Jaguar has released additional details and a #FeelXE social media campaign for the forthcoming XE set to be unveiled in London on September 8 2014.
New levels of aluminium-intensive lightweight construction
The Jaguar XE has been designed around Jaguars modular vehicle architecture, and is the only car in the class that uses an aluminium-intensive monocoque with lightweight aluminium accounting for 75 per cent of the structure.
This use of aluminium will not only lower the car’s weight but will also provide it with high torsional stiffness. Featuring a high level of recycled material, this new alloy additionally makes a significant contribution to Jaguars goal of using 75 per cent recycled material by 2020.
Furthermore Jaguar says that the most fuel efficient versions of the XE are currently expected to achieve a fuel consumption of less than 4-liters/100 km with CO2 emissions of less than 100 g/km. A more powerful range-topping XER-S version is rumoured to be equipped with a supercharged V8 5.0-litre engine sourced from the F-Type R Coupe, and will likely reach a top speed of more than 300 km/h.
The Jaguar XE #FeelXE campaign
According to Jaguar, the #FeelXE campaign was created to “harness the spirit of British creativity and innovation using an inspiring collective of figures from the worlds of music, film and design. As part of the project, the company will collaborate with artists and personalities including Emeli Sande, Stella McCartney and Idris Elba.
Emeli Sande will work on a special song inspired by the feeling of Exhilaration to support the reveal of the Jaguar XE. Using the hashtag #FeelXE the public is invited to share words, pictures, sounds and films with Emeli through social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) that express what makes them feel Exhilarated.
Following its September 8 reveal in London, the XE will be Jaguar’s first model to go into production at a newly established production facility located at the firm’s Solihull plant in UK.
Jaguar XE aluminium architecture detailed
New BMW X2 Details Revealed
A new report by Auto Express has exclusively released information including engines choices about the new BMW X2 slated for a 2017 launch.
New BMW X2 on the way
According to the report, the new BMW X2 will be based on the next-generation 2015 X1 and be offered in three- and five-door body styles. The sporty SUV is also said to ride on the same UKL platform as the upcoming X1, with styling heavily influenced by BMWs Sport Activity Coupe cars, including the sloping roofline and larger wheelarches.
Power will come from a variety of engines that are shared with the X1, including a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol with 135 kW and 270 Nm of torque, a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol with 170 kW and 350 Nm of torque, and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel with 110 kW and 330 Nm of torque. There are also rumours of a high-performance model with approximately 220 kW of power. Hybrids are also a possibility, with fuel consumption figures said to be close to 2.8-litres/100km.
The next-generation X1 is expected to be in showrooms early in 2016, and will be followed by the X2 the year after.
*2015 BMW X4 pictured
Nissan Navara Based SUV Planned
Nissan is reportedly working on an SUV version to sit on its new Navara platform. Nissan Navara chief engineer Takashi Fukui even stated that the SUV would be available as soon as a year after the Navara goes on sale.
The current Nissan Pathfinder is basically an SUV body whacked onto the Navara platform, but lacks a low range gearbox. Its likely whatever name they come up with (possibly still Pathfinder) will take on the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Chevrolet Trailblazer for the bakkie-based SUV crown. That means the Navara SUV will likely be a proper 4×4 complete with mountain conquering capabilities.
We still havent had final confirmation on the specifications of the new Navara yet, so we cant speculate on the engines it will harness.
*2015 Nissan Navara bakkie pictured.
Range Rover Sport SVR Sets Nurburgring Record
The highly anticipated Range Rover Sport SVR has laid down the gauntlet to all other power hungry SUVs. Range Rover has released a statement claiming its 405 kW, 5-litre supercharged beast of an SUV has lapped the Nordschleife in an amazing 8 minutes and 14 seconds.
The Nordschleife has been used for years as a testing ground for manufacturers to bed-in future products. Its combination of undulations, bumps and corners make it a serious test for a vehicles chassis. Theres also the lap time factor which, manufacturers use as bragging rights over competitors.
Range Rover Sport SVR
The Range Rover Sport SVRs time is particularly special seeing that the car weighs around 2.3 tons and has the drag coefficient of a cinema its not the most aerodynamic car. Weve had a look at the lap time board at the Nordschleife and it would seem that the SVR is now the fastest SUV to hit the track.
Not too many of its competitors have set a lap there yet as the next best SUV we can see is a Chevrolet Ute if you can call that an SUV at 8 minutes 20 seconds.
The Range Rover Sport SVR is set to make its debut in early 2015. You can see a few teaser videos of it here or watch the normal Range Rover Sport drag race against a BMW X5 M50d.
2015 Discovery Sport Teased in New Video
Land Rover has teased its upcoming 2015 Discovery Sport in a video, revealing through the camouflage wrap that the new compact SUV will be available with seating for up to seven people.
All-new SUV featuring a third row of seats
The camouflage wrap on this prototype has been printed to look like it is being peeled back, showing off the two small seats fitted at the back of the new Discovery Sport, further enhancing its versatility and appeal as a compact, family SUV.
According to Land Rover Design Director Gerry McGovern, “As you would expect from a Discovery, the versatile Discovery Sport will feature optional 5+2 seating, offering spacious load space and configurable seating, while still retaining a more compact footprint than traditional 5-seat SUVs.”
No spec details have been released, however it is rumoured the SUV will be offered with a variety of petrol and diesel four-cylinder engines. In addition, styling is said to be influenced by the Discovery Vision Concept which was unveiled at the 2014 New York Auto Show and packed some innovative features, like the ability to be piloted remotely via a smart-phone app and a heads-up display that projected the terrain below the vehicle on the hood of the car.
Land Rover announced that the 2015 Discovery Sport will go on sale alongside the existing Discovery in 2015.
2015 Discovery Sport teaser video
BMW Drift Mob Hits Cape Town (Video)
So we’re all pretty familiar with flash mobs, right? They happen at shopping malls or public places where people hang out. Seemingly out of nowhere a dance routine begins and people who were apparently regular shoppers get together and perform some choreographed dance routine.
That’s all good and well, but BMW wanted to do a flash mob with a different slant on it. So it blocked off a section of road in Cape Town and set about performing a ‘drift mob’ if you will. The M235i was the Beemer of choice here and they were set up especially for drifting. BMW then brought in some special stunt drivers including the likes of Rhys Millen to get the job done. Here’s the result.
BMW Drift mob Video
2015 Kia Sorento Teased (Video)
Official design sketches and a video of the 2015 Kia Sorento have been released, previewing for the first time the dramatic and bold exterior styling.
The third-generation 2015 Kia Soernto
Sketches suggest that the model will feature a more upright tiger nose grille while the side profile is dominated by large alloys, a lower panel line and a prominent roof-mounted spoiler at the back. The rear of the all-new 2015 Kia Sorento is said to come with three dimensional taillights with a long C-shaped LED design.
Recent reports have also mentioned that the new Sorento will be larger than its 4.7-metre-long predecessor and will have a longer wheelbase which will enable more space in the cabin and provide additional legroom for second- and third-row passengers.
Three engines are expected to be on offer right after the launch, including a rumoured hybrid version with a 2.3-litre 4-cylinder engine teamed up with an electric motor and a 47 kWh lithium-polymer battery.
Kia’s new SUV will first be revealed in South Korea towards the end of next month, followed by an appearance at 2014 Paris Motor Show. Sales are expected to commence either by the end of the year or early 2015.
2015 Sorento SUV teased
The All-New 2015 Polaris Slingshot Revealed
Not all sportscars have four wheels. Meet the three-wheeled all-new 2015 Polaris Slingshot which goes on sale in the United States soon. Have you ever seen anything as cool?
First look at the all-new 2015 Polaris Slingshot
The 2015 Polaris Slingshot looks similar to the KTM X-Bow, except it has a reverse tricycle layout with two wheels up front and one in the rear.
Power comes from a General Motors-sourced 2.4-litre EcoTec engine delivering 129 kW at 6 200 rpm and 225 Nm at 4 700 rpm to the rear wheel through a five-speed manual gearbox and a carbon-reinforced drive belt.
Polaris hasn’t revealed performance specs, but says the engine has no problem moving the Slingshots light 771 kg weight around and provides ‘heart pounding acceleration.’ The vehicle further measures 149.6 inches long, 77.6 inches wide and 51.9 inches tall, with a 105-inch wheelbase and a 5-inch ground clearance.
It additionally comes with more prominent bodywork, and 18-inch front wheels and a 20-inch rear wheel, along with ABS, electronic stability control, traction control, speed-sensitive power steering, a sway bar for the double wishbone independent suspensions, and forged aluminium roll bars.
Other notable features include projector-beam headlights, LED taillights, three-point seat belts and roll hoops, a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen, USB support and a backup camera, Bluetooth connectivity and a 6-speaker audio system. There are also adjustable waterproof seats, locking glove box and tilt steering wheel as well as two lockable storage bins which are big enough to hold a helmet and a standard backpack.
The All-New 2015 Polaris Slingshot will be available in two models, the base model and a more lavish SL variant. If this looks a little extreme, then check out our list of pocket-sized performance cars here.
Kia Cerato Koup 1.6T (2014) Review
This Kia Cerato Koup is the second generation to try its hand at the SA market. The first, whilst looking the part, never really had the go to match those smart looks. This new model then gives the Cerato Koup exactly that, it gets a turbo engine with way more power and torque. The new Cerato Koups suspension has also been tinkered with to deliver better stability and theres a few more sporty touches inside the cabin. Is it enough though to lift the Kia Cerato Koup into the limelight?
Powering Up
Moving on from the overawe, underperforming Koup of the previous generation, the Koreans have installed a turbocharged 1.6-litre unit to do duty in this new machine. The turbocharged petrol unit puts out a healthy 152 kW combined with 265 Nm of torque. Statistically it makes for a mouth-watering combination when you factor in a kerb weight of less than 1 300kg.
Slam your foot on the go pedal from stationary and the Koup will light up the front tyres easily, theres also almost zero torque steer as the power is delivered smoothly to the front wheels. It revs cleanly all the way up to the mid-6000s, sounding a little disinterested despite the supposedly enhanced exhaust note to add excitement. It doesnt feel fast and thats probably because it isnt, the Koup gets from 0-100kph in 7.7seconds. Whilst it may not be trying to compete with the hot hatches that do sub 7 seconds to 100 kph, the Koup could do with a bit more thrill from its mill.
Inner Sanctum
Korean manufacturers and Kia in particular has become very good at making sure its cars come fully loaded with all the gadgetry you could want. The size of the Koup in total has been enlarged slightly, making it taller, longer and wider. That has meant that rear occupants now have a bit more headroom and the rear legroom has been increased by 51mm, which has made the rear an entirely tolerable place to endure a journey now.
The Koup also operates keylessly so you can leave the key in your pocket at all times, it also senses when the key is close to the vehicle and unfolds the side mirrors in a sort-of happy to see you greeting. Steering wheel controls manage just about everything on the vehicle from the Bluetooth kit, radio controls, cruise control and the on-board trip meter.
Theres also a button with the picture of a steering wheel on the steering wheel. The button activates Kias new Flexsteer system that allows you to adjust the weight of the steering electronically. Comfort setting is extremely light, but useful if you do a lot of three-point turns. Normal setting seems just about right with decent weighting. Sport setting feels heavy and probably too heavy with minor adjustments proving to take a fair amount of effort it tires you out after a while.
To the Point
Drill the Kia Cerato Koup through a set of bends and its quite an enjoyable little car. It lacks the knife-edge lift-off the throttle pedal get sliding handling that some of the driver-focused hatches have, but its still easy to have fun with. The Koup is well balanced through the corners and always leads towards having the front push when you ask too much of the front tyres. If you try the old lift-off technique to entice the rear out, you’ll be disappointed as it doesnt come.
Its a safe strategy from the handling chiefs at Kia to go with the hordes of passive and active safety systems on the Koup. That doesnt mean to say you cant enjoy the low-seated drive, it still does a good job of snaking through a set of bends at rapid speed.
Conclusion
For R334 995 the Kia Cerato Koup is a steady improvement over the previous generation. More power makes it a candidate to be taken seriously, but it ultimately lacks the thrills a car that looks this good could provide. Still true to its Korean roots it offers great specification inside and now has increased space so occupants arent cramped.
The Koup offers up a reasonably exciting driving experience through the twisty stuff, but errs on the side of safe understeer rather than the enthusiast-minded precision sharp handling of current top notch hot hatches.
Another Opinion
The Kia Cerato Koup is one of the prettier coupes on the road today. Thanks to that decent turbocharged motor, you’ll get good performance too, but it’s not going to keep up with the GTI brigade. Still, I think its one of the best offerings to come from Kia in ages and shows how far the brand has come. -David Taylor
2014 Kia Cerato Koup 1.6T quick specs
Engine
1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power
152 kW
Torque
265 Nm
Transmission
Six-speed manual
Wheels
18-inch alloys
0-100km/h
7.7 seconds (claimed)
Fuel economy
7.2 l/100 km (claimed)
We like:
. Styling
. Loads of kit
. More room in the back
We dislike:
. Engine doesn’t excite
. More show than go
In an effort to broaden its market appeal, Suzuki South Africa has ventured into mommy-mover territory. We drive the seven-seater Suzuki Ertiga.
The Suzuki Ertiga is the brand’s first MPV-type vehicle in South Africa. However the company is keen to point out that it’s not an MPV. It’s called a Life Utility Vehicle and its aimed at being ultra practical, while retaining the fun-to-drive characteristics of the popular Swift.
Specification
Our test unit came in a bright gold colour, which also happened to be the colour of the interior! All jokes aside, the beige interior may not suit all tastes and I have a suspicion that it’ll pick up dirt very quickly. Nothing a set of aftermarket seat covers can’t fix…
There’s no shortage of standard specification either as the Suzuki Ertiga comes well appointed. We had the 1.4 GLX manual which comes with air con, alloys, radio CD/MP3, USB port, central locking, electric windows, fog lamps, 7 seats and a multi function steering wheel. There’s a very clever ventilation unit above the driver’s head which ensures the second and third rows of seats receive warm or cool air. Safety specification is also good as the Suzuki Ertiga features ABS brakes with EBD and dual front airbags.
Engine, ride quality and practicality
Much like the Suzuki Swift, the ride is comfortable and pleasant, and the car can absorb bumps from even the worst roads. It also features commendable ground clearance, making this vehicle ideal on our deteriorating road network. The vehicle feels well built too. Power comes from the tried-and-trusted 1.4-litre naturally-aspirated four cylinder found in other Suzuki products. Power is rated 70 kW, while the torque figure is listed at 130 Nm. It didn’t do too badly on our fuel test route either, with a figure of 7.9l/100 km appearing on the trip computer.
Thanks to a close-ratio five speed manual gearbox, the vehicle doesn’t feel sluggish which was my initial concern. However I was the only person in the vehicle and I never had any passengers. The vehicle claims to seat seven, and I have my reservations about the performance of the Suzuki Ertiga when its fully laden with people. Is 130 Nm enough torque?
Reservations aside, the Suzuki Ertiga is one seriously practical vehicle. With all three rows up, there’s only 135 litres of space, which isn’t much. You can fold the third row of seats down to increase the carrying capacity to 482 litres, with a total 736 litres becoming available if fold the second row flat. There’s an extra 22 litres of storage space under the cargo floor if you’re craving more space.
Conclusion and summary
So it drives well, is light on fuel and is comfortable. Suzuki has tried to make its Ertiga family-orientated, but I feel this car’s success will come from the taxi/shuttle industry. It gives the Toyota Avanza a serious run for its money in terms of value and quality, but the Suzuki badge doesn’t have the same sort of brand trustworthiness. Hopefully consumers can look past this and see the Suzuki Ertiga for what it is.
Another opinion
The Suzuki Ertiga is extremely spacious but also extremely beige. It’s good value for money and certainly walks over the Avanza as a seven-seater people shifter.-Ashley Oldfield
Suzuki Ertiga Price in South Africa
Tested here is the Suzuki Ertiga 1.4 GLX manual, which costs R192 900. The range starts from R159 900. Price includes a 36 month / 100 000 km warranty and a four year / 60 000 km service plan. Servicing intervals are every 15 000 km.
2014 Suzuki Ertiga specs
Engine
1.4-litre 4-cylinder
Power
70 kW
Torque
130 Nm
Transmission
Five-speed manual
Wheels
15-inch alloys
0-100km/h
13.0 seconds (estimated)
Fuel economy
6.6l/100 km (claimed)
We like:
. Value for money
. Practical
. Levels of specification
We dislike:
. Beige interior
. Performance could be inadequate when fully laden at Highveld altitudes
