Volkswagen Touareg V8 R-Line: Right kind of 'wrong'

If this flagship represents diesel’s last gasp, it’s one heck of a deep breath.

Price: $141,900

Powertrain and economy: 4.0-litre turbodiesel V8, 310kW/900Nm, 8-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 9.9L/100km, CO2 258g/km.

Vital statistics: 4878mm long, 1984mm wide, 1702mm high, 2984mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 810 litres, 21-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Effortlessly muscular, a smart alternate to more prestigious VW Group models.

We don't like: Emissions count, no third row seating, awkwardly-site front cupholders.

 AROUND $60 billion to spend on increasing the count and production of electric cars and batteries … within the next four years.

You could say Volkswagen Group is spending as if there’s no tomorrow … and, in a way, that’s exactly why they’re doing it. That the ‘tomorrows’ for orthodox fossil fuelled vehicles are running out is recognised as being a cold, hard fact.

VW isn’t hanging around for the end of that world as we know it before concocting a Plan B. It’s blasting off to Planet Electric now. There’ll be 70 all-electric VW Group models by 2030, of which 20 are already signed off, and around 60 hybrid models by then as well, of which just over half are already being built.

 The volume ambitions are massive: 26 million fully electric models built this decade; 19 million based on the MEB (basically, mainstream electric) platform that underpins the NZ-bound Skoda Enyaq, Audi Q4, VW ID.4 crossovers, the remainder utilising a high-performance PPE (for ‘premium platform electric’) underpinning, which has yet to be used. That one is designed for vehicles of medium size or larger and is suited to both low- and high-riding applications.

Their rush has been fuelled by Dieselgate. VW’s unfortunate incident has utterly reshaped Europe’s biggest car maker and hastened the death of diesel.

Or so the headlines might have you believe. In fact, as much as VW is keen to move on from a period of significant unpleasantness – and despite the fuel type falling fast out of favour in key markets close to VW’s homeland -  it has yet to quit a dirty habit.

Look at the make’s pitches into the markets two core sectors, utes and large sports utilities, and you’d have to conclude diesel is far from dead. Quite the contrary. 

Still, that’s going to change. A platform-sharing project with Ford in which the Blue Oval takes the lead role means the next generation of VW’s Amarok, coming in 2022, is set to be a ‘Ranger-rok’. The drivetrains remain a mystery, but Ford has said it wants to electrify its commercials. Hence why NZ will get a fully battery-enabled Transit as an option to the PHEV edition now incoming. Same for the traydeck? 

Later this year, the big Touareg five-seater sports utility wagon will also take the plug-in plunge, becoming not only the first in this family to do so but also set to be the first large mainstream sub-$150,000 European vehicle here in that format.

The e-Hybrid variant is going to be high-profile. It represents as a member of the make’s R performance sub-brand and delivers with the same 250kW turbocharged 2.9-litre petrol V6 mated to a 100kW electric motor, fed by a 14.1kWh battery mounted beneath the boot floor, that has represented in the Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid.

It’s a smart drivetrain: Up to 50kms’ electric-only running, plus emissions and economy that, just a decade ago, would have only been possible from a small car. Yet it’s a miser with serious muscle. Hence that R accreditation. Although VW says their package prioritises comfort and refinement over outright punch, it’ll be … well, electrifying. Expect the 0-100kmh sprint to take around five seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 250kmh.  

So the Touareg R is a model to look forward to, the next big step into a future we cannot ignore, one that quite potentially will lead to an all-electric conclusion in time.

Still, it would be surprising if Touareg fans immediately warm to it. Not because electric isn’t ‘right’ so much as because diesel has done their vehicle of choice no wrong.

Of all VW’s SUV models, the Touareg has consistently been the most dedicated to diesel powertrains with proven plus points of low fuel consumption and running costs for higher kilometres-per-litre economy, effortless grunt and long range between refills. 

Having a new compression-champ in the line is unlikely to make transition away from the dark side any easier.

The new 4.0-litre V8 that became available from late last year is potentially going to be viewed as the most obvious alternate to the electric newcomer, given it holds the same flagship status and is very likely set to be closest on price.

 If comparison is to be made, however, it’s likely there will more differences than similarities in how they operate and what they deliver.

They come closest in respect to power, and even then there’s no parity; the PHEV generating 30kW more than the big-bore diesel. When it comes to torque, the diesel wins easily, with a third as much again.

VW has yet to present economy and emissions figures for the PHEV, but it’s fair to assume the counts Porsche has discussed will be a fair indication. In which case … well, it cleans up against every diesel. Comprehensively. Which of course, is the whole point. Even though it meets latest Euro 6 requirements, and rarely puts out any black smoke even at start-up, a rated count of – cough, cough – 258 grams per 100km means that, even with the smog unseen, the V8 counts as a smutty thing.

Still, while a black mark, it’s hardly a killer blow in our market, not least when our Government has yet to initiate any particular emissions legislation. It’s not the cleanest new diesel, but at same token it’s far from being the dirtiest vehicle on our roads. You only need to follow any school bus or any light truck imported used from Japan to be reminded of that.

The prospect of the V8 being subbed out once the Touareg R hits the playing field has never been voiced by VW here and I doubt it’ll happen, for good reason that the latter has become an immediate hit since launch.

To say that this engine has imprinted on the buyer base is an understatement. It’s quite possibly the ultimate black hearted hero of the moment. 

The test car, at time of driving, the last of the First Edition models that comprised the initial shipment; every one of those was snapped up. Basically, all examples on the next boat were signed up when still at sea and there’s a growing waiting list.

The appeal is pretty obvious. Putting environmental concerns to one side, the spec of this twin-turbo engine is drool-inducingly impressive.

For one, it’s the most powerful Touareg engine ever; gruntier even than the first generation model’s flawed but fondly-remembered V10, developed at the behest of Ferdinand Piech to simultaneously elevate the diesel engine and the VW brand.

It’s come to this model with an illustrious heritage, having done time in the rich-lister Audi SQ7 and SQ8 and the Bentley Bentayga – where it took an electric supercharger. The lack of that latter element in the VW formula is no particular problem as it still emphatically from a different planet than the Touareg’s V6 that, in most powerful form, makes 100kW less power and 300Nm less torque. 

Those who bought into the First Edition did well. With a Black Pack trim – literally that, with every exterior element in that colour (and most of the interior, too) – it’s a smart-looking car and a smart buy, too. The premium it held over the regular version covered the cost of a 48-volt active roll stabilisation system that’s a $7500 cost-extra in the regular model. In addition to this, the First Edition also received a superb Dynaudio sound system. That’s also a pricey item, so effectively it came for free in this case.

The engine is the big pull. Quite literally. The appeal reveals easily; it’s smooth, refined and massively powerful; put your foot down and, no matter what pace you happen to be holding, it just surges forward with huge and growing momentum. In typical diesel style, the oomph emerges in considerable force at rev levels at which any performance petrol would still be in doze mode. Even at a steady 100kmh, the thing is typically showing around 1800rpm on the dial. There are quite a few numbers between there and the redline that possibly will never be visited much at all, if ever. Because there’s no need.

Ok, so it’d be stretching to say it's not wholly free from lag, in spite of the efforts of its clever dual turbo set-up. There is still a momentary hesitation, but once that breath is taken, though, the load of seamless stonk is truly impressive and bodes well for off-roading and towing. Anyone who buys one of these and doesn’t use it to haul something significant is wasting a tonne (well, two and bit tonnes) of talent.

What’s a bit unnerving, initially at least, is that there’s not a lot of noise when it goes into lout mode, at least until you activate the performance mode. That seems to introduce extra aural fireworks. But it’s not necessarily a true-life soundtrack. I suspect it has an acoustic enhancer that uses the stereo speakers. Leave it in the standard drive mode, though, and it is pretty quiet.

Economy suffers when you push the limits, of course, but it’s nothing like as thirsty as any petrol. Volkswagen claims an optimal 9.9 litres per 100km is possible, but I wasn’t at all unhappy seeing an average of ‘only’ 10.8L/100km from a week-long stint in which the vehicle was employed in a wide variety of driving duties, even a touch of off-roading. Nothing particularly strenuous, of course.

Putting almost 500km on the clock accounted for less half a tank consumed; nothing to do with a poorly calibrated gauge. This version runs a 90-litre fuel tank. According to the drive computer, it will deliver at least 1100km of range on a single tank. So you could cruise all day. 

About that. Cruising is what is does best, yet don’t estimate the talent: On occasion it feels even more agile to drive than the Audi Q7, which is supposedly the sportier model.

That active roll stabilisation system definitely has positive imprint on body roll, the air suspension that either firms or soften the ride, depending on what you want, is also a good thing and having 4Motion permanent four-wheel drive is an obvious plus. True, it’s not outright thrilling, but it does come across as a easily-controlled car, but not an outright dextrous one.  

Of course, that’s all written in context of its sheer size. In pure physical terms, this generation of Touareg large enough to be hulking, so it’s a big thing to put down a country road.

In that scenario, the steering also still feels a bit too light and distant for true entertainment; it needs room stop, too. The PHEV should be better, but so it should, given the pedigree it’ll bring. R-Line is all well and good, but nothing should surpass a real R.

Saying it’s happiest on big, wide, sweeping roads is perhaps not a criticism. The ride quality is more decent than you’ll find from the Audi equivalent, for instance. And being more laidback suits the overall personality. The combo of refinement, sledgehammer thump, quality, comfort and space mean that it's a decent choice for long journeys, and a deeply pleasant thing into which to climb every day. But it's not as agile, nor flickable, nor engaging as it might be. Call it composed.

The exterior styling - big, square of shoulder and jaw, and with that massive radiator grille and piercing lights – is lasting well, but it's the interior that’s the Touareg’s strongest aspect.

Quality levels in this model are exceptionally high, and even if if the overall design and layout might seem a bit stark and grey – because, well, that’s just the VW way - it's nonetheless a very pleasant place in which to spend time.

If you had to pick one outstanding aspect, it's that it is very welcoming to occupants. Front seat occupants haul themselves into big front armchairs. Those behind also enjoy decent comfort and lots of leg and headroom.  There's no seven-seat Touareg as yet, nor any sign of one on the horizon. Is that because VW doesn't want to pinch sales from the seven-seat Q7? Anyway, it does have a massive boot.

All Touaregs bring a huge amount of equipment to the table and all have the 15-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dash backed up by the 12.3-inch 'Active Info' display behind the wheel, which is your all-singing, all-dancing instrument panel.

The two displays are linked, although you can't slide, drag and drop items between them, but you can use the central display to setup the information that the instruments show you. You can also use it to adjust the seats, the stereo, the navigation, the climate control - virtually everything in fact. There are hardly any physical buttons. Yes, the system is a touch fiddly and thought-intensive at times, but it’s more logical than many.

The comfort, the car’s height and solidity, plus performance that feels brisk and muscular enough for almost any circumstance … well, there’s a lot going for this particular variant.

All in all, it very much reinforces that while diesel is slowly leaving the scene, it isn’t set to depart without reinforcing why it still has many merits.

Hyundai Santa Fe Limited: Enriching a well-received recipe

Hyundai’s translation of ‘facelift’ is especially bold – really, you’re dealing with a complete refit.

Price: $89,990

Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre turbo diesel four cylinder, 148kW/ 440Nm, 8-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 6.1L/100km.

Vital statistics: 4785mm long, 1710mm high, 1900mm wide, 2765mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 571 litres, 20-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Improved powertrain, enhanced refinement, quality build, strong safety spec, better interior.

We don't like: Tech integration quirks (phone, speed sign recognition), challenging premium over equivalent Sorento.

 FIRST, the obvious ‘funny’: Yes, Santa did come to ‘ours’ for Christmas.

More than that. He arrived four days ahead of the 25th and stuck around for three more afterward, and though there was plenty of travel involved during that period, I can attest every kilometre clocked was in our company. Moreover, he never left out property on the night of the 24th, which all the more undermined the whole Claus and Co ‘people to see, places to go and just a few hours to do it in one global hit’ mission statement.

Okay, so that about as far as the ‘punny’ side can be stretched; you’ll should have surely already fathomed by now, hopefully with some ho-ho-ho, that the Santa in question wasn’t a bearded stout bloke but the updated version of Hyundai’s now second-largest (having been bumped by Palisade) sports utility.

Having the new Santa Fe Limited for test during the Christmas break was a treat. Hyundai New Zealand’s car even provisioned in a seasonally-appropriate hue; what they call it ‘lava orange’ is really quite red-tinged. Even if you think otherwise, you’d agree it is the best hue you could have for this car. It accentuates all the design highlights and makes it look properly premium.

Again, that’s fitting, given the circumstances. Santa Fe stickers have progressively, and often significantly, stepped up with every model change for some time now. The latest continues that trend; the Limited now in optimal 2.2-litre turbodiesel format leaves just $10 change from a $90,000 outlay.  

Is that rare air for a high flier? Here’s the thing: Every new generation has become an even bigger success than the last. On top of this, the most expensive version are consistently the biggest sellers.

Hyundai NZ will say this shows that, as gambles go, the strategy has so far been pretty much a safe bet. But I’d offer two counter-points. First, from everything I can see, NZ seems to have become one of the more expensive places to buy the car in right hand drive.

Also, look at where Kia slots the new Sorento. Their Premium variant that is a doppelganger in all but styling to the Limited is a full $13,000 cheaper. How the subordinate and parent brand can site so far apart is for each to explain; what it means is that the biggest threat to the car on test comes from another family member.  

Back to the Santa Fe. What we get is a mid-life facelift of the car that has been in production since 2017. What we see is something much more.  So much has changed that impression of it being a new thing, though technically wrong, can hardly be called misguided.

The exterior stylists have been busy – a different nose and tail are the most obvious changes - the cabin’s been extensively made over, there’s a lift in driver assistance tech, it switches to another platform from within the wider family and gains a next generation engine, now matched to an eight-speed twin-clutch automatic, continuing with all-wheel drive.  

The front-end refurbishment is take-or-leave at Limited level; Hyundai configures the car with two grille designs this time, with the premium edition taking the larger, more chromed version. I understand that big grilles are a thing now, but this one is … erm, overwhelming in its glam-ness. The new Tucson that will soon show here has something similar, but also achieves a really cool back-lighting effect that changes the whole thing. Perhaps it’ll become a running change for the big brother. In respect to lighting, the Santa Fe places running lamps up high and the main headlights down low; again, it’s a bit out of the norm, but there’s no qualms about their effectiveness.

From the inside looking out, much better. The step up in interior quality and ambience grab you immediately; soft quilted leather, double-glazed front door glass, a very decent stereo and a whole new, LCD-predominant instrumental layout all firm up the luxury image. Sure, there are a few harder-wearing plastics to be found, but overall it feels high tech and prestigious.

The emphasis on enhanced minimalism has resulted in one of the core controls being divested. Losing the traditional gear shifter comes with the adoption of fully electronic operability; having buttons for drive, reverse, park and neutral is not ground-breaking even within Hyundai ranks (the Kona EV has gone this way) and you cannot fault argument that the tranny is so smart it hardly requires hand-motivated involvement (which can still be enabled by steering column-mounted paddle shifts). Still, the button layout looks a bit chintzy and it’s a layout that will require some practicing with before it becomes instinctual.

Below this, something else new. A Terrain Mode selector. Santa Fe achieving a control knob to switch between modes for sand, snow and mud, as well as eco, sport, comfort and smart modes, the last of which automatically recognises the driving style and selects a mode so the driver does not have to, is intriguing.  

Does it make this car a Land Rover hunter? Well, no. It’s hard to imagine the Santa Fe being taken on expeditions into truly tough terrain; ground clearance is modest, there’s no robust underbody protection and it drives on road tyres. That makes it more crossover than cross country in my book, but maybe Hyundai knows otherwise.

The centre touch screen and the wholly LCD display directly ahead of the driver are also start again and are well sorted, packed with smarts and really lift the interior presentation.

Santa Fe has all the usual driver assists and accident avoidance systems, and was also one of the first SUVs with child-minded features such as a reminder about seat occupancy and doors being opened. That sense of responsibility carries into the new car with a camera set-up that checks out blind spots, activating when you’re indicating into a turn. The speedo or tacho dials transform into camera views down the relevant inside flank. It’s a good safeguard and a reminder, perhaps, that cheeky cyclists are a worldwide problem. Another assist is a self-park feature that allows you to stand beside the car and, from pushing a button on the key fob, activating it into a self-drive mode, moving either directly forward or reverse at low speed. It’s really just for tight parking spots, obviously, and is carefully calibrated (it won’t work unless the car is locked and cabin vacated), with self-stopping to avoid striking solid objects. 

Some of the technology implementation is a bit haphazard. The car’s speed sign recognition and phone integration set-ups are deserving more attention, in both instances because there’s been failure to embrace latest practices. Simply to save dollars? 

With the first function, Hyundai would be better off with what others tend to now use; a camera-dedicated system with smarts to recognise and relays signs in real time. However, instead Santa Fe relies on navigation data from the onboard sat nav. The drawback there is that this can often be outdated, because mapping doesn’t tend to be updated regularly. So it transpired on this test.

Three months ago a 50kmh sector was implemented within a section of 100kmh road near me. That obviously hasn’t made the mapping update; the system was oblivious to it. I’m sure that wouldn’t wash as an excuse. On the other hand, the Santa Fe did insist on warning about a fixed speed camera … removed ages ago.

The Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration is also irksome. The wireless charging that now includes really asks for wireless tethering to meet best practice now. Here, though, you get a Qi recharging pad yet, to enable your phone as an audio source, there’s requirement for cable tethering. Which is self-defeating. If I cable in, there’s no need for a charger; the phone will simply pull in power from the USB; yet conversely, the charger is the most logical place to leave the phone. Also, the charge mat and US inputs are poorly-sited, by being on each side of the front cupholders, which raises potential of fouling any drinks with the cable. If the holders are empty, you can hide the whole area under a cover; except that, occasionally, the cable would get caught in the mechanism. A Bluetooth audio connect would resolve everything. So, if the facelift gets a facelift, let’s hope that’s a priority.

The car’s overall strength continues to be spaciousness. In that respect, the usual attributes from the previous Santa Fe - plenty of oddment storage in the doors and consoles – are enlivened by improvements Hyundai has facilitated by eked out some extra human occupancy room, especially for the second row of seats, which is claimed to have 39mm more leg room. 

With all seats in place boot capacity remains unchanged at 130 litres, but drop the rearmost, child-prioritised pews and 571-782 litres (up from 547) is available depending on the position of the middle seats (they’re on sliding rails). With all rear seats stowed 1649 litres of commodious cargo capacity is afforded.  

The driving side of things is also a story of progression. The ‘newness’ of the N3 platform it has moved to is valid only in respect to the Santa Fe itself.

Hyundai and subordinate Kia have a strange habit of building outwardly sister cars on slightly different underpinnings; in this instance the one that the Sorento has had for several years (and maintains) is also adopted by Hyundai.

Change to driving mannerism is beneficial; Santa Fe continues to trade on its core appeal of a resolved ride quality, but perception that dynamic confidence – the area where the Sorento has perhaps eked ahead – also comes transmits with equal clarity. It’s not outright sporty, but neither is the Kia; to go that way would be self-defeating, given the primary audience. 

All the same, it deports with a surety that will not disappoint and strikes as being a car in which long journeys will be achieved in comfort and without the driver feeling as though they’ve had to work all the way. All the key controls perform well and in line with a sorted seven-seat SUV. The driving position is solid – a little more side support from the seat wouldn’t go amiss – the steering feels well weighted, the brakes feel reassuring, and there’s good visibility all around thanks largely to the decent glass area and wide-view side mirrors.

Santa Fe’s refinement has always been decent, but seems all the more impressive now. There’s obviously been ongoing work on quelling and road noise – Hyundai doesn’t specifically say that more sound-insulation has been added, but it would make sense if that was the case. You’d expect to achieve some tyre roar from the 20-inch rubber that the Limited runs with, but it’s very well-contained on seal, including coarse chip. What’s also apparent is the lessened mechanical tone from ahead of the firewall. The alloy engine is markedly less guttural than the old item at start-up and is smoother and less invasive on the run.

A 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel has been a mainstay for almost as long as the Santa Fe nameplate has been around and it’s interesting that Hyundai has invested in a new interpretation, this time with an alloy head and block, when it has a battery-assisted petrol, in mild and full-out plug-in hybrid, formats also coming into line. Conceivably, the latter will ultimately become the priority for meeting environmental mandates.

The diesel is lighter by 19kg and said to be more efficient. Whether it will remain the thriftiest engine remains conjecture until Hyundai releases the hybrids’ claimed economy, but it looks good for the type. Claim of it delivering an optimal 19 percent greater efficiency and 6.1 litres per 100km economy wasn’t supported on the test week; but the driving cycle was hardly conducive. Still, it hardly gulped.

Like its predecessor, the diesel delivers its best attributes through the low to medium rev range; there’s a load of easy-going pull from the get-go. Some high-end Euro diesels are smoother still, but Hyundai has nothing to be ashamed of. The unit’s muscularity will doubtless hold it in good stead when accessing the 2500kg braked towing capacity.

A variation of the one to be fitted to the i30 N hot hatch, the new eight-speed box undoubtedly also enhances the engine’s capability. It uses oil-submerged clutch packs, so it’s deemed a ‘wet’ gearbox, which aids cooling and NVH levels. It’s a slick unit, with swifter responsiveness than the old auto. The real test for DCTs is how they perform in low-speed, stop start driving – basically your end-of-work day urban crawl. Good to say that, when subjected to this, it rarely seemed to fall into the jerkiness that blights some DCTs. It’ll rev-match on down changes, while there’s a Sport mode should the mood take you.

A slicker, smarter, more refined and far from-anonymous Santa Fe relates how confident Hyundai has become as a car maker. Brand assertion about the car having assumed a ‘a new level of luxury’ is fair; the flagship definitely has a premium look and feel. The manner in which it drives and performs also speaks volumes. It’s a class act; good enough to mix more comfortably with Euro elites in this sector.

But you might well say the same about a certain close relation. Talk about the art of the deal.

‘Little Limpopo’ in Te Popo – an African adventure in deepest Taranaki

Ford’s latest Escape is an appealing touring vehicle. The ST Line X flagship is taken on safari.

TE Popo Gardens was established 45 years ago in hill country east of the central Taranaki town of Stratford.

Over the years it has been developed so it now covers 13 hectares, has a café and camping area, and offers bed and breakfast accommodation.

In recent times current owners Les and Amanda Heynie have taken it all to a new level – they have placed a series of life-sized galvanised iron sculptures of African wildlife throughout the gardens.

At the entrance you’re met by an antelope. Further along the driveway there’s a rhino quietly grazing. Close to the café a jaguar is chasing down a wildebeest. Nearby there’s a hippo in a pond. Two adult elephants with a youngster. A giraffe family. Two sparring gemsbok.

It’s all very impressive. The Heynies’ hail from South Africa, and during a visit there a couple of years ago they discovered a street vendor offering the sculptures for sale. So they purchased the lot, and had them put into a shipping container and sent to New Zealand.

And now they populate Te Popo Gardens, which is about 13 km east of Stratford along winding country roads through Taranaki hinterland. It all goes to show how international the world is becoming – a South African couple working to put their country’s touch to an iconic regional garden in Aotearoa.

Motor vehicles are totally international these days too, and the Ford Escape ST Line X we used to visit the gardens is a classic example.

The first Escape, which was launched in 2001, was a joint venture between Ford and then Ford majority-owned Mazda, essentially marrying the underpinnings of the Mazda 626 sedan with a range of Ford powertrains.

 That model was sold as the Ford Escape and the Mazda Tribute in many parts of the world including New Zealand. But then the nameplate disappeared in this country - Mazda went its own way and began developing its own CX range of SUVs, while Ford concentrated on selling the larger Aussie-built Territory.

It wasn’t until 2013 that a medium-sized Ford SUV returned, but this time it was sourced from Europe and therefore carried the European name of Kuga. That name remained until 2017 when the model underwent a heavy facelift and the decision was made to revive the Escape badge.

Now a brand-new fourth-generation model is on sale, and it maintains this convention.

It also retains a few other things too, all of which underlines the international-ness of today’s motoring – it continues to be sourced from Valencia in Spain, and it is still powered by a 2.0-litre four cylinder turbocharged and direct-injected EcoBoost engine that is also made in Spain.

And that means this model continues a tradition of being one of the most powerful medium SUVs on the market. That’s particularly the case with the model we used for our visit to that New Zealand garden with the South African touch; the paint hue being called Rapid Red seemed appropriate as it certainly made good use of the 183kW of power and 387Nm of torque on tap.

This Escape is al-wheel drive and runs on big 19-inch alloys shod with 225/55 R19 tyres, and the suspension is sports tuned. The Ford offers selectable drive modes which includes Sport, and if you hit an M button on the vehicle’s rotary gearshift you are able to operate its eight-speed automatic manually by using paddle shifters.

So the latest Escape has the ability to scoot along, with excellent low-down torque thanks to its turbocharging, which in many respects belies outward appearances that, while more swept than the model it replaces, are still quite conservative. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, perhaps?

That isn’t to say the new Escape isn’t attractive, because it is. It is longer, wider and 83mm lower than the previous model, and that helps make it one of the best-looking medium SUVs on offer. Actually it looks very much like an enlarged Focus hatch, which makes sense as both vehicles are built off the same platform.

The interior is well-designed and quite Focus-like, too. That makes it significantly different to the Escape it replaces, with the major features including that rotary shifter instead of a traditional gearshift, and at the ST-Line X level a 12-inch full LCD instrument cluster.

Escape also features some design elements that I really like because they give a point of difference between the Ford and most other choices in the burgeoning medium SUVs segment.

For example, I really liked the little rubber arms that pop out of the doors whenever they are opened, which helps protect paintwork in places such as supermarket carparks. I also appreciated a sliding rear seat that can be moved back and forward to provide a choice of more cargo room or more rear leg room.

Another example of good industrial design is a tonneau cover that is attached to the rear glass so it moves out of the way when the rear hatch is lifted up.

The new Escape carries a very high level of convenience and safety specification too, particularly at the ST-Line X level which carries a retail price of $55,990. Just about every state-of-the-art safety, security and driver assistance item is aboard this SUV, which helps give it a five-star Ancap safety rating.

But there are some downsides with this latest Ford.

One is that, like the Escape it replaces, its fuel economy is quite high. The vehicle is rated to run on 95 octane petrol, and while its official combined fuel economy is 8.6 L/100km in actual practice it is higher than that.

Another slight downside is that despite the sportier intent of the ST-Line X version of the Escape, it’s not really a sporty SUV. Not really.

That begs an obvious question as to whether family-oriented medium-sized SUVs are meant to be sporty anyway. No they are not, just as these days such vehicles aren’t designed to be off-road capable. I mean, there’s no way I’d want to take this Escape, with its 18-inch low profile tyres and 178mm ground clearance, across too much rough ground.

But what the new Escape is, is a spacious and comfortable SUV full of convenience and safety aids, all there to help provide a very good motoring experience. Just the ticket to cruise New Zealand and visit surprise attractions such as those gardens at Te Popo with all its African animal sculptures.

Ford Escape ST-Line X: Staking a solid claim

This medium sports utility goes heavy on spaciousness, specification and sizzle, but a touch more character and driver appeal wouldn’t go amiss.

Price: $55,990

Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre turbo petrol four cylinder, 184kW/387Nm, 8-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 8.6L/100km.

Vital statistics: 4620mm long, 1666mm high, 2178mm wide, 2710mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 556 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Hefty tech implementation, improved interior space over Kuga, strong powertrain.

We don't like: Lacks the Puma’s charisma, some iffy interior plastics.

MEDIUM and compact sports utilities have been all the rage for the past couple of years and with more adding in-vogue electric-assistance to their fossil-fuelled drivetrains, what’s to bet against strong demand continuing this year. 

Conceivably, then, Ford New Zealand has timed its run nicely with the new Puma and next-size-up Escape.

Respectively aimed at the small and medium sectors, these are new models based off well-respected hatchbacks – the Puma off the Euro-centric Fiesta, Escape off the more globally-sorted Focus – landing with the attraction of fresh stylings and strong specifications.

 Though they are not quite sister ships in different sizes, they certainly arrive as a double act opportunity with good chance of drawing interest from SUV-hungry customers keen to venture beyond the usual Japanese and South Korean opportunities.

We’ve already tested the Puma and found it hugely likeable. Now the Escape comes under the spotlight. Same again in a larger serving?

Well, to a degree. Think of these less as blood brothers and more like slightly estranged cousins. There are various reasons why the larger model delivers a different ambience, mainly relating to the DNA. Escape, like the Focus, is more of a Ford for global consideration than Fiesta and Puma; the latter really being engineered and designed for Europe, within that market. Whereas Escape, like Focus, has felt the hand of influencers within the make’s home office, in Detroit.

So, regardless of high commonality in general design flavour, they do take different paths in all sorts of ways, well beyond the obvious disparities of North America’s favouritism for shiny leather, wider and less form-fitting front seats and allowance for some harder plastics than you tend to find in Euro fare.

Beyond that, there’s the on-road feel. Puma is very driver-centric and fun-focused; as much as compact crossovers often tailor to appeal as urban hard-roofed couples-suited sports cars, this one really does raise the bar. 

The Escape is more circumspect in how it delivers on that front. Some of this is probably due to it being a more family-minded product, but you cannot help sense that the car’s attitude is also reflective of it having to find acceptance in a place Puma doesn’t tread, North America.

It’s not as laidback as the even larger and now-departed (yes, after just two years here) Ford Endura, which came to us from Canada, yet neither does it have the Puma’s energetic vitality and, if measured against the Focus, might seem less involving. 

That’s a bit of a shame, but it doesn’t scupper the Escape’s changes, and not just because it’s highly probable the targeted customer might not really care about sportiness so much as good spec, spaciousness and sensibility.

If those are more important boxes to tick, then the Escape does look very worthy of further investigation. It has good chance of establishing coherent crossover competence because it avails in useful formats across a reasonably wide price span and has the option – across all but the base specification - of an all-wheel-drive element.  

While the relevance of this has to be tempered with the reality of how that will be used – frankly, it’s a provision more useful for on-road aptitude than in enhancing any ability beyond – it does at least give this model a degree of additional usefulness.

Beyond that, the attractions are that it builds, just as the preceding Kuga did, off the underpinning and mechanicals of a popular car with a good reputation, that it is usefully-sized – having grown 89mm longer and 44mm wider than the Kuga, yet becoming lithe (6mm lower, up to 80kg lighter) – that it shares strong styling similarity with the donor Focus and that it is stacked in respect to the specification.

The latter deserves consideration. As much as we’re used to ‘modern’ cars now coming out with features that were hardly a given for high-priced prestige products less than a decade ago, the Escape really does provision richly across a lineup representing in base (just called ‘Escape’), ST-Line and ultimate ST-Line X level that’s on test here.

At face value the base $42,990 car seems good enough to make the more expensive variants seem unnecessary, given it delivers with 17-inch alloy wheels, wireless phone charging, embedded satellite navigation, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, a reversing camera, traffic jam assist, traffic sign recognition.

It also features Ford’s embedded FordPass modem, which provides data connectivity to the car, and enables remote unlocking, a find-my-car feature, fuel level checking, and remote start with air-conditioning function, all from your smartphone. Not a function we could enable for this test, unfortunately, yet one that will be useful in genuine ownership expertience.

The additional expense of the ST-Line ($47,990 in front-drive, $50,990 with AWD) buys in a 12-inch digital instrument cluster that is a mine of information, plus it achieves ambient LED lighting, rain sensing wipers, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, keyless entry, tyre pressure monitoring, a rear spoiler, roof rails, an ST-Line body kit and 18-inch alloy wheels. Again, a really complete suite of sweet stuff.

So you’d go to the $55,990 ST-Line X because …? Well, basically to establish a ‘top trumps’ status.

The only edition that occasions without the front-drive option, it alone also achieves partial leather upholstery, clever “dynamic bending” LED headlights, a power tailgate, a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with heating/memory for the front chairs, a panoramic sunroof, a 10-speaker B&O audio system, full self-parking ability and 19-inch rims.  

Worth the extra or simply over-egging an already rich recipe? You decide. Ford NZ concurs the flagship probably won’t be the biggest volume edition and, personally, though it is certainly handsome at the kerbside, there’s nothing here that I’d absolutely want. 

Whichever model is chosen, you’re sitting behind the same engine – a 2.0-litre petrol turbo four that produces 184kW of power and 387Nm of torque, hooked up to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

There’ll ultimately be an alternate choice plug-in hybrid version set to furnish across the mid and highest grades and offering 50km or so of pure electric propulsion. It’s a car Ford NZ is very eager to lay hands on, but unfortunately that’s not going to happen for some months yet; NZ hasn’t the priority status of key markets where such technology is incentivised and required to avoid emissions penalties, and now there’s an issue with the battery being subject to overheating issues.

In the here and now, then, it’s the ST-Line X carries the title of tech king and also stands as the best dressed of the family, having been loaded with all the body design enhancements.

Apart from having the largest diameter and best-looking alloy design, it achieves body-coloured plastic side cladding, which helps create the visual effect of a lower stance. Black window strips in lieu of chrome items, square-tipped exhaust shrouds are another element that lifts its perceived quality. 

Notwithstanding the iffy quality of some of the plastics, the cabin looks and feels well considered. That 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is abetted by an 8.0-inch central infotainment screen, which features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (usefully, the Escape has both wireless and USB-C device charging) and has crisp resolution and good colour. You get a head-up display that, unlike many, remains clearly visible through polarised sunglasses.

The Jaguar-esque circular gear selector, also a feature of the Puma and Focus, is a bit of a love-or-hate item; yes, I agree that it is brilliant for freeing up room in the lower console (and thus creating space for a large, open storage tray and decent-sized cupholders) but, as in those other recipient cars, over a week’s driving I never found it intuitive. I constantly found myself having to check that I’d engaged the correct drive mode.

Fortunately, the greater part of the technology provision isn’t so challenging. That’s a great thing to say, because this car really delivers excellent focus on driver assistance features, even beyond the … erm … Focus.

 Adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert all feature as standard. As a colleague pointed out it would be even better with a 360-degree camera, but overall you have a host of useful assists that are easy to understand, operate and adjust to suit your preferences. It’s just a shame a touch more effort wasn’t put into making the cabin aesthetic as smart as the tech. Even though the materials feel durable and hard-wearing, it lacks the quality seen in some rivals. 

Kuga proved to be a good choice of car for family use but Escape might be even better; the doors open that little bit wider and there’s just so much more room in the back – considerations that will appeal to those who need to fit in a couple of child seats.

In terms of adult occupant space, it’s also good. The back of the front chairs has been scalloped to provision optimal legroom and the boxy roof line allows for decent head room. While I just couldn’t get the front driver’s chair quite low enough for my taste – that’s a major change from the Puma, which offers much more adjustment - had I been sitting behind it I would not have complained about the generous foot room that results from the slightly high-set placement.

Rear seat occupants also achieve access to a fast-charging USB-C and regular USB port but might wish for more storage options. The rear door pockets are far from generous and the absence of a centre armrest means no cupholders or ski-flap.

The boot’s storage space varies between 412–526 litres depending on how deeply you adjust the sliding second row. The cavity is wide, though the load sill is high. 

Driven with four aboard or simply with a driver, the Escape doesn’t lack for power. It’s a strong engine from the get-go and has decent mid-range torque attributes; the elasticity of the delivery means so rolling on the power in higher gears doesn't always require dropping a gear. All in all it evidences as a brisk SUV.

The transmission gear changes are positive and the all-wheel-drive goes about its business unobtrusively, primarily sending power to just the front wheels, decoupling the rear axle for fuel saving until it is required. This setup means that for the vast majority of day-to-day driving it’s a front-wheel drive SUV, but should you hit a slippery surface – not just mud but even seal affected by torrential rain - drive is instantly sent to the wheels with the highest grip levels. Most drivers will never notice the system operating as it does so seamlessly, and it is always active, so there is no particular need to select a particular mode, though some are provided.

In Ford-speak, the ST-Line designation is only expected to signal ‘sporty’ in look rather than feel; if you want the full-out performance experience, the idea is to look to the ST model line, which means either a Fiesta or a Focus.

With that in mind, the ST-Line crossovers shouldn’t be expected to come across as hot hatch alternates. And, yet, for all that … well, the Puma in that form really could.

It’s a different story for Escape. It’s not too bad, but even with a firmer suspension setting than the base edition, there’s no Puma-esque corner-challenging cheekiness to be found here and, all in all, the chassis feels less polished.

When you slip into the Puma, it takes very little time to discern that everything about how it drives has been very carefully calibrated. You can drive it quickly, and appreciate the fun factor, but it can also be operated entirely normally and you’ll still come away thinking it’s just a bit special.

The Escape lacks that element and so struggles to be memorable in the way the Puma does, largely because it just doesn’t communicate anything like as coherently through the chassis and the controls.

The ride quality is an awkward subject. Obviously, with the lowest-profile tyres and the largest wheels, the ST-Line X is set to be most prone to being beset by road noise and even jitter from our notoriously unforgiving coarse chip surfaces. And, sure enough, those factors are evident. Yet, even on smooth tarmac ride quality seems a bit hit-and-miss.

Given the performance pep, it’s a pity the Escape wasn’t a bit more intuitive and interesting. You sense this factor could well undermine the pluses, not least that great packaging and tech credentials, which would be a pity. Yet, as is, if you pitted this car against the likes of the Toyota RAV4, a car which has really stepped up considerably in respect to driving character, and the Mazda CX-5, it’d deliver less driver enjoyment.

Still, in overall terms, even though it lacks the Puma’s spunk, the Escape is very much a good consideration for crossover and SUV fans. If the ST-Line X seems a bit rich – and it might be, unless you intend to cross-ship against the VW Tiguan and Volvo XC40 – then the $5000 cheaper ST-Line would be a decent choice.

Once the PHEV includes, Ford’s hand will be all the stronger, notwithstanding that it is set to carry a $11k premium over the ST-Line X. There’s always a stern price to pay for savings at the pump when batteries are included, sadly.

Even so, having this car and the Puma at least gives Ford a chance to divorce from being known for selling Rangers, some Mustangs and little else. As much as the ute and the Pony car have done the Blue Oval proud, there’s nothing wrong with having a properly full house hand.

Express carries value, cops ANCAP hit

After five years absence from the van sector, Mitsubishi finally has something to sell. Does the new Express tick all the commercial vehicle boxes?

Mitsubishi Express 2.0DT
Price: $44,990 (introductory pricing, regular RRP $52,990)
Powertrain and performance:  2.0-litre four cylinder dCi intercooled turbo diesel engine, 125 kW at 3500rpm, 380 Nm at 1500 rpm. Six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Fuel consumption 7.3 L/100km, emissions 191 g/km CO2.
Vital statistics: Length 4999mm, width 1956mm (excluding door mirrors), height 1971mm, wheelbase 3098mm. Cargo space 5.2 cubic metres. Pseudo MacPherson strut front suspension, beam axle and coil springs at the rear. 16-inch steel wheels with 215/65 R16C tyres.
We like: Comfortable and easy drive. Brilliant access to the cargo area. Plenty of minor storage up front. Appealing special retail price.
We don’t like: ANCAP assessment’s ‘Not Recommended’ judgement.

DID anyone hear an unusual noise coming out of Porirua a few weeks ago? That was the sound of the people at Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand Ltd breathing a collective sigh of relief when, after five years, they finally had a commercial van to sell again.

During that time it must have been a tough few years for MMNZ as it watched other distributors sell their vans in the thousands.

That’s what MMNZ used to do with its famous L300. A total of close to 40,000 of them were sold here between 1980 and 2015, with the L300 being top-selling van in several of those years. But then calamity - the decision had to be made to pull the plug on the vehicle because it no longer met modern-day safety standards.

The tragedy of that decision was that it had to be taken in the knowledge that no replacement van was available. And that forced the company to sit on its hands for five years and watch as established van manufacturers including Toyota and Ford, then newcomers such as Hyundai and more latterly LDV, combined forces to sell more than 6000 vans a year.

But then, good news.  Mitsubishi became part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, and that quickly resulted in a decision to build a Mitsubishi version of the Renault Trafic van exclusively for the commercial vehicle markets in Australia and New Zealand.

But what to call it? The van we Kiwis knew as the L300 had been marketed as the Express in Australia – and presumably because the Aussie market is much bigger than ours, it was decided that the replacement van would be Express.

Trafic is well-known all over the world, including in New Zealand. The first such van was produced in France way back in 1980, and the current model has been on the European market since 2014 where it is also sold as the Nissan NV300. A Vauxhall Vivaro version also used to be built at Luton, but that has now been replaced by the Citroen Jumpy van following PSA Group’s takeover of Opel/Vauxhall.

And now the Mitsubishi version has arrived here. It is available as a 1.6-litre twin turbocharged diesel with a six-speed manual transmission, and as a 2.0-litre single-turbo diesel with a six-speed dual clutch automatic.

Both models are front-wheel driven with what is known as Extended Grip, which is a traction control mode activated by the driver to assist in low-grip conditions. Both versions are also identical in size and offer all-important cargo volume of 5.2 cubic metres.

From the practicality point of view, Express immediately impresses as a useful van, even though it is not quite as large as the volume-selling Toyota Hiace and Ford Transit. And crucially, due to the fact it is developed off a Renault van that is at least six years old, it lacks several modern-day convenience and active safety features. More about that later.

Load space design is very good. The load area is easily accessible through dual sliding side doors and full-width rear ‘barn’ doors that feature stops at 85 degrees and 160 degrees. To open the doors to their widest you simply lift a couple of catches and they will swing open enough to allow forklift access to the cargo space.

This space measures 1268mm between the wheel housings which means it can accommodate standard-width pallets and such things as GIB sheets. Not only that, but the cargo area has 16 inbuilt cargo rings, including three on each side of the floor and five on each side wall.

In addition, there’s a large storage compartment that is accessed from the rear load area and extends under the passenger seats up to the dash, which helps allow really long items to be carried in the Mitsubishi by extending the loading length by 413mm to 1213mm.

Both versions of the Express run on a 3098mm wheelbase, with the manual model offering a maximum payload of 1150kg and the ability to tow up to 2000 kg braked, while the auto’s payload is 1116kg and braked towing capacity 1715kg.

The Express’ passenger compartment is separated from the cargo area by a bulkhead, and that means the driver environment is rather pleasant. It has three cloth-trimmed seats – a drivers seat and a passenger bench – the gearshift is up in the dash area, and a feature that underlines the van’s commercial intent is 89 litres of total storage capacity, including almost 25 litres built into the dashboard.

The middle seat has a fold-down workstation complete with pull-out clipboard, a clipboard holder, a non-slip laptop tray, and storage a laptop.

The Express also comes standard with a smartphone holder, which under normal circumstances would be a great idea, but unfortunately these days it is next to useless because it can only accommodate smaller phones from iPhone 6 size down. And although the van also has rear reversing sensors, also a bit useless is a reversing camera display which is located in the rear-view mirror.

I first encountered such a location aboard earlier model Hyundais and didn’t like it then – and I don’t like it now, because to look at the rear view requires the driver to take his or her eyes too far away from the frontal view. It’s much more user-friendly to have such a display as part of an infotainment screen mounted on the dash, but there isn’t such a thing aboard this van.

Nor is there Apple Carplay or Android Auto – the audio is a bit old-school featuring Bluetooth with voice activation and DAB.

From an operational point of view however, there are some more encouraging features. The Express has what are called aspherical wing mirrors which divide the mirror images into three sections for increased viewing, a wide-angle view mirror integrated into the passenger sun visor to help remove the left-hand blind spot, and it also has cornering front fog lights which turn on at night to light the inside of a bend.

The model we had for road test was the automatic, which is powered by a 2.0-litre intercooled turbo diesel that offers 125kW of power and 380 Nm of torque, and which is mated to a Getrag six-speed wet dual-clutch transmission with a flick shift manual sports mode.

It performs well, with an ECO mode and engine stop-start function helping reduce fuel consumption to a published 7.3 L/100km. The driver position is very good, the steering wheel is adjustable for both reach and rake, and the location of the gear lever is great. And of course visibility is great, with those big mirrors very useful.

Unlike several other competing vans, the Express is front-driven, and an interesting feature is what is called Extended Grip which is designed to enhance traction when pulling away or at low speeds on soft ground or low-grip surfaces.

When activated by the push of a button, the Extended Grip de-activates the van’s electronic stability control (ESC) to maintain torque split to each wheel. It is quite easy to get wheelspin with a van, particularly when it is unladen, and this system prevents that.

Another feature is a driving style indicator on the dashboard, which changes colour from green to yellow to red depending on how heavy-footed the driver is. Gee – wonder what colour the indicator would normally be with most courier drivers…

One modern-day issue with the Express – and this illustrates what can happen with badge engineering – is that although it is a brand-new entry on New Zealand’s commercial van market, it is in fact a vehicle that has been around for so long it doesn’t have any of the advanced collision avoidance systems that are aboard many of the other truly new vans.  

This explains why, after the Australian New Car Assessment Programme (ANCAP) had recently assessed the collision avoidance capability of a total of 15 vans, it stamped the Express with a ‘Not Recommended’ due to its poor active safety specification.

The ANCAP people acknowledged that due to longer product cycles for commercial vehicles, many vans currently on the market – Express included - are either unrated or have ANCAP ratings that pre-date the introduction of latest collision avoidance technology.

But the organisation added: “Commercial vans generally operate with higher levels of exposure and hold a much longer economic life-span due to their primary commercial use and goods carrying function, and this makes their active safety capability arguably even more critical than that of passenger cars.”

In the case of the Express, ANCAP said that although it has an adjustable speed limiter and a driver’s seatbelt reminder, it lacks a number of other important active safety systems including autonomous emergency braking and lane support systems such as lane-keep assist.

Is that ANCAP criticism fair? Yes and no.

The Mitsubishi Express does carry a good level of passive and active safety specification that includes six airbags, ABS brakes with electronic stability control and electronic brake-force distribution, emergency brake assist, hill-start assist, trailer sway mitigation and the Extended Grip system.

But the fact the Express is a Mitsubishi version of a Renault Trafic that is way into its current model cycle means that it doesn’t carry the sort of very high-level active safety specification that is increasingly demanded by the safety assessors.

None of this means that the Mitsubishi Express is an unsafe van.  Quite the opposite in fact. Our week with the vehicle showed it to be a secure and comfortable drive with excellent ride and handling characteristics. And let’s be frank here – it is streets ahead of the old forward-control L300 van it replaces, albeit after that hiatus of five years.

And here’s another appealing thing about the Express: it’s price.

While it carries recommended retail prices of $47,990 for the manual and $52,990 for the auto, MMNZ has lopped $8000 off and given them ‘special’ retail prices of $39,990 and $44,990.

That’s value, despite the fact it can’t emergency brake on its own or assist the driver to keep in the correct lane. And value for the money is vital for any commercial operator.

Toyota GR Supra, GR Yaris: So bad, so very good

Gazoo Racing … funny name, riotous cars. Especially the baby.

TOYOTA GR Supra

Price: $98,990

Powertrain and economy: 3.0-litre turbo inline six, 285kW/500Nm, 8-speed automatic, RWD, combined economy 7.7L/100km.

Vital statistics: 4379mm long, 1292mm high, 1865mm wide, 2469mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 290 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Improved performance and driving feel, sounds better too.

We don't like: Tight for headroom, misses out on best iDrive format.

TOYOTA GR Yaris

Price range: $54,990

Powertrains: 1.6-litre petrol inline three-cylinder petrol turbo with 200kW/370Nm, six-speed manual transmission, AWD, combined economy 7.6L/100km.

Vital statistics: 3995mm long, 1455mm high, 1805mm wide, 2558mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 141 litres, 18-inch alloy wheels.

We like: The entire concept, a stupendous achievement.

We don't like: Driver’s seat set a touch too high, they can’t build it fast enough.

THE old axiom about actions speaking louder than words?

From impression gained from driving the two cars it offers in New Zealand, it’s emphatically true for Gazoo - potentially at a faster rate than those who still ask ‘Ga-who?’ might imagine.

If ever there’s ever a safe bet to be laid, it’s that Toyota’s quirkily-named, come-from-nowhere motorsports and performance road car division, Gazoo Racing, aka GR, is well on the way to become a Manga-quality mega hero.

Two cars in, GR Supra and GR Yaris, and so many more to come … next year’s GR 86 coupe, a GR Corolla rumoured to share the GR Yaris’s all-wheel-drive hardware and the pinnacle achievement, a $1 million-plus two-seater exotic hypercar based on the Le Mans-winning Toyota TS050 endurance racer, but road legal, with a race-proven twin-turbo V6 hybrid engine. That’s the GR Super Sport, built by the same people who gave the world the astounding Lexus LFA, which in development raced with Gazoo branding.

And that’s just from GR proper. In the wings are two other sub-families, each playing to an extreme.

One is GRMN; Gazoo Racing Meisters of Nurburgring. GRMN’s job is to deliver treatments reserved for track-focussed models. GRMN versions of GR Supra and GR Yaris are already in development.

At the other end of the scale, there’s ‘GR Sport’, an accreditation for cars that will adopt some of the hardcore look, none of the wallop. They’ll have sporty styling cues and modified suspension; a similar approach to that taken by Ford with its ST and ST Line cars and Hyundai with N and N-Line ranges. The C-HR is confirmed. Perhaps the RAV4, the Hilux and the next-generation, aka 300-Series, Land Cruiser might also benefit.

So there’s a lot going on; enough to suggest it’s only a matter of time before the the Gazoo name carries the same cachet with the general motoring public as AMG, BMW M and Audi’s RS.

Which brings us back to what’s here now. GR Supra, with an update that leaves it closer to being what it supposedly should always have been – in simple terms, a Toyota-designed take on the BMW Z4, specifically the range-topping M40i - and GR Yaris.

Both great for brand cred, not so good for Toyota’s bottom line; the make tacitly admits the true cost of the GR Yaris especially, through being so specialist (the only exterior parts from the ‘donor’ are headlights, tail-lights, wing mirrors, and shark-fin antenna), is way higher than what they charge customers. Don’t feel bad. Toyota doesn’t. Particularly unfussed is Toyota’s chairman, Akio Toyota. He’s a petrolhead, with a genuine passion for motorsport – expressed in hands-on fashion, notably when he raced the LFA in the daunting Nurburgring 24 Hour – he says cars like these will lift Toyota’s image. Hard to disagree.

His ‘no matter what’ resolve was tested by the GR Yaris. The tester being stickered up as a WRC works car made for an eye-catching but somewhat ironic exercise, given this car now won’t ever get to test its mettle in the World Rally Championship. 

No, really, it’s true. When Toyota heads into the 2021 season, it’ll be with the same double drivers’ title (2019, 2020) winning car it’s been campaigning since 2017, not this new one which, despite being created with express intent of taking over that job for this year and next, before handing over to a new car designed for 2022’s hybrid category, now cannot. Coronavirus disruption did for the car, sadly. 

Such a shame we’ll never see it compete. Such a great relief Toyota didn’t junk the spin-off road-legal model, demanded to fulfil homologation requirement, or dilute its special fundamental ingredients.

Everything demanded for competition - from the unique bodyshell with carbon fibre roof through to that complex four-wheel drive with limited-slip differentials on both axles and, far from least, the world’s most powerful three-cylinder engine - comes to the street, with reminder of what could have been provided by the plaque near the handbrake that reads 'developed for FIA World Rally Championship.

Such a delight that the good work undertaken by Toyota under guidance from its rally experts, led then by no less than four-time world champ Tommi Makinen (he’s since been elevated to be come Toyota’s global motorsport advisor), to create the first properly bespoke model from Toyota in two decades since Celica GT-Four (from which it steals the internal power-per-litre title) works brilliantly on the road.

How good is this car? Here’s an example: I drove it and the updated Supra across the same roads and found they maintained much the same pace and achieved much the same travel time.

The difference was in the conditions on their respective days. The Supra took on a favourite, and eminently challenging road, on a dry day. When the Yaris took on the same run a week later, it was in the heaviest rain I’ve experienced this year. And yet … well, it simply stunned. And, just to reinforce, while each car was driven swiftly, each exercise was with respect to safety. So, no careless crossing the centre line, little tyre-squealing, no disregard for posted speed limits.

Sure, if contest is considered, it needs to be as here; right roads, right days. In a straight line, the in-house GR fight is emphatically a one-way contest. As big-hearted as that tri-cylinder feels and sounds (though how much of that note is real, how much synthesised is fair to ask), with 0-100kmh in 5.2 seconds, the berserk baby is almost a full second behind GR Supra in a sprint to the highway limit.

It’s when A to B is reached, as it was on my days, via sinuous and continual cornering … well, that’s where the GR Yaris’s alacrity and athleticism, mostly in third gear (which it can hold from 60kmh to around 114kmh) is all the more gut-pounding. There were occasions when I had to slow to take a breath. Honestly, it’s that relentlessly rapid and rabid.

I mean, it’s not as if I wasn’t prepared. I know rally-set specials; having had wheel-time in virtually every Evo and STi, the Escort and Sierra Cosworths, even an Integrale Evo (ok, that was as a passenger). Funnily, the most memorable of those was … you guessed it, the Tommi Makinen Lancer Evo 6.5, tried in fully unrestricted form, owned then by one of several friends who hold NZ national rally titles. I wish I could have shared the GR with those guys, gauged their impressions.

It’s not just the sheer energy that leave indelible impression that this is a tangible effigy of what might have been a championship-winning racer; the sheer surgical precision of the thing is equally awe-inspiring. A chassis that exploits Toyota’s New Global Architecture platforms (TNGA) by combining an existing Yaris ‘GA-B’ platform up front, with Corolla’s ‘GA-C’ underpinnings towards the rear might sound make-do, but it does really nicely. Brakes with rotors larger than those on the Supra, top-shelf tyres – Michelin Pilot Super Sports, as per Supra, though in smaller size - speak to the quest for perfection with this exercise.

Even moreso the 'GR-four' all-wheel-drive system. The main component is a multi-plate clutch coupling unit located in the back of the car, in front of its rear differential, but further tricks include differing final-drive ratios front to rear, in order to assist in torque manipulation. The system has a theoretical torque-split range, front to rear, from 100 to 0:100, but this is not possible in reality. 

What is possible is 60:40 in Regular mode, 50:50 in Track mode, or 30:70 in Sport mode, the latter often being the go-to for most of the driving I entertained, because it makes the car more tail-biased; almost like a rear-drive car, certainly better than some previous rally-ready and even some current road-tuned AWD cars.

You need work the six-speed manual, but that’s part of the joy. The pedal set also feels entirely designed around heel-toe footwork (if you’re not so flash, the car features auto-blipping) and when into the zone, it’s one of the most communicative cars I’ve met; the purity of its driver focus is something else.

On that point, bear in mind that when driven with enthusiasm somewhat of an ‘anti-passenger’ car. Rally cars need navigators because otherwise the driver wouldn’t have an edge; in the GR Yaris, anyone occupying the left-side seat might find it too overwhelming an experience if the driver treats favourite roads as special stages as the G-loadings are pretty high. Also, with such a petite frame and all-wheel-drive nature, it changes direction fiercely, turns in sharply, and puts its power down abruptly. Yes, it WILL oversteer, even with all driving aids on, but even then the car’s nature is very wham-bam.

If you wanted a fast car experience and hoped to keep your stomach contents intact, the Supra is the better choice, as it has a more ‘natural’ transition. By degree. It also stomps pretty hard, now. The Yaris adds additional hooligan edge in that tugging on the handbrake triggers the car to disconnect drive to the rear wheels, which is a cool thing for those out to finesse their inner Gigi Galli (don’t know him? Go to YouTube, all is revealed).

The YAris engine is simply epic. Incredibly strong for its capacity and cylinder count; the road tune undoubtedly dictates a greater degree of flexibility to the tune than any race engineer would want but it’s not soft. Max torque piles on in the midrange and the power curve is muscular. Heavy-footed blast-offs are happily accepted, though only when the engine is properly warmed. It’ll remind you to go easy until the temps are right.

Both GRs strike a great look. The Supra’s special edition blue brilliantly highlights the complexity of this shape; reinforcing how the rear end in particular is full of aggression and intent, with its wider high-performance tyres, big aerodynamic diffuser and outrageously shaped lights. The centrally mounted reversing light and the shape of the front bumper are specifically designed to invoke the raised nose of a modern F1 racer. A surprising tribute given how poorly Toyota did in that arena.

The Yaris doesn’t need stickers to reinforce its rally-ready aura. The aerodynamically proficient wide body treatment, the squat stance and impression of it being abnormally wider than it is tall; it’s awesome. The latter is no trick of the eye. Makinen insisted the regular Yaris roofline be lowered and lightened; hence the carbon-fibre composite roof skin. I’d love to see it with a big WRC wing. So, apparently, does GRMN. Their prototype seen testing (at the Nurburgring, of course) had this, vented front guards and a more aggressive front spoiler. Hey, why not?

Slip inside each and it’s the smaller car that feels more spacious, certainly better served for headroom. Supra’s roof design really makes it a tough car for the tall. Side visibility is also limited; you really have to be careful at intersections. With Yaris, it’s the direct ahead view that’s slightly compromised. Looking slightly left you find need to duck to see between the top of the centre infotainment screen and the bottom of the rear-view mirror. When it’s raining, you wish the right-side wiper would sweep closer to the A-pillar; as-is there’s just a sliver of dirty screen to peer around when apexing. A slightly lower seat would be brilliant.

Back in the day, WRXs and Evos had cruddy interiors because the makers knew most owners would rip ‘em out during transformation for competition. It’s not quite like that in the GR Yaris, but you can see where the effort has been made – namely, the Alcantara and faux-leather sports seats and the perfect-sized, GR-branded steering wheel – and where its been relaxed: Plain looking plastics, the infotainment system being nothing particularly flash in respect to operability (though it does have JBL internals).

Supra has higher quality trim but so it should, given the price. Even so, the iDrive is still a whole generation behind the Z4s. The very good reputations of their manufacturing bases – the old LFA line in Japan for Yaris, the Magna Steyr facility in Austria for Supra – shows in their assembly quality. The Yaris has extra kudos from being literally hand-built.

They’re patently very different cars, yet have a commonality in being cars you can truly celebrate. Simply that they exist is wonderful.

If you had to pick just one, it’d have to be the Yaris. No argument, the Supra has become a better car; the engine is much better in this new tune. Changes to the suspension and steering tune also enhance the enjoyability.

And yet, in years to come, when drinks are being shared and tall tales told, it’s less likely to be the primary subject of a ‘my best GR’ reminiscence.

That honour has to fall to the GR Yaris. It is, quite simply, a giant; the start of something really big.

AMG onslaught: Old guard roar and new-age phwoar

Mercedes’ performance arm has made clear its eight-cylinder engine is on its final lap, with the future now reliant on an electric-assisted version of the four-pot that serves its smallest racers so well. How’s that going to work out?

Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S - call it goliath!

AMG-Mercedes GLC 63 S - a slightly smaller serving, better-suited to NZ tastes?

Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S - a more upmarket alternate to the A45 hyper hatch

Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S

Price: $236,000 ($241,000 as tested).

Powertrain and economy: 4.0-litre twin turbo petrol eight-cylinder with 450kW/850Nm, 11.5L/100km, nine-speed automatic transmission, AWD.

Vital statistics: 4961mm long, 2018mm wide, 1720mm high, 2350mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 655 litres, 22-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Roaring engine, impressive dynamics, technology.

We don't like: Overwhelmingly dominating presence, huge thirst. 

Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 S

Price: $138,300 ($129,090 as tested).

Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder with 310kW/500Nm, 8.9L/100km, nine-speed automatic transmission, AWD.

Vital statistics: 4695mm long, 1834mm wide, 1404mm high, 2729mm wheelbase, luggage capacity  460 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Fantastic engine, nimble handling, chic look.

We don't like: Cramped cabin, hatch has more presence.

Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S

Price: $184,900.

Powertrain and economy: 4.0-litre twin turbo petrol eight-cylinder with 375kW/700Nm, 10.7L/100km, nine-speed automatic transmission, AWD.

Vital statistics: 4682mm long, 1931mm wide, 1625mm high, 2873mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 550 litres, 22-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Roaring engine, impressive dynamics, technology.

We don't like: Overwhelmingly dominating presence, thirst.

WHAT kind of world is it where a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine can end the reign of a V8 hugely respected for delivering beastly, brutal performance?

A cruel world, perhaps, but also the real world … which is taking us to a destination we cannot avoid, a place of change.

We’re pretty sure what’s going to happen. And we fully understand why it has to happen. We just don’t know quite when it’s going to happen, though most bets are on 2022 being the year, as that’s when the new C63 AMG reveals.

And where that car goes with its pathfinder new drivetrain, others will follow … including the AMG GLE S Coupe and GLC wagon tested here. Because they also run the famous 4.0-litre twin turbo V8 that has to be retired if Mercedes Benz’s famous performance badge is to survive.

When the V8 dies, another great AMG engine will rise: The 2.0-litre four-cylinder mill that has already made a name for itself in the make’s compact cars, including the CLA 45 S sedan also on test today. But in a different form than we know it at the moment. 

As amazingly potent as it is in current form, it needs even more muscle to sit comfortably in the heavyweight SUVs here. Three hundred kiloWatts and 500Nm now will elevate, once in marriage to a mild hybrid system and an integrated 48V motor, to more than 372kW.  

That compares well with the V8 as it features in the GLC 63 S on test – where you’re playing with 375kW - less so in the version that goes into the GLE 63 S; in that bigger car, the heat is turned up to a seriously searing 450kW. Electric-assist powerplants bust out big on torque – and the new one needs to be super muscular, because here the V8 peaks are respectively 700Nm and 850Nm.

So what’s coming isn’t exactly an easy ride.It’ll still be super fast, but certainly become more efficient, but probably will have different feel and certainly is unlikely to sound anything like the same.  

But, frankly, if you can think of another way to meet those European Union fleet CO2 emissions targets and avoid so avoid eye-wateringly huge fines, then AMG would like to hear about it. They cannot. Meantime, if you want to enjoy that old-school oomph behind an AMG badge, then best not dilly dally. As much as the V8 is still here for a good time, it potentially is not going to be around for a very long time.  

Agreed, the day of that final farewell will be tough. That old saw about the easiest way of improving a car being to slap a brawn-laden beast-engine into it? It still holds true. 

Starting at the top with the GLE, let’s say this: If you are chasing an expensive eight-cylinder experience in its most primal, ‘glam-bogan’ setting then the Coupe in full-fat AMG fitout is pretty hard to beat. It’s loud in every way. Even when not running, it’s a big enough noise to have the neighbourhood on edge. 

Nigh on quarter of a million bucks buys a lot of real estate; I’m not a total fan of this kind of design, but if you have to have to buy into a slope-backed SUV, it’s probably the best-looking of this peculiar breed, with an elegance about the rear-end treatment. While it's an imposingly muscular vehicle, it's not offensively gargantuan. The AMG elements of an airdam, colossal 22-inch alloys and trademark quad pipes at the back suit and some of the design detailing in stupendously good.

The interior is better still. Mercedes' MBUX infotainment screens are awesome for clarity and content and everything else is shot through with reassuringly high-class quality, the part-Alcantara, paddle shift-shod steering wheel being a particularly tactile delight. It's almost needless to say that the Coupe sacrifices both rear seat space and boot usability to its more prosaic wagon sibling, but the rear seating is roomy enough for tall adults. 

The packaging is really a secondary appeal; what you’re buying into here is powerhaus performance and, wow, does it deliver. To elicit such astonishing performance data as 0-100kmh in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 250kmh, with more in store if you have the software to unleash it, from something that tips the scales at around 2.5 tonnes, you need power. Lots of it. Luckily, Affalterbach seems to have unlimited resources of the stuff. 

The other AMG cars here patently have potency, yet here the urge is something else still, bordering on downright astonishing. It piles on speed with utter disdain for any air stupid enough to get in its way.

And wow … the sound! AMG is one of the finest purveyors of V8 soundtracks and the biturbo at this level is no exception to this rule. It's fabulously deep-throated and resounding, with the requisite burbles and pops of the exhaust on overrun or when shifting gear.

What to do with this? AMG obviously has a game plan, but can you see yourself agreeing to play? I’ve seen AMGS at track days before, but they’ve generally been V8 sedans and coupes, plus the occasional A45. But always the hatch, not the sedan format seen here. And never a SUV.

And, yet, all three cars here definitely have the brakes, the suspension and the drive mode calibrations to enable a red hot go at fast lapping. Even so, as wickedly fast and racy as the GLC and A45 are, in this company they are both humbled by the GLE Coupe. It’s a total beast, thanks to elements that go way further than the usual ‘could if I wanted to’ nod of a fat Alcantara-trimmed wheel and quasi race seats up front, plus in this instance a carbon fibre trim kit.

 Here the suspension and drive modes span beyond the usual Comfort-to-Sport Plus provisions to include an outright Race setting that either relaxes or completely disengages some driver assists and turns the throttle, and gear change points, up to 11. It runs Yokohama Advan Sport tyres, a good choice for occasional circuit work.

The MMI menu includes a Track Pace page, you can select from racetracks around the world, and the screen will help you drive it better, showing not only delta times and absolute times but also instructional guides to best cornering points and “breaking points”. If any word had to mis-spelled, right. No New Zealand circuits are on the menu, but you can ‘import’ a layout simply by driving on it, then the application will map the track out. If you don’t want to risk the car in cornering, there’s a Drag Race function with its own set of bespoke telemetry and timing.

It’s so utterly Nurburgring-nutsy that you half expect to find a set of full logoed racing kit in the boot (it’s not, I checked). The challenge it lays down at every start up is so patent you just know the memory of seeing this goliath steaming hard around a track would be very special indeed. And yet, you know it would just be a fantasy; the probability of any owner meeting AMG’s expectation is simply so remote as to be negligible.

It’s not impossible to keep this explosive force contained in everyday driving, of course; but reality is that no more than a fraction of it immense oomph is being utilised in that situation and unleashing the rest, should you settle on any of the performance settings, is unnervingly easy. The awesomeness of the initial step-off is one thing, but what’s every bit as impressive is the tidal wave of thrust awaiting to unleash when you’re on the move; overtaking is ridiculously easy – the trick is learning to temper how it is accomplished; anything more than half throttle and it shoots forward at an incredible pace of acceleration.

The slightest lapse in judgement and … well, all you can hope for is a brilliant lawyer and a lenient judge. This is the sort of car in which just thinking about going fast can be risky; there’s nothing here to suggest the claimed 0-100kmh time of 3.8 seconds is a hard call or that there are any numbers on the speedometer that it cannot achieve. This is very much the big time.

There’s no getting around the fact that it can feel that way, though shorter than the GLE wagon, the Coupe is still 39mm longer and 7mm wider than the previous model and sits in the large car category; particularly in respect to width, which is noticeably accentuated in AMG format. That makes it quite a hulking sight on secondary roads, where it less fills a lane than subjugates it.

 Even so, it’s far from big-footed or clumsy; apart from having massive traction and grip and extremely decent brakes, it also very much benefits from having an active ride control that incorporates 48-volt active roll-stabiliser bars that, through offering continuously variable adjustable damping, result in deft handling and deliciously direct steering feel and accuracy that just don’t normally experience in this category. Ride comfort is also decent, even in the hard-out modes, though you do tend to dip into those at your peril; the car’s aggressiveness becomes all the more pronounced as soon as you switch away from a Comfort setting.

 Having the CLA 45 S and GLC 63 S as bookends to the GLE was an interesting exercise; neither are much slower and the CLA, having been dressed up with some interesting touches including chromium-finish alloys and delivering in an arresting red body colour (with a black Lugano interior), was really not much less extrovert in its kerbside appearance, yet they were undoubtedly easier vehicles to keep in check.

 The sedan positions as an interesting alternate to the A45 hatch; it has all the same attributes – all-wheel-drive, stonking engine, firm ride, nippy handling – and wins attention for having the appearance of a slightly-scaled down C-Class, albeit with more daring styling touches which remind that it’s genetic heritage is equally as relevant to the CLS.

 Establishing what it offers and why is an intrigue. You wouldn’t buy it as a C-Class alternate because the cabin is so much smaller; it’s a real challenge for adults insofar as rear legroom is concerns and that swoopy roofline really cuts into headroom compared to an A45. You might not buy it as a booted alternate to the A45 simply because the hatch is cheaper and also because the compact performance sedan market is … well, often overlooked.

 For all that, the car is far from undercooked. As much as an increase in track width and upsize in wheel dimension immediately sets it apart from the regular CLA, the extent of modification goes way further; with totally enhanced suspension, bigger brakes and so on. Dive planes on the front bumpers and a spoiler at the rear also give the car an aggressive look.

 The cabin is all but identical to that of the A-Class range and the AMG version gets the best of equipment. That means the full-width dual-screen setup for the instrument display, which looks excellent with vibrant colours and sharp resolution. You get a choice of control for the infotainment system, through the touch-sensitive tabs on the multifunction steering wheel or the large trackpad on the centre console.

 This 2.0-litre has the highest output ever generated for its capacity, so is patently a real firecracker, yet it’s not just the outright kapow that earns credit. As much as it might seem a cop-out, then engine’s civilised demeanour comes across as a bonus for daily driving; it can be smooth and even quiet if circumstances demand. You do have an active exhaust at hand, so more noise is easily achieved.

 Of course, step up the pace and the car becomes very feral; it’s really fun on tight winding roads, the all-wheel-drive lends huge confidence without sanitising the driving experience. The prodigious mid-corner grip is a standout feature and powering out of slow hairpins it has ability to surge forward at an incredible rate.

 With the sportier drive modes activated, it can feel more rear-biased, to the point where you can instigate dramatic rear-wheel-drift action with the Race mode, where the full talent of a trick rear axle, using an electro-mechanically controlled multidisc clutch on each half shaft to vary the power delivery from left to right, comes to the fore.

 Driving the CLA reminds how good the 'M139' engine is. Sure, you can understand why it is going to achieve electrical assistance for the job ahead, but in current state it is more than enough not only for a car of this size but those immediately above it.

 That thought carried into the time with the GLC. It’s great with the V8 yet I cannot imagine it would be poorly served by taking the four-cylinder in the future, even just as it is now.

 The AMG is the latest of the current form GLCs to undergo a mid-life facelift that will likely carry it through to the point where the V8 retires and the new powertrain comes in. It’s certainly a car that deserves a good future, not least because it feels just so right-sized and conceived for our motoring condition.

 Being by far the most invigorating GLC carries obvious cachet, yet what also keeps this model looking good is that it potentially is one of easier AMGs to settle on when family friendliness and strong value also become important considerations. With this car, you can mount a truly valid argument on grounds of versatility and practicality; neither of those strengths are diminished by the road rocket configuration.

 Speaking of zoom, the 75kW/150Nm deficit over the GLE is less evident that might be imagined. Sure, it doesn’t sound or feel as fierce, but there’s still enough shove to warrant having that badge.

 As per the GLE, it has a nine-speed auto, with its wet start-off clutch instead of the usual torque converter to ‘optimise response to accelerator pedal commands’. The engine mightn’t snarl as brutishly, but it’s epic enough when given the boot, the gear shifts are just as snappy and it also entertains enough rear-prioritised driving feel to handle more like a rear-driven wagon than a fat four-wheel-drive.

 That electronically controlled diff lock does a great job but you cannot deny the positives from the newly-added AMG Dynamics electrical/software update that influences torque distribution, the locking diff and the stability control. In short, if were playing wing-man to the GLE, there’d be no great challenge keeping up, while for oncoming traffic the fact it’s so much smaller and less physically intimidating in look means it’d be a less frightening sight when met burling out of corners.

 The transmission is well-attuned to the tasks that AMG expects but the 4MATIC is what will keep you out of trouble. In thanks to fully variable torque distribution, it also factors more for fun than feel. Certainly, you learn not to let its size, semi-highish ground clearance standing or substance fool you – this thing will slip and slide with the best.

 The requisite mid-life visual changes inside and out are not huge; reworked LED headlamps, wider wheel arch claddings, redesigned LED tail lamps … that’s it for the external enhancements.

 The interior revision centres on adoption of the MBUX infotainment system, but as in integration that builds on the old layout rather than the full-blown version seen in the other cars, and the console gaining a new touchpad controller. The instrument cluster has been digitised too, with a multitude of AMG-specific displays, including Supersport mode to give you the low-down on Gs generated, power made, turbo boost levels, drive mode set-up, you name it. There’s also a new menu to data log your race track experience. How GLE, right?

 It also adopts the new AMG steering wheel and its dedicated buttons hanging off the spokes. Just like the regular GLC, the quality of the finish inside is excellent and though AMG Performance sports seats up front are bulkier than the standard items, they are no less comfortable.

 The stupendous thrust and exclusivity of an AMG does little to erode the high degree of practicality this model line delivers. Eligibility to tow seems unlikely – that’s not a thing for AMGs – but it otherwise looks reasonably well sorted as a family wagon. I’d be removing the sidesteps, though.

 OF the three models here, it’s the one that works best in the now. Of the two V8s, it’s the one that will adopt most easily to the new route ahead: It could be an epic journey.

Ford Puma ST-Line: Back in the good books

Blue Oval’s latest small crossover mainly rights every EcoSport wrong – and should scare the heck out of category rivals. Shame it wasn’t a little cheaper.

Price: $37,990.

Powertrain and economy: 1.0-litre turbo petrol three-cylinder with 92kW/170Nm, 5.3L/100km, 7-speed dual clutch transmission, FWD.

Vital statistics: 4207mm long, 1805mm wide, 1570mm high, 2588mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 468 litres, 17-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Equipment level, effervescent engine, great chassis.

We don't like: Slightly uncomfortable price zone; no 1.5-litre option.

A POOR drivetrain, second-rate finish, outdated infotainment and design awkwardness … for anyone holding conviction that crossovers, especially small ones, are the motoring equivalent of gunge on a shoe, the Ford EcoSport made for an easy target. 

It was terrible, delivering way too little, staying in the market way too long and serving only to make everything in the sector look great by comparison.

Unloved and unlovely, it demanded to be called out and I slept all the better for doing so. The best thing to be said about that car is that, as years of desultory sales suggest, it didn’t sucker too many cash-carrying consumers. 

Anyone who wondered how much embarrassment Ford felt about foisting that car on us for almost six years will find the answer in the replacement.

If ever a vehicle feels as though it’s here to make up for past wrongs, it’s the Puma: It’s the gift that’s required after you’ve made a total mess and need to do something truly extraordinary to put everything to rights.

After a week of driving, the only reason I don’t feel compelled to call the Puma a trump card is, well … America, right?

Like the preceding product whose name deserves no further mention, the Puma is a quasi-sports utility built upon on Fiesta underpinnings. Only this time the genetic modification required to create a crossover has maintained, if not actually enlivened, all the good DNA.

When thinking Puma, it’s only right to also consider how it stands with the Fiesta given both are so closely related. They could be closer – I’ll get back to why in a moment – but it’s fair to suggest that if you know the hatch, you should know what to expect from the Puma: A mixture of good looks, incredibly sharp, engaging handling, and sensible old-school Ford practicality and mechanical simplicity.

Our market only takes the Fiesta in its ST hot hatch format, and has also selected the Puma with a less fiery drivetrain, yet perusal of the pricing sheets shows this hasn’t been enough to cause clear separation between the cars.

Regardless that the entry Puma has been launched with a tasty sub-$30,000 price tag (albeit a temporary inducement, the full RRP being $10 short of $34k), there is challenge with the alternate flagship ST-Line format as tested, in that it costs another $2500 over the $35,490 Fiesta ST. 

That premium would be easier to swallow had they common powerplants. Yet that’s not the case. The Puma delivers with a smaller capacity and lower output version of the three-cylinder petrol specific to this class of car; so, a 1.0-litre with 92kW and 170Nm against a 147kW/290Nm 1.5-litre.

Imagining a Puma with the larger unit? It does exist, as the Puma ST, a sister ship to the Fiesta flier, even more pumped for pep with another 30Nm but also tuned for similar dynamic result. I’d like to see it here. Perhaps you feel the same. Don’t hold hope.  

It’s the gearbox. Puma ST is in the same camp as Fiesta ST; it’s manual or nothing. And while that non-choice is apparently fine for Fiesta ST cognoscenti, Ford NZ reckons it would be cold-shouldered by Puma buyers. Hence why we restrict to the 1.0-litre. It marries to a seven-speed dual clutch auto (a new gearbox with a wet clutch, not related to Ford’s previous and problematic PowerShift).

More relevant to the price premium a Puma ST-Line has over the Fiesta ST is the difference in equipment. As much as the Fiesta ST always seemed well-sorted, Ford has chosen the Puma to be a showcase for its best driver assist tech, so it picks up additional features that aren’t yet available to the hatch.

These include evasive steering assist, a more advanced (as it has pedestrian and cyclist detection) evasive steer assist, automatic park assist, all-round parking sensors (Fiesta is rear only), adaptive cornering lights, a power liftgate, a wireless phone charging pad and Ford Pass connectivity with an embedded modem, which allows remote checking, lock function and engine pre-start from your phone.

Standard across both Pumas are cruise control with adjustable speed limiting, emergency brake assist, a rear-view camera with 180 degree split view, speed limit sign recognition while the ST-Line adds black exterior detailing, paddle shifters on the steering wheel, auto high-beam, upgraded interior trim, full digital instruments, auto climate air, adaptive cruise and automatic parking.

The end result is that even though it hasn’t the punch to match a Fiesta ST, it does rather out do the hatch for panache; in the SUV, there’s a nicely quasi-premium air.

So, there’s that to look at. Then there’s the look itself. A shape that suits some shades more than others was hugely appealing in the test car’s silvered grey metallic, which Ford calls ‘solar’. There’s just something about how this car sits and the smiley front end is a friendly element that’ll do no harm.

It's good inside, too. Yes, there's a lot of familiar carry-over from the Fiesta and the Focus as well, yet as much as that means a fair swag of dark plastic, and not all of it is soft to touch, it does deliver well for ambience and ergonomic quality, with a somewhat youthful aesthetic (check out the USB-C outlet next to the usual USB slot).

An analogue instrument cluster is complemented by a 4.2-inch TFT driver display nestled between the tacho and speedo, providing a host of information including speed sign recognition, fuel consumption and a digital speedo. It all works well enough and is intuitive to use and scroll through. 

Comfort is also good and though the cabin will not pass the Tardis test in respect to space in the rear, that section will be tolerable for children up to and including tall teenagers, as much as anything because there's plenty of head room. The front is plenty roomy. The boot is decent, by both the standards of the class and when compared to the Fiesta. It’s also highly practical, thanks to its clever height-adjustable floor and useful 80-litre MegaBox, a plastic-lined storage tub under the floor. Other storage options are also well considered, including a large central bin with two layers.

And now comes the bit where the engine gets bagged, right? Actually no. It doesn’t. For sure, it’s a wee thing and, yes, the outputs aren’t terribly amazing, but it really works hard to convince that a one-litre is well big enough for the kind of car it sets out to be.

The car was no sooner in my hands than it was put into a six-hour open road drive through which it was shown no particular mercy. No ignoring the lawful limits but certainly running right to those, particularly over the last 90 minutes after my wife phoned to say one of our dogs had decamped to a neghbour’s farm on a rabbit hunting spree and was showing no willingness to return (it all ended well).

It needs to be rowed along, no argument, and you need to ready to manually stir the gear changes because sometimes the box can be a slow to react, but the effort it worth it. These tri-cylinder EcoBoost engines are really special and this one is eminently likeable. The higher it revs, the more effervescent it seems and though it doesn’t have the muscularity of the 1.5-litre – the 0-100kmh time is nowhere near as athletic, nor the cited top speed – it is a very willing, sweet, little engine, with surprisingly strong spurts of acceleration and a gently fruity exhaust note, too.

The overall abiding memory from our time together is that, even when given the stick and lots of redline-heading hand-shifting, it simply sips petrol; Ford’s claim of 5.3 litres per 100km was never touched, but on the big run alone it sat on 6.1, which I thought was pretty fare given the driving condition. The only reason I was almost out of petrol by the end of the run was that it has a small fuel tank, just 42 litres.

It’s not just this engine that makes the Puma a rewarding drive. The steering is just wonderful, communicating all the time and allowing you to feel every nuance of what the car is up to. 

The rest of the chassis keeps up, too. It’s the car the EcoSport never came close to being. The widish wheeltrack lends something a settled feel in cruising, but it’s only secondary roads with loads of twists and turns where Puma really becomes deeply impressive; it really makes the most of the Fiesta’s gifted chassis and its agility and confidence through bends is truly immersive. It’s a more involving and engaging experience than comes from Ford’s other newly-released SUV, the Escape, and surely that’s a result of the different genetic compositions, the latter being rather less Euro-centric.

If there’s perhaps one bugbear, it’ll be the ride quality. Those 215/55 17-inch tyres offer great grip, and from an aesthetic perspective the rims look decent, from the comfort perspective, there’s some cost, with a degree of jiggle and fidget over coarse chip, where tyre roar also becomes evident. Drivers might not mind, but passengers do tend to comment. 

All in all, though, this is a car that deserves consideration. The small-compact crossover category is very much a shoppers’ paradise at the moment, and the Puma has some stern opposition from all the over place. The year began with the surprisingly engaging and strong value Kia Seltos making a play and since the Puma came along Toyota has introduced the Yaris Cross.

 This version would be better if it had price equality with the Fiesta ST; yes, with Puma you get a bit more kit, but it’s not easy to argue why a smaller, less power engine should carry that premium. And while latest European design and build clearly comes at price, let’s not forget it also sources out of one the cheapest places to build cars, Romania.

Nonetheless, the ace cards are that it is strongly outfitted, has an interesting styling and drives and handles far better than it ought to. It’s the complete antithesis of the EcoSport in that regard – and, so, also proof that Ford now at least understands a small crossover needn't be a cynical marketing exercise, and can actually be as entertaining as it is practical, and that neither of those need be a compromise.

Ageing Mirage no longer a hoot

Mitsubishi’s facelifted and safer Mirage hatch remains one of New Zealand’s value motoring packages – if you can put up with that annoying noise.

Mitsubishi Mirage XLS
Price: $21,990 (down to $19,990 on special)
Powertrain and performance:  1.2-litre three cylinder DOHC MIVEC petrol engine, 58 kW at 6000rpm, 102 Nm at 4000 rpm. Continuously variable automatic transmission. Fuel consumption 5 L/100km, emissions 115 g/km CO2.
Vital statistics: Length 3845mm, width 1665mm, height 1510mm, wheelbase 2450mm. Luggage space 235 litres. MacPherson strut front suspension, torsion beam at the rear. 15-inch alloy wheels with 175/55 R15 tyres.
We like: A motoring value package, excellent safety specification for the price, good interior room, easy to drive.
We don’t like: That pronounced engine noise.

YOU’VE got have a certain amount of the affection for the Mitsubishi Mirage. But does it have the goods today for that affection to last?

For several years from the early 1980s the little hatchback was good enough to be the backbone of the brand’s market presence in New Zealand, to the extent that not only did it account for 35 per cent of all hatchback sales here, but it helped Mitsubishi rule as the country’s most popular new vehicle brand with a market share of close to 19 per cent.

These days it is Toyota that dominates, with sales more than double those of any other vehicle brand. But Mitsubishi continues to do well all the same – year to date it is in third place behind Ford with a share of 8 per cent.

But just like every vehicle brand, it is achieving its market share largely via ute and SUV sales. Triton ute and the ASX and Outlander SUVs all feature in the list of New Zealand’s top 10 best-selling  vehicles.

And as for Mirage, these days it’s well and truly out of the sales limelight as it performs its duties as the smallest, most economical and least expensive Mitsubishi on offer.

I suppose you could say the Mirage is now living the quieter life, which is probably reflective of the more senior age group that buys this type of vehicle.

This year the Thai-built car received its second facelift, with exterior changes including a fresh take on Mitsubishi’s so-called dynamic shield design language. In other words, Mirage has a new nose complete with chrome detailing. The model also sports new 15-inch alloy wheels, and daytime running lights.

Interior changes include a black-on-black colour scheme with – you guessed it – black fabric seat material. There’s also a new combination meter cluster, cruise control is now standard, and the car gets its own unique smartphone link display audio (SDA) system that is compatible with both Apple Carplay and Android Auto.

It’s all rather good. So too are a number of safety features that have been added to the Mirage as part of its facelift.

The little car now has lane departure warning, forward collision mitigation with pedestrian detection, and a reversing camera with its view displayed on the hatchback’s 7-inch central touch screen.

All of that is an addition to numerous existing safety features that include active traction control, hill start assist, four-wheel ABS with brake assist, and driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags. All of that contributes to the five-star Ancap crash safety rating.

So the 2020 Mirage boasts a fresher look, improved interior, and it carries great safety specification for a model that currently retails for $19,990. All of that helps keep the model up to date, despite the fact it has been on the New Zealand new vehicle market since 2013.

But what is falling behind is its drivetrain.

Mirage continues to be powered by a 1.2-litre three-cylinder DOHC MIVEC petrol engine that develops 58 kW of power and 102 Nm of torque, mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission.

This CVT has a two-step planetary gear set that is designed to better match engine revs with the job at hand, and when the vehicle was last facelifted in 2017 the transmission was re-mapped to improve vehicle acceleration.

I remember when the Mirage was first launched seven years ago, and even when it was facelifted three years ago, many critics enjoyed the experience of driving the hatch with its three-cylinder engine, with one fellow journo even going so far as to describe it as a “hoot”. In retrospect I suspect this wasn’t so much because of any lightening acceleration but more because of the car’s pronounced three-cylinder engine note.

Triple-cylinder engines traditionally have a rougher sound because there’s a slight gap in the timing of their four stroke internal combustion cycle. Trouble is many other car manufacturers have succeeded in reducing this engine note, while Mitsubishi hasn’t.

There are numerous cars with three-cylinder engines out there, too. They range from the more expensive Audi A1, through the more reasonably priced product such as Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia and Ford Fiesta, to the very small product such as Suzuki Celerio.

In more recent times we’ve also received the latest Toyota Yaris and Ford Puma, both of which are powered by three-cylinder engines of varying sizes – culminating in the Yaris GR which pours 200kW out of its little triple.

I suppose it has to be said that the Yaris GR’s engine is 1.6-litres and turbocharged, while the Mirage’s unit is 1.2-litres and normally aspirated, so in a motoring sense they are as different as chalk and cheese. But other product such as the Fabia and the new Puma come closer in terms of engine sizes, and they are much quieter and more powerful.

But then again neither of those vehicles retail for less than $20,000, and that is what helps to keep the Mirage relevant in the small car class. It’s one of the least expensive cars you can buy, which helps present it as one of the value packages when all that new standard safety specification is taken into account.

And it remains an enjoyable drive too, although these days the experience is no longer a “hoot”. The car is easy to operate, there’s good interior space and comfort for the vehicle size, and it is safe. But it is also noisy, which is why this generation Mirage is now showings its age.

Audi E-Tron 50 Advanced, e-Tron Sportback 55 S Line: Down to Earth, out of this world

Two additions to this electric SUV line reinforce why this tech can work for those who care to give it a go.

E-Tron 50 Advanced (above) and Sportback 55 S Line differ considerably in styling, specification and price, but both do an equally strong job of convincing why electric can work.

Price: $119,500; $169,900.

Powertrain and economy: Two electric motors, 71kWh/91kWh battery pack, 230kW/540Nm; 300kW/561Nm (600Nm under boost), Single-speed transmission, 4WD.

Vital statistics: 4901mm long, 1935mm wide, 1616mm high, 2928mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 660 litres, 21-inch alloy wheels.

We like: Refinement, efficiency, ride comfort, quality build and design.

We don't like: Charging port would be better located in the nose; no superfast DC chargers where I live; hearing all those ‘glorified golf cart’ jokes.

 THIS time last year, the Audi e-Tron was an ‘it’ – now it’s a ‘they’ and the three around at the moment will, by this time next year, be joined by two more.

Still think electric cars are on the fringe? Low penetration in this country is no accurate barometer; almost all mainstream car brands we get to experience are plugging in, as are entire countries.

The United Kingdom made headlines with intent to ban sale of new fossil fuelled cars and vans from 2030, but it’s just following a Scandinavian trend. America’s giant car makers have signalled commitment to an electric future. China is already the world’s largest producer and customer for battery cars, with more growth ahead, and even with coronavirus, forecasters remain confident the market will be worth more than $900 billion by 2025. 

Hearing Audi NZ boss Dean Sheed recently express conviction that electric fare will account for 20 percent of his national volume in 2021 seems brave, but if anyone knows this market it’s him.

On that note, it’s good to see Government – which already has some e-Trons – is now pushing EV and hybrid adoption in its departmental fleets. Few countries are better positioned than ours to plug in to this tech. Almost all our electricity is from renewable sources.

Who knew, right? That’s the problem: Too few Kiwis are investing any level of interest. Our problem is a sheltered attitude; it’s hard to feel concern over Green issues, pollution and raising CO2 levels when you live in comfortable conditions. If only the rest of the world had it so easy.

We still fret over range, cost and charging infrastructure; we’ve become deluded into imagining used and parallel import cars are a better choice; we still imagine EV choice contains to used import Nissan Leafs and new Teslas. We want to wait until Government provisions a subsidy. We’ve become riled by the dark side of battery-making, though that angst is not unjustified, let’s best remember oil production doesn’t occur without environmental harm either, and so much more cobalt and lithium has already gone into cellphones and laptops.

Yes, there’s a dark side: Making EVs generates high levels of greenhouse gas emissions, mainly because of the battery packs and other environmentally expensive materials, yet the environmental impacts are consistently being improved. Just recently, one German make (not Audi) announced intent to reduce its production line CO2 emissions by 80 percent by 2030.

In any event, for all the issues, change has to happen. While we don’t have to abdicate fossil fuel reliance right now, or even for years to come, making time to get to know and understand the new way is no bad idea, either.

On that point … deep breath, calm down fella … back to the e-Tron. What started out just a year ago as a single medium-large sports utility wagon (yes, I know about the preceding A3-based hybrid ‘e-tron’ that debuted this name, but for sake of argument let’s ignore it) called the ‘55’ is now bookended by a ‘50’ wagon lookalike that sits lowest in the price chain and a Sportback with a racier-looking body that places as the new pinnacle. Temporarily. It’ll be pushed down the pegging by next year’s performance-themed S and RS models.

Everything here now relates at base level: All SUV-style five seaters with towing and even off-road ability; a common platform, common battery tech, same core styling, the same all-wheel drive with an electric motor for each axle. All chasing the same tech-savvy customer.

Spend up, spend down. The latter appeal comes with the ‘50’, though ‘just’ $119,000 is still a decent sum, it’s $30k lower than a ‘55’ has been and, while the flavour is less intense, you still get the right taste.

There’s a little less plush – but not too much; a lower grade of leather, a couple of fewer comfort functions and some haptic controls become push buttons here – but mainly the savings are the drivetrain tech being detuned a bit.

The Sportback is at the other extremis; it is effectively a coupe-bodied alternate to the highest priced e-Tron wagon, the $155k ‘Advanced’, with specifications and comforts mirrored, but an $11k premium. It’s a Grand Tourer, with extra flair, yet hardly a show pony.

Audi quotes 0-100kmh in 5.7 seconds in Sport mode (power boosted to 300kW), dropping back to 6.6s in 265kW Normal, there are extra drive modes to enhance the dynamics and the 21-inch alloys are shod with 265/45 PremiumContact6 rubber. All of which contribute to it feeling sharper and quicker-witted on the road than the e-Tron wagons.

The ‘50’ is more relaxed and almost 2s slower in the 0-100kmh race, but no surprise there; the usual 91kWh powertrain being usurped by a 71kWh unit adds up (or down?) to 14 percent less power (230kW versus 265kW), four percent less torque (540Nm versus 561Nm). It charges eight percent slower (120kW versus 150kW) and delivers a lower range.

In that respect, the official optimals of 347kms’ versus 446km are very much ‘perfect condition’ figures. From this experience, the ‘50’ is more like a 290-310kms performer and the Sportback gives 370-390kms. Climatic condition can hit; a lot more depends on driving style. Leadfooting is as damaging here as with fossil-fuelled vehicles.

In absolute dimension e-Trons sit between Audi’s Q5 and Q8, yet slip inside and you’d imagine they’re larger still. Sure, the Sportback’s sweeping roofline erodes the wagon format’s generous rear headroom and boot capacity, and you sit a little higher than in a regular SUV due to the cabin being atop a foundation layer of battery, yet not having an engine, driveshafts and all the guff means the interiors are surprisingly spacious and considerably less cluttered than in a Q car.

 The lack of a transmission tunnel allows Audi to implement a large multi-purpose storage area, complete with a smartly designed sideways-facing wireless charger and covered cubby with flip-out cupholders, between the front chairs.  

Aside from that, and an interesting sliding drive selector, each feels much like an Audi Q7 in terms of comforts, ergonomic approach and general design. Lots of screens, near-perfect build quality. A good place to be.

In either boot space is excellent, with up to 615 litres in play with all seats in use, and a further 60 litres up front in the 'frunk'. There's also another clever storage tub under the boot floor.

About replenishing: Few topics are as - if you'll pardon the pun – as highly-charged, right? It’s true, EV life demands a new approach: There’s no splash and dash at the pumps with electrics and battery size also influences (the 50’s draw rate is slower than the Sportback’s).

The ChargeNet franchise that Audi partners with has 144 DC rapid charging stations in the North Island and a further 65 in the South, plus at least 300 AC charge points nationally; an infrastructure so robust that, generally speaking if you’re running an electric car with 250kms’ range or better, then all real and perceived anxieties and challenges are by and large addressed. Yet in my area there’s generally only one ChargeNet unit per town. Even though you rarely have to wait, it doesn’t feel enough.

If ownership is considered, get a three-phase wall box for overnight charging and try to graze at the public options when necessary. Overnight charging also allows opportunity to fully recharge to 100 percent; in the public arena it’s better to stop at 80 percent for two reasons. First, the rate of charge over that last portion to ‘full’ slows significantly to protect the cells from the high temperatures involved in such high electrical currents. Also, it’s apparently not cool etiquette to do the 100 percent thing on a ChargeNet site; I encountered another EV driver trying (unsuccessfully) to unplug the Sportback over this point.

Moving on. Or more accurately, moving off. Cars are cars are cars, but EVs are quite different right from start up (which you don’t hear) and step-off, which just a matter of slotting into Drive.

 What really impresses about the e-Trons is how they impart as real cars, with a feel that’s typical Audi, actually. Not hugely driver-oriented, but solid on the road, well-balanced and secure and effortless in their performance. Yet, they feel like cars.

Different? Sure, but it’s a good kind of different. Largely silent running, instant torque, the regenerative braking, the sense of everything being more relaxed – these are such intrinsic character differences with fossil-fuelled cars. That and the lack of a soundtrack.

 Yes, I know what you’re going to say: We’re used to sound equating to sense of ‘soul’. Audi is a brand born in noise - When it, Horch, DKW, and Wanderer brought the four-rings motif into life through forming their Auto Union, an early act was to start a racing team that begat the world's first rear-engined racing car, the staggering V16 Type-C.

All the same, I can’t see the e-Trons as being traitors to that history.  If anything, these cars being uncannily noiseless is actually a plus. The ‘50’ is particularly good at this; if the road is smooth enough, you can hear the birds chirping while driving. With the windows up.

 Without an engine to infiltrate, you don’t find it necessary to run the stereo loud, can talk on the phone (via CarPlay, of course) in conversational tone and get hooked on the air con fan being too loud. (on that note, you also discover the air con takes more time to get to temp without an engine involved).

 Do EVs make for safer driving? Running on batteries is calmer, more peaceful, less stressful, more thought-provoking. You certainly find yourself thinking more about space management, your surroundings, what’s ahead, particularly if achieving best efficiency becomes important.

 As but one example, when approaching traffic lights, I became rather fixated on how to best to glide to the perfect stop. Get it right and the regenerative brakes allow you to pilot it almost on the accelerator alone. There’s no stop-start, of course, you just sit in silence, waiting to schmooze off again. The operability couldn’t be more different to a fossil fuelled experience, but it reminds why electric assimilates so easily into urban driving, even if cars of this size really are too large to be considered truly city-friendly.

 On the open road, they’re defiantly imperious cruisers. Electric cars are heavy and these clock the scales at around 2.6 tonnes. They feel weighty. But not weighed down. The benefit of all that mass is that these are the most comfortable cars to come out of Audi in a generation. That side of thing really plays out positively when you simply have to go with the flow. As much as the demeanour isn’t overly dextrous, pretty patently when you push the limits, they do a good job of wafting along.

 Acceleration-wise, you do notice the mass of both initially from a standing start, but once you're past 40km/h, the Sportback in particular is not at all lacking. And that’s before you tap the drive selector back once into 'S' mode. That enables 'Boost' mode, which gives you access to extra torque for eight-second stints. It’s not Tesla-beating, but still seems naughtily berserk. As with pretty much all EVs, that performance tails off as you reach higher cruising speeds, but the coupe in particular does a good job of keeping the propulsion going. 

 Either way, you can rely on a very efficient quattro system. How they’ve achieved calibrating the twin motors to emulate a 'virtual' all-wheel-drive system is the work of genius; but it’s fantastic. Audi’s confidence about how this system can augment itself faster than any mechanical set-up is supported when you drive these cars on gravel; the cited reaction time of just 30 milliseconds means you cannot outwit it.

 Good, too, are the brakes, which deftly judge the changeover from regenerative braking (where the electric motors slow you down, recovering otherwise lost energy for the batteries as they do so) to mechanical, friction brakes. That regenerative effort is helpful, especially around town, for keeping your battery from depleting too quickly.

 Convinced? Well, chances are the answer will be ‘no’; no matter how good electrics are – and these are pretty good – it’s just really hard to break our addiction to fossil fuels. I have yet to do it. And yet, it’s cars like these that make me think more positively about why I should.