimacy also shows in a driving position far more in keeping with the Mazda3 (or even an MX-5) than any other CX edition, simply by virtue that you’re still sitting just as you would in a normal car, not an SUV. That’s what jinxed it for my pal Lisa; she’s a big fan of a command driving position, so never sensed the CX-30 felt ‘high’ enough.  Obviously, it really is elevated – just plant it alongside a Mazda3 to see how much - however, I get her point. The increase in ride height is subtle enough that there’s never a sense you’re stepping up into this cabin.

Still, there’s as positive from this that undoubtedly plays well for the driving feel, where playful nimbleness is a common trait whether driving a GSX with a 2.0-litre engine powering the front wheels only or a Limited, where a 2.5-litre and Mazda's i-Activ all-wheel drive system fits. Both paired with a six-speed automatic transmission only.

That mechanical fitout is pretty much Mazda ‘101’ these days and, certainly, it’s in line with CX-5, too, save here there’s no diesel. Yet, simply because the CX-30 is smaller and rather more trim in its kerb weight, it seemed to me that the logics that determine the larger petrol being preferable in the larger car aren’t really fair to apply with this one.

the 2.0-litre has less punch than the 2.5, but delivers a sweeter note and evidences thrift more easily.

For sure, GSX's output being 25kW and 52Nm less than that from the larger engine is obvious at step off and the 2.5 feel more muscular in the mid-range, so it doesn’t have to put in as much effort when accelerating or overtaking.

Yet the entry unit shouldn’t be discounted simply because of that. For one, it earns marks for being more obviously economical. From this experience, the maker-claimed optimal returns (which don’t seem too major at 6.4 versus 6.8 litres per 100km) are much easier to close in on with the smaller unit – as Rob Maetzig reported in his own story about taking the Limited on a long-distance drive, the 2.5-litre ain’t so easy to rein into its thrift zone. 

The other reason for considering the 2.0-litre is that it has a sweeter, less intrusive, note. And it’s still zesty enough that, basically, if you intend to employ the CX-30 simply for urban driving, occasional open road bursts and never in a more robust SUV involvement, then it’s more than an okay choice.

Not that the CX-30 deserves to be kept on a city beat. It’s just too delightful to drive for that. I’m not suggesting the MX-5 is under threat, yet within the crossover quarter it delivers well above the average expectation. 

It’s not so much the suspension design – Macpherson strut front end and a torsion beam around the back is fairly simplistic – as the finessing.

As in the Mazda3, it is rewarded by Mazda's G-Vectoring torque control system. This senses when you're turning into a corner and pulls back the engine's torque output for a fraction of a second, to transfer weight onto the outside front wheel. That gives better turn-in. The same system then adjusts the torque output as you steer through, helping to balance the car all the way through to corner exit. Subtle stuff, assuredly, but work it does. 

Mazda credits some of its dexterity to a new concept tyre, which has a smaller side wall and rigid tread that allows the tyre to distort when hitting a bump, which in turn has effect of reducing the load on the suspension and translating to a smoother ride for occupants. I’m not so sure the last part of that ambition is delivered entirely successfully, in that coarse chip alone will erode any serenity and it is fairly firm, in either spec format, around town.

Obviously the additional traction that the Limited’s drive system is beneficial – and, to me, the added pluses in the wet or slippery conditions would make it my choice. But to be fair to the GSX, in its own right it is fluid, confident and good fun on a twisting road. And both models lend a better driving involvement than any other CX, regardless that steering feedback could be sharper.

Perhaps this on-road dexterity becomes another recognised talent for CX-30 when a proper owner pool forms. In the here and now, it relies more on being acknowledged as the best beneficiary of the current styling language. All from just taking the Mazda3 and making it taller? The main points are the same - simple, elegant lines, a big bold grille, narrow lights – but maybe that’s too simplistic an analysis. 

Winner? Well, it’s not going to be as easy as that, perhaps. Yet, if you want to experience the best of Mazda design, and can cope with losing some degree of practicality in the process, then there’s no better place to start. And, assuredly, as comfortable as life at the top is, starting at the bottom is absolutely no penalty.

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport: Playing the numbers

Another year – another Mitsubishi special edition.  Don’t yawn … they always represent good value.

Price:  $39,990
Powertrain and economy: 2.4-litre  inline four cylinder petrol engine, 126kW/224Nm, CVT automatic transmission with six-speed electronic sport mode, 4WD, combined economy 7.2 L/100km, CO2 167g/km.
Vital statistics: length 4695mm, width 1810mm, height 1710mm, wheelbase 2670mm. Luggage capacity up to 1608 litres. 18-inch black alloy wheels.
We like: Strong value, five-star ANCAP rating, seven seats
We don’t like: Powertrain, styling starting to age.

COVID lockdown level one: Back to the footie, shoulder-to-shoulder in the stands, packing seven people into an SUV ...sweet.

These days there are a decent number of seven-seater SUVs available in New Zealand, with the most popular being the Mitsubishi Outlander.

Despite this generation having been around for eight years already, it consistently features in the list of the top 10 biggest-selling new vehicles here.  The reasons seem obvious: It’s an honest and safe SUV that in typical Mitsubishi fashion is offered at reasonable prices.

Little wonder then that the brand happily markets Outlander as the SUV you’d design for your family.

There’s sound reasoning behind that marketing strapline, too. As any parents of a young family will tell you, it can be difficult to safely and legally secure small children into a vehicle, especially if any of said children have any of their mates with them.

If the kids are aged six or less, they must be properly belted into approved child restraints. If they are seven or immediately older, they must use a child restraint if one is available. Up to and including the age of 12, they should be seated in a back seat.  It’s only when a child reaches 148cm tall that they are officially considered to be ‘adult’ enough to be able to be seated right up front.

All that is why complications can arise, particularly with the so-called nuclear family. The parents take up the front seats, the kids are in the back – but what if said kids have a friend or two? And that explains why seven-seater vehicles can be so useful for any family.

The current Outlander is a third-generation model, and it has been in New Zealand since 2013, in build since slightly earlier. It has received regular updates, the most recent last year, so it now sports Mitsubishi’s latest family grille and a host of other refinements.

But underneath it all it is essentially old-school – it is built on the same GS platform as the smaller ASX and Eclipse Cross SUVs, as well as various Chryslers. Dodges, Fiats and even Citroens, a throwback to the time Mitsubishi held a Chrysler shareholding.

I’d argue the Outlander doesn’t feel old-school, though. That’s particularly the case with the electrified version, the PHEV, which can be plugged in and charged up overnight to give it a 55km range as a pure EV.

Trouble is, the PHEV has just five seats, and the XLS and VRX versions cost $52,490 and $57,990, which is a substantial amount of money. That explains why, excellent SUV that it is, the PHEV accounts for not much more than a fifth of all Outlander sales. Considerably more popular are various versions available with a choice of 2.4-litre petrol and 2.3-litre turbo diesel powertrains, with 2WD and 4WD – and the seven seats - and with prices as low as $34,490.

And then there are limited-edition special models that Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand regularly makes available in an effort to keep Outlander sales ticking over.

MMNZ is good at doing the special-edition thing – that’s a primary reason why most of its vehicles boast real longevity. Think ASX, for example. That SUV has been around for close to two decades and it is still highly popular because it offers such good value.  

Same with the Outlander. This test is of the latest limited-edition special – a $39,990 Outlander Sport, which is essentially a $36,990 4WD 2.4-litre petrol LS model but with a bunch of added features normally reserved for the top $45,990 VRX.

Driving was a challenge, because the day the press Outlander Sport arrived was the day our world changed. New Zealand went into Level Four Lockdown. So the car was out of reach and, even if it had successfully transferred from the local dealership to my driveway, it really could barely be driven anyway.

But eventually the Covid crisis began to pass, and we were allowed to pick up the Mitsubishi – and beautifully sanitised it was too. It came with a note stating that we were the first to enter the vehicle since it was sanitised, which was comforting.

Also comforting was the knowledge that the Outlander Sport had been fitted with an array of premium features, but still carried a price tag of less than $40,000. Such features included a ‘black-out’ package that previously featured in another limited special, the Outlander Black Edition, comprising such things as a black grille outer, black skid plates front and rear, black roof rails, black door garnish, and black door mirrors.

The Sport also came with black 18-inch alloy wheels.  Was it also available with black paintwork, we wondered? The answer was yes – but our vehicle was coloured silver, the hue matched by the colour of a specially installed rear spoiler.

The VRX treatment continued on the inside, naturally with a touch of black via piano black trim on the dash and centre console, and black headlining.

Another important feature was heated leather-appointed front seats with power lumber support.  The vehicle also came with dual-zone air conditioning, a sunroof, and a new 8-inch smartphone link display audio system.

The Outlander Sport also had an electric tailgate, making it easy to open access to the rear load area. With all seven seats in use this cargo space is reasonably restricted, but it does open up to a massive 1608 litres when the second and third row of seats are folded down – perfect for a parent needing to chuck the bike in the back for a spell away from all those kids...

These days the Outlander isn’t the liveliest medium-sized SUV on the market, but with 126kW and 224Nm on hand it does the job well enough, and there’s a Sport button for a bit more oomph if required. But its doubtful that would be for sheer sportiness – rather, to carry a heavy load of up to seven bodies and potentially a trailer.

But, for a bit of more enthusiastic driving, the Outlander’s CVT auto can be turned into an electronically controlled six-speeder able to be operated using paddles on the steering wheel.

The vehicle’s 4WD system is also electronic, with 4WD Eco, Auto and Lock able to be selected at the touch of a button.

The thing is though, the Mitsubishi Outlander is intended more as a family vehicle than an enthusiast’s ride, and in that respect it does the job admirably. And that, perhaps, is why the special edition versions sell so well when they are released in limited numbers – they provide a little more pizzazz and comfort for the parents, allowing them to luxuriate just a little while travelling with all the kids in the back.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport VRX: Trading on tough

As a wagonised Triton utility, Mitsubishi’s seven-seater is within a diminishing sub-species. But it seems in good health nonetheless.

Price: $68,990 ($58,990 on test)
Powertrain and economy: 2.4-litre inline four-cylinder turbo-diesel, 135kW/437Nm, 8-speed automatic, 4WD, combined economy 8.0 L/100km, CO2 208g/km.
Vital statistics: 4825mm long, 1815mm wide, 1835mm high, 2800mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 131/502/1488 litres, 18-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Strong value, slick auto, good equipment level, excellent AWD.
We don't like: Slow steering, diesel harshness, quirky infotainment.

TO SOME it’ll be the second-choice sports utility, the one settled for on realisation all like-sized and specified new-age types are simply out of reach.

To the others, it’s the sensible choice, selling itself by virtue of solid basics and  realisation it has most of what you can also get  on more expensive alternates. Why spend more when you can get it all for less, right?

The Pajero Sport really seems to have settled into its role as diamond in the rough, a good choice for those who sign up on acceptance that, even in its latest and heavily updated format, it nonetheless does ‘new’ in a slightly old-fashioned way. 

Speaking to that. How soon before the days of taking a ute, giving it a boot and calling it a station wagon still being a tried-and-true construction formula are over? Time is surely running short. So many makers have moved on to monocoques that the chassis rail club can barely raise a quorum any more. With the Holden Trailblazer about to hit the road, and Isuzu’s M-UX equivalent also driving into history, really there’s just this Mitsubishi, the Ford Everest and Toyota’s Fortuner left to fly the flag. All are well into their production life cycles and none of those makers are discussing replacements.

Yet even if what we have now is on a one-way trip, that doesn’t diminish their value. If you don’t mind accepting body roll, raised knee second-row seating and engine roar in your driving day, there are patent pluses from keeping one foot in the past.

While those old-school constructs just aren’t as polished as the new-age products, they certainly still stand tall for robustness and are just the ticket for a life of honest toil. If you anticipate hauling properly big loads and possibly thumping into truly places that more elite and street-set fare would find challenging, if not impossible … well, then it’s hard to imagine how a Pajero Sport still couldn’t escape consideration. 

And if that doesn’t get your attention, there’s another draw. In situations when the money side of things holds primary currency, then even among its own kind, this model pitches a strong ‘value’ argument. All the moreso during test, when the VRX was selling for $10,000 under list, making it a $59k proposition. How they can make a buck? One assumes they still do and, if that is the case, it’s probably a reminder about how much ‘fat’ this type of vehicle (and utes) carry at full retail.

All the same, why spend more when you can get much the same for spending less? While Mitsubishi isn’t at the very sharp end for tech these days, it still bangs out some solid product and even if the Pajero Sport only sells on perceived value alone, that’s probably enough to keep it rolling out the door. 

Certainly, nothing came out of this latest experience to alter views established when driving the vehicle in its original format four years ago: Namely, that it’s still a pretty honest machine that, now it’s undergone a mid-life refresh that delivers not just a different look but also considerably more kit, is probably good enough to soldier on solidly for the remainder of its life cycle. Which could well be at least five more years, depending on the outcome of decision-making between this brand, Nissan and Renault about who gets to build what under their latest platform-sharing agreement.

Picking the Pajero Sport from the SUV pack has never been a chore; the Dynamic Shield design language ensured it has a face no-one could easily forget. The 2020 revision brings quite a lot of alteration, but the basic ethos is still as before, with a lot of drama going on, not least around the nose. The lights are much slimmer now and the grille less extravagant, but as before you’re left thinking whoever shaped this has been influenced by Klingon attack ships. All the same, it does at least bring it more in line with the latest Triton, which seems only proper given their DNA link, and creates visual impression of the vehicle being lower and more square-shouldered, regardless that it really isn’t.

The touch-up crew has also tended to the rear end, by touching up the tail-light shape as best they can, given the limited space these take up, but with a more orthodox outcome. New bumpers also affix front and rear and the bonnet is now rendered from aluminium, though it still remains a hefty thing to lift. 

The interior has come in for a freshen-up as well, of course, and not before time. The general ambience is less Triton familiar and the fitout is definitely plush, with more soft-touch materials than you’ll find in the ute but still a fair  few hard-wearing plastics.

The biggest change is the introduction of a 8-inch multi-information display that replaces the traditional dials behind the steering wheel, plus a new and larger central touch screen.

The latter isn’t one of those displays that is easy to immediately acquaint with; the lack of buttons isn’t so much as an issue but there’s an initial confusion about how to access some rather fundamental operations: Changing a radio station means first having to fathom how to locate the frequency settings; even altering the volume control on the interface is initially tricky. Stick with it. All ultimately becomes clear.

One trick is to understand that so much of the operability is governed by the usual Japanese over-zealousness toward safety, which makes it impossible to influence much of the functionality unless the vehicle is stationary and in Park. That’ll be a frustration for those used to set-ups that are far more lenient. Plus, you’ll initially imagine there’s a quirk in the audio side of the system that occasionally kept it from defaulting back to radio when leaving Apple CarPlay. Again, there’s a way around this. But it takes time and a bit of detective work to fathom. 

All the same, the displays are more coherent and even if having three different ways of showing the speed and tachometer is, ultimately, a bit gimmicky, the manner in which that display relates core information is easily understood.

The electronic update also introduces ability to enable remote control access via a phone app, which is probably a first in this price band – certainly, I’ve only previously encountered it in far more expensive fare.

Three choices of instrument display …..

Change doesn’t stop there. The VRX also takes an electronic tailgate – if you’re tall, watch your head when loading up the rear, as the max height setting is still a touch low for the lofty – and while it still doesn’t access the same level of snazzy driver assists that Ford delivers to the Everest, that the VRX also includes a 360 degree camera, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot monitoring and an adaptive cruise control for a whole lot less money makes the absence of even more complex aids easy to accept.

Claim that the cabin has more room before seems based on a myriad of millimetric alterations here and there. The front seats seem to have changed in shape – again, for the better – and storage space has also increased, though the choice of handy slots and flat spots for holding keys, sunglasses, your wallet, mobile and other paraphernalia is still modest. 

Sense that Pajero Sport (and Triton) has always looked a touch narrow for its height hardly disperses when you sit in it. The cabin simply feels a touch narrower that most. In saying that, there’s no actual shoulder-rubbing and it’s hardly lacking for length, with good knee and lower leg room in the second and third rows. For sure, that seven-seater format is more adult-adult-kid, but given that an elevated mid-row bench and rear-set chairs are an unavoidable compromise (because of the suspension and floor design) that means taller passengers’ in the second row might find their heads close to the sunroof lining than they might in a car-based SUV, it’s acceptable overall. For the most part it makes sense to drop the third row seat as you then get a fairly decent, if somewhat high-set load area. 

Driving-wise, it’s much the same experience as ever, but with tangible improvement to the ride quality, wrought purely from some suspension tune amendments and switching to another brand of tyre, which also seems to produce less road noise and has better gravel surface qualities.  

The drivetrain element that has most potential to be beneficial remains the Super Select 4WD II system. Four-wheel-drives that are actually all-wheel-drive all the of the time are a great thing, especially for those who adventure trek only occasionally, and it’s astounding there aren’t more of them.

There’s never an issue of ‘should I, shouldn’t I’ about Mitsi’s system, which provides ability to drive on high-grip surfaces in high-range four-wheel-drive mode without trashing the transmission.

There are also four driving modes - gravel, mud/snow, sand and rock – tailoring toward more specialised operation, all accessed via a rotating dial on the centre console, plus an electronic locking rear differential – always a good ‘last resort’ when the wheels start churning uselessly - and a hill descent control.

That’s a comprehensive fitout that will doubtless offer a lot of reassurance to owners who might tend to only venture off seal occasionally or will need to make prudent use of the traction when towing. 

In saying that, it’s by no means an elevated Quattro. You’re always aware of its mass, so driving does ask for a more thoughtful approach than can be entertained with a monocoque SUV. It’s not a nervous type, but definitely isn’t in any way car-like, either; it might be a wagon, but those ute genes still show through. Push too hard and the stability control will be intervening as a last resort to a situation you won’t want to be in.

On the other hand, take it off-road and it’s eminently friendly. The increased length from the enlarged bumpers hasn't affected the approach angle, still an impressive 30 degrees, and only fractionally diminishes the departure angle and ground clearance of 218mm is awesome.

The Pajero Sport uplifts the Triton’s 2.4-litre diesel four-cylinder and, frankly, it’s not going to be an obvious selling point. As neither the most powerful nor the most refined in the category; it requires working to get the best out of it – peak torque doesn’t occur until 2500rpm, which is bit high for a diesel - and when driven in that way, you do occasionally tend to hear all about it, though the eight-speed transmission at least removes a lot of the rough spots and enables the power delivery in unflustered (meaning highway) driving to be fluent and relaxed.

A relatively handy 11.4m turning circle and reasonably good visibility – apart from the restrictions imposed on the rear three-quarter view by the small, tapering rearmost side windows – are factors that play positively for urban use, less so the steering, which still feels slow, and the overall length. Sometimes you’re not so much parking as berthing.

The Pajero Sport certainly isn’t the most polished choice to settle on by any means. Even within its sub-category it is more relaxed about refinement than others and, frankly, if you’re of the mind that a snooty badge and a swankier ambience are keys to SUV success … well, it’ll struggle.. 

Keep an open mind and acknowledge and admire the sheer honesty of the concept. Fact is that, if you only have so much to spend and all you want is competence, with good quality build and a level of engineering that, while perhaps not quite leading-edge, is at least extremely reliable and failsafe when it matters most, then it still stands scrutiny. All the moreso now that the only like-sorted (and even cheaper) rival in this small family, that Trailblazer, is about to leave the scene. A rough diamond, perhaps, but still a gem if your SUV intent is genuine.

Mazda CX-30 Ltd: Chocks away in best-dressed baby

A flying visit allows new smooth to meet vintage industrial

Base Price:  $50,990
Powertrain and performance:  SkyActiv-G 2.5-litre four cylinder DOHC petrol engine with i-Stop and cylinder deactivation, 139kW/6000rpm, 252kW/4000rpm. All-wheel drive. 6.8 L/100km.
Vital statistics: Length 4395mm, height 1540mm, width 1795mm, wheelbase 2655mm. Luggage 430 litres. Wheels: 18-inch alloys with 215/55 R168 tyres.
We Like: Very attractive styling, sophisticated level of specification, secure and safe drive.
We don’t like: Slightly lumpy ride at the lower speeds. It’s not a coupe, Mazda.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder – a phrase that came to mind during this stint with Mazda’s swish new compact SUV, the CX-30.

That’s because we used the vehicle to head to Tauranga and introduce it to a machine 77 years its senior – a Boeing Stearman biplane.

When we parked the smooth Mazda in front of the more industrial American aircraft, the contrast between the two was starkly apparent, because one was streamlined to the extreme, while the other was definitely not.

Of course they are totally differences pieces of transport technology in that one is a new-age motor vehicle and the other is a vintage aircraft, but they are both the result of industrial design excellence of the day.

And visually, they are both highly attractive.

Maybe you ask: How can a 1943 biplane, with its big undercarriage, wings made of wood and fabric that are joined together using struts and wire, and which is powered by a nine-cylinder radial engine that burns through 46 litres of fuel and up to three litres of oil an hour, be considered attractive?

Well…- it just is, that’s how. With its bright yellow wings, silver fuselage and red tail (the US Navy painted them those colours so they were easier to spot whenever one crashed), the Stearman is one of those aircraft that simply looks like it is meant to fly.

And it did too – in its thousands. More than 10,000 of them were built in the 1930s and 1940s as primary trainers, and following the end of World War II a large number were sold on the civilian market for recreational flying. As a result there are a number of them in New Zealand, this example operated by Classic Flyers New Zealand.

Mind you, it has to be said that the Stearman doesn’t offer particularly comfortable flying. It’s interior is spartan to the extreme. An open cockpit means the environment is noisy and windy. When taxiing forward visibility is so limited the pilot has to weave from side-to-side to see where to go.

But once the biplane is in the air, the experience is a joy. As the aircraft trundles along at not much more than New Zealand’s open road speed limit, you appreciate the fact that the Stearman was designed and built for a purpose. As a primary trainer, introducing thousands of young pilots to the world of aviation.

And that makes you wonder if these days, with so many vehicles registered for use on New Zealand’s roads that we have among the world’s highest car ownership statistics, can motoring also still be a joyful experience?

Mazda certainly thinks so. It believes it is still possible for an emotional bond to be created between car and driver. It’s all to do with personal freedom, travel, and the appeal of actually being behind the wheel of a car.

As a result, the Hiroshima-headquartered company aims for autonomous technologies to support, not replace, the driver. While other carmakers might be heading towards ‘machine-centric’ automation, Mazda takes what it calls a ‘human-centric’ position by developing all sorts of electronic aids that are there to help, not dominate.

All of that is the reasoning behind a vehicle design philosophy the company calls Kodo – Soul of Motion.  Call it marketing hype if you will, but it’s a fact that in recent years this philosophy has resulted in creation of some outstanding vehicles.

The latest is this new CX-30. In essence this vehicle is the SUV version of the new Mazda3 hatch. As such it plonks itself into a gap on Mazda’s SUV fleet between the smaller CX-3 and the larger CX-5.

That gap needed to be filled, too. The new vehicle enters a market segment officially known as SUV Compact, which is growing so quickly it is due to take over from SUV Medium as New Zealand’s most popular vehicle segment.

As at the end of April both these segments held a 19 percent market share. But in April itself – albeit a very bad sales month due to the Covid-19 shutdown – SUV Compact claimed a massive 26 percent market share, while SUV Medium held 14 percent.

CX-30 cabin rather more comfortable than Stearman’s …. .but comes second-best for all-round visibility.

The CX-30 has been designed using the Kodo principle, and as a result it has perhaps the best exterior simplicity of form of any of the compact SUVs currently available in this country. In stark contrast to the old Stearman biplane which could hardly be described as streamlined, this Mazda is very smooth to the eye.

It offers a smooth drive, too. Our model for test was the top CX-30, a $50,990 2.5-litre Limited. That’s quite a bit of money for a compact SUV, but it does  carry a lot of kit, particularly from a safety perspective – including Mazda’s i–Activ electronic all-wheel drive system, and a wealth of passive and active driving aids.

These include lane-keep assist, active cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross traffic alert, and active emergency braking that recognises cyclists and pedestrians.  Little wonder then that all this has contributed to the CX-30 being awarded a five-star Ancap rating which included a 99% score for adult occupant protection, the highest ever recorded.

Powering the CX-30 Limited is Mazda’s 2.5-litre SkyActiv-G engine that a lot of New Zealanders have already experienced aboard such product as the CX-5, Mazda3 and Mazda6. In this application it offers 139 kilowatts of power and 252 Newton metres of torque which is ample for a vehicle of this size.

Mazda’s SkyActiv technology has been developed with economy in mind, and as such the 2.5-litre engine features an i-stop system which automatically stops the engine running at places such as the traffic lights, and cylinder deactivation which runs the vehicle on two cylinders when circumstances permit.

All this helps the CX-30 boast an official fuel consumption of 6.8 L/100km – which seems a bit low to me. I rate myself as a careful driver and I couldn’t get better than 8 L/100km. But still, it has to be said even that is very good for a vehicle that is all-wheel-drive.

The CX-30 sits about 45mm higher than a Mazda3, but despite that higher ride the vehicle still offers a secure ride. This is helped along by Mazda’s G-Vectoring Control Plus system that helps make cornering as smooth and comfortable as possible by tweaking engine torque and gently braking the outer front wheel.

The vehicle is also shod with a new concept tyre which has smaller sidewalls and a more rigid tread, which Mazda claims helps give a smoother ride because the tyre distorts less when hitting a bump.

A feature of the new CX-30 is its interior, which is very good. It’s slightly different in design to the Mazda3’s, but offers the same level of specification, including an Active Driving Display with a wide-screen centre display, and a rotary Commander Control on the centre console.

At the Limited specification level the vehicle has a black cabin theme that includes black leather seat trim, which is pretty much the same as that aboard the hatch/sedan.

All in all, the new Mazda CX-30 appeals as an outstanding new entry in the compact SUV market, and it should immediately play a major role in taking that market segment to the lead in the new vehicle sales statistics.

The MMNZ marketing people are advertising the vehicle as combining coupe styling with SUV practicality. I wouldn’t go quite that far, even though the CX-30 definitely appeals as a very good-looking vehicle.

 That’s especially the case when you park it alongside something as lumpy as an old WWII biplane. But then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, huh?

Mercedes Benz EQC: Electric stuff gets serious

So impressively polished it’s hard to believe this is Benz’s first electric production car.

MERCEDES-BENZ EQC 400
Base price: $142,900.
Powertrain and performance: 80kWh lithium-ion battery pack, 300kW/760Nm, dual electric motor AWD, consumption 21.4kWh per 100kmh, range 417km (WLTP), 0-100kmh 5.1 seconds.
Vital statistics: 4761mm long, 1624mm high, 1884mm wide, 2873mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 500 litres, 20-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Beautifully engineered, hugely refined, impressive ride.
We don't like: Not as spacious as rivals, slightly anodyne styling.

WHEN his Lotus cars were cleaning up Formula One, Colin Chapman famously attributed everything to a process of “simplicity and adding lightness”. 

Electric car makers must hate hearing that. For them, a satisfactory kilowatt and kilogram balance is fiendishly challenging to achieve. Lithium ion battery performances keep improving, but at present commensurate weight reductions rarely avail.

A degree of podginess is an unavoidable for the Mercedes EQC. Another burden might seem to be the cost. It’s a hard fact that, in any part of the market, electric just right now unavoidably still means expensive. Assuredly, it won’t always be so. One day, cost equality with regular fossil-fuelled product will come.

Then again, premium is hardly unexpected for this brand. It’s the place where Benz has always preferred to ply its trade. Tree huggers on a budget might whine about how only the affluent have means to really influence EV acceptance, yet it’s surely easily understood why the marque positions where it does. If you want the best, you have to pay for it.

Big spenders will surely be intrigued by what is proposed by a model targeted at the Jaguar I-Pace, Tesla Model X and Audi e-tron, in part because it is obviously not setting out to be too different to regular Mercedes SUV fare that it snuggles in with. In look it is striking but conventional; in driving feel it is clearly ‘electric’, yet also very much free of revolutionary tendencies.

The price structure placement between the GLE and GLS, when sizing up more appropriately with GLC, reveals more about how the EQC asks for some dispensation. This and the fact that, operationally, it further blurs the already well obscured lines between car and SUV.

If ‘SUV’ means off-roading? Well, best not. As much as electric drive has awesome potential – instant torque to the individual wheel that needs it, for instance – it’s not an adventure car. Towing is possible, but it’s not set up to haul stuff that’ll go behind the big diesel and petrol models. As much as anything, it’s designated an SUV by virtue of happening to have been based on one. You could just as easily call it a very big car.

Which is fine, actually. Regardless of where it sits, it’s impossible not to find this product hugely interesting. Driving EQC very much raises excitement about others to come - EQV, a van-based people carrier, the EQA and EQB compact crossovers and EQS, aimed at the Tesla Model S and Porsche Taycan – and a brand strategy expected to result in up to 50 percent of the make’s sales coming from EV and hybrid models by 2030, up from a projected nine percent this year. 

Will you buy in? With Benz also aiming to also progressively reduce its present lineup and platform and powertrain options (a big call as it presently has 45 models), it’s a moot question 

Patently, this transition’s a stepped process. EQC’s introduction comes with acknowledgement tomorrow’s products will better what’s here today. The point is enforced specifically in that it does not follow other makers’ practice of being based on a standalone platform. That process is coming for Benz, but it’ll happen when EQS arrives in 2022. However, even then the brand will continue to make others to the formula of expedience applied with EQC. That is, adapt an underpinning also designed for fossil-fuelled fare. In this case, it’s the GLC.

To be fair, the relationship is hardly obvious. Just 15 percent of the older goes into the electric. Above shared steering and suspension bits, the EQC has entirely new body panels and acoustic glass, and that swooping profile, smoothed-out roofline, and trick grille reduces the drag coefficient to a slippery 0.28 to help eke out more mileage from each charge.

Engineering conversion also goes well beyond just ripping out the combustion bits and transmission and banging in two drive motors, one in front and one behind, and an underfloor battery.

The one quirk of ensuring EQC behaves as protectively as GLC in a crash is explained when the bonnet is lifted. The steel-tube replicas of the combustion car’s engine block and gearbox housing occupy a space others would re-shape as a luggage space. Benz though about giving it ‘frunk’ but then preferred to put safety and structural integrity first.

Also, it makes EQC slightly tighter inside than the Jaguar I-Pace and Audi e-tron, even though all three have a similar footprint. It’s not tight, but it is cosier, in part because the others have a flat floor.

Like a GLC Coupe? Funnily, they share almost the same luggage capacity, but the EQC’s boot is higher-floored and only accommodates 1060 litres when its split-folding rear seats are down.

If you’re hoping for this compactness to deliver compensation on the scales, well, like I said, battery packs are heavy. EQC’s 384 cell unit lends a significant 652kg to the quoted kerb weight. Maybe the surprise isn’t that it’s 650kg heavier than a GLC 220d 4Matic but that, at 2420kg, it outweighs the Jag and Audi, but don’t be dismayed. Like all electrics it has sharp step-off and the torque stream is rich.

The claimed 0-100kmh time of 5.1 seconds is utterly believable and impressive, given that is only two-tenths off the Mercedes-AMG GLC43 performance SUV's claim.

Despite what Teslarati believe, the dash from a standstill to the legal limit isn’t what it’s all about, of course. What it does even better is drive really nicely. It holds the open road pace very easily and with everything feeding asynchronous electric motor/generators on each axle to enable four-wheel drive, but actively varying the amount of torque to manage traction, nothing wastes.

Yet it’s not bombastic. Though AMG accessories avail and, as in other Benz SUVs, it can be finessed to suit driving styles, through personalising or choosing from three pre-sets, it’s a car tuned for refinement, civility and comfort.

So despite firmish damping, and well-controlled body roll that clearly benefits from having so much battery weight positioned low down, it

doesn’t like being pushed too far. It’s best as a cruiser in which you can enjoy the serenity of a cabin is impressively isolated from the outside world.

Efficiency encouragement is naturally to the fore. The Eco mode familiar in fossil-fuelled models has more bearing here. Beyond that comes Max Range, which actively encourages e-driving, including the use of a haptic accelerator pedal that 'taps' the driver's sole to suggest easing off. Altering the level of energy recuperation harvested on deceleration, enabling one-pedal driving further enhances Green-ness.

Still, when it comes to range, it’s in the same boat as most others. Mercedes claims consumption against Australian Design Rules’ testing of 21.4kWh per 100km, which equates to an ADR driving range of 434km between charges. However, the more accurate WLTP test claims a range of 353km, which is more in line with what – from my experience – you should expect to see. Likewise, in terms of energy use, the car was mainly between 26kWh and 28kWh per 100km. Using WLTP for reference, Jaguar claims 470km, Audi 436km, and Tesla between 375km and 505km depending on which version of the Model X you purchase. That doesn’t mean those cars will be guaranteed to give you those ranges in real-world use, but does suggest that they will go further between charging requirement. But that’s hardly a crippling blow, in that you can accept that all those cars will entertain big drives at open road pace over perhaps half a days’ duration at least before you need to think about recharging.

The cabin is mainly as you’ll find in any other modern Benz, notwithstanding that the lower fascia, steering wheel and split centre console is pure GLC. The top part of the dash takes a specific design course beyond the usual adjustable lighted pipes and cold steel inserts in the doors. The copper-coloured sections are apparently inspired by electrical wiring, and the air vents by circuit boards.

The dedication to battery push means there are also EQ-only toys and menus to find your way around, mainly via the twin-10.25-inch-screen display running the vaunted MBUX infotainment system controlled by touch or Siri-like voice commands.

You have an endless procession of display modes to cycle through, and some particularly cool features like a large head-up display, energy usage monitors, and the option of Mercedes' ingenious augmented reality satellite navigation, which overlays a moving blue directional arrow over a live forward camera feed onto the screen.

A set-up glitch that defied rectification meant this car wasn’t as smart as it could have been – it couldn’t locate the rechargers provisioned by the network the brand partners with - but enough operability remained to signal just how key the Mercedes me smartphone app is.

The specification is fulsome, with multibeam LED headlights, a sliding sunroof (albeit smaller than the twin-pane GLC's), 20-inch AMG wheels, a 590W and 13-speaker Burmester audio system, wireless phone charging, a head-up display, leather seats with heating, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, sat-nav, proximity key and electric seat and steering column adjustments.

Also standard re nine airbags, a high-resolution 360-degree camera, auto parking software, active cruise control with GPS-based speed adjustments, evasive steering assist, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-departure assist that steers you between road lines, sometimes too obtrusively, admittedly.

What really hammers home is that it feels ready for the world of today and tomorrow. There’s just no sense of this car being a new territory for the world’s oldest brand. No shoddy workmanship or low-quality materials to embarrass. You’d think Benz had been doing this for as long as Tesla. Engineering and finish-wise, it’s already doing it better.

That in itself is a fantastic reassurance to buyers looking to make the leap. And the compulsion to do so will surely not go away. If the EQC doesn’t suit, there’s more coming. EQC will soon be bookended by the a small full electric crossover and that big limo, but by 2023 there'll be seven Mercedes-badged EVs sold here.

Kia Seltos, Hyundai Venue: Don’t sweat the differences

The Kia Seltos has stormed into the compact sports utility sector, but let’s not forget Hyundai has a contender in that arena as well.

HYUNDAI VENUE ELITE
Base price: $33,990 full RRP ($31,990 on test)
Powertrain: 1.6-litre petrol four, 90kW/ 151Nm, six-speed automatic, FWD, fuel economy 7.2 litres per 100km, CO2 160g/km CO2.
Vital statistics: 4040mm long, 1565mm high, 2520mm wheelbase, 17-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Strong spec, versatile cabin.
We don't like: Harsh and underwhelming drivetrain, challenging price position.

 KIA SELTOS LX
Base price: $30,990 full RRP ($26,990 on test).
Powertrain: 2.0-litre petrol, 110kW/ 180Nm, eight-step constantly variable, FWD, fuel economy 6.8 litres per 100km, CO2 157g/km.
Vital statistics: 4370mm long, 1615mm high, 2630mm wheelbase, 16-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Strong value, roomy cabin, perky performance.
We don't like: Secondary ride needs sorting, poor front seats.

WHENEVER Kia and Hyundai contest a common segment with a common kind of car you’d be brave to bet against their respective products not being related. 

Brand-specific styling inside and out surrounding core common parts (the chassis, engines, transmissions and other gear) … that’s been the recipe for years. 

Yet anyone considering the Kia Seltos and the Hyundai Venue and expecting more of the same will be in for a surprise.

Even though these cars draw from other, already-established family members, what they lack is a direct relationship. 

Here’s how it goes. Venue bases on Europe’s i20 hatch, plucking the floorpan and 1.6-litre six-speed auto transmission. Seltos? It actually has a lot more in common with the 2.0-litre Hyundai Kona than you’d ever possibly imagine.

Yet insofar as finding any direct chromosonal link? Some say you’d have better luck looking for the lost city of Atlantis. They’re not only disparate in DNA, but Hyundai asserts – quite strongly – that the Venue is not a Seltos competitor.

Who’d bet on car buyers either (A) thinking as Hyundai does or (B) giving a jot regardless? Not I.

For all the technical disassociation and regardless that there’s also a degree of price disparity – less noticeable during now discontinued launch price promotions that were shaving $2000 from Venue’s recommended retail and up to $5000 from that entry Seltos LX) – they’re still two city slick front drive petrol crossovers of similar size chasing much the same crowd. So I’d suggest cross-shopping is going to be something of a certainty.

Straight out, both brands can take a bow for delivering a pair of interesting natural urban adventuring fits. On top of this, Kia can take extra kudos for its especially aggressive pricing strategy. It is possible to consider the base Seltos not only against the most expensive Venue but even the cheapest Kona.

For sure, Venue’s Elite designation means it packs more comfort and safety features. On the active and passive safety side, Venue stands well-sorted with a SmartSense package that includes Forward Collision Avoidance, Lane Keep Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Hill Start Assist, and automatic high beams is. Seltos is also looking strong, though be aware that automated emergency braking at this level is tailored for vehicle-versus-vehicle scenarios and so lacks the pedestrian-sensing ability provisioned further up in the Seltos family and standard to the Venue.

Enough blanked switch locations to be impossible to ignore, a less creative interior, manual air con and old-school ‘key in the lock’ ignition also signal why the spending gap between a Seltos LX and next-up LX Plus is so wide. Stick at LX also asks for you to control any envy felt about the more expensive Seltos derivatives having a better, touch-activated media screen  But, hey, as much as keyless start would be nice – given its so commonplace nowadays - that’s not to say that it outright shouts out for more technology.

In fact, when you come to box-ticking what might be regarded as ‘essentials’, it really isn’t shown up to be way miserly. The most pressing imperative would be to negotiate putting in onto the dearer versions’ factory 17 inch rims. The 16-imchers the LX arrives with are fine for ride and fair for dynamics, but they just look too small for the body.

If the LX has any particular weak point, it is being cursed by pretty mediocre front seats. Anyone who appreciates the merits of good lower back support won’t be at all satisfied by the driver’s chair; it’s too soft and shapeless and not a patch on the one that goes into the other variants. In this test, too, if you had to pick which had the better driving position, Venue wins out. Hyundai just delivers a better span of  seat and steering wheel adjustment, accommodating all shapes and sizes.

Even so, Seltos through simply being a slightly larger car – appreciably so for wheelbase and overall length, a little less evidently for width and height – makes a more convincing choice if you’re carting stuff, including other people.

The cabin is simply roomier and the extra few millimetres it provisions in key areas, like rear seat lower legroom, is going help sell it. The Venue was also capable of carrying four adults in comfort, proved incredibly adept at swallowing some large, awkward objects and earned points for good storage space for bottles and paraphernalia in the centre console and doors. However,while lower leg and headroom is good, it hasn’t the same shoulder room and that might be telling with all-adult ensemble.

While the Seltos shape has a slightly more modern, appealing sharp-lined air, I really warmed to the Venue’s chiselled, upright body and stance and excellent visibility. Both cars are enhanced by a range of colour options; the two-tone, grey with green highlights and contrasting roof scheme applied to the Venue I drove also provisions with the Kia and lends a pleasing look to both. 

Out on the road, they’re similar in driving feel yet as far apart for performance as you’d imagine. Neither is what you’d call muscled, yet there’s simply no dispute about which has more zest.

It’s not that the Hyundai unit is utterly puny, yet the 20kW power and 29Nm torque that Kia’s bigger engine delivers is telling at kick-off and … erm, everywhere else. Really, though, what irks most about the Venue unit isn’t so much its more limited reactivity as its lack of refinement; it’s much more vocal and raw-edged and seems in constant dispute with the transmission. The Seltos would be better with paddle shifters to better engage with its eight-speeder, but it just operates more effectively and enthusiastically.

The dynamics are interesting. If you want something approaching youthful and sports-tinged, go straight to Seltos; it’s no outright GT, but drives with a level certainty not usual for this grade . For a more grown-up and measured feel, Venue is the place to be. It’s not vague or unduly remote, but there’s far more of an air of laidback amiability. 

Dimensional pertness and tight turning circles ensure they both work well around town and neither feels at all overawed by open road running, either, though it’s in the latter environment where the Seltos’ secondary ride seems a touch busy. It’s nothing a slight suspension retune couldn’t remedy.

Would you off-road? Venue’s provision of Sand, Snow, and Mud traction modes activated by a dial controller suggests it’s up for something, though we’d say keep it ‘lite’. Seltos has a control just like it, but turning it simply puts the transmission into a sports mode. So, yeah. There’s your answer from Kia.

Crystal ball gazing these cars’ futures is easy; consumer swing to crossovers and SUVs ensures each will find a ready audience. Venue does a reasonable job, but it lacks the Kia’s character and Kia’s value edge is much sharper. If you’re seeking to chase an ascending star, Seltos is definitely the one.

Final farewell to an old friend

Hope to bid a quiet and easy-going goodbye to Holden that with a run along memory road turned into a rush trip thanks to coronavirus.

At Holden NZ headquarters in Mangere East, Auckland.

START where it finished, end where it all began.

Signing off Holden’s time here with a roadie in its last press vehicle from brand headquarters to the birthplace of General Motors New Zealand, calling by places of relevance, seemed right.

That the ‘car’ is a one-tonner ute is no insult to a certain other: Commodore. A desultory ZB performance hasn’t kept Holden’s most famous car from being ensured perpetual place as the brand’s biggest breadwinner in this country. There’s just no argument, Commodore was, is and always will be remembered as Holden’s finest, most successful and, perhaps, most missed.

At same token, let’s not underestimate or devalue Colorado’s impact. It certainly also deserves dues for having been top dog in recent years, riding high on the crest of the ute sale wave. Not quite as high as the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, agreed, but certainly doing well enough to bury the Mazda BT-50 and Nissan Navara and generally keep Mitsubishi’s Triton out of third spot on the sales sheets.

The last ride is being taken in the family-topped Z71 that has certainly benefitted these last few years from the massive Kiwi affection for well-detailed, high-end automatic turbodiesel double cabs.

The drive gives plenty of opportunity to reflect on why this particular variant is so deserving on a place at the pointy end of one of NZ’s most competitive segments. MFW45 enforces why the talent definitely reaches well beyond its initial attraction of a well-proportioned and tough-looking styling that has proven especially enduring – a saving grace given that ute lifespans are much older than for cars and, until the bombshell of Holden’s demise, this one looked set to stick around for at least two more years.

Would it have lasted the distance? I’m confident it would have. It especially benefitted from that MY17 mid-life facelift that, in hindsight, could be considered a life-altering moment for this line. 

At Ebbett Holden, Taupo.

Continuing revisions that, for MY20, brought in leather-accented upholstery with heated front seats, a front bash plate, four black fender flares and a ‘soft-drop’ tailgate with gas struts have kept the pot on the boil. Nd though it will leave the scene with the suite of driver-assist systems still failing to tick off the increasingly important involvements of autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring or adaptive cruise control, it will still surely be remembered as Holden’s best work through this final chapter of the brand’s life story.

The high points, certainly, include the Holden-specific drivetrain. That 2.8-litre Duramax turbo-diesel four-cylinder unit producing 147kW of power at 3600rpm and 500Nm of torque at 2000rpm remains a tough act to follow. It’s not only been a relatively punchy unit, with a thick wad of torque coming on strong and early – so making it perfect for towing – but also a more refined engine than most of its key rivals. The six-speed torque-converter automatic is one of the best you can find in a ute, too; gear changes are smooth if not quick, while the calibration is receptive to spontaneous throttle inputs, with downshifts occurring promptly.

Holden’s involvement in tailoring Colorado’s ride and handling also deserves credit. The best evaluation of the magic performed is to hit a rugged road. Corrugations are a killer for so many utes – the manner in which they recklessly bounce over bumps when unladen can become, quite literally, a pain in the butt. The way Colorado maintains its composure, providing relatively superb ride comfort, in that environment is entirely due to tuning wrought over the Tasman, mainly at the Lang Lang testing ground near Melbourne.

In short then, the Colorado is a worthy candidate for this last chance to reflect on Holden and what it has meant to our country.

Retrieving the Z71 from Holden NZ’s digs, deep in the heart of an East Mangere industrial area, is how I wanted it, but accompanying corporate affairs manager Ed Finn upstairs for the keys feels awkwardly intrusive. A Covid-19 work from home option explains the empty desks now in this ground zero for February 17’s bombshell, Ed assures, yet knowing redundancy is now just weeks away for almost all the 40 staff, my mate included, is sobering. A team that has always batted above their average deserved better.

GM also deserves gratitude. It’s imprint into our national story is greater than many today probably know. GM was the first car brand with a proper car assembly plant here. It banged out 600,000 vehicles over six decades and employed thousands. When World War II broke out, it stood particularly tall, repurposing swiftly to build military equipment vital to our armed forces. Another major achievement: The Frigidaire division was responsible for introducing an everyday appliance into many homes, the fridge. For a while, Frigidaires were built alongside cars 

Typical of best-laid plans, my honour run derails when I plot a course. Additional to this mission, I’m fulfilling a promise to help a pal in the Waikato who’s selling a model racing car collection to another friend, in my home district, the Manawatu, who is buying. In my mind’s eye, this won’t impinge on a primary mission ticking off dealer locales where the Lion has roared loud and long.

Even by choosing to skip Pukekohe, where the hugely entrepreneurial outlet here from 1921 to 1994 sold not only cars but, as the local funeral director, also caskets, I figure can surely at least hit Hamilton, home to Ebbett Group (founded in 1928 by Alf Ebbett and today Holden’s single-largest representative dealer body) then Te Awamutu’s Rosetown Holden, which opened one month before the 1987 stock market crash?

Smash Palace, Horopito.

Inputting the collection owner’s address changes everything. Sat nav shows his “near Hamilton” is nowhere close to that city nor my targets. If I’m to get home in reasonable time, the just-opened Huntly bypass section of the Waikato Expressway is my only choice.

The Ebbett connection is at least made in Taupo, where Holden didn’t represent until 1998, but it’s gone closing time, so after a quick snap for posterity, I’m off again, straight down the line.

Or not. The Desert Rd is closed. It’s way too warm for snow, so maybe something to do with talk about Ruapehu’s crater lake warming? I still don’t know. 

Nothing for it but for me, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart and Emmerson Fittipaldi to go the long way around, past the turn-off to Chateau Tongariro, then turning left onto State Highway 4 at National Park.

It adds an hour to the run, but at least allows the bucket list tick of Australasia’s largest vintage vehicle dismantler, Horopito Motors and Museum, aka ‘Smash Palace’. Stopping off on the sideroad that cuts through these hectares of rusting relics bathing in a sunset glow is a reflective moment. Even though I fail to spot any classic Holdens, assuredly this place holds a fair share. Even in the early evening, the place is a hive of activity. With wrecks being shuffled here and there by a JCB. Seeing two flattened early Falcons being moved is a satisfying ‘take that Ford’ moment.

Next few days are restricted to my home turf, but there’s more visiting to be done. Trucking to Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon recognises this being where our greatest Holden hero of motorsport, Greg Murphy, got his motorsport break, that big brand fans the NZ Police have conducted driver training here – predominantly in Holdens - since the ‘70s and that, in 1982, the GMNZ-made SS V8s that were then the world’s fastest and most powerful production examples also made their racing debut here. 

To Whanganui, where when I grew up, Ian Wilks Motors was a big kahuna. The Holden franchise has long switched, but the original dealership building where I recall visiting as a kid to stare in wonderment at the Gemini capsule – and, later, as a teenager, the first concept car I’d ever seen (Giugiaro’s Ace of Clubs, which spawned the Isuzu Piazza) is still standing. The first Holden press car I ever drove, a Starfire VK, came through here.

Next day, I’m down at Palmertston North’s Robertson Holden. Reminiscence about the massive history of the Palmerston North-centred Robertson Group empire and how it started with lion-taming, 30 years ago, is not the sole reason for a visit. During the day I’ve discovered why the ute’s deck cover hasn’t been sitting quite properly. One of the latches is broken. Can my mates resolve this? A jury-rigged fix satisfies me, it’s not good enough for these pros. A replacement part is ordered under warranty.

Robertson Holden in palmerston north was swift to sort a small issue

By the weekend, coronavirus is the big and only news. Travel restrictions are impending. I resolve on waking that Sunday morning that, if I’m going to complete my mission as planned, today is the day. So, by 7.30am I’m off, heading across the Pahiatua Track to Masterton so as to clock Wagg Motors (NZ’s oldest dealership, Holden since 1972) then battling Rimutaka crosswinds to at last tread historic turf.

GM manufacturing based in the Hutt Valley, with 47 hectares of property, in two key zones, the first now requiring imagination.

There’s no trace of the Bouverie St factory whose production stream started with a four-cylinder Chevrolet car in 1926 and curtailed with a Bedford van in 1984. I imagine, but cannot be sure, it was probably located where the Mitre 10 Mega now stands.

Bouverie wasn't the first place where cars were assembled in New Zealand. Distributors had been bolting knocked-down kits together for years prior. Yet it stands as our first proper car plant – or as close as we ever came to having one (vehicles always came in CKD - for ‘completely knocked down’ - format to be locally assembled and painted, though local production did encompass making tyres, glass, wheels, seats and wiring looms) establishing 10 years before Ford set up shop, and also the first GM owned full-blown assembly line not on American soil that GM owned rather than leased. 

Completed within eight months and rolling out the first vehicles even before an access road was completed, it initially assembled American GM vehicles - Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, and Oldsmobile - followed by British Vauxhalls, starting with the VX, five years later. It also produced those chunky Frigidaire refrigerators, this brand being owned by GM from 1919 to 1979.  

By 1939 the factory was expanded for a total floor space under one roof of 2.4 hectares, nearly double the original space, fortuitously as it turned out as almost immediately after completion World War II began. The place very soon turned over to the war effort, producing Bren gun carriers, mortar bombs, metal radio cases and battery boxes. More than 900 US Army trucks from the South Pacific combat zone were also reconditioned there.

a quick stop at waggs in masterton is due, this being nz’s oldest holden dealership.

Following World War II, Vauxhalls continued to keep the plant running together with limited numbers (restricted by currency shortages) of Chevrolets and Pontiacs. Buick and Oldsmobile were dropped. 

The site was cleared in 2004. It needs a plaque, if only to commemorate a famous employee, Jack the cat.

Twenty minutes later, I’m at the General’s second fortress, outwardly looking no different to as it appeared on the day it closed, save that now there’s a big mesh fence around the whole place.

Holdens hit NZ in 1954 and, indeed, we stand as Holden’s first (and most faithful) export market. Though just 321 FJs were shipped in by the end the first year of sale, 1954, some resourceful Kiwis had also by then also managed to secure a handful of the landmark 48-215 models as private imports. Interest in the brand grew quickly and GMNZ was in confident mood when, in 1957, the FE became the first of many Holden models to be assembled on NZ turf, at Bouverie. But demand then was always greater than the assembly line could meet.

Ultimately, GM took a deep breath and determined to create a much larger, utterly modern facility. So we got Trentham. Adjacent to the NZ Army’s camp and opened by Sir Keith Holyoake in 1967, this was a plant protecting market share equal to that enjoyed by today’s kingpin, Toyota NZ. With a total area of 41542 metres, Bouverie continued to impress as a large undertaking for the Petone area. But Trentham was so much bigger and grander. And could do so much more.

In its heyday Trentham was one of the country’s largest car plants and in the 1960s’ and 70s’, the Wellington area, with Todd Motors in Porirua and Ford (also in Petone), was in effect our ‘Motown’.

It made GM even more of the regional kingpin, with 47 hectares of property and around 930,000 square metres’ floor space, situated on three (Petone and Trentham: assembly/manufacturing plant, parts, and later, assembly, warehouse and office facilities) properties in the Hutt Valley. 

Even when the Oil Shocks of the 1970s’ hit sales of large six- and eight-cylinder sedans (and influenced Holden to consider a smaller alternate to its HQ), and some Japanese brands – Mitsubishi, Datsun, Honda and Toyota – were starting to raise their profiles, Holden remained a hugely influential player.

GM was huge in the hutt valley and the trentham plant was its crowning glory

Commodore arrived in August of 1979 and triggered a sweet gold rush. From then until 2005, this Aussified Opel design consistently placed as a top three best-selling car in every year save for two. In that period, Holden NZ sold more than 100,000 Commodores. A four-cylinder SLX sedan built in May of 1982 was GMNZ’s 500,000th vehicle.

So what ended the dream? Government axing of import duty was a killer to all local assembly. On November 21, 1990, a V6 VN, the 593,945th GM product built here, marked the end of the line. GMNZ changed its name to Holden New Zealand and left the Hutt for good in 1999. 

Commodore continued to do its maker proud, though. It held as one of the country’s top three sellers even when Holden was down to being the sixth most popular brand.

Perhaps you’re wondering how a Isuzu co-designed ute from Thailand fits this history? Well, GMNZ represented Isuzu; we took its cars and Colorado’s forebear, the Rodeo. They weren’t assembled at Trentham per se, but were certainly prepped there. Indeed, light trucks kept rolling down the line for seven years after it stopped assembling cars.

So the Colorado has every right to be here. And on this trip, it’s done the brand proud as total trouper.

Utes are built for toil, yet Z71 comforts have made it a good tripper for this exercise. For a model nearing the end of its build cycle regardless of what was going to happen to Holden, you wouldn’t say that age really has unduly wearied it.

I’d call it a keeper. A shame that events won’t allow it to be.

William Durant Drive, Trentham. Durant was a founder and first president of General Motors.

Skoda Superb Scout: Natural troop leader

Skoda took its sweet time to give its biggest wagon the one last lift it needed. A Scout edition elevates the Superb’s solid status all the more.

SKODA SUPERB SCOUT
Base price: $64,990
Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol, 200kW/350Nm, 7-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 8.1L/100km (WLTP), CO2 180g/km.
Vital statistics: 4862mm long, 1477mm high, 2841mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 660/1950 litres, 18-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Improved ride and styling, comfortable, hugely roomy and practical.
We don't like: Goes a touch light on off-seal assists so less rugged than a Subaru Outback, shame it loses the TwinDoor boot.

THE latest addition to the Superb family was always odds-on to be appreciated – what I hadn’t expected was to feel such a strong twinge of second thought syndrome.

Journalistic integrity - yes, a seemingly outdated concept in this game, yet important to me - demands a straight-up disclosure. We already have a Skoda allegiance, our personal garage space taken by a Karoq. So you’ll fully expect to hear what I don’t mind saying; it’s a great little car.

All the same, going this way asked for a change of thinking, really a reshaping of thoughts. Ticking the box for a model that Mrs B enjoys on strength of its compactness, comfort and fitout and I see as being perfect for our rural and my race car trailer-towing requirement through being diesel and four-wheel-drive came with awareness we were forging a fresh path across familiar terrain.

Like the vehicle it replaced, the Karoq is pretty much a car; except not so much in look. Accepting that required a broadening of my outlook. Call me outdated, but as dominated as the Kiwi "wagon" (to use that term in its broadest possible sense) market has become dominated by SUVs made to look as blocky as possible to (you’d have to think) enforce a sense of enhanced toughness, I remain fond of those that don’t.

Conceivably, then, I should have gone from one kind of jacked-up, plastic-clad crossover editions of a station wagon – a Subaru Outback – to its Skoda equivalent, the Octavia Scout.

That I didn’t was down to timing. Karoq was fresh whereas the Octavia Scout available then was, well, pretty dated; the last car on a discontinued platform, lacking the best tech and, I was sure, on the verge of entering run-out. So, anyway, the Karoq it was, with no regrets. 

And yet, from driving the Superb Scout, there’s an emergent twinge. How might things have gone had I remained wagon-true? Even though it would have been too much in size and price, this car nonetheless muddied the waters through enforcing its brilliance.

Given it’s taken until a mid-life facelift of the third generation Superb to finally spur Skoda to bring its largest model into the Scouting movement, the obvious question is: Why so long?

Certainly, there’s also a strong sense that in finally giving it a high-riding dirt-attuned aspect, Skoda has completed the jigsaw, in that every other relevant component was already in place. It’s been four-wheel-drive for a while now and, of course, has long traded on a principal strength of offering exceptional roominess, very good packaging and basically Audi-esque quality and tech at a sub Volkswagen price.

The only potential off-putting elements until now have been the slightly awkward styling and the Skoda badge; though the first is well rectified by this facelift and anyone who still sees the second as a problem is simply so stuck in the last century they need to be pitied.

So, anyway, if a synopsis in a sentence is sought, well rest assured the Scout format simply improves the Superb and adds extra evidence, if any more were needed, that station wagons with a little bit of off-road attitude remain a decent alternate to a full-on SUV.

Comparison to the Outback works in respect to size and specification, but less so on positioning and price, with Superb sitting $5000 above the priciest Outback, the Premium R (which runs a 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol engine against Skoda’s 2.0-litre four).

Also flavouring any contest is abiding sense of the European offer being tailored to meet a different mission statement. Regardless that it adds extra cladding and elevation, plus some additional underbody protection, the Superb is more subtle in its outdoors-readiness, a point that hammers home when you see an ‘exclusive’ off-road drive mode only adds hill start assist and hill descent control. Not quite X-mode, right?

Whether that becomes relevant depends, of course, on what you intend to do with the car. In that regard, Skoda is probably on reasonably safe ground, as anecdotal evidence suggests likelihood of going to extreme is rare with these kinds of cars. I have to admit that, despite every best intention to the contrary, I rarely exploited the Subaru’s sludge-side skillset. 

That’s not to say the Superb Scout is so ‘lite’ to be considered a mall-wheel-drive. It certainly had no issues being driven across a paddock and also felt as much nicely at home running on gravel (also an Outback forte); you’d potentially just have to be a bit wary in slush and, perhaps, snow.

Insofar as overall driving appeal goes, it’s very much a matter of relaxing and enjoying a quality of ride that strikes as being more compliant than the settings used by the standard wagon. The bump-soak is definitely welcome on the patchy and lumpy surfaces so prevalent on our secondary, country roads and while there’s some body roll, the suspension is well-judged, focusing, as it should, on passenger comfort.

For sure, it doesn’t take long to be reminded this is quite substantial car in respect to its size and, because of the all-paw drivetrain, its weight. Yet, if handling never approaches athleticism, it’s not so lacking in talent to allow the big body to flop around through a sequence of interesting corners. Overall, there’s a confident ambience as it never falters to the point of feeling as if it is distancing itself from the road.

The choice of engine here reflects the comfort consideration. This turbo four-cylinder is not without fire, but overall it’s the torque that overshadows the power side of things and driving it with that in mind also delivers

best chance to access some pretty decent economy. The ability to deliver decent thrift, plus a sense of emergent anti-diesel sentiment, has doubtless triggered the decision to ditch the diesel from this car. I can understand the logics, but still feel it a pity the oiler has been shelved, as the last (also a 2.0-litre) was a refined unit with another 50Nm.

Compensation for going back to diesel is a change of direct shift transmission; from a six-speed to a seven. It’s a better unit, less prone to hesitancy, and more immediately reactive than a regular automatic or a constantly variable transmission. The facility to more easily drop back to the appropriate gear at the right moment for engine braking into a bend, and therefore be ready to engage positive pull out the other side, is also pleasing. You don’t find yourself having much need to chase ratios on regular basis in this car, so broad is the torque spread. The lack of paddle shifters reminds that it’s not about scintillating performance.

Most of the restyling occurs at the front end and is good news for those who found the old look a bit too confrontational. Viewing the car in profile nonetheless continues to offer best enjoyment. It’s here where you see proportional perfection. The gently sloping roof line and steeply raked rear wind screen are both beautifully designed and help to hide its significant length well. 

The obvious Volkswagen corporate look to the cabin and, in particular, the infotainment screen and switchgear is no detraction. The parent brand’s interior design elements are really solid, now, and there’s nothing about them that suggests a less than modern presentation.  If anything, Skoda’s opportunity for enhancement, through less stylisation and better fonts and LED colours, makes a good thing even better. There’s more warmth to their displays.

What’s also attracts is enough of a genuine luxury feel to undermine the view that premium brands further up the chain are all the better for comfort. That might be true, yet if Skoda is the start point, you’re hardly in cheap seats. The quality of the seat coverings and the abundance of other soft materials, all in dark tones, give real opportunity for owners to play guess-the-price games with those unfamiliar with this car. Fit and finish as good as you’ll find anywhere else in the VW family. 

It takes the usual wealth of fixtures including virtual cockpit, automatic tailgate, heated electric Alcantara and leather seats with memory function, Climatronic triple-zone air conditioning, reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, wireless charging and stainless steel pedal set.

Safety is also up to usual Superb standards with nine airbags fitted as standard as well as Emergency Assist, Passenger Protection Assist, tyre pressure monitoring, Front Assist with City Emergency Brake and Predictive Pedestrian Protection. 

Other features include automatic park assist with manoeuvre assist, Side Assist, Lane Assist and Traffic Jam Assist. 

All this might seem icing on the cake, because the primary reason for looking at a Superb wagon, surely, will be more to do with its genuine capaciousness. It’s hard to reconcile that this model rates as medium wagon because, really, it’s so much larger inside than anything else in that category. It’s as though they’ve taken the blueprint for a VW Passat and upscaled by 10 percent.

Rear legroom is extremely good the rear bench is wide parents that need to get three seats across there may be in luck depending on the sizes of their child seats. It also wins a ‘best in show’ for boot capacity, which has to be a huge win for any family on the move. A pity the old TwinDoor boot door design has gone; yes, it must be complex to engineer, but what a cleverness.

Not that it lacks originality. You can’t discuss Skoda without giving a nod to it dedication to delivering strongly on neat little features: the brolly and ice scraper/magnifying glass, of course, but also a 12-Volt auxiliary power outlet, locating hooks for shopping bags, a first aid kit and brackets that can be positioned anywhere in the boot to keep luggage from sliding around. Having the latest in VW Group driver-assistance equipment shouldn’t be undervalued, either.

So, really, there are no major surprises. The off-road enhancement is mild, yet is enough to add polish to a competent and simply huge family car.

Ford Fiesta ST – celebrate the madness

Ford’s smallest hot hatch hasn’t cooled its heels in the time taken to get here.

Base price: $35,490.
Powertrain and performance: 1.5-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder, 147kW/290Nm, 6-speed manual, FWD, fuel economy 7.0 litres per 100km (source: WLTP), 0-100kmh 6.5 seconds.
Vital statistics: 4068mm long, 1469mm high, 2493mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 311 litres, 18-inch alloy wheels with 205/40 tyres.
We like: Characterful engine and chassis, so much fun.
We don't like: Recaro seats better for short distances than long, chintzy interior.

 WHO wants a sensible, straight-laced small car?

Yeah, not many hands are being raised these days. Understandable. For better or worse, the models that used to be pick of the litter are now struggling to be noticed.

So, it’s really not that surprising that the latest Ford Fiesta won’t be emigrating. If too few bought the old one, why bother bringing in the new, right 

Except that’s not quite how it goes. Ford NZ hasn’t left the party entirely. For fans of the hotshot ST, it’s still very much Fiesta time. In fact, from now on playlist entirely fixates on the performance model.

Which is … well, a ‘fascinating’ strategy. No dissing the ST, it’s a great car. A really great car. But if this is a pitch to pep up the model’s sales pace …. well, history suggests it’s not going to work.

Hot hatches are select choices. Hot hatches with manual gearboxes all the more so. Ford learned as much with the previous ST. Though the best of the bunch, it also pulled in the fewest registrations of all the variants.

So, clearly, Ford here has been affected by some sort of madness. And, personally, I hope they never find a cure. If they’re happy to sell simply it on the strength of vivacious verve and not give a thought to actual volume, then assuredly their risk is your gain.

As oxymoronic as it might seem, the ST is all the better for being tailored to the tastes of a maniac few than to the mainstream many.  In saying that, this car is so tailored to the push-on enthusiast you wonder how on Earth its development team got away with achieving sign off. Quite potentially, they might never get to do so again.

All power to those motorsport genes, right? Erm, actually … no.  One of the ST’s naughty secrets is that the marketing pitch lending impression of firm association between this hot hatch and the machines that fly the Blue Oval flag in rallying is not quite true. In fact, it’s barely credible.

This ST wasn’t in circulation when the full-out WRC and R5 Fiesta cars that gravel smash for Blue Oval glory were developed. Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport crowd, which isn’t so much a works outfit as a works-supported one, developed its wee titans off the Fiesta ST-Line. Basically a standard car in sports shoes. 

Not that it matters one way or the other because, on technical grounds, the race and road products clearly rally to different causes. Good luck trying to buy from a dealer a Fiesta with a tricky sequential gearbox and four-wheel-drive, let alone enough horsepower to frighten Ferraris. You can’t. Indeed, if any production Ford comes even remotely close to that formula, it’s the Focus RS. Which has just been axed.

No matter. It’s not as if the ST has been neglected under the bonnet. True, the 1.5-litre three-cylinder is the smallest engine ever committed to duty behind the ST badge, but it’s no shirker.

If anything, actually, this is exactly the right ingredient for these times. If you want a fast, agile, eager powerplant that hits the target for requisite social responsibilities in regard to economy and emissions, yet still manages to feel properly old-school raw edged and loud at all the right times, then this engine is it.

The outputs are a very senior and serious 147kW and 290Nm of torque, which is 15kW and 50Nm more than the predecessor’s 1.6-litre created, most of which is thanks to a new, bigger, turbo and some fuel injection and exhaust manifold trickery.  Power peaking at 6000rpm suggests you’ve got to work it, yet that’s not quite case – yes, it loves a good rev, but with torque laying out from 1600-4000rpm, it also delivers very broad pull.

And though thrift is potentially going to take a back seat to its thrust, it is quite clever in hitting good economy thanks to a clever fuel-saving cylinder shut-down system, which can reduce this to a two-cylinder car. That trick occurs only under light throttle loads so, you know, will probably be something many owners only get to read about rather than actually experience, yet it’s a tweak that keeps it on the right side of Green worriers. 

But, anyway, it’s a real tribute to the three-cylinder programme that all began with a 1.0-litre that also debuted in Fiesta and was also a fantastic thing. Like that one, the 1.5 only occasionally betrays its odd-numbered cylinder count with a curious thrum. Generally, though, you'd otherwise never guess it's been down-sized. There's minimal turbo lag, it pulls strongly right throughout the rev range and also snarls and gurgles and gets a bit deep-throated.

Could it do with a direct shift gearbox with paddle shifts? Assuredly that kind of tech would straight away broaden the car’s appeal and undoubtedly a good one would elevate its attractiveness for push-on driving. And, yet, the ST is also all the more of an experience from having a hand-shifted snappy, slightly meaty, six-speed in marriage with this gem of an engine. Manuals demand dexterity, but if you’ve got the talent, this one just really ‘engages’ with the experience.

And wow, what an experience. Drive hard and the ST becomes, as a colleague put it during a pre-coronavirus lockdown run, “effing quick, with a capital eff.” All the more so when slotting into the Sport or ultimate Race mode – which, you can use quite easily on a decent road despite being warned it’s really just for tracks (mainly that’s Ford covering its butt because the traction control is disabled). In either mode it really rockets. So much so that the time of 6.5 seconds to 100kmh almost seems understated. It certainly feels faster through the gears. For all that, I dunno if it really needs the Launch Control. Yes, it contains the wheel-spinning hooliganism on hard-out releases, but also seems to somehow sanitise the take-off experience.

Read up on this car and you’ll find different opinions about the steering. It has become lighter and has a slightly artificial feel now. Is this Ford trying to broaden the car’s appeal to a wider audience? You’d have to think so. You’d think that’s also why the the ride, while still very firm, is definitely softer and, for all its  the ST is, overall, more refined.

Yet only within the parameters of what it is. Outside of those, it remains a very feral and involving car, requiring more dedication to driving duty than your average Fiesta. Which, as I say, is what makes it great – and yet, of course, is what will make it too much for many. 

Anyway, the steering gains real feel and feedback when you’re hoofing and, in fact, the car’s whole attitude changes. For one, it has decently good balance. That's helped by the Quaife differential, which can help you tuck the nose into a tight corner. And it also has suitably decent tyres, with 18-inch 205/40 Michelin Pilot Sports, though those on the test car – an Ireland market model they nabbed to raise interest ahead of release of actual NZ-market models – were pretty close to being shagged. And, yes, the four-disc brakes are excellent, too.

I suppose you can argue that this car sells on its family-minded practicality, and sure enough the cabin is roomy for the class and the boot is big enough to make it practical. Yet the provision of Recaro front seats is a pretty telling indicator in its own right about this being the most driver-centric Fiesta by far.

As much as all the spending on performance bits likely makes this model a bottom line burden for Ford, it is hardly matched by attention to broader design detail. I’m not saying the car feels cheap but, on the other hand, it’s apparent Ford has a different approach to ambience and detailing than VW does with the Polo. There’s no sense of ‘premium budget’ here. Too many cheap plastic parts inside for that.

Might that pin it back? Only if you take the wrong attitude and try to measure it against others in the category that are similar sized and specced, but haven’t the same shove. Against them, the Fiesta will seem something of an extravagance. Yet if you can view it for ewhat it actually is – a performance model foremost – then it surely positions in a pretty sweet spot, given everything else that ticks the ‘fun’, ‘agile’ and ‘truly fiesty’ boxes all cost more.

There’s just one annoyance about this car and it’s this: The time it’s taken to get here. Basically, we’re being introduced only now to a variant that has been cutting up UK and European roads since 2018.

Fair dues, it’s not Ford NZ’s fault. The delays in getting the car here are all down to Ford Australia. As is so often the case, Ford head office considers our two countries as one yet, when it comes to determining spec, it’s the larger of the two that has all the say.

In this instance, the whole delivery process has been grievously held up by specification quibbles. The Aussies wanted as standard an active safety kit that’s optional overseas. This all meant a first quarter 2019 launch became a Q4 2019 launch, which in turn became a Q1 .. sorry, make that Q2 … 2020 launch.

Okay, it’s a good news story in the end, because it means the car is loaded. In Europe, Fiesta STs are available in ST-1, ST-2 or ST-3 guise, with an optional Performance Pack on top of that, but our cars get the lot.

So, keyless entry and start, an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with smartphone mirroring and SYNC3 connectivity, a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen stereo, heated leather steering wheel, heated Recaro front seats, auto headlights, auto emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, lane-keep assist and more. Plus the big wheels, the diff, launch control and shift lights, all of which constitutes the Performance Pack that’s an option overseas. 

So it’s all worked out well in the end. But what a palaver! Now all Ford NZ has to do is buy it. Were the allegiance so far sworn by every motoring writer who has so far sampled the test example to turn into actual sales – and it won’t, because I’m in the minority within that group as being an actual new car owner – then the ST would have its best year here yet. Something to think about.

Ford Focus ST-Line: No sweat going to sports-lite version

The new generation car has plenty of appeal, but this version is a low-temp warm-up to the ST.

Base price: $36,990.
Powertrain and performance: 1497cc three-cylinder turbo petrol, 134kW/240Nm, 8-speed automatic, FWD, Combined economy 5.3 litres per 100km.
Vital statistics: 4398mm long, 1454mm high, mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 375 litres, -inch alloys.
We like: The drivetrain, strong spec, appealing to drive. We don't like: Too-dull interior ambience, fiddly gear selector.

REMEMBER when a Ford car was a New Zealand best seller?

Bad call, all who answered ‘just last year’. Family use favouritism regardless, utilities are defined as commercial vehicles. So, exclude Ranger from this exercise.

In respect to a pure Ford passenger car? It’s been a while. Best evidence – because this precedes current industry record-keeping process - suggests the year was 1982 and the titleholder the Mark V Cortina, a rare sight now. There’s a cracker on display at Southward Museum.

 Anyway, market realities will assuredly keep the Focus from making history. So what that Ranger cruised to the top. With cars it’s harder. Fleet penetration is key. Ford had it 40 years ago. Toyota does now and so completely nothing else achieves a decent look-in.

So everything comes down to private buyer interest and Focus has been tailored accordingly. It’s also made tastier by being more ideologically European in dynamic attitude and driver engagement than its predecessor.

An arresting styling, an intriguing and very forward-thinking drivetrain technology and a talented chassis that gives a big thumbs up to a fresh and more rigid platform are also core to achieving appeal.

That new C2 platform delivers a larger, more practical basis. The increase in cabin space is particularly noticeable in the back, the changes are less obvious in headroom (well, the silhouette demands compromise) but certainly delivers in legroom and the wide cabin means there’s decent shoulder room. Three people across the rear bench? It’s possible.

The boot is a decent 375 litres, and the load lip to lug heavy items over is modest. The rear seats drop to extend capacity to 1354 litres, with an almost-flat load floor.

The Focus has been awarded a five-star crash test rating by Euro NCAP. You can see why, too, with automatic emergency braking, electronic stability control, hill start assist and a system that locks the brakes on after an accident to help prevent any further impacts. 

Updating to a head-up display (HUD) is timely and lane departure warning, lane keep assist and a parking aid (smart enough, now, to do gear selects and braking) are also the norm. Evasive steering assist helping drivers steer around stopped or slower vehicles, night-time pedestrian and cyclist detection, a rear wide-view camera, an adaptive front lighting system with its predictive camera-based tech that pre-adjusts headlamp patterns for improved visibility by monitoring bends in the road and road signs are premium features nice to find here.

With dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, and wireless smartphone charging as standard, it really is smartly-specced.

A shame, then, that Ford’s struggle to match best rivals for interior quality continues. The materials should prove fairly hard-wearing, but most of the surfaces don’t have the tactility, texture or colour tone to cut it with the best. In this case, the Mazda3.

The dashboard has a fairly sensible layout and though the touch-screen infotainment system demands some playing about, it’s worth persevering, as the technology is impressive. Sync3 infotainment system, satellite navigation with live traffic, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, Bluetooth connectivity, voice control and Wi-Fi hotspot …. again, that’s pretty much at the leading edge.

Ability to deliver a solid, comfy driving position is a cinch as there’s lots of adjustment and visibility is pretty clear in every direction, with no major blind spots. Controls locate sensibly though there are operational niggles. One is with the weight of the switchgear: it’s so light as to make it very easy to overshoot the intended selection. Another is the rotary dial to operate the eight-speed automatic. Ford’s following Jaguar down this route but nowhere as pleasingly, with piddly, loose-feel controller. 

For all that, the gearbox itself works well and the engine works even better – it’s the best element.

Three-cylinder engines are not new, but turbocharging and precisions unachievable 10 years ago having done the trick for refinement and flair and Ford is a proven leader with its EcoBoost mills. The one-litre in the previous Fiesta was a breakthrough but the 1.5 in this Focus is better still; very responsive to throttle inputs and providing good acceleration, yet also going easy on the juice. It also engages really positively with this transmission and, on top of all that, there’s a lovely exhaust note.

Such a willing, energetic and characterful engine surely deserves a chassis of equal quality.

On that note, the Focus now isn’t the car it used to be, having traded off some nimbleness for a more grown up attitude, not least in respect to the ride, which is compliant, comfortable and well-controlled. Another example of its improved sophistication comes with the reduction in mechanical and exterior noises. They’re not wholly eradicated, but are better isolated.

The attitude change isn’t wholly total, though. While more grown up in how it deals with poor surfaces and fiendish bumps, it’s still a fun car if you want to let the reins loose. 

Trademark Focus impishness reveals especially well on secondary routes. It flows really nicely through bend to bend, with lot of grip, impressive agility and steering that could be a little quicker yet is lovely for feel. It’s not so sporty as to leave thinking something spicier is unnecessary yet is nonetheless so well tied-down in its body movements to raise a smile and leave impression that, by any normal hatchback measure, it is well-sorted, not least for damping and control.

In summary, it has winning qualities in good looks, a roomier interior, tons of useful tech and lots of on-road character. All factors that should keep it sweet with anyone seeking a nice niche mainstream five-door.