Senin, 24 Maret 2008

two joys in one


Once in a while comes a car that hits bullseye on each and every step. Here's one that almost does everything right, well almost.


At a glance...


Good driving dynamics
Well equipped
Good price
Lots of tyre noise
Not particularly roomy



There’s plenty of good news about the Lancer. All models come with electronic stability control and lots of airbags – the tested VRX having no les than seven airbags (the 7this a driver’s knee bag). Pricing is also very sharp, with superb extras such as a sunroof and Rockford Fosgate sound system.


The platform on which the Lancer is built is also new, being shared with the Outlander (though on the road you’d never guess). The engine – yet another new component – is a variable valve timed 2 litre, developing 113kW (at 6000 rpm) and 198Nm at a high 4250 rpm. However, the high revs at which maximum torque is developed (implying a weak low rpm power curve) is very well masked by the Continuously Variable Transmission fitted to the test car.


This trans, as its name suggests, constantly varies in ratio – there are not distinct gear steps. Left in Drive, the revs slur their way upwards and downwards as the situation demands. Unlike some CVT cars, there are very few situations where you find the engine screaming away at the redline as speed only slowly increases. Instead, you might not even notice (until you’re looking for it) how the tacho needle tends to hover at certain revs as the speed changes, rather than rising and falling conventionally. The main benefit of the CVT is that there’s a ratio for all occasions, and at 100 km/h the engine is turning at a very leisurely 2000 rpm. In turn this reduces engine noise and improves fuel economy.


However, if after that spiel you still want to change gears, you can. Up/down paddles (incidentally, made from magnesium) extend from the steering column and you can manually select from six ratios, using either the paddles or the gearshift. Apart from a slight driveline jerk accompanying on/off throttle movements, we found the gearbox a delight - whether used manually or left to do its own thing.


Fuel consumption is listed at 8.5 litres/100 (noticeably more than the lighter, lower trim manual trans models) and in test driving we achieved an average of about 9 litres/100km. However – and perhaps because of the CVT – the fuel economy performance is an interesting one. When drive gently in either city or rural road conditions, economy disproportionately improves – it’s easy to get Eights in the city and very low Sevens in the country. But drive even a little harder and these jump to Tens and Nines, respectively.


The VRX comes with larger brakes front and rear, stiffer suspension and revised anti-roll bars. Like all Lancers for a long time, the rear suspension is a ‘proper’ independent system. The ride is clearly sporty (you wouldn’t confuse the VRX for a cushy Mon and Pop model) but the car handles with precision and poise. Step over the adhesion limits and the stability control is well calibrated and effective. Grip levels from the 215/45 Yokohamas worn on 18 inch rims is high. However - and it’s a noticeable downer - tyre noise is excessive.


The A-pillars are very thick – this is one car where the driver constantly needs to move their heads to cover blind-spots – and the large spoiler blocks rear vision. However, on the plus side most people we talked to liked the styling of the VRX body kit.


Step inside and the Lancer is not quite the medium-outside, big-inside car we were expecting.
For two adults and two under 14 year olds it’s fine, but if the rear passengers are lanky teenagers or full size adults, the front seats will need to be positioned forwards – biting well into front legroom. The rear seating positions are also a trifle knees-up (that sharing of the platform with the Outlander, perhaps?) and getting in and out the back can be a tight squeeze – the high sill panels and tight seat/door clearance making it easy to get your feet tangled. Finally, rear head room can be tight.


The boot, despite initially looking large, cannot swallow two full-sized suitcases and is long and shallow with a limited opening. The boot carpet is also scrappy and easily slides around. Digging further, you’ll find a space-saver steel spare wheel and, under that (on the other side of the boot floor) a huge muffler that appears positioned just to steal boot space! The rear seat 60/40 split folds but the floor remains stepped and the access buttons for the seat releases are awkwardly placed. There are good sized door pockets front and rear but no vents are provided for rear passengers.


Build quality (or is it design quality?) of the test car was variable. The doors operated with metallic clangs that had to be heard to be believed and the boot was hard to shut. Some panel margins were also variable, although the paint was good.


The equipment level is very good for the money, with effective auto wipers and auto headlights, Bluetooth and auto key operation (you can leave the ‘key’ in your pocket most of the time). The optional Rockford Fosgate sound system – complete with boot-mounted subwoofer – pumps hard but can be adjusted for any musical taste.


We can certainly see why the Lancer is proving to be a sales success – good driving dynamics, equipment and fuel consumption. But if you’re a potential buyer, make sure you also assess the way the doors shut, the limited rear utility (passengers and boot space) and the tyre noise



What this means to you: A wonderful allp-round car that is also instrumental in bringing Mitsubishi back not only on the world stage but in the black books and the hearts of enthusiasts. The car is not as well finished as the civic or the corolla but the price is lucrative enough for the consumer to overlook. The biggest sellouts are the driving dynamics and the more than excellent Rockford Fosgate sound system.

Kamis, 20 Maret 2008

Mazda2 named world car of the year

Mazda’s latest entry-level car, the Mazda 2, has been named the winner of the 2008 Car of the Year award. The award was announced Thursday at the New York International Auto Show.
It isn't sold in the U.S. but is found in Japan, Europe and other markets. A four-door version goes on sale in China this spring. Ford Motor Co., which owns a third of Mazda, is basing its new Fiesta subcompact on the Mazda2 platform. The Fiesta goes on sale in the U.S. in 2010.
Forty-seven jurors from 24 countries determine the winner based on styling, quality, safety and other factors.

The Ford Mondeo and the Mercedes C-Class were the other nominees.

What this means to you: Ford is improving vastly since the recent debacle. But seems like its other partners are doing better. Time to take mazda seriously. Toyota, Honda are you listening?

A wonderful website on mazda2 is now available for customer viewing. http://www.mazda2.com/

Soundstream enters multimedia


Soundstream, has recently unveiled some great looking Mp4 players in the US market. Soundstream if the young I.C.E. aficionados don't remember is the company that used to make great sounding and reliable amplifiers in the days of blaring mustangs and challengers. After being acquired by another company they have not been in the news lately.Now with the car entertainment jelling with PC components these new gadgets are a great addition to their product lineup. They did remind me of the Multimedia players introduced by Alienware sometime ago. The premium model comes in two memory sizes (2gb/4gb) and has a 2.8 inches touchscreen setup. It supports MP3, WMA, ASF, WAV, FLAC, OGG, & APE audio playback and MP4, DIVX, XVIDV, AVI, & MTV video playback . Additional features include fm radio, picture viewer and multi language display (possible for the European markets). The lower end Multimedia player has a smaller 2.4 inches screen but with a 2mp Cmos camera.Both the models come with earbuds and a usb cable (no charger means charging through usb.)


Shot Quotient:
1. Goes well along with your snazzy car stereo unit Seems to be a good standalone portable music 2. Touchscreen functionality for a smaller capacity ipod touch with bigger screen.
3.
Also plays videos on that 2.8 inch screen, Multi language display Plays multiple audio codecs including ogg and flac.


Rot quotient:
1. 4gb of max memory is still minuscule.
2. Most car stereo's with usb only connect to ipod. Don't bother investing into this one yet
3. Distribution network is not strong and availability will be limited.
4. No games. ipod and zune both have games and good ones in huge quantity too.
5. The blue icons below the screen makes it look cheap Chinese.

For more information please visit
http://www.soundstream.com/
P.S. : Soundstream products are now available in India through CRFmall.

Tata Motors borrows $3 b to buy Jaguar, Land Rover


Tata Motors has secured a $3 billion loan from Citigroup and J.P. Morgan Chase to finance its intended purchase of the British marques Jaguar and Land Rover from their American owner Ford Motors, according to media reports Tuesday.


The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) quoted a person familiar with the deal as saying Tata had secured a one-year bridging loan from the two banks.
Tata Motors are thought to have made an offer of around $2 billion to purchase the two luxury brands, and the deal is now expected to go through sometime next week, the paper said.
Other reports said money from the loan would also be used to finance the production of the recently launched Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car.


The WSJ said the deal could be signed as soon as next Monday.
But because Ford employees are off work Monday, a formal announcement could be made Tuesday or later in the week, the paper quoted "people familiar with the situation" as saying.
However, earlier reports in The Times newspaper had said the deal would be signed sometime around Easter, which falls on March 23 this year.
Ford said in a recent government filing that it expects the sale to be finalised with regulators sometime during the second quarter.
A Ford spokesman said the company is "pleased with the significant progress" in the negotiations and that the two sides remain "on track" to reach a deal early this year. "There are no major roadblocks," the spokesman added.