Jaguar F-Type P575 R: Cat-napping with a feral feline

Pussy-footing through the Far North in Jaguar’s sharpest-clawed coupe. Jealous yet?

Price: $214,900.

Powertrain and economy: 5.0 litre supercharged petrol V8, 423kW/700Nm, eight-speed automatic, AWD, combined 10.7l/100km, 252g/km.

Vital statistics: 4475mm long, 1923mm wide, 1308mm high, 2622mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 310 litres, 20-inch alloy wheels 305/30 tyres.

We like: Awesome grunt, chassis balance, styling updates.

We don’t like: Slow infotainment screen responses, coarse chip harshness wearying, not as loud as it used to be, having a stern co-driver.

DEPARTING at sunrise was a heartbreak … and, yet, also so heart-warming.

As a spot in which you’d want to be to enjoy the start of a brand-new day, Doubtless Bay is pretty much unbeatable. Doubtless Bay Villas, all the more so.

The past 48 hours had been brilliant, taking it easy in a car that could have made this trip one huge rush.

Eight years is a lifetime in the car world, but Jaguar’s F-Type maintains a youthfulness that belies its age and a recent facelift has so deftly ironed the obvious wrinkles it still looks fantastic enough to keep turning heads and dropping jaws.

The wide, short, low and taut dimensions are pure sports car; so too the snug cabin in which the driving position feels just right. The F-Type's designer, Ian Callum, has moved on but there’s no reason why his opus needs to.

The P575 R format I’m driving is now the new flagship. With four-wheel-drive and a 423kW version of the supercharged V8 that has been with the car from the start, it’s a serious piece of kit; so much so that it’s ironic that one revision for 2020 has been to reduce the famous flare and blare on start-up.

While it announces less stridently when awakened – well, at least within Jaguar terms (there’s still rumble, but less neighbourhood window shake) - anything with this much power is going to be interesting and the V8 is massively potent when it comes on song, with 0-100kmh just 3.7 seconds away and a 300kmh top speed also achievable, according to this maker.

And when push comes to shove, it returns to being as outrageously vocal as ever, blaring under power, crackling, popping and fizzing on the over-run.

This much I learn when driving it in isolation around the Auckland area in the spare time before I head to the airport to pick up Mrs B, who has given me the day to myself before flying in.

I’m not saying at-the-wheel fun time is completely over from that point, yet it’s fair to say that, from that point on, the car was operated in a less adventuresome way. Jaguar’s drive modes do not include anything marked ‘tenderfoot’, but if they did, that’s where we would have been. My co-pilot has very firm convictions about where and where such potency can be unleashed. And it’s on her watch.

This trip was all about relaxation, a chance to take four days away from our respective work stations to breathe the good air, eat the good food and, after the car was put away for the night, enjoy the good drinks.

No better place to do all that than the last of three overnight hideaways. The Hilton on Auckland’s waterfront has been fun, the Waterfront Paihia homely … but Doubtless Bay Villas (doubtlessbayvillas.co.nz) was truly the best, saved for last.

Snuggled on a hillside overlooking the most beautiful maritime outlook in the Far North, an hour from the Bay of Islands, is a luxury complex comprising modern self-contained and serviced villas which sleep up to six. So, room aplenty for the two of us.

We’re feeling rightly chuffed to have one of the prime sea view duplexes, a score made easy from being friends with the custodians.

John and Sue Oxley might be familiar to you as well. He’s a celebrated name from the motoring journalism beat, here and previously in South Africa, where his wife was a high-up on the other side of the fence, as an industry comms specialist.

Anyway, after a grand life on the fast lane, they’ve gone into property management, this taking them to the Coromandel, then Brisbane and now to what would outwardly seem the ultimate lifestyle job.

Well, appearances and all that … assuredly, there’s plenty to keep them busy because this is a five-star property where great care and attention goes into keeping everything ‘just right’. And, yet, this couple readily agrees it’s all the easier when located in the warmest part of New Zealand. When we turn up, John’s in summer wear … quite a sight for those of us who, two days earlier, had been waking to heavy frosts. Well, it’s not called the ‘Winterless North’ for nothing.

Bringing the Jaguar here also feels ‘right’ because it’s exactly the kind of property car brands love to use as an event showcase. Indeed, several have already. They’ll doubtless be as impressed as we were that it’s just been awarded the prestigious HotelsCombined Recognition of Excellence Award for 2020, with an almost-perfect score of 9.6 out of 10, based on guest ratings.

 “The big thing about the villas is that they offer an island life-style without leaving New Zealand,” says John.

“With waving palms, views across the attractive Cable Bay beach and out to sea Doubtless Bay Villas offers the perfect getaway from the stresses of daily life,” he impresses.

“You can either chill out in your villa and listen to the ocean, or you can jump in your car and explore the area, including the beautiful KariKari peninsula, or even drive right to the top of New Zealand at Cape Reinga, where not only will you see where two oceans meet, but you will feel the spiritual energy of this sacred place.

“As a motoring journalist for more than 50 years I travelled the world, and I have been to many, many beautiful places, but this is where I have chosen to finally hang up my driving gloves, and have changed my driving boots  for tennis shoes. It’s a great place to be.”

In saying that, my pal also concurs the Jaguar offers up quality accommodation, too. Naturally enough, he knows this brand well, and is intrigued to check out all the updates arriving with the refresh.

Technically this is a facelift, realistically cognoscenti might call it more than that, given the extent of the overhaul, which includes a visual restyling of such magnitude it has become quite a different looking car, at least when viewed front-on, to the one it supersedes.

Much slimmer headlight units and a reshaped grille serve to provision a very different face, and one that seems more aggressive, especially at this level. That vast aluminium bonnet - an impressive feat of production - lends illusion of the car having an even longer nose, though the overall vehicle length is unchanged.

Aesthetic alterations to the rear of the car are less dramatic, which is no bad thing. They got that right from the get-go. However, slimmer tail lights that incorporate the 'chicane' signature first seen on the brand’s impressive electric car, the I-Pace, sit well here.

The interior also updates as comprehensively; it’s now all-digital, with a 12.3-inch display ahead of the steering wheel that’s highly configurable to and includes a shift light when driving in manual mode.

The 10-inch infotainment system is much improved with the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which at least allows you to circumvent a lot of the JLR proprietary stuff. I found early on that it was far more preferable using the mapping on my phone for navigation rather than the in-car system because the latter was slow and, also, seemed unable to find some of the addresses that Google knew of and located in a flash.

This edition also takes sportier 'Performance' seats that feature taller shoulder supports and are very embracing. The age of the car and, one supposes, its electronics shows perhaps in the absence of every cutting-edge driver assistance. The one you might want to see but don’t is adaptive cruise control. As much as I accept that sports cars should be especially ‘hands-on’ machines, it’ll likely lose sales because of this alone. It would also benefit from a head-up display.

Of course, is saying that, having to accept a certain degree of concession is just part of the ownership experience. For instance, there’s no disguising that it is designed wholly as a sports car – what’s harder to quantify is exactly what kind of sports car it really is.

One the one hand, it still expresses a fair degree of old-boy posh. On the other, it’s very cosseting and, for all that the trim is very luxurious, the equipment level as a whole is more tailored towards matters relating to hard-out driving than abject comfort.

That much enforces when you slip into it. The styling might project this as being a large model, but in reality it’s a car you virtually wear. The dimensions are tight and the two-seat cabin is quite snug.

So is the boot. We’d determined to pack light for four days and three nights on the road, but I hadn’t taken into account that our weekend luggage would come to include a Lego Land Rover Defender model, a surprise gift from the brand for attending the launch of that vehicle on day one of this trip.

The kit in finished form would have taken up much less space than the box it comes in but that wasn’t going to happen – assembly is a job of several days’ non-stop work.

Naturally, I was hardly going to leave it behind, but what to do with it? The only two places the box would fit were the passenger side footwell or the boot. The first was out of the question; the second raised different challenges once our weekend luggage also figured. We only had a single suitcase of the type that easily fits in an aircraft overhead locker, but the first time I tried to get everything in, the bootlid wouldn’t close.

Fortunately, Mrs B worked out that by putting the Lego in first, stowing my laptop bag on top of it and the (heavier) suite case to its side, then stashing our coats with other odds and ends - including the ‘essentials’ of a couple of bottles of wine – on top and whereever they’d go did the trick.

All had to be somehow squeezed in because there’s utterly no real room in the cabin for anything like that. It’s a real capsule; even m’lady’s handbag had to go into the boot.

As much as everything about this edition’s fit-out speaks to it being finessed for feral fun foremost, driving out of Auckland on the motorway raised false hope about the car’s comfort; but any impression of it being something of a grand tourer only lasted until we found a change of surface; the car physically altered the moment it transitioned from smooth tarmac onto more coarse chipped surfaces.

Road noise climbed to the point where we had to turn up the volume of the audio to overcome the tyre-induced roar and, even in its softest mode, the suspension was still transmitting any surface irregularities into the seats and bodies. It’s not an unduly harsh-riding car to threaten to realign your bones, but they’ll certainly get rattled enough to remind that, you’re out to enjoy a Jaguar with a magic carpet ride, you’d be better served by the four-door models.

Again, though, it’s not as if you shouldn’t expect it. Everything about it shouts out as a sports car, starting with how you sit in it: Impression you’re essentially sitting right on the ground, arms and legs outstretched with that massive bonnet arcing out the front, was enforced when I went to put the car away in the Paihia stop’s underground carpark.

The impression of it having a race-ready stance was proven to be far from illusionary. My prudence of entering this at barely walking speed was justified when I heard an awful momentary graunch as the car went through the dip at the ramp’s bottom; fortunately, it wasn’t the super-fancy carbon fibre lip spoiler that touched the concrete but a lower-set and assuredly hugely less expensive plastic piece. Still, the relief of extricating it the next day without reoccurrence was great.

Given that everything about this car leaves impression it will spaghetti speed limits at a snap, perhaps the biggest surprise about this package is that the drivetrain has enough docility to continence reasonably refined and fluid urban and 100kmh driving.

Some might even say the transmission is a little too relaxed: certainly, in the least aggressive drive mode it prefers to stretch the torque of the engine as far as possible rather that deliver instant kick down. That’s remarkable, given that another update has been to the calibration; the shift action is now supposed to be akin that that delivered on the very special Project-8 sports sedan that is pretty much designed purely for track driving.

Of course, you need just give it a touch more throttle – or, in fact, just snip it into the ‘race-flag’ identified driving modes – to find the car’s true self. There’s good reason why this variant’s 20-inch rims are clad with stupendously wide tyres and why it has massive brakes and comes only with all-wheel-drive.

Some might decry the lack of a rear-wheel-drive option, and the resultant lack of tail happiness, but assuredly all-paw power distribution makes for a far more exploitable machine. Potentially, a more enjoyable one, too: It would be hugely troubled to get all of that power down to the ground safely in such a compact car, with such a short wheelbase.

On that strength, a shout out, too, for Jaguar’s Intelligent Driveline Dynamics system, which also earns its keep. Even the car’s weight adds a sense of security; it certainly feels nicely pinned down because of it. And yes, for sure, that something as compact as this is clocking close to two tonnes might outwardly seem to be a slight concern – or, at least, have you wondering how much heavier it could have become without the obvious savings delivered by its alloy body parts – rest assured it has more than enough oomph to maintain a power-to-weight outcome that very much tips the scales toward punch over presumed paunch.

In many ways, the further you go in the F-Type, the harder it is to define its persona. Not surprising, really.

After all, you’re getting elegance and extravagance in look but a whole lot of rawness in feel. If you allow it.

In hindsight, a trip that was such a treat for us was hardly the same for the car. We stuck to the easiest roads – not always by choice, flooding just the week before had ruined opportunity to take the most scenic routes which in better conditions would have been great with the lack of international tourists – and never pushed it, save for when passing the very occasional meandering camper van asked for a throttle squeeze. That’s all it took for a quick dash past.

That I even almost matched the officially cited optimal overall fuel burn of 10.7 litres per 100km fuel economy revealed the full extent of my folly.

Owners need to think about what they’re taking on. As much as the national driving condition pegs thoroughbreds such as this back to show pony status, it really does deserve at least occasional opportunity to run fast and free. Track day outings would be the answer.

Subaru XV Sport e-Boxer: Enough meat or Greens?

If you’re imagining Subaru’s first hybrid is going to be a revelation, best sit down. With only minor improvements in efficiency and responsiveness applied to a model that’s dating, it’s challenging to see the point.

Price: $42,490

Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre petrol four-cylinder with electric motor, 110kW/196Nm (12.3kW/66Nm electric motor), continuously variable transmission, AWD, combined economy 6.5L/100km, CO2 161g/km.

Vital statistics: 4465mm long, 1800mm wide, 1595mm high, 2665mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 345 litres, 17-inch alloy wheels 225/60 tyres.

We like: Improved ride, coherent hybrid-specific graphics.

We don't like: Fussy drivetrain antics, no ‘wow’ moment with hybrid engagement, XV design has dated quickly.

NOW the count of cars with potential to replenish partially – as, by virtue of a plug-in hybrid set up – or wholly (so your full electric car) -is significant enough not to be ignored, where do mild hybrids stand?

The brand that changed the world with the Prius and put more than 15 million hybrids on the world’s roads insists mild hybrids will remain relevant for years yet. Toyota’s conviction is great news for Subaru, given it’s also now taking the same path as the global giant.

Interestingly, as much as the e-Boxer inserting into the XV driven here, in entry Sport trim, and a more expensive Forester variant represents a giant leap for its maker, it might nonetheless appear something of baby step in the overall scheme of electric things, if not also off the pace set by others.

Really? Well, it’d be an insult to Subaru’s engineers to call e-Boxer primitive. Yet let’s just suggest it’s hardly fortunate for its rollout to occur so soon after the RAV4 Hybrid, a certain sector rival despite some price disparity. If you’re set on the Subaru star, comparison with Toyota’s similarly-pitched product won’t help. The latter is far more advanced. 

Toyota stands mention because it owns about a fifth of Subaru Corporation, the company formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries, they also obviously co-operate (86/BRZ) and are partners on an electric car project.

It’s some surprise, then, to hear Subaru claim e-Boxer to be entirely an in-house concoct and that all the brands share is a common philosophy centred on using a combination of petrol and electric motors – capable of running individually or in tandem – to reduce economy and emissions (and without the need to charge the vehicle via a plug). When you are buddies with the world leader, you’d think every opportunity to use their talent would be taken, right? And yet …

Subaru’s claims for the degree of improvement from this driveline are hardly outrageous; they cite a 14 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over the equivalent petrol model on the urban cycle and a seven percent improvement on the combined cycle. They also cite an official overall full burn of 6.5 litre per 100km; which is nothing to brag about when in the company of a Prius or RAV4 hybrid owner and is just 0.5L/100km sharper than the official combined figure cited for a regular XV.

That’s in optimal conditions. What’ll it do in a ‘real world’ application? From my experience, not a great deal of improvement over the regular model, at least not in the environment I exposed it to.

Running up a couple of hundred kays in a mix of country and urban running delivered an average of 7.6 litres per 100km. A regular edition, with effectively the same engine, I’d driven several weeks prior over similar circumstances returned 8.3L/100km: So, in those circumstances, the hybrid remained 1.1L/100km shy of its optimal whereas the regular model was 1.3 L/100km off shy of its own target. 

That suggests it’s easier to get economy from the hybrid. But it also impresses the advantages could be slight. Even if it bulls-eyed the factory claim, logically it will take years of ownership to recoup the variant’s $5000 premium. Also, it’s obvious the hybrid’s overall range will always be lower, because the electric drivetrain’s implementation asks for 48 litre fuel tank, whereas the regular car has a 68 litre tank. (Quirkily, cargo volume increases, from a 310 litres to 345).

Of course, the picture is bigger than just fuel burn alone. Emissions were lower from the e-Boxer, but not much: 147 grams per kilometre against 159 according to manufacturer figures.

So far, so damning? Well, while the overall averages were less worlds apart, there were specific instances when the e-Boxer appeared to be operating far more efficiently than the pure petrol, even if it wasn’t always when I expected it.

Hybrids are renowned for being most effective at fuel-saving around town, where they can rely more frequently on their electric motors.

From my exercise, though, the XV e-Boxer’s sweetest spot on the move appeared to occur when it was driving somewhere around 70kmh; an awkward area when most speed jurisdictions are either 50kmh or 100kmh.

 The other scenario where it also leans down is when its literally crawling. So, if caught for prolonged periods in very slow traffic, it’s potentially not a bad friend. Around where I live, ‘rush hour’ at its worst lasts about 15 minutes.

So is it worth it? Not really. Above that, there’s the question of whether you even want the XV to start with. It’s no longer a particularly new product and, despite continuing improvement to the spec, has patently been left behind by the Forester, let alone quite a few cars from other makers, in how it drives and presents. The origami styling hasn’t aged particularly well, either. It’s simply not Subaru’s finest effort. And I say this from viewpoint of being a brand fan; we still own a older Forester and had the current Outback for a while.

If you are going to buy in, be assured it’s at least a simple science by hybrid standards. A powertrain married to an electric motor fed by a lithium ion battery that operates mainly in tandem, but occasionally in isolation, is hybrid 101. No driving modes to manage the motor’s performance and the paddles behind the steering wheel have not been repurposed, as so often occurs, to alter the strength of the regenerative braking. Pull those and you’re moving through the pre-set change points built into the CVT.

The battery isn’t huge; outputs in isolation are 12.3kW and 66Nm of torque. Self-charging using regenerative braking energy. It combines with the engine to produce a total output of 110kW at 6000rpm and 196Nm at 4000rpm; that’s identical torque as you get with the regular XV but 5kW less power. This all feeds through a drivetrain that’s Subaru tried and true. So, permanent all-wheel-drive system and chain-and-pulley CVT, though the latter is slightly recalibrated.

The rationale for Subaru calling it a ‘motor assist’ tech and enforcing that it is more of a supplementary unit than a primary driver made increasing sense as the test progressed. For the most part, the system’s imprint was subtle. 

Well, except with the starting process. That’s bound to be surprising to those used to other hybrids, in that going straight-to-electric on activating for a silent roll-away, forward or reverse, never occurs. It’ll do that stuff when the car is fully operational, yes, but at initial firing it’s always the petrol engine that kicks into life – and with quite a cacophony when cold. Going straight into burning hydrocarbons; where’s the Green ‘wow’ in that? 

Time with the standard model imprinted that this engine is probably the most raucous of Subaru’s current crop of horizontally-opposed units; as much as I enjoy a good boxer burble, it’s just not a particular refined unit; the harder you rev, the louder it gets. The implantation of electric assistance lifts its manners, but not enough. It’s not a smooth experience and with the power band being narrow and a CVT that’s quite anxious to involve it can be a juggling act to keep it operating quietly and calmly.

Also, for the most part it barely feels any sharper than the non-assisted variant. The modest contribution to accelerative responsiveness is most evident with light throttle applications. Under intense acceleration – such as for overtaking – it sounds and feels no less strained.

Keeping a weather eye on the display dedicated showing the ebb and flow of the power feeds is fascinating. Even in general daily driving at even speed, contribution can be incredibly sporadic and fleeting. Don’t imagine you’ll always catch the sequence on the schematic indicating when all the handovers occur and don’t take it for granted that the electronic warble the car emits when it is running in EV mode below 24kmh won’t continue momentarily into the period when the engine re-engages.

The best chance of achieving a feel of the car being in operation on electricity alone for forward propulsion comes when you build up pace, then lift off the throttle. The engine will shut down, allowing for emissions-free coasting which, along with braking, helps replenish the battery, a process it will signal with the green ‘EV’ light illuminating on the driver display. But not for long. On anything but an ascent, though, the interaction is usually brief, perhaps just 20 seconds at most, before the car slows to a point where it needs a jolly up.

So what, then, of the proposal it can accelerate on electrons alone up to 40kmh, depending on factors? Well, good luck. Try as I might, I found it impossible to prevent the engine kicking in at anything beyond parking speeds. And kick in it does; the transition is far from subtle, with a noticeable shunt from the driveline as the engine sparks to life and the CVT flares its revs in anticipation.

Subaru’s crossovers build their reputation on being adventure wagons. You’d hope at least most owners would use them as such and, while the XV isn’t as rugged as a Forester or Outback, it does okay in its standard format.

How about the e-Boxer? Well, the positive is that the incorporation of the electric kit doesn’t seem to impinge on the design overall. Yet neither does it add to the car’s beyond-seal talent. That seems to me to be a missed opportunity. Recognition that battery-fed drive offers intriguing benefits when negotiating tricky scenarios is set to be exploited by Jeep and Land Rover. Towing also reduces. The hybrid and regular models should tow up to 650kg unbraked, but in braked situations the hybrid peaks at 1270kg, against 1400kg.

Even in situations where the hybrid is taking a back seat, other tech is working to make impression.

Subaru has really stepped up on driver assist systems and while Sport trim, as the entry level, doesn’t lend the whole package, apart from the obvious absence of Vision Assist that monitors driver behaviour and alerts to fatigue, but the main element of the core EyeSight technologies it is design to supplement are in place. There’s a Front View Monitor that compensates for the lack of front sensors, a reversing camera and Lead Vehicle Start Alert lets you know when traffic has got under way. It also has an autonomous emergency braking system, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping systems.

Graphics are quite basic, and the main menu’s set of icons look incomplete unless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto has been hooked up, which is requisite for using navigation. The screen is responsive, though.

The XV’s interior is soundly built, but is also struggling to sell itself for ambience; even though there’s decent tactility to buttons and dials, it is skewed toward functionality over flair, burdened by cheap plastics and though less busy than the Forester cockpit, is also less attractive. All sorts of clues point to it being from an age we are now fast departing; for instance, a centre console storage area that seems sized for phones of the 1990s rather than 2020s and the USB points for cellphone integration is awkwardly located.

The XV Sport trim delivers on 225/60 R17 rubber and handling attributes with or without the battery set seem similar, save that the electric encumbered models additional kerb weight – 1576kg versus 1474kg – does seem to make it a bit less sharp in cornering. That’s only really noticeable in extreme situations though and, as is common with cars of this ilk, the hybrid actually has improved ride quality; the benefits from the additional low-set weight reflect in a car that is less bothered by surface imperfections. That’s a plus point as the XV in standard form can feel a touch overly firm. Steering weighting is well judged, though a vague on-centre feel arises. Like all Subarus, it feels confident and safe on loose surfaces.

I’d have trouble recommending an XV these days and would all the more reluctant pointing anyone to the e-Boxer. The technology works, but from my experience it doesn’t do anything near enough to make a persuasive difference. And what will hurt Subaru’s chances with it is that there is at least one other model in this sector that can deliver more coherently, even if it costs a bit more.

While it’s good to see Subaru taking its first hybrid steps, it’s also really apparent they should have phoned a fri

Subaru Outback: It’s that X-factor

This version waves goodbye to the fifth generation line.

Price:  $49,990
Powertrain and performance:  2.5-litre four-cylinder horizontally opposed petrol engine. 129kW/5800rpm, 235Nm/4000rpm. All-wheel drive. 7.3 L/100km.
Vital statistics: Length 4820mm, height 1675mm, width 1840mm, wheelbase 2745mm. Luggage 512 litres. Wheels: 18-inch black alloys with 225/60R18 100V tyres.
We Like: Solid boxer engine performance, all-wheel drive with dual-function X-Mode, excellent safety specification, water resistant seats a great idea for this outdoorsy SUV.
We don’t like: Rear load area not wide enough.

ONE of the great pleasures of long-distance motoring – particularly when you’re alone behind the wheel – is that it is an opportunity to let your mind wander a little.

Experts say it’s actually good for you to let thoughts freely move in and out of your head, as you’re doing something like cruising along the likes of the Canterbury plains.  Apparently it helps improve an individual’s creativity.

So there you go, folks. All that time behind the wheel, considering what you’d do if you won the weekend’s big Lotto jackpot, isn’t fantasising – it’s being creative.

The other day I let my mind wander during a long journey in the latest version of Subaru’s Outback SUV. I was reminiscing to myself about various experiences in all five generations of the model so far, silently congratulating the then Fuji Heavy Industries (now Subaru Corporation) for having the vision back in the early 1990s to simply jack up the ground clearance of a Legacy wagon and call it a crossover.

And naming it Outback.  What a great name for such a vehicle, I mused. Everyone has heard of the Outback, that word originally used in the 1860s to describe anywhere west of the inland New South Wales settlement of Wagga Wagga, but now used to describe the entire Aussie interior.

As the kilometres passed, the mind wandered some more.  Outback hasn’t been the first Subaru to carry an Australian name, I remembered. Back in the 1970s the brand developed a small ute that in USA was called BRAT  - for Bi-drive Recreational All-terrain Transporter, for Heaven’s sake – but thankfully in Australasia it was known as the Brumby, after the feral outback horse.

But the Brumby was never anywhere near as successful as the Outback. The SUV has been a major success all over the world, and in New Zealand it is the biggest-selling Subaru.  In fact it’s so dominant that these days Subaru doesn’t bother selling a wagon version of the Legacy – the brand leaves it all up to the higher-riding and more rugged Outback.

We’re on the verge of receiving a new sixth-generation Outback, and as is usually the case when it comes to vehicle runout time, limited numbers of the current fifth-generation model are now being offered as special edition versions.

The vehicle I was driving was a 2.5-litre Outback X, which the Subaru marketers describe as the most outback Outback yet.  In terms of its $49,990 price it sits right in between the two other 2.5 Outbacks on the Kiwi market, the $47,490 Sport and the $52,490 Premium.

So what’s so outback about this Outback?

For starters it is the first such model to be fitted with the dual-function X-Mode system that was first introduced last year in the latest generation Forester SUV. The X-Mode includes settings for snow, dirt and mud, and it constantly monitors the traction available to each wheel and centralises control of the engine, transmission and brakes.

It really does enhance the all-wheel drive capability of the Outback X, which with its ground clearance of 213mm has the ability to get to plenty of out-of-the-way places. Without being silly about , of course – you wouldn’t want to use such a vehicle for serious off-roading duties. More like getting to a remote surf or fishing spot, or up to a local skifield.

And if you do that, here’s a second unique Outback X feature:  it has water repellent seat fabric. Not 100 per cent waterproof mind you, so you wouldn’t want to drive for too long in your wetsuit after a day in the water.  But Subaru says the fabric is not easily penetrated by small amounts of water, which probably means that sitting on a wet towel should be OK.

Cosmetic differences include black treatment of its 18-inch alloys, front grille, wing mirrors and rear badging, and a nice touch is lime green accents on the side badges and grille, and lime green stitching on the seats, centre console, steering wheel and gearshift.

It all adds up to a really nice vehicle. Safe too, thanks to AWD, and Subaru’s EyeSight crash avoidance technology which is made up of eight features that include brake assist, pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane sway warning, and lane keep assist.

From the comfort perspective the Outback X also has electric sunroof, a rear power tailgate, and satellite navigation.

You could say the X adds a little bit of excitement to the Outback as the countdown continues towards arrival of the new sixth generation model later this year. It will initially be available with the normally aspirated 2.5-litre engine only, although power and torque will be boosted slightly to 133kW at 5800 rpm and 238 Nm at 4400 rpm.

The body style remains pretty much the same, even though it will be built on the new Subaru Global Platform that will offer much more torsional rigidity than before. The interior is a lot different to now, notably with a much larger, vertical centre screen.

One major change – and this won’t happen until next year – will be the replacement of the current six cylinder 3.6R model with a version powered by a turbocharged 2.4-litre boxer engine. This is the result of Subaru dumping the six from the Outback in USA, reserving the bigger engine for the seven-seater Ascent which is built only in left-hand drive.

The bad news is that this boxer six will no doubt be sorely missed by fans in New Zealand. But the god news is that despite its smaller cubic capacity, the turbocharged 2.4-litre engine offers superior power and torque.

Whereas the six produces 191kW at 6000 rpm and torque of 350Nm at 4400rpm, the turbo engine develops 193kW at 5600 rpm and 375Nm at a low 2000 rpm.

The new Outback will also be slightly bigger, with its 5mm additional length all going into improving the rear load space.

in case you were wondering … here’s the next-gen car

Mercedes GLB 250: How to go big with compact

Does a small seven-seater SUV stretch credibility? The GLB makes positive points about how to sidestep substance to achieve spaciousness.

Base price:  $92,900 (as tested: $99,560)
Powertrain and performance:  2.0-litre four-cylinder direct injection turbocharged petrol engine. 120kW/5500rpm, 350Nm/1800-4000rpm. All-wheel drive. Fuel consumption 7.7L/100km (claim), 9.2L/100km (road test).
Vital statistics: Length 4634mm, height 1658mm, width 1834mm, wheelbase 2829mm. Boot volume 565 litres. Wheels: 19-inch alloys with 235/50 tyres.
We like: Clever interior design, smart styling, tech-packed.

We don’t like: Column stalk shifter, solely configured for US-C, having to take sunroof to achieve best headlights.

 IRREFUTABLE scientific fact: We’re taller than our ancestors.

The further back you go, the greater the differentiation, though some experts say in even just the last 150 years the average height of people in industrialised nations has increased approximately 10 centimetres.

Assuredly, then, were a troupe of Tudor troubadours to ever time-travel to today’s world, they’d likely consider the newest addition to Mercedes’ seven-seater sports utility family to be incredibly spacious, regardless that this latest opportunity is in fact the most compact yet. 

Modern families? Well, even the most worldly would have to surely concur that, if considered purely on the merits of its seating plan, this is a car that is less tailored for the ‘everyday’ than it is for the ‘occasional.’

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not arguing this is a package driven by outright delusion. Quite the contrary. The label on this packaging doesn’t deceive. You’re quite probably looking at perhaps one of the most cleverly conceived products of this year. 

Even with handsome Benz styling suggesting it as a big hatch, GLB is at heart a box full of chairs and the cleverness of the design and engineering of the interior is such that you truly wonder how a car so tight in its exterior dimension can be anything like as commodious. Brand testimony about GLB being specifically designed to be a seven-seater is not a truth stretch.

And yet, at same token, it’s built upon the platform also used by the A-Class, which is Benz’s smallest passenger model. So, even though the underpinnings have been stretched, and as useful as the full-blown format clearly is …. well, yes, the further back you’re assigned to sit, the tighter it becomes. If hardly for emergency use only, the third row pews are also obviously the most anti-adult.

So as much as a ton of very smart thinking (and using Volkswagen’s Tiguan Allspace for benchmarking) delivers decent head and legroom, excellent outward visibility and good stowage solutions, it’s all to a point.  Running full occupancy, the luggage space remaining is miniscule and stowing the back pair (neatly, into the boot) and it becomes much more convenient.

Which means? Well, just this. You’re looking at a car designed for the realities of modern life. The one that can, if asked, carry the kids’ mates to soccer on Saturday morning as a last-minute favour because Rick’s best friend forgot to ask his dad about using their GLE. 

And also the car that, later in the day when it’s in town on the shopping beat, is so much more convenient to slip through the traffic stream and slot into the last remaining decent park outside the supermarket because it’s just so much more sensibly sized than like-styled but far more substantial sister SUV.

Insofar as Mercedes’ sales plan goes, then, the GLB is quite a crucial car. It basically creates a new sub-category - there are virtually no direct rivals, certainly not from the prestige brands – and yet it also meets a known demand.

Small SUVs are hot. Given how its priced, specified and presented – in a 1.4 front-drive GLB200, the next step four-wheel-drive GLB250 on test here and an AMG edition, also all-paw, yet to land - Benz NZ conjects a significant customer call, core interest coming from families for whom this might well be their first new Mercedes. I cannot see how they can be wrong about that.

 Thought of this being a ‘budget’ step into Benz SUV-dom needs taken with a certain degree of open-mindedness, all the same. There are plenty of brands of less premium nature than can provision significantly larger, more powerful vehicles for the money asked for this 2.0-litre edition, even before adding in the embellishments that featured on the tester.

Options of Galaxy Blue paint, an AMG sports package, plus driving assistance and vision packs – the first provisioning active cruise control, lane change assist, a more intelligent stop-start and ability to relay localised speed limits, the other delivering fully auto headlights in LED, a sunroof and the full parking assist (so, a 360 degree camera in addition to front and rear sensors) – pushed the car’s $92,900 retail to just $440 short of $100k. 

Fortunately, there’s more than the sticker to remind you’re playing in premium territory. The car’s affluent look is abetted by a very upmarket feel. Impression gained from last year’s international launch about wanting to take care, before letting the kids in, to pre-check for sticky little fingers was all the cemented on this drive. 

The flashiness extends beyond the fully digital dash with its MBUX interface (and over-eager ‘Hi Mercedes’ prompt). That a lot of the interior carries familiarity for those more used to the B- and A-Class is no slur.

This is a five-star model. Touch surfaces use high-quality materials, buttons and knobs have a satisfying tactility and reassuring clicks and it’s beautifully trimmed, with cushy seats.

This being the first Benz to come to us from a plant in Mexico does not impact on the sense of it being constructed to any lower standards than you’d expect from a German plant. The test car being blighted by a minor electronic annoyance that threw up occasional erroneous fault messages was no fault of the Aguascalientes assembly workers, but rather a duff chip in the transmission management computer. If it happens to you, rest assured a quick reboot will remedy all.

Starting off and concluding the test period with decent open road driving was a good plan. As much as the GLB delivers fantastic competence in urban use, it’s going to reassuring to know it’s not shy about taking on the open road.

Out in the 100kmh zone it straight away evidences quite a different feel to the rest of the compact car range, all the same. Whereas the other models on this platform tend to sacrifice outright comfort to elevate a sense of agility and sportiness, the GLB focus is more toward solidity and comfort.

Obviously, the car’s feel is dependent on which of the drive modes you select. Keeping in those better-suited to passengers – in other words, staying out of ‘Sport’ -  delivers enough suspension pliability to soak up most ruts and bumps. Of course, this means allowing some concession for body lean in the corners, and the steering isn't the most precise, yet quite potentially the average GLB buyer won't notice or care. They’ll be more pleased about how planted and grown up it feels; the car has a wide stance and is on meaty rubber, but the 4Matic four-wheel-drive is also a good accomplice, regardless that is far from fulltime (to assist fuel saving).

What’s also quite appealing is that is doesn’t propose to be so wholly serious that it cannot evidence some sense of character. For sure, you’re not going to feel as compelled to dump the dog and kids and head off for a winding road in this version as you will with the AMG. But there’s no doubting that there’s a degree of talent, not least in the performance-tinged mode, that is worth tasting. The main difference in this comes with a sharper throttle response and elevated exhaust bark, but anyone wondering how much fun can be extracted by something so family-prioritised will surely raise a smile that the AMG 35 will turn into a full-out grin. On evidence of well it went on Spanish roads, that car is set to establish as something of a school run rebel.

The difference in performance between the AMG-ised edition and the 250 here is quite noticeable. A claimed 0-100kmh time of 6.9 seconds shows the 2.0-litre here isn’t lacking in spirit, but ultimately its talent is more aligned with delivering good economy and decent low to mid-range torque than to chase performance medals. With this in mind, you might pause to wonder if it always has enough snuff to keep itself together in family bus mode? I was unsuccessful in recruiting a full house of passengers for this test, instead having to settle for four adults aboard. Even that load was enough to take a little of the edge out of the engine’s oomph, though it did not seem to affect the powertrain’s refinement nor the fuel burn. Even when pushing up hills under load, it is a relatively inaudible and smooth unit. An average of 9.4 litres per 100km for the week was also fair, giving the driving it entertained.

The often-heard comment about SUVs being appealing simply on grounds that they offer good visibility has some relevance even in this scaled-down package. The upright design and highly adjustable driver's seat make it easy to see out of the GLB in almost all directions, and any blind spots are well covered by the sensors and the camera set.

The other appeal of this car is how it looks. As said, it’s clearly drawn a lot from the GLE (and even the GLS) but doesn’t look awkward from taking that approach. It also snuggles up quite nicely against the also-new Mercedes GLA, and though the GLB is taller, has a longer rear overhang and a much longer wheelbase it doesn’t appear at all awkwardly proportioned.

Coming back to where this story started, it’s understandable why Mercedes Benz here has only chosen the seven-seater edition for local distribution and ignored versions that come with five chairs.

Sure, I know from firsthand experience that the latter will deliver an even larger boot and so likely stand as an even more affordable alternate to, say, the GLC - which already looks very exposed by the GLB regardless.

But fact is, even though it is too tight to be considered as fully comfortable everyday proposition for full house operability, the seven-seater is a good choice on grounds of flexibility. The middle row slides fore and aft so you can apportion legroom between the passengers as needs be, while the seatbacks of the middle row adjust for tilt, too, and they can be folded down completely flat, just as the back pair can.

Beyond that, there’s plenty of industry evidence to suggest that even when used sparingly, this format is a smart buy in the sense that it'll be easier to sell on later.

What’s also interesting about GLB is where it will take Mercedes next. The brand has already expressed some interesting family expansion ideas. It’s now clear, also, that the wholly-electric EQB releasing internationally next year has drawn significant inspiration.

So, more intrigues to come from a car that already pulls surprises from the box.

RAM 1500 Express: Smallest still in the big time

Shifting house was a workout too big for any one-tonne ute … yet this baby barely raised a sweat.

Base Price:  $104,990 (as tested: $109,990)
Powertrain and performance:  5.7-litre eight-cylinder 16-valve petrol engine. 291kW/5500rpm, 556Nm/3950rpm. Rear-wheel drive. Fuel consumption 12.2L/100km (claim), 14.2L/100km (road test).
Vital statistics: Length 5833mm, height 1917mm, width 2080mm, wheelbase 3569mm. Cargo deck volume 1.4 cubic metres. Wheels: 20-inch alloys with 275/60 R20 Hankook Dynapro HT tyres.
We Like:  Heavy-duty towing and load-carrying competence, well-designed deck, comfortable ride.

We don’t like: Lack of a decent diesel, dated interior design, slightly awkward egress, no overhead grab handles.

FROM one side of the North Island to the other, starting and finishing pretty much in the middle – quite a road trip, basically an entire day on the move, with quite a few twists.

Helping relations effect a house move from the remote beach community of Herbertville back to their home town, Whanganui, with a start and finish near Palmerston North and the first leg in the opposite direction (to Whanganui, to get the trailer and three brothers-in-law helping with the lifting) meant tackling challenging country roads - narrow, winding, demanding on the best of days. Just a touch more with that sizeable trailer in tow. 

To add to the fun, it was raining and there was intensive logging going on in the most challenging section of the drive, Dannevirke out to the east coast. 

Meeting big semis loaded with pine trunks, avoiding slips, threading across debris from a huge pine felled right across the route just as we hit the logging site … that was all part of the day’s activity.

How’d it go? No sweat. A big job demanded a big vehicle and, on that scale, we went right to the top, beyond the usual world of ute-dom.

Adopting a smaller body than the 2500s and 3500s that have been offered until now as part of factory-approved right-hand drive conversions gives the 1500 rights to be called the smallest member of the RAM family. 

But in everyday measurement, it’s a big thing. Much bigger than any ‘regular’ traydeck. So much so that really it’s a utility in design only. 

Still, if I was a distributor selling in the one-tonne sector, I’d be keeping an eye on this fella, at least in the new Express format used on this drive.

When RAM originally added the 1500 to the local market family, it offered in Quad Cab format with proposition it would more appeal to folk who’d been holding onto their V8-engined Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon performance utes until something better came along. 

No doubt it has done just that. A 5.7-litre HEMI V8 very much plays to that particular taste for semi-prestige with performance-added expectations and size versus sizzle tastes.

Yet even with that set-up, it remained challenging to understand how a RAM could pose a direct threat to even the highest-end offers in the one-tonne ute sector.

Conceivably, that conundrum is best addressed by what’s on test, by the Express in a Crew Cab (basically, bigger cabin, slightly smaller deck) provision. Regardless that the price gap has widened – this one costs $10k more than the Quad Cab – going to a body layout favoured by most Laramie buyers, but with more of a blue collar imprint, is a smart move.

It’s basically a budget Laramie; giving nothing away on the performance and ability side but toning down on specification elements that elevate it as a stronger workhorse choice. 

For all that, it doesn’t really leave lifestyle in the garage. And despite being in another dimension for size and slurp, it could well present as a possible alternate to the most expensive variants of the in-crowd favourite Ford Ranger in Raptor spec and Volkswagen Amarok V6 in Aventura trim, not least if you draw conclusion that the caravan or boat you want to haul is potentially just a bit too large for those one-tonners to cope with.

There’s just the one challenge: Fuel choice. America’s finest doesn’t come with diesel in this format. The one positive about the 1500 being petrol-wed is that, as much as it enjoys a drink, it doesn’t seem to quaff as heartily as the larger models. I saw an overall average economy of 14.2 litres per 100km. That’s nothing spectacular by diesel standards, but in my mind was really something of a victory, as it’s just two litres’ shy of the official average.

It’s also worth taking note that the 1500 is at least a steady drinker. It knocked back no more when hauling a chunk of household stuff than it had on the first leg, with four-up but a bare deck and empty trailer. Okay, yes, it’s true the rate when it was running with just me aboard and nothing on the hook was hardly any better, but still. 

Still, it reinforces why this model has a 121-litre tank (and why a ‘top up’ cost $90 without making hugely discernible difference to the needle’s position). 

The benefit of having a large capacity V8 comes with its muscularity; you’re sitting behind a unit endowed with massively impressive and schmoozy oomph. Outputs of 291kW of power and 556Nm of torque make it much gruntier than any traditional utes and while it’s pushing significant weight – at 2.6 tonnes, the 1500 is toting around half a tonne more than the smaller diesel-fuelled utes - there’s no sign this powerplant feels any strain; if anything, the 0-100kmh time of about 7.8 seconds signals there’s more in reserve.

The engine’s pull really impresses. The rev span isn’t massive – really, it’s pointless pulling more than 4000rpm, regardless that the pwer peak is higher – but the torque spread is generous. It hardly seemed to lose any significant edge when pointed up hills and, more especially, when put to work on household hauling. It simply kept pulling quietly and confidently under that load (which, admittedly, was light for a vehicle rated to heft 4.5 tonne), for the most part cruising at a relaxed 1700rpm in the tallest of the eight gears and only starting to burble enough to be audible when hitting big ascents. On the flat it was generally operating in an eerily calm manner. 

Speed wasn’t a talent brought to the fore on this trip, of course. Hooking up the trailer meant knocking back to 90 and taking more time to enjoy the view and come to terms with the sheer size of this thing.

Five-point-eight metres long, 1.9 tall and two metres wide with the mirrors folded … that doesn’t sound too bad on paper. And, as said, the other RAMS are appreciably bigger.

Yet, in its own right, this thing feels substantial. It’s not just the width and length. The cabin step up, the high-set seating position, the limo-like cabin dimension … these also speak of it being a Lomu Class rig. Looking out over the bonnet alone delivers a sense of Kenworth kinship and the sense of it being a lane filler was never shaken. One-lane bridges seem barely wide enough and encountering those logging trucks was air-suckingly daunting.

It feels better in country towns than the city proper. I cannot understand why anyone would want one for daily driving in the full urban jungle. For me, there was some surprise discovering it DOES fit into a parallel park (albeit with the right side rubber outside the box) and none whatsoever when discovering angle parks are wide enough for the vehicle proper but less so for door opening room. 

For all that, driving feel is only heavy duty insofar as the turning circle and steering feel is concerned. As much as it needs space to stop and manoeuvre, there’s still more nimbleness here than you’d give it credit, likewise the braking responsiveness is brilliant, even if pedal feel itself is a touch spongey.

Overall, though, the on-road manners are surprisingly tame. Those sizeable 20-inch tyres offer respectable grip and even though ultimately leaning on its front tyres if you wind the pace up too much, the steering is accurate. The ride also benefits from the long wheelbase and a coil-sprung rear axle – quite something in an era when most utes still employ a rugged leaf spring rear-end. Everybody remarked on how composed the RAM is; even big dips and significant potholes are disposed of beautifully.

As good as it is for driving, it is primarily fitted out for toiling. RAM owners who fail to use it to tow big stuff are wasting its talent. Even this ‘baby’ has the same 4.5 tonne braked towing rating as the larger 2500 and gets a heavy duty tow bar. Something this big and heavy – it weighes in at 2505kg at the kerb (3450kg gross vehicle weight) – is perfect for big boats and caravans. It assuredly ain’t going to be pushed by anything on the hook, as some lighter vehicles potentially can be. 

Let’s hope they also use it to heft lots of stuff too, because the deck is so well-sorted; not just in dimension – again, extra-sized at 1712mm long with the tailgate closed, 1270mm wide and 509mm deep – but also detail. Honestly, those one-tonne kings who imagine they’re doing their customers proud by provisioning a plastic liner and a vinyl tonneau need to look to a RAM to see what they should be doing.

For starters, the deck here is properly lined, with the base and sides of the load area coated in a hardy rubber finish, plus comes with a robust load separator. The test model also featured a tri-folding hardtop deck cover and, most impressive of all, the RamBox side compartment with top-mounted lockable doors. These bundle as a $5000 option that I’d call a must-have. The latter comprises waterproof containers that flow around the wheel arches. They’re terrific and capacious; just one was enough to provide stowage for the blankets, tarpaulins and heavy duty tiedowns I brought along. The one surprise is the relatively low, sub one-tonne payload.

The cabin is also roomy, large enough to accommodate five adults, the two up front split by a deep, broad centre console. There’s no gear lever to get in the way. It’s a dial on the dash. Switches alongside take it from rear-to-four wheel drive, with another control to go from High to Low range. Simple, right?

 Those in the rear get great legroom and comfortable seats. Despite the distance between the front and rear seats, the cabin is quiet enough to entertain conversation A pity, that: My wife’s brothers’ are non-stop talkers, with two specialist subjects: Rugby and extreme politics. It was a l-o-o-o-o-ng day.

RAMs sold here are built in America then remanufactured, as right-hand-drive models, in Australia as the Stateside plant doesn’t do that directly. 

Amazingly, a policy that has always applied with the DS generation line still being sold here has not been reviewed for the replacement DT, which is already in circulation Stateside and which RAM Australia has confirmed it is now tooling up to also convert, the switchover occurring next year and just as well.

The DS has been a winning act – incredibly, the Melbourne operation has converted 5000 of these, which you’d hope would be enough to off-set its investment of over $100 million in tools, equipment, inventory, and stock for the re-engineering process.

The risk with RAM was obvious; its favouritism obviously relies heavily on factors like decent exchange rates and palatable fuel prices. Also, it’s no secret this is an obviously old design, inside and out. In saying that, the Express actually benefits from all the bits that are chromed on the Laramie being body-coloured on the cheaper option. Painted finishes are very much in vogue and the test car being in ‘granite crystal’, a semi-matte metallic dark grey, was a winning touch. 

The DT seems well-placed to keep RAM in touch with its audience. It has the same engine but a revised interior, with a large 12.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display. The new model also grows dimensionally, but sheds some all-important kilos thanks to the use of aluminium for certain body panels. 

The new job means a fresh start for the Aussie workers. They created 400-odd parts to effect the DS’s conversion to right-hand drive; the DT will demand even more, around 600 bits. 

The quality of the Express shows why these ‘Aussiefied’ models are so well received; the redesigned interior parts alone blend beautifully with the original parts from the factory. Sure, there has been some comprise: The aerial is on the driver’s side, the wing mirrors poke awkwardly of their surrounds and some switches and their surrounds are obviously the ‘wrong’ way around. 

But none of the accommodations are so comprised as to be annoying. In a way, they’re easier to accept in the Express given its work-first ambience. On that note, it is quite nicely specced.

Sure, here you eschew leather for more basic cloth trim and the ventilation system is manually-operated, as is the adjustment of the front seats. Still, it gets rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. 

Safety-wise it needs to sharpen up. Front and side airbag protection is standard in the front and rear seats and it has the stability control and traction control systems that are mandatory for all new vehicles. Its lack of auto emergency braking would exclude it being eligible for the maximum five-star rating … not that it … ahem … has one directly relevant to our market. Right-hand-drive RAMs have not been independent crash tested by the ANCAP regime our taxes part-fund, so no rating.

Conceivably, the only rival of the same size and level of competence for this variant is the Chevrolet Silverado, which despite having a different parentage is almost quite literally a sister ship as it is also subject to right-hand drive conversion in Australia …. at the same facility in Clayton, south-east Melbourne, albeit on a separate line.

Ford Focus ST: Kicking butt in the new performance hero

Will an underdog be accepted as king of the kennel? More specifically, can a 206kW front-drive hot hatch fill the boots of a far more hyperactive four-wheel-drive big brother now out of the picture?

Base Price:  $59,490
Powertrain and performance:  2.3-litre four-cylinder DOHC 16-valve turbocharged petrol engine. 206kW/5500rpm, 420Nm/3000-4000rpm. Front-wheel drive. Fuel consumption 8.6L/100km (claim), 8.8L/100km (road test).
Vital statistics: Length 4388mm, height 1492mm, width 1825mm, wheelbase 2700mm. Luggage 273 litres. Wheels: 19-inch alloys with 235/35 ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.
We Like: Genuine hot-hatch turbo performance supported by highly competent suspension tuning, braking capability plus superb steering. Appealing sub-$60K price point delivers a cohesive mix of performance, five-door hatch practicality and a generous equipment level.

We don’t like: No manual transmission availability for NZ market. Gearing of auto is not quite suited to 100kmh highway cruising.

SAY hello to Ford’s half-RSed new hot-hatch.

That’s both a cheeky journalist quip and a compliment to the Ford Performance engineers’ achievement with the new Focus ST.

For three generations the Focus has offered warmed-up ST and properly hot RS models. However, it was recently confirmed there isn’t going to be a gen-four Focus RS.

That’s bad news if you like insanely quick AWD hot-hatches with $80K price tags but good news if your situation allows a seriously quick car with a sub-$60K window sticker.

The ST becomes a more serious performer with the first clues to its progress found on the specification list.

There’s increased engine displacement with the new 2.3-litre four-cylinder being a close relative of both the Mustang Turbo and gen-3 Focus RS engine.

In ST tune it features twin scroll turbo plumbing, electronic waste gate control plus anti-lag system and develops 206kW at 5500rpm (up from 184kW from the previous 2.0-litre unit). A 60Nm increase hikes peak torque to 420Nm between 3000-4000rpm. 

In perhaps the biggest change the ST becomes exclusively a two-pedal experience for Kiwi buyers to rival the likes of the VW Golf GTI and Renault Megane RS and differentiate from the manual-only Hyundai i30N and Honda Civic Type R.

The new seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters will broaden the buyer appeal of the Focus ST. Other markets – including Australia – offer a six-speed manual version as well but Ford NZ believes the volume sales potential rests with the ST auto and wants to concentrate on a single variant.

The ST can deliver punchy acceleration and has high-torque part-throttle response. The transmission shifts quickly and smoothly but the gearing is slightly out of step with Kiwi speed limits - at 100km/h it settles in sixth gear at 1700rpm and doesn’t make the final upshift till about 107kmh.

The new ST performance hardware doesn’t end with the engine and transmission.

An electronically controlled limited slip differential assists with power application through the front-drive chassis and a Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD) system makes its debut.

CCD monitors suspension, steering and braking inputs at 2 milli-second frequency to adjust damping responses. It’s a very responsive system that gives a much more supple ride than you might expect at lower speeds but provides taut damping control when it’s required.

Along with the e-LSD the new ST gains revised steering and front suspension geometry along with a multi-link rear suspension rather than the torsion beam axle used in mainstream Focus hatches.

It rides 10mm lower and the power-down confidence even on damp surfaces is impressive with excellent 235/35 ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres working alongside the new geometry and electronics. 

Well defined Normal, Sport, Track and Slippery selectable drive modes further widen the character of the ST. Sport and Track add some throaty amplified engine note accompaniment and throttle blipping down shifts. For quicker access to Sport mode there’s a button on the steering wheel rather than scrolling through modes.

But perhaps the very best attribute of the Focus ST is the quickened steering ratio and the consistent feedback that it offers. 

It’s just 2.0 turns lock-to-lock and the level of assistance and road feel is very impressive. The car communicates its confidence and grip level whether it’s on city streets, the smoothest of highways or a lumpy and twisty rural road.

Ford New Zealand has launched the new Focus ST with a $59,490 price-tag. It’s smartly appointed with highlights including the firmly bolstered, leather and alcantara trimmed Recaro front seats, a Head-Up Display and excellent LED headlights with auto high beam control.

The ST exterior theme includes unique dark grey mesh grille and lower frontal treatment, side skirts, 19-inch alloy wheels, an extended rear spoiler and lower rear diffuser. 

There is a reasonably large diameter flat bottom steering wheel provides substance to the driving experience and ST detailing includes instruments with red needles, Ford Performance sill plates and silver stitch seat trim.

Standard equipment includes dual zone climate control, heated front seats, keyless entry and start, an electric park brake, auto park system, the latest generation SYNC3 infotainment system with Navigation, Apple Car Play and Android Auto accessed by the 8.0-inch touchscreen.

In terms of practicality the Focus ST shares the longer wheelbase benefits with its mainstream stablemates including improved rear passenger legroom and offers a 60/40 split fold rear seat. 

The ST carries a space saver spare wheel but there is room to stow a full-size tyre if you remove the plastic spacer.

This half-RSed strategy has achieved a substantially heightened level of performance and capability for the Focus ST. It’s exactly where the wisecrack suggests – neatly between previous ST and RS excitement and is made all the more attractive by remaining close to the prior ST price point.  

Audi RS6 Avant, RS7 Sportback: Lightning quick's electric edge

A 48 volt hybrid system lends these muscular all-wheel-drive V8 monsters extra life.

identical kapow but more practical and cheaper … that’s why we’d take the RS6 AVant (above) over the RS7, but either way these are impressive cars.

Base price: $218,900 (RS6) and $228,900 (RS7)

Powertrain and economy: 4.0-litre turbo-petrol V8, 441kW/800Nm, 8-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 11.4/11.5 litres per 100km, CO2 262-264 g/km.

Vital statistics: 4995/5009mm long, 1951mm wide, 1460/1422mm high, 2929mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 565/ 535 litres, 22-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Hefty technology update, improved driving feel, wagon format.

We don't like: Quirky haptic controls, enhanced width fills an angle park.

WITH the course toward electric so obviously set, what compells Audi to continue to pump out V8 petrol-reliant RS product?

Fair question. Assuredly, whatever’s fuelled introduction of mid-life revised RS6 wagon and RS7 Sportback cars and something wholly new, an RS edition of the Q8 sports utility, it isn’t a rethink about electrification.

That’s happening. VW Group’s commitment is beyond question and anyone keeping up with e-tron news will know Audi taking leadership. Moreover, the pace of changeover is ramping up.

Yet, thing is, we’re in a period of transition; rather than go totally cold turkey, it makes better sense to wean gradually. So, while one day Renn Sport as we know it now will undergo radical change, this isn’t the time for it.

Not that Audi and its performance arm hasn’t started cutting back. Phase one has been a gradual downsize in engine capacity (and cylinder count). Phase two is what the update RS6 and RS7 now deliver. A 48-volt hybrid driveline that works in tandem with the TSFI 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 is quite significant on the technical scale.

But what difference does it really make? Well, I’d be reluctant to deride the tagline for this marriage, ‘high-performance meets high efficiency,’ as a falsehood. The lithium ion battery enabler and a cylinder deactivation system have positive effect on economy and emissions.

However, let’s face it: This a performance V8. There are no miracle cures. Achieving the cited optimal economy of 11.4 litres per 100km will require a deliberation potentially unfamiliar to the buyer set and the claimed 261 grams per kilometre emissions output remains high enough to earn a Green blacklisting.

Yet even if it was political impetus more than anything else that demanded adding in electrification and its power source, a small lithium-ion battery in the rear of the vehicle, you can achieve positives.

Soft-shoeing the throttle might be against the RS credo, but it will ease the pain of fuel burn; go lightly enough and it’ll actually off the engine from 21kmh as you slow to a stop. And if you find a long enough flat straight in the 100km zone it’ll also occasionally run purely on electric impetus, albeit for no more than 40 seconds. That’s also the environment in which the cylinder-on-demand function, that deactivates four of the eight cylinders, leaving it to run as a V4, is also most likely to action. Audi says that this can help to reduce fuel consumption by up to 0.8 litres/100km and, similar to the engine-off mode, once more throttle is applied, the dormant cylinders immediately reactivate. Is that enough to save the icecaps from melting? Probably not. But it’s a start. 

Plus, it keeps this story from finishing early. Keeping this engine relevant and fighting fit in an increasingly steep challenge for Audi, but you can understand why they keep trying. It’s an amazing thing.

EV fans might feel they’re point-scoring in reminding that there are battery cars – including one soon to join the local Audi family – that feel as oomph-laden and will quite possibly match their impressive 0-100kmh times of 3.6 seconds. Fair enough, it’s true.

Yet that ohm team will be rendered silent when asked to nominate anything battery-reliant sold here that matches, let alone betters, these dinosaur-juiced sister ships for absolute stomp. It’s certainly not going to be a Hyundai Kona, or even a Tesla Model S.

And yes, as much as it seems lunatic to suggest the ability to clock 250kmh (or, after a slight factory-sanctioned tweak, slightly more than 300kmh) is of any kind of importance in a country where 100kmh is the absolute limit … well, it nonetheless still does. Likewise, the RS cars might also sell simply on strength of their brilliantly Jurassic soundtracks. I agree, it all seems a bit juvenile. And yet … well, damned if I can’t help but get excited by it.

In respect to tailpipe tone, it’s intriguing that the RS7 has a noticeably louder exhaust than the wagon alternate given that it is the quieter-looking product at the kerbside, regardless that this time around the hatchback option is more hunkered than it previously was. This is as result of consumer feedback; existing customers told Ingolstadt the previous gen car just didn’t have enough visual cojones.

And now? Well, it’s definitely more muscled, being 40mm wider than the standard A7, a reprofiling that means just the bonnet, front doors, roof and tailgate are shared. It also has the same big wheel arches as the RS6, and filling those openings in NZ-spec are 22-inch rims. So, yeah, it looks a whole heap more aggressive.

Yet, and maybe it was because of the paint choice for the testers (a lily-white RS6 seems almost oxymoronic, a metallic grey Avant just perfect), the wagon just continues to be all the more imposingly feral in its appearance. That impression imparts with the bodyshapes’ relative substance, for sure, but also the cars’ common face: The unique grille design and the additional ventilation ports on the lower corners of the bumper (to aid thermal management), plus those matrix LED laser headlights just seem to engender more malevolence in the hauler.

From the inside, at least when looking forward, the cars are of a muchness; abetting the usual displays found in all upmarket Audis are additional touches are specific to the RS product, such as instant read-outs for power and torque that, quite amusingly, show how very little of each is required to hold these cars at a 100kmh pace. Everything you need to know when driving and not wanting to release your eyes from scanning the roadscape comes up digitally on the main screen and in a head-up display.

The improvement this time around comes with two RS buttons that serve direct routes to pre-set driving modes and chassis settings. There are also the traditional buttons and centre screen accesses that allow switching between the myriad of settings, of course, but the shortcut buttons seem a safer idea.

Both are five-seater models (that’s new for RS7 as the old one’s back bench was shaped for two), with very luxurious fittings, but not so plush in appointment that you wouldn’t think twice about making use of the practical elements. They are, in short, still expected to be used as everyday cars.

Buy the Sportback and you get a vast but shallow boot holding up to 535 litres, or 1390 litres when the rear seats are dropped down. Sounds good? Well, in isolation, it is. But if filling the boot is a requisite requirement, fact is the $10,000 cheaper RS6 presents a significantly higher value return; 30 litres more capacity with the back seats up is modest – drop these, though, and the load-all is vastly more commodious. That, and the fact that the wagon just looks better, would seal it for me.

But surely the practicality comes at expense of punch? Not at all. For all its extra aural aggression, that the RS7 is pretty mush equally pegged by the wagon, not just in any sprint but in driving feel, too. That might sound weird, given the RS6 just looks to be so much bigger, but really it isn’t. Weight-wise, they’re both similar: That is, heavy, at over two tonne each, but the load-all is just 10kg lardier.

Such is the crushing oomph from the engine that the kilo count doesn’t seem to any sort of imposition; these RS sister ships are capable of moving at quite phenomenal rate.

Just as well, then, that the packages a whole are designed to take that into account. You’ll be especially pleased with the monster brakes gripped by huge callipers; without condoning recklessness on the road, if you are intending on going briskly, having the best brakes possible is usually a good idea. Likewise great quality rubber and well-sorted suspension. Audi ticks those boxes, too. 

As strange as it might sound, the cars’ ability to run hard without much in the way of theatrics beyond the rumbly exhaust note is part of the appeal. Salute, as always, that quattro all-wheel-drive technology, which includes a mechanical centre differential and an RS-tuned sport differential on the rear axle. Providing a 40:60 front-to-rear split, and up to 70 percent of power to the front axle or up to 85 percent to the rear, depending on the situation, it’s an astoundingly adept accomplice. Also influencing with subtlety is the cleverly-integrated rear wheel steering. You only realise how good it is when twigging how easily, confidently and accurately the cars handle direction changes under accelerative load, without tyre squeal or body lean.

The RS models sit 20mm lower than their donors, and when the speed surpasses 120kmh, the ride height reduces by a further 10mm to optimise aerodynamics and aid stability, and Sports Suspension with Dynamic Ride Control is standard in NZ spec.

In this, the shock absorbers are diagonally opposed, meaning the front left is hydraulically linked though a central valve with the rear right, and vice versa. This setup works to reduce pitch and roll movements when cornering at higher speeds and when driving quickly it works well. What also impresses is that this update also brings better absorption from the suspension when put into its softest setting. It’s not outright supple, but neither is it as unremittingly solid as Comfort used to be. The alternate Sports adjustment is, of course, very solid. 

No debating the ultimate star of the show. Assessed purely on its performance, the powerplant is a stunner, not simply because it delivers virtually obscene grunt – though, in saying that, what’s remarkable is that the RS Q8 has another 100Nm still – but also because of how all that muscularity unfolds.

Give it hell and the consequences are … well, basically supercar-like. Yet even when taken into the utterly feral zone, you can trust it in part simply because the throttle has been so deftly weighted. It’s a crazy mo-fo this unit, no argument, yet not so hair-trigger berserk that the slightest twitch or sneeze won’t unleash utter mayhem. As momentous and visceral as the grunt is, these are cars of everyday capability.

How much longer this can go on for is a good question. All big-lunged petrol engines are now on notice. It says a lot about the calibre of these cars that they still feel more relevant than they conceivably should in the here and now. To be fair, that’s not just because of the mechanical changes; refinements to the chassis and also the steering response have done a lot to answer criticism of the preceding cars’ being overly-sanitised in feel. For sure, these still impart as big rigs on a tight country road, the Avant especially, but they do position very accurately when asked and don’t feel as overwhelming as you imagine. 

It’s interesting that Audi Sport’s intention for the immediate future is to keep fettling petrol-addicted product, albeit moreso from the SUV side of the family from now on.

Without meaning to sound deprecating, as useful as the added drivetrain tech is, when driving these cars, the sense is that more that you’re getting to the last chapter of a great story.

Subaru Impreza: Holding the line

The Sport edition is the last Impreza standing.

Subaru Impreza Sport

Price:  $32,490
Powertrain and performance:  2.0-litre four-cylinder horizontally opposed petrol engine. 115kW/6000rpm, 196Nm/4000rpm. All-wheel drive. 6.6 L/100km.
Vital statistics: Length 4460mm, height 1480mm, width 1775mm, wheelbase 2670mm. Luggage 345 litres. Wheels: 17-inch alloys with 205/50R17 89V tyres.
We like: Solid boxer engine performance, helped along by SI Drive. All-wheel drive for an economical price. Excellent safety specification.
We don’t like: Body design is getting a bit dated. Car competes in a shrinking market segment.

HELLO old friend – how’s life?

In the case of the Subaru Impreza, things are a bit lonely these days.

When it was first introduced back in 1992 as a replacement for the Leone, small cars including five-door hatchbacks were very popular, and as a result at one stage there were up to 16 different versions of the Impreza to choose from.

But now the selection is just a single $32,490 Impreza Sport hatch.

It’s the fault of those darned SUVs, you see, which are now so popular with New Zealand motorists that compact and medium-sized versions currently make up 37 percent of all new vehicle registrations.

In fact this popularity is so great that a year or so ago it prompted one member of the Impreza family to change gender and become a compact SUV called XV.

 Over the years the Impreza  has also been the basis of creation of a couple of the motoring world’s great performance cars, the WRX and STi.

Not only that, but the Impreza’s platform has  also been used for development of several other Subarus currently on sale, including the Levorg wagon and the Forester SUV.

So as the Impreza Sport  sits there all on its own as the only five-door hatch on every Subaru sales yard, it can reflect on the fact that over the years it has been responsible for development of a good many other models.

And – importantly – the Impreza isn’t finished yet. In fact a few months ago it received a facelift in an effort to remain competitive in the small car category of the kiwi new vehicle market.

It’s had an exterior cosmetic overhaul via changed frontal design and new 17-inch alloy wheels, performance potential has been improved thanks to installation of Subaru’s Intelligent Drive (Si) system, and safety has been improved via the marque’s EyeSight driver assist feature.

That’s significant improvement to a hatch that appeals as perhaps the value package of the small car sector – remember, the model is all-wheel drive which usually adds several thousand to the price of any car.

From a performance perspective, on paper the Subaru doesn’t look to be anything special. It’s 2.0-litre horizontally opposed engine offers 115kW of power and 196Nm of torque, which is bettered by a number of other small cars including Ford Focus, Hyundai i30 and Toyota Corolla.

But boxer engines are inherently excellent performers, because their lower profile in the engine bay provides a more even distribution of power to the rest of the drivetrain.  That’s the case with this Impreza, which can turn on quite robust performance when required, particularly when the SI Drive is moved from the everyday Intelligent mode to Sport to enhance performance.

The Impreza’s Lineartronic continuously variable automatic continues to be one of the best around, and it offers manual mode, and I personally enjoy a push-button hill hold function that can be used to remain stationary when stopped at, say, a set of lights on a hill.

I also very much enjoy the EyeSight driver assist system, which uses a pair of ‘eyes’ located on the windscreen in front of the rear-view mirror to continually scan the road ahead and if necessary warn the driver of potential danger ahead. Sometimes I tired of the system’s lane departure warning, but at the end of the day I would much rather have it than not.

It’s worth remembering that the Impreza Sport is a vehicle that retails for less than $32,500, yet standard specification includes an eight-inch infotainment touch-screen, Bluetooth hands-free with both Apple Carplay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, and reversing camera.

I have a soft spot for the Subaru Impreza, because it has consistently been a very good car.

The first-generation model was launched in 1992 in both four-door sedan and five-door hatch forms, built using a shortened platform of the Legacy. It was immediately recognised for the quality of its drive, which explains why these days there are still plenty of them used by enthusiasts in club rallying events.

The second-generation version launched in the early 2000s wasn’t available as a hatch, with Subaru preferring to go the way of the sedan and wagon instead. But that changed six years later when the third generation model was offered as a sedan and hatch.  When the fourth-generation model was launched in 2012 the body shapes continued to be restricted to sedan and hatch, with the wagon duties passing on to a new model Subaru named Levorg.

We’re now on to the fifth generation, released worldwide in 2016 and which was the first Subaru to be built on a new global platform that offered more than 70 per cent more torsional rigidity, and which is now used on all Subaru models.

And now that model has been facelifted – even though the constantly changing preferences of the motoring public have forced a reduction in the Impreza selection in New Zealand to just the single model.

So how’s life, old friend? It’s a bit lonely, but that one hatchback is keeping alive a strong Subaru pedigree.

Volvo XC60 T8 Polestar: Going for gold

This cleverest version of this Swedish make’s compact sports utility offers a new definition of click bait.

images: colin smith

Base price:  $129,900
Powertrain and performance:  2.0-litre four-cylinder DOHC turbocharged and supercharged petrol engine with plug-in hybrid electric drive. 246kW/6000rpm, 430Nm/2200-5400rpm (Combined 311kW/670Nm). All-wheel drive. 2.2L/100km.
Vital statistics: Length 4688mm, height 1658mm, width 1902mm, wheelbase 2865mm. Luggage 468 litres. Wheels: 21-inch alloys with 255/40 R21 Pirelli P-Zero tyres.
We Like: Versatile five-seat SUV design and stylish proportions, excellent seating comfort and visibility, wide-ranging capability from low consumption efficiency to high performance SUV.
We don’t like: Those bright gold seat belts.

IN an era where you occasionally lift the bonnet to check washer fluid levels or perhaps take a quick glance at the dip stick, this Volvo presents a chance for a little more hands-on interaction than usual.

A key part of the performance content for the top-of-the-range XC60 T8 Polestar Engineered is an Ohlins adjustable suspension featuring competition car-style Dual Flow Valve Technology.

If you want a take a couple of minutes beneath the bonnet – and a little more challengingly under the rear wheel arches – you can dial the suspension damping of your choice into this rapid SUV.

 After a couple of days of driving in the firmly damped XC60 flagship I dived into this click-and-count procedure. As long as you have an understanding of clockwise and counter-clockwise - and can count to 22 - you are in the adjustment business. 

It was evident the test car had been adjusted towards the stiffer range of settings and to experience contrast I opted for Volvo’s recommended Comfort setting (15 of the 22 available clicks). 

It took much of the harsher response out of the city driving and lumpy surfaces but the XC60 remained securely planted on the highway with a wide tyre and track stance to accompany taut chassis control.

If I drove the XC60 long term I’d probably remain at or near that recommended Comfort setting. A quick run up the Coromandel or some favourite Waikato back roads might call for a few more clicks toward the firmer performance settings.

This is the second of Volvo’s top-end ‘Twin Engine’ T8 AWD models I’ve sampled recently. The powertrain combines 2.0-litre petrol power boosted by both a supercharger and turbocharger along with plug-in hybrid electric drive. It’s the rear electric motor that provides All Wheel Drive.

Along with the Ohlins suspension and a front strut tower reinforcement bar the Polestar Engineered content also includes high performance Akebono braking hardware and forged 21-inch Y-spoke alloy wheels with grippy 255/40 R21 Pirelli P-Zero tyres. 

Visual cues include flared wheel arches to house the big Pirellis with a gloss black grille and roof rails and subtle Polestar exterior badging. Inside less than subtle gold seat belts communicate the Polestar status. 

In total the powertrain delivers 311kW and 670Nm of torque. There is a surge of acceleration when prompted (with 0-100kmh in a claimed 5.2 seconds) but the prime attribute is the immediate and smooth torque delivery and low-effort overtaking response as turbo urge and electric torque combine with the close ratios of the eight-speed Geartronic transmission.

Plug-in hybrid status also allows for short zero-emission journeys using the power stored in an 11.6kWh lithium-ion battery housed in the centre tunnel. It’s an easy overnight charge from a domestic power supply and the best estimated range I saw with a fully charged battery was 35km.

The plug-in XC60 is heavier, slightly less aerodynamic and rolls on wider tyres than the V60 T8 AWD I had driven earlier and which had signalled a 40km EV range. Volvo claim a combined cycle consumption figure of 2.2L/100km which is achievable on short city runs with a high proportion of EV driving.  With some highway running I averaged 6.5L/100km. 

The new V60 and XC 60 cars are very similar in stylish cabin design and simple operation including the dash layout, Head-Up Display and portrait format Sensus 9.0-inch touchscreen.

The taller configuration of the XC60 partially overcomes one issue that compromises the V60 - the rear passengers sit a little more upright in the SUV and the centre tunnel isn’t as raised and that makes the fifth passenger position a more viable place.

Specification highlights include a premium Bowers and Wilkins audio system, powerful LED headlights with adaptive high beam control and a sports cabin theme with charcoal roof liner and contoured sports seats. 

The supportive seat design and comfortable driving position allow the benefit of SUV raised sight lines but the XC60 retains a sense of sitting in the cabin rather than seated up particularly high. The front seats are power adjustable and heated, there’s a powered tailgate and a panorama sunroof is standard for the Polestar Engineered version.

The test vehicle was in standard specification without optional equipment and priced up at $129,900. Luxury-performance rivals include the Audi SQ5 and this swift Swede also finds an interesting position between rival plug-in and performance SUV models.

Where customers are left to choose between the Mercedes-Benz GLC 300e plug-in and Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 performance models – or similarly the BMW X3 xDrive30e or X3 M40i – the XC60 in Polestar Engineered guise delivers both efficiency and performance skills set in a single vehicle.

Subaru XV: In search of middle ground

Where is the centre of the North Island? We use the smallest Subaru SUV to reach that spot.

Subaru XV Premium
Price:  $42,490.
Powertrain and performance:  2.0-litre four-cylinder horizontally opposed petrol engine; 115kW/6000rpm, 196Nm/4000rpm. All-wheel drive.
Vital statistics: Length 4465mm, height 1615mm with roof rails, width 1800mm, wheelbase 2665mm. Luggage 310 litres.
Wheels: 18-inch alloys with 225/5 R18 tyres.
We like: Balanced ride and handling, ground clearance, substantial feel, safety specification.
We don’t like: Body shape starting to date, so is the engine.

SORRY Wellington,  but we’re reminded of that old joke.

Question:  How many Wellingtonians does it take to change a lightbulb? Answer: Just one – they simply hold on to the bulb and the whole world revolves around them.

While Wellington often seems to regard itself as the centre of everything, in fact our capital city isn’t even the centre of New Zealand – well, geographically anyway.

That honour goes to Nelson, which has a monument on the top of Botanical Hill which proclaims the spot to  the geographic centre of our country. But that’s not entirely true either – the official spot is actually about 50km away in the middle of Golden Downs Forest.

Mind you, even Nelson’s claimed central location is better than that suggested a few years ago by scientists who said that if all of New Zealand’s continental shelf is included in the calculations, then the country’s geographic centre should be located 11km north-west of Greytown in Wairarapa.

It’s tempting to think that if said scientists regard the sea bed as part of New Zealand’s land mass, then maybe they should attempt to live there...

There’s always been some debate about the exact location of the centre of the North Island, too. Because of its Te-Ika-a-Maui shape, various claims have been made that the centre is at Waharoa north of Matamata, and at Horahora near Cambridge, and at the base of Mt Titiraupenga in the middle of Pureora Forest Park.

Personally we’re in favour of the Pureora location, because we love the story about how it was located.

In 1961 a Taupo surveyor created a cardboard cut-out of the North Island, bent it slightly to take into account the curvature of the earth, then suspended it using a pin and thin nylon. When a perfect balance was obtained, the spot where the pin was stuck was deemed the geographic centre of the island. As good a way as any, huh?

During our research we discovered there’s a plinth deep in the Pureora Forest that marks that spot – so we decided we should find it. And we further decided that to find this perfectly central location we should use a vehicle brand that is all about balance.

So we chose Subaru. After all, all its models are all-wheel drive. They are all powered by boxer engines with low centres of gravity. As a result, all the brand’s vehicles are among the most balanced on the market.

Our research further told us that actually getting to the official centre of the North Island is a bit of a mission, especially in the middle of winter, because there are several kilometres of rough unsealed road to be negotiated. So we felt that removed Subaru’s lower-riding Impreza, WRX, Levorg and Legacy models out of the selection, leaving an SUV choice of XV, Forester or Outback.

We got our hands on an XV, which in essence is a jacked-up and SUV-ised version of the Impreza five-door hatch, complete with hard plastic bodyshell protection, bigger wheels and tyres, and perhaps most importantly a 220mm ride height.

Our XV was a good one, too. A top $42,490 Premium model that has just undergone a minor facelift that has seen a bit of cosmetic change, some minor powertrain adjustments, and improvements to the brand’s EyeSight driver assist technology.

The XV is one of two Subaru models – the other is the Forester – that have recently also become available as an eBoxer mild hybrid.

But for our assignment our XV was the conventional version, powered by a 2.0-litre four cylinder boxer engine that offered 115 kW of power and 196Nm of torque.

So where to go? We were instructed to drive along SH30 between Te Kuiti and Whakamaru, turn off the highway at a dot of a place called Barryville to end up at a DOC facility at Pureora, then enter the forest park itself along an unsealed route called Link Rd.

This we duly did, and it wasn’t long before we were really appreciating the extra ground clearance as we picked our way along a route that got increasingly rough.  The, just as we were beginning to worry that somehow we’d missed our destination, we reached a turnoff signposted Centre of North Island Rd.

Then after a short drive down an even rougher piece of roading, we reached a carpark where we parked our XV and walked 300 metres through bush to the plinth.  It was located in a little clearing, sitting alongside DOC signage that indicates various walking and cycling tracks in the area.

Truth be told, it was all a little underwhelming. Maybe, we thought, considering just how the location had been found close to 60 years ago, the centre of the North Island could have been better marked not by a concrete plinth – but by a big sculpture representing a pin....

So we turned around the drove home again, scrabbling our way along the rough and very wet Link Rd, before finally getting our by now very muddy XV Premium  back onto SH30.

The Subaru XV is an unassuming sort of small SUV. It does come in for criticism from some quarters for a lack of power, but we feel this is often because the critics don’t quite understand how boxer engines work.

Granted, our XV would no doubt offer improved performance if it were fitted with  the 2.5-litre engine from the slightly larger Forester SUV – which is going to happen in North America where the XV is called Crosstrek – but even with 2.0-litre power the vehicle has a strong feel about it.

In typical Subaru fashion, this vehicle enjoys being worked, both on the road and off it. Which is just as well, because the boxer engine does need to be worked.

Even thought the XV’s interior dimensions are the same as the Impreza hatch, it feels a lot more substantial. Maybe it’s the higher ride height and the fact that at the Premium level it is shod with 18-inch wheels and tyres, but this Subaru feels a lot bigger than it actually is.

And that potentially positions the XV as the most offroad-ready small SUVs currently on the market, to the extent we’d be happier taking one off the seal than we might do in such product as Mazda CX-3, Hyundai Kona, Kia Seltos and Hyundai Venue.