Wheel Fever - by Craig Hill

Rounding out the list of new Fords unveiled at the Melbourne Motor Show this morning is the new Mondeo Zetec wagon, which joins the Mondeo range in June.

The Mondeo wagon was first shown at last year's show as a toe-in-the-water exercise to solicit consumer feedback.

That feedback was good and the Zetec wagon will provide buyers with an alternative mid-size load-lugger, according to Ford Australia president and CEO, Marin Burela.

The Zetec wagon is powered by a 118kW/208Nm 2.3-litre Duratec four-cylinder engine driving the front wheels.

It is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential sports shift.

The Zetec wagon comes with the same high level of standard features as the Zetec hatch and sedan, including 17-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, dual zone climate control, a premium Sony audio system, automatic headlights, rain sensing wipers, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, capless refuelling and follow me home lights.

It also has a safety package mirroring that of its hatch and sedan siblings.

Key safety features include an enhanced Intelligent Protection System (IPS) complemented by an anti-skid brakes, brake assist, electronic stability control, an automatic hazard warning light and seven airbags, including a driver's knee airbag and full length side curtain airbags.

Key wagon features include an impressive load carrying space, which provides a luggage capacity of 542 litres with the rear passenger seats in the upright position, increasing to a capacious 1733 litres with the rear passenger seats folded flat.

Prices will be released closer to the car's launch date.

Herald Sun

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Posted By: Paladin - Category: American Cars, Wagons, Ford, Melbourne International

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Porsche Cayenne Diesel

February 18th 2009 12:21

Porsche, the famous German maker of sports cars and race machines makes a big SUV wagon, then it confirms it is making a four-door sporty Porsche and now there's a diesel engine.

It just underlines how far diesel has come in penetrating the market, especially in Europe, that even a prestige brand like Porsche now must embrace diesel, albeit at this stage only as one of the engine choices in its Cayenne four-wheel-drive wagons.

The entry-level Cayenne is the V6 3.5-litre petrol unit. The diesel version is based on that trim level and, at $101,900 also sells for less than what you can buy any Porsche sports car. The V8 petrol Cayennes are $134,500 to $215,200 so this new Cayenne diesel looms as good value, considering its 550Nm of torque transferring to good performance.

As we are learning, a diesel doesn't have to be a slug, especially if it's a German engine. Moving 2.3 tonnes of big 4WD from rest to 100km/h in 8.3 seconds is respectable by any measure. Porsche says it will even run out to 214km/h.

The winner is the fuel economy, rated at 9.3 litres/100km, or better than 30 miles a gallon in the old money. The Cayenne's 100-litre tank promises a good touring range at these figures.

The diesel engine is a three-litre V6 with variable-geometry turbocharger, giving 176kW at 4000 to 4400rpm while that 500Nm of torque comes on nice and early from 2000 to 2250rpm. If those figures sound familiar, look at the Audi engine range...

The only transmission available with the diesel on Cayenne is the Tiptronic S, a six-speed that can be changed manually via rocker switches on the steering wheel. When the wagon is stopped in gear and the foot brake pressed, a clutch automatically disconnects the engine from the driveline, saving a few more drops of oily fuel.

This thing is no poseur, either. It has a low-range transfer (2.7:1), decent ground clearance which can be adjusted if the optional air suspension is ordered (tp to 271mm) and the diesel model comes with sensibly sized tyres, not the low-profile jobs just about useless off bitumen as on some prestige SUVs. The transmission also has a hill-holder for smooth uphill starts.

Standard is the Porsche traction management in the permanent all-wheel-drive system, distributing the torque to best advantage. It's normally set at 62 rear and 38 front until anything starts to slip.

And it wouldn't be a top-brand Euro without a good stability control system, in this case one that also recognises any swaying or pendulum motion of a trailer and dabs appropriate brakes as required. A 3.5-tonne tow rate puts it among the big, tough boys, too.

PORSCHE CAYENNE DIESEL

Price: $101,900

Engine: V6, 2967cc turbo-diesel

Power: 176kW @ 4000-44000rpm

Torque: 550Nm @ 2000-2250rpm

Emissions: 244g/km

Transmission: Tiptronic S six-speed; all-wheel-drive; with low-range transfer

Brakes: All disc, six-piston calipers on front, four-piston on rear

Wheels/tyres: 7.5x17in; 235/65

Fuel: 9.3 litres/100km; 100-litre tank

Dimensions: 4788mm long, 1928mm wide, 1699mm tall, 2855mm wheelbase, 218mm ground clearance, 2240kg, tows 3500kg

Performance: (claimed) 0-100km/h 8.3sec. 8-120km/h in fifth gear, 10.1sec. Top speed 214km/h On sale: In Australia, April

The Advertiser

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Posted By: Paladin - Category: German Cars, Wagons, Porsche

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Saab 9-3X

February 16th 2009 11:46

It has taken a little while but Swedish carmaker Saab has finally answered the call of the wild.

The new 9-3X all-wheel drive wagon follows the proven path pioneered by the Subaru Outback and joins a legion of new Euro softer-roaders battling in the recreational lifestyle market.

The jacked up, chunky Swede debuts at next month's Geneva Motor Show and could hit local Saab showrooms next year.

For the downtrodden Saab brand locally, GM Premium brands director, Parveen Batish, says the 9-3X is not too little too late.

"I don't think so, I think the brand is moving forward and we've been talking about other cars and they will come," he says.

"Things have been tough but we can see some light.

"The cues we've seen from some of the concept cars are a real eye-opening in terms of where the brand is going."

Last year Saab sold just 1158 vehicles locally, mostly 9-3s.

The 9-3X and its bigger, still secret 9-4X off-roader, could be a sales savior.

Batish says the 9-3X does not go into production until towards the end of the year "so that gives us plenty of time to investigate where it would fit and how it would fit".

"Regardless of the brand, we've got to make sure it's the right thing for Australia," he says.

In Europe the 9-3X will be available with both front and all-wheel drive.

GM Premium Brands will investigate both options, Batish says.

"But being a small market we can't take everything," he says.

Using the 9-3 SportCombi as its base, the 9-3X gets a 35mm higher ground clearance and Saab's cross-wheel drive (XWD) system, as well as some stirdy plastic trim.

For the first time, Saab's E85-capable BioPower engine technology is mated to its XWD system.

In Europe buyers will have a choice of the 155kW/300Nm 2.0-litre BioPower four-cylinder as well as petrol 2.0-litre four cylinder.

The 2.0-litre petrol turbo has a similar output to the BioPower unit.

A front-wheel drive 132kW/400Nm 1.9-litre TTiD two-stage turbo diesel will also be available.

There is little difference between the all-wheel drive and front drive.

The front drive gets the same styling but its suspension is only raised by an extra 20mm.

Visually the soft-road wagon uses a proven formula of grey plastic body trim, wheel arches and sill panels and beefier bumpers.

This treatment is complemented by matt aluminium skid panels.

Black roof rails are standard, along with multi-spoke 17-inch alloys and dual exhausts.

The XWD system is an active, intelligent system that continuously distributes engine drive torque between the front and rear axles.

The hardware includes an electronically-controlled torque transfer system that varies power delivery between the axles.

Herald Sun

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Posted By: Paladin - Category: Other Makes, Wagons, Saab, Other Shows

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