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Posted by Alex Bale
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Price as tested: €26,495
+ Styling, handling, quality– Noisy & outdated engine, tight rear seats and boot= Firmly underscores Opel's premium ambitionsOpel really needs a hit right now. The company has lost no less than €17-billion in the past decade and a half and while its paymasters at General Motors in Detroit have stuck with Opel through thick and (very) thin, patience is running low. So, with minimal surprise, Opel is having a crack at the fastest-growing segment in European motoring. At a time when the market for cars in Europe as a whole is either stalling or falling, SUVs, especially of the small and efficient variety, are charging ahead, taking buyers out of conventional hatchbacks and saloons. Score a hit here, and it will lift Opel as a whole.
No pressure then, but the Mokka gets of to a good start by looking really, really good. With the sporty bodykit fitted to our SE-spec test car, you could even accuse it of looking over-styled, but it succeeds where its key rival, the Nissan Juke, fails; it’s looks distinctive and exciting without being actively ugly.
Inside too, the styling is a success. Now, the brown, brown and beige colour scheme of our test car was, it must be admitted, a tad eye-watering and most conservative Irish customers will stick to plain old black, thanks very much. But if Opel is serious about its ambitions to break into the premium car market, then the Mokka’s cabin at least makes that ambition start to look realistic. Although it basically pinches existing parts and styling from the likes of the Astra and Insignia, it’s an especially successful casserole of parts, and the levels of quality seem to be very high. OK, so the fact that our car was an SE model, which came with leather seats and steering wheel (both of which were heated) and a bevvy of options such as Sat Nav, Bluetooth and more doubtless lifted the ambience, but the basic structure, design and quality are what really shone through.
It’s a shame then that as soon as you turn the key, some of that premium sheen is dispelled. Opel’s 1.7-litre CDTI diesel engine is both efficient (in terms of its economy and Co2 emissions) and powerful (130bhp and 300Nm of torque make the Mokka feel pretty peppy) but the noise and vibration are distinctly old-school. The engine’s basic design dates back to an early-nineties Isuzu unit and it shows, badly. It shakes the whole car on start-up, clatters noisily until you reach a steady cruising speed and has a bad habit of stalling on a light throttle around town. Opel is working on a brand-new 1.6-litre diesel to replace this engine (it makes its debut later this year in the facelifted Insignia saloon) and, frankly, it can’t come soon enough. Mind you, even given all that, the 1.7’s 65mpg potential and 120g/km Co2 rating (€200 a year road tax) are enough to make it still the engine of choice, and at least that punchy mid-range grunt is pleasing.
So too is the Mokka’s dynamic performance. This is an SUV that is actually fun and engaging to drive. The steering is nicely balanced and weighted and you can fling the Mokka through corners with enjoyable abandon. The only mark against the chassis is the fact that the sort of short, sharp, numerous bumps that so afflict our roads can make the Mokka feel a bit too bouncy and skippy, reminding you that underneath is a pretty simply-engineered Corsa chassis.
We do have some concerns over the practicality of the Mokka though. A 356-litre boot sounds pretty good on paper, but in reality it’s just never quite big enough. Many of these cars will be bought by growing families, and a big, three-wheeled buggy is almost enough to overwhelm to boot space. Likewise, space in the back seats is a touch too tight. It’s actually better for tall-ish adults, able to squeeze their knees into the cutouts in the backs of the front seats, but for younger children, perched up and forward in bulky child car seats, space is on the tight side and parents will find themselves cranking their seats forward, taxi-driver-style, to keep the younglings happy.
While all that makes the Mokka sound like a bit too much of a mixed bag, we actually came away from the car quite liking it. Its style and genuine premium-quality feel are very appealing, and it will eventually get the new, smoother diesel engine it deserves. If the likes of the Skoda Yeti has the Mokka beat for cabin and boot space, then at least the Opel can hit back with swaggering style, a quality not to be underestimated in this part of the market.
The €64-million question of whether it will be a hit, or a big enough hit, for Opel will remain unanswered for now, but what’s not in question is that Opel’s first foray into the compact SUV world is well-judged.
Facts & Figures
Opel Mokka 1.7 CDTI SE
Price as tested: €26,495
Range price: €19,995 to €29,495
Capacity: 1,686ccPower: 130bhpTorque: 300Nm Top speed: 187kmh 0-100kmh: 10.5secEconomy: 4.5l-100km (64mpg)CO2 emissions: 120g/kmVRT Band: A4. €200 road taxEuro NCAP rating: 5-star; 96% adult, 90% child, 67% pedestrian, 100% safety assist
Posted by Alex Bale
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Price as tested: €23,170
+ Doors, comfort, engine, chassis, quality– 1.0 not economical enough, needs more space in the back= Better than the diesel version but still flawedYou know what, I may have given the B-Max a bit of a harsh time the first go-round. When I first drove Ford’s clever new compact people carrier, I was disappointed by its lacklustre new 1.5 diesel engine and equally disappointed by a ride quality that was just too firm and handling that felt too top heavy.
And while my criticisms of the diesel and the ride remain, having spent a bit more time with this, the 1.0-litre turbo petrol EcoBoost model, I have to say that the B-Max is coming rather more into focus for me.
Let’s start with that engine, which has been showered with praise and awards since it was launched last year. Virtually small enough to fit into carry-on luggage, the little three-cylinder EcoBoost engine is a paragon of smoothness, refinement and, surprisingly, grunt. A 100bhp power output is plenty enough in a car the size of the B-Max, and while 170Nm of torque isn’t much compared to the best diesels, it’s enough to make sure that the B never feels sluggish or caught in the wrong gear. And then there’s the character of it. Quiet and hushed at a motorway cruise, it revs happily and emits a distinctly Porsche-esque growl as you approach maximum rpm. It is quite brilliant.
Or at least it would be if not for a significant achilles heel. Fuel consumption. There’s no way of getting around it, over a mixture of motorway, town and main road mileage, I averaged just 8.2-litres per 100km. That’s 34mpg. That’s simply not good enough for a compact family car these days, especially one so explicitly looking to tempt diesel buyers back to petrol. I know, I know, long motorway hauls aren’t a petrol B-Max’s natural metier, but all cars these days have to be all things to all people and the sad fact is that I’ve gotten similar average consumption out of a 218bhp Mini Cooper S Works GP...
That aside, the B-Max really is a lovely little car to drive. Perhaps it’s the reduced weight of the petrol engine versus the diesel that last I tried, but the handling felt distinctly better. You still feel that the weight of the body is set a touch too high (those complicated latches for the sliding side doors the culprit perhaps?) but it’s still got that lovely, fluid feel we’ve come to associate with Ford’s right back to the 1993 Mondeo. The ride quality is still a touch too firm I’d say, and that gives ground to the much more supple Citroen C3 Picasso, but if you’re a keen driver, who needs a small, practical family car, then this is the one for you.
That said, if you really need a small, practical family car, I’m not 100% convinced by the B-Max’s credentials in the practicality department. Those sliding side doors are brilliant, and they make the loading and unloading of small people and their car seats very easy, especially in the close confines of a multi-storey car park. The fact that there’s no b-pillar doesn’t really have a massive effect in terms of loading and unloading, and in fact for some people it may make getting in and out a little more tricky (nothing to grab hold of bar the front seatback) but on the whole, it’s an entertaining gimmick and would certainly make a trip to IKEA that much easier.
But there’s not quite enough space in the back seats, specifically in the legroom department. I’m a hair over six feet tall, and I can fit in the back reasonably comfortably. But my two-and-a-bit year old son, who’s a hair over three feet tall, struggled a bit with space. Why? Because there’s a full six or seven inches between the back of the base that his car safety seat sits on and the actual base of the seat where he sits. That means he’s lifted up and forward by the shape of the seat, which means either he’s cramped for legroom, or I am because I have to pull my seat forward to give him space. It’s not a problem unique to the B-Max, but given the amount of thought Ford has clearly put into the doors, I was hoping for better.
The rest of the interior is just about perfect though, with a big, deep, square boot, comfy seats and a lovely-looking, high quality dash. My Titanium-spec press car also came with Ford’s new Sync system that connects wirelessly to your smartphone both as a phone and as a music player. As a phone it worked swiftly and flawlessly, but I found that the Bluetooth audio streaming tended to make tracks skip annoyingly, but they did play smoothly when connected by a USB cable. Still, the sound quality of the optional Sony stereo was little short of awesome. A highly recommended option.
At €23,170 for the test car, the B-Max makes an interesting alternative to a conventional hatchback, and its extra height and trick doors means that it’s potentially more practical than a similarly priced Focus. But that (otherwise) brilliant little 1.0-litre engine needs to give better economy in real world driving, and a touch more space in the back would make the B-Max nigh-on unbeatable.
Facts & Figures
Ford B-Max 1.0-litre EcoBoost Titanium
Price as tested: €23,170
Range price: €19,821 to €27,600
Capacity: 999cc
Power: 100bhp
Torque: 169Nm
Top speed: 175kmh
0-100kmh: 13.2sec
Economy: 4.9l-100km (60mpg)
CO2 emissions: 112g/km
VRT Band: A4. €200 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 92% adult, 84% child, 67% pedestrian, 71% safety assist – joint safest car in small MPV category.
Posted by Alex Bale
Thursday, January 31, 2013
One of our favourite cars, the Citroen CS Picasso (check out our recent long term test HERE) is getting an update and freshen up for 2013, but sad to say, there's a small note of disappointment in the news.On the outside, the C3 Picasso is, frankly, looking better than ever, with a revised front bumper and the latest Citroën chevrons; together with the addition of LED daytime running lights for a fresh new look as standard on VTR+ models. Two striking new body colours are also introduced; Ink Blue and Pearlescent White.Inside, little has changed overall but there is a new trim called Mistral ‘Mixou’ cloth, which is specified as standard on the VTR+ model. An electro-chrome rear view mirror is now included in C3 Picasso’s Automatic Pack option at no extra charge and there are new 16” ‘Blade’ alloy wheels as standard on the VTR+ version. As before, the the Special Edition C3 Picasso CODE comes with an array of additional equipment; including striking black or white ‘Clover’ 17" alloy wheels, panoramic sunroof, chrome door mirrors and roof bars; for a great value step-up cost of just €500. That's the model we had on our long term test and we'd unreservedly recommend it.
But there is a faint disappointment in the engine department. In the UK, the Picasso now comes with an updated 115bhp 1.6 diesel engine, while we just get the old 90bhp version – hardly the quickest thing around. Still, the 115bhp version would bump up both the price and the Co2 ratings, so perhaps we should be thankful for small mercies.
Prices start from €20,995 for the VTR+ model and €21,495 for the Code.
Posted by Alex Bale
Friday, January 11, 2013
They may be part of the same group, and even share a chassis, but the new Renault Captur is most definitely muscling in on the Nissan Juke's compact SUV territory.Teased earlier this week and now revealed here in full, the Captur takes both chassis and styling cues from the just-launched new Clio but bulks everything up into a much more muscular shape. Is it just us or are there hints of the old Avantime in the overall shape and stance? Maybe just us. Whatever, it's a handsome beast and that is just as true on the inside, where again Clio elements have been taken, put on a bit of muscle and are looking pretty darned good.
Renault is claiming best in class fuel economy and the two key engines will be the TCe three-cylinder petrol turbo and the long serving 1.5 dCi diesel, an engine which should see the Captur's emissions fall as low as 96g/km.
The Clio has already been much praised for its dynamic performance, so we can hope that the Captur will prove as invigorating to drive. Will the fact that it's shorter (slightly) the the Juke compromise interior space too much though? We'll find out when the Captur makes its public debut at the Geneva motor show.
Between this the and Peugeot 2008, it's looking like a good year for compact French SUVs...
Posted by Alex Bale
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Teasing is usually a very good way to get people's attention. Well, it works in the school playground anyway, and Renault is obviously keen on getting our attention with this teaser image of the new Captur compact crossover.Renault hasn't dipped its toes in the SUV world since the pretty disastrous debut in 2008 of the Koleos, a car about which the less said, the better. This new Captur should be a beast of a very different feather though, and while the image above may be cropped and monkeyed with, you can easily see the influence of the handsome new Clio shining through.
Oddly, the Captur will share a chassis with one of its most important rivals, the Nissan Juke, and will come to the market with the familiar 1.5 and 1.6 dCi diesel engines and the new three-cylinder turbo 900cc petrol TCe units too.
We'll get more details, and images, of the Captur at the end of this week, and it will get its full public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Posted by Alex Bale
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Peugeot's crucial new 2008 crossover has broken cover for the first time and it it couldn't be coming at a more significant time for the beleaguered French car maker.Peugeot's woes over the past 12 months have been well-publicised, and even it's much-anticipated (and critically well received) 208 supermini simply hasn't sold in the numbers Peugeot needs it to. Which makes the 208-based 2008 more important than ever, as compact SUVs are one of the few growth markets in Peugeot's traditional European heartland right now, and is just the right segment to be entering if it wants to break into Asian and American markets in the future.
The 2008's 4.1-metre length pitches it straight against the likes of the Skoda Yeti, Nissan Juke and Opel Mokka, and although the range-topping engine will be the 150bhp 1.6-litre petrol turbo, expect most to be sold with either 1.4 or 1.6-litre HDI diesels.
No official figures yet, but it's safe to assume that there will be at least one sub-120g/km model, and possibly, given the 208's frugal nature, even a sub-100g/km version. Production starts at Mulhouse in France later this year, and the 2008 will also be built in burgeoning markets like Brazil and China.
These photos were not due to be released until the 2008's official debut at the Geneva motor show in March, but French website L'Argus got hold of them and once something's on t'internet, it's leaks ahoy...
Posted by Alex Bale
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Price as tested: €28,550
+ Styling, engine, handling– Driving position= Puts Merc right at the top of the premium hatch tree
I can still remember clearly the last time I drove an old-shape A-Class. You remember? The tall, slightly geeky looking one that was big on space but small on styling and driver appeal. I can still recall heading north up the M1 motorway, just passing the exit for Skerries and thinking “I just don’t like this.”
And that was odd, because I should have. I liked, and still do like, most Mercedes cars. I appreciate cars that are clever, spacious and useful and the old A was all of those things. But I just couldn’t appreciate the shopping-trolley handling, the awkward driving position or, especially on that warm August day, the feeble, non-air-conditioned ventilation.
While the old A certainly had its followers and was one of the most genuinely innovative cars of the past two decades, it just never resonated with customers the way that rivals like the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 did.
I think that might all be about to change because on a chilly November afternoon, I have now driven the all-new A-Class and suddenly, Mercedes’ smallest car has snapped into sharp focus.
Gone is the tall, spacious MPV-like body of before, and gone with it the clever ‘sandwich’ floor arrangement (originally designed to leave space for the batteries for a proposed electric version) and in comes properly gorgeous, low-slung styling with a prominent bonnet and a cab-backward stance. The new A really is very handsome indeed and that alone should increase its potential sales by a significant figure.
Inside, you no longer get the massive space of the old one, but then you do now get a cabin that looks like it has come from a proper Mercedes. The big, iPad-style control screen in the centre of the dash looks like it should be a touch-screen (sadly it isn’t) and the retro-sixties-style circular air vents are a nice touch.
Slip behind the chunky, sporty, three-spoke steering wheel and you will instantly find the A-Class’ one major flaw. Its driving position. If you’re tall, then you’ll have to sit low to the floor and with your knees splayed out. That’s not a major issue, but at this point the angle of the throttle pedal becomes distinctly awkward and the pedal’s light action means you can’t rest your foot on it when holding a constant speed – you have to hover your foot over it all the time. That’s going to cause major leg ache on a long journey and will expose the fact that the A doesn’t have standard-fit cruise control.
Ah well, perfection is unattainable in nature and all that, so let’s press on and see what the new A-Class does well. And the answer to that question is; pretty much everything else. The 109bhp 180 CDI diesel engine is actually a 1.5-litre unit and while you wouldn’t think it would be especially muscular, it actually provides really decent amounts of poke. The 260Nm of torque is the key figure here, as is the A’s 1,395kg kerb weight. Stir the six-speed manual gearbox with a touch of vigour and you’ll never be less than impressed with its straightline performance, all of which is delivered while it averages a claimed 3.8-litres per 100km (74mpg) and emits as little as 98g/km of Co2, depending on which size of alloy wheels you specify.
To drive, at first, the A feels a little loose-limbed and remote. Trickling through traffic, there’s little or nothing to tell you that this is anything other than another comfort-oriented Mercedes. But get it on to a twisty, properly challenging road and the A-Class really comes alive. The steering weights up (without becoming intrusively heavy) and the chassis really starts to sing, allowing you to fully exploit the diesel grunt. It’s not merely precise, predictable and poised; it’s actually fun. In fact, it’s so good to drive that it just manages to nick the driver appeal trophy from the rear-drive BMW 1 Series.
To all of those talents you can add a cabin that’s decently spacious in the rear and a boot that’s large and square enough to make the A-Class feel truly practical.
At €28k for this most basic of diesel models, you can’t say that it’s exactly affordable but at long last, the A-Class does the job it was originally designed to do; to offer a truly desirable, properly Mercedes driving experience in a compact package at a compact price.
Mercedes-Benz A180 CDIPrice as tested: €28,995Price range: €26,435 to €41,230Capacity: 1,461Power: 109bhpTorque: 260NmTop speed: 190kmh0-100kmh: 11.3secEconomy: 3.8l-100km (74mpg)CO2 emissions: 98g/kmRoad Tax Band: A. €160Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested
Posted by Alex Bale
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Price as tested: €23,050
+ Clever doors, space, practicality, quality, comfort
– Diesel engine lacks punch, ride too firm
= Clever and useful but ride and performance lacking
I cannot hear the phrase “sliding doors” and not think of the eponymous movie of the late 1990s starring Gwyneth Paltrow. It’s about a woman whose future apparently takes two divergent courses, with the dividing line being whether or not the sliding doors close on her as she tries to catch a train. Not sure why such an otherwise forgettable romcom should stick with me, but it’s always at the back of my mind whenever I drive a car with, well, you know.With the Ford B-Max (and its sliding doors) Ford will be trying to both create a new future for itself and erase memories of an unhappy past. That’s because the company’s previous effort in the mini-MPV arena, the little Fusion, was largely critically panned, even if it did have its loyal customers. The new B-Max’s only similarity to the Fusion, thankfully, is that both cars shared their mechanicals with a sister Fiesta. The B-Max is more clearly a junior MPV, though, owing much to the sharp-looking C-Max for its styling. And wait until you see its trick doors . . .
Actually, the doors themselves are not the trick here; it’s the absence of pillars between them and the front doors. When both front and back doors are open, there is a gargantuan 1.5-metre opening in the side of the car. For parents loading kids and child car seats, this is a huge boon, and the B-Max backs up the loading aperture with proper space in the back – room enough even for tall adults to get perfectly comfortable. There’s a properly useful 318-litre boot out back, too.Up front, and behind that beaky nose, is a range of three petrol and one diesel engines, with the highlights being the new 1.5-litre 75bhp TDCI diesel and the brilliant 1.0-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost turbo petrol, which Ford Ireland’s people reckon will prove to be the best seller. The base model comes with a 1.4-litre petrol engine, and you can have the old 105bhp 1.6-litre petrol if you fancy an automatic transmission.With its sweet-revving nature and 119g/km CO22 emissions, the 1.0 EcoBoost is definitely the star of the range, especially as the new 1.5 TDCI engine is actually a bit of a disappointment. Thankfully, an early cold-start clatter dies away as the engine warms, to be replaced by generally very good refinement; but it’s very short on grunt, lacking the kind of low-down punch we’ve come to associate with diesel engines. The creakingly long 16.5sec 0-100kmh run confirms its gutlessness. It is capable of a claimed 68mpg compared to the 1.0 petrol’s 55mpg, though but the bald fact is that, foot to the boards in third gear, I was really having to wait around and wait for the B-Max to pick up speed. On this brief acquaintance, I'd say that Ford's new 1.5 diesel isn't half the engine the existing 1.6 TDCI is. Which is worrying, as eventually a whole family based on the 1.5 will replace the 1.6...Ford has slipped up a touch with the driving experience too, for my money. In trying to keep Ford’s now-traditional sporty chassis dynamics, the B-Max has gone a bit too far down the stiff suspension route, and the upshot is a ride quality that never settles down and frequently jiggles. Fine in a sporty, spry hatchback but not what you want in a family-oriented people mover. Yes, the sharp steering and good body control are welcome, but I’d have happily traded both in for a comfier ride.There's also a sense that the whole car feels top-heavy, which in spite of the too-firm ride, means it feels as if the roof is heading towards the ditch under brisk cornering loads. Not a pleasant feeling and in general I think Ford should be heading back to the drawing board with the B-Max's suspension settings. As a final caveat though, our Titanium model was riding on big-ish rims, so possibly a lesser spec version with smaller wheels might feel a touch better. The B-Max does have one whizz-bang ace up its sleeve, though: SYNC, Ford’s new phone-friendly infotainment system, which is easy to use, useful and, Ford claims, potentially live-saving, automatically dialling the emergency services if it detects you’ve had a crash. It’ll even read your text messages to you.It's almost laughably easy to use (albeit we couldn't get the text message reading system to work with my iPhone 4S) and the option to be able to plumb your music into the car either by Bluetooth or USB cable is a nice one. SYNC on its own is almost impressive enough to warrant a recommendation for the B-Max, and the doors and space are truly family-optimised. Fix the ride and install a punchier diesel engine and you could happily see it in your future.Ford B-Max 1.5 TDCI Titanium
Price as tested: €23,050
Price range: €19,170 to €26,430
Capacity: 1,490cc
Power: 74bhp
Torque: 190Nm
Top speed: 157kmh
0-100kmh: 16.5sec
Economy: 4.0l-100km (68.9mpg)
CO2 emissions: 109g/km
Road Tax Band: A. €160
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 92% adult, 84% child, 67% pedestrian, 71% safety assist
Posted by Alex Bale
Volkswagen adds Taigun but drops profit. Has the financapocalypse finally gotten its dirty fingers into VW?
This is the new Taigun, a concept compact crossover that Volkswagen has just shown at the Sao Paulo motor show in Brazil. Why there? Simply because Brazil's burgeoning economy is one of the boom markets for new cars at the moment, and VW is keen to capitalise on its already strong market position there.
We've been told in recent weeks that VW is working on a new range of crossovers and SUVs, but this is a bit smaller than we expected. Instead of being a Polo-based rival to the likes of the Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman, it's actually built on the same platform as the VW Up, and is smaller again than the Juke.
It is a big bigger than the Up mind, with a 50mm longer wheelbase and a much bigger boot.
It gets a turbocharged version of the Up's 1.0-litre 75bhp petrol engine, boosting power to 100bhp. And will it make production? Almost certainly, in spite of VW saying that it's just a concept for now, and you can expect Skoda, Seat and Audi versions too.
It't not all good news for VW though. The German car giant is due to announce third quarter earnings of around €2.3-billion this week, which sounds great, but is actually a whopping 21% down on the same period last year.
Of course, some of that can be attributed to the fact that the ever-popular Golf is on a run-out now while we await the start of sales for the new MkVII version, but there's no doubt that the European car sales crisis has finally reached the door of VW Towers.
