159 Automan November Issue 2014

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COVER STORY 24-29 2015 CADILLAC ATS COUPE44-49 2015 MCLAREN 650S COUPE/SPIDER

OMAN AND REGIONAL NEWS6-12 AUTOMAN COTY AWARD CEREMONY, REDBULL DRIFT CHALLENGE, 2015 CADILLAC CTSCOUPE REGIONAL LAUNCH IN UAE, 2015 LEXUSIS 250 F SPORT ARRIVES IN UAE, REFRESHEDHYUNDAI SANTA FE ON SALE IN REGION,MASERATI QUATTROPORTE NOW WITH V6,NEW SUV TYRE FROM MICHELIN, NEW BRANDAMBASSADOR FOR GMC IN REGION

FACE TO FACE11 FELIX WELLER, CADILLAC REGIONALDIRECTOR FOR SALES/MARKETING

EXCLUSIVE WORLD PREMIEREREPORT14-15 2015 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT INPARIS

BRANDWATCH16-19 JAGUAR LAND ROVER SERIOUS ABOUTGLOBAL EXPANSION AND US PRODUCTION,

FIRST PRODUCTION LAND ROVER DISCOVERYSPORT ROLLS OUT, HYUNDAI PERFORMANCEPUSH COULD MEAN NEW SPORTS MODELS,CADILLAC CEO ANNOUNCES NEW MODELS, REDLETTER DAY FOR FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES@ NYSE, MERCEDES-BENZ’S SUV RENAMINGPLAN DETAILED, PORSCHE CEO ADMITSMISTAKES WITH GEN 1 PANAMERA DESIGN,TOYOTA GT/FT 86 WILL GET A SUCCESSOR,NISMO NOTE LAUNCHED FOR JDM, INDIA’SMAHINDRA TO TAKE STAKE IN PEUGEOTSCOOTERS, KIA TO PRODUCE 5-DOOR GT.ASTON MARTIN LOSING MONEY ON CARS,SERGIO MARCHIONNE TO RETIRE IN 2018,INTERBRAND 2014 BEST GLOBAL BRANDS STUDYRESULTS ANNOUNCED, FERRARI CELEBRATES60TH YEAR IN NORTH AMERICA WITH SPECIALEDITION, TOTAL’S CEO CHRISTOPHE DEMARGERIE DIES IN PLANE CRASH, LUCA DEMONTEZMELO TAKES ON CRITICS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS SPOTLIGHT20-43 2014 PARIS MOTOR SHOW REPORT

FIRST DRIVES50-54 2015 PORSCHE CAYENNE56-61 2015 BMW X468-73 2014 SUBARU FORESTER

PREVIEWS74-75 2015 SUZUKI VITARA

MOTORSPORTS76-79 F1 JAPAN AND RUSSIA RACE REPORTS,SNIPPETS, REGIONAL MOTORSPORTS, MOTO GPOZ RACE REPORT CHICANE80 THE ROLE OF MARKETING IN PUSHING NEWFRONTIERS

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COVER STORY |

2015 Cadillac ATSCoupeLuxury line-up getsstrengthened with newentry level variant

20Star and car power togetherFrench capital was abuzz with conceptand production cars

62 50

NEXT ISSUE

2015 FERRARI 458SPECIALE

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Are we really entering a new age in motoring? An age where the car no longer needs aninternal combustion engine to de ne its identity? It looks like that if you consider what’shappened in the past month itself. No, there hasn’t been an announcement of a huge improvement in battery technologyor fuel cells for that matter. And getting a car to run off solar power is way in the future.And while there has been an announcement that scientists have invented a method forpowering a car off salt water, it still remains part of science ction as much as the warpdrive does. It has just been the small, incremental stages of development that have given rise to thefeeling that we are reaching some sort of existential barrier. Tesla has added a D to itsS sedan range and now, from all the media hype, we have a car that does justice to thesports sedan name. In the meantime, Tesla have been adding charging points in its keymarkets so that potential owners are never too far from power. Is that in itself enough togive us that tingling feeling? No. But consider this – the very rst of the anti-Tesla laws isbeing passed in Michigan. That’s where Detroit is located and is home to the big threeautomakers. So now the lawmakers, instead of promoting clean technologies are actuallytrying to stop the march of progress. This despite all three big carmakers having tried foryears to mainstream electric propulsion. What does this tell us? For starters, it looks like the electric motor drive is nallycommercialised at the top of the automotive spectrum. And people in the know feel thatit could hurt vested interests. We need to watch out for the next phases in this story asthey could have long-term implications. Also, this month we gave out our COTY 2013 awards at a fancy new venue here in Muscat.A gala evening saw most of the winners collect their awards and tell us how eagerly theywere looking out for the results on our ongoing COTY 2014 program. Next month we willgive you a look at the nal contestants going into the assessment. As usual, this month we also have some of the best cars on test as you can see on ourcover. Again, we continue to lead the introduction of these models in our market by a fewmonths at the very least. But then that’s one of the reasons why our die-hard a cionadoslove reading Automan.

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At an exclusive ceremony held in one-

of-a-kind location, Automan, heldits annual ‘Car of the Year’ awardsnight at the recently opened luxury lounge‘On the Rocks’ last month. In an impressiveand well attended ceremony, the covetedawards were conferred by Shk Hatim AlTaie, Publisher and CEO of Al Roya Press &Publishing to the winners.Speaking on the occasion, Shk Hatim AlTaie, publisher of the Automan dwelton how relevant the ‘Car of the Year’programme had grown since its inceptionin 2011. “It is a true measure of the cars thatare most relevant to Oman and the widerregion, especially due to the nature of theassessment. Only cars sold in the regionthat have been tested by the team duringthe year are judged and scored and winnersare chosen purely on merit.” Shk Hatimwent on to add, “this year has been one ofgrowth for Oman’s local car industry andwe expect this growth to be sustained dueto the infrastructure growth and increasedOmanisation.Automan’s ‘Car of the Year’ program wasinstituted in 2011 and remains the onlyprogramme where the team drive andassess every car that competes in a year-long assessment period. Only cars that aresold in the region and are driven in that yearqualify and a winner is objectively selectedin each of 13 categories. In addition, twoextra categories cover the Best Debut inthat year and the Editor’s choice, which aresubjectively rated as well.

u toman ‘Car o f the Year’ a war dse remon y he ld in Mus ca t

Small Car 2014 Peugeot 301Mid Size Car 2014 Mazda 6Large Car 2014 Toyota AvalonLuxury Car 2014 Mercedes-Benz S ClassPremium Car 2014 Cadillac CTSPerformance Car 2014 Ferrari F12 BerlinettaSmall SUV 2014 Toyota RAV4Mid Size SUV 2014 Nissan Path nder Large SUV 2014 Lexus 570Premium SUV 2014 Audi Q5Performance SUV 2014 Range Rover SportSports Car 2014 Porsche CaymanHot Hatch 2014 VW GTIEditor’s choice 2014 Rolls-Royce WraithBest debut 2014 Jaguar F-Type

Automan COTY award winners

www.automan.me | NOV 2014 NOV 2014 | www.automan.m


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l Balushi smokesposition in Red Bull

ar Park DriftRed Bull Car Park Drift Oman Quali er

wned Ali Al Balushi who battled forplace as spectators watched the

es of exceptional drift shows at thean Automobile Association. The Omaning of Drift” from the pro category willesent the Sultanate in the regionalls hosted in Dubai. Runner up Arif Alushi will also head to the regional nalsing up to the announcement of the new

ional King of Drift.y 15 of the country’s best elite driverse selected to compete in the fth seasonhe Red Bull Car Park Drift. With theircially modi ed cars, drivers managedke on the twists and turns of the track

h exceptional precision, while drawingadmiration of cheering spectators.ner after being announcing as thener, Ali Al Balushi said: “I am very excitedave won for the second year in a row. Iw there was a lot of strong competitionI felt that a lot of spectators were withbecause of last years’ win. Last year Ie third in the Regional Finals in DubaiI hope this year I have a chance at

ming rst.”competition took place on a trackgned by Lebanese Rally Champion andBull face Abdo Feghali. The technical

ects of the competition were alsoervised Feghali. The panel of judgesuated the drivers’ performances basedpeci c criteria. The nal score was basedve factors; 50 per cent allocated to

art of drift while the remaining score isally divided between the engine’s roartyres’ smoke, crowd’s reaction, theearance of the car, front clipping pointrear clipping point.

parations are now underway in Dubai forRed Bull car park drift regional nals. Inition to the Sultanate of Oman, Egypt,isia, Mauritius, Jordon, Lebanon, theonal tour of the Red Bull Car Park Drift4 will visit Turkey and Kuwait beforehing the nal round for the battle of theonal title. The Red Bull Car Park Drift was

d in partnership with Ford Middle East,wras, Ministry of Tourism among others.

After the quali er, an evening ‘Meet andGreet’ was hosted by Ford in their WattayahShowroom with Abdo Feghali. Feghali judgeda car show with prizes being awarded for ‘theoldest Mustang’ and the ‘best customisedMustang’ along with a photography andsigning session.

www.automan.me | NOV 2014


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15 Cadillac ATS Coupecially launched

10 Qs WITH FELIX WELLER

sixth new model in Cadillac’s regional-up, the ATS Coupe has arrived. Felixler, the newly-appointed regional salesmarketing director for Cadillac in the

ddle East introduced the new arrival atformal media launch event last monthch was held at the Waldorf Astoria Ras

Khaimah resort. The rear wheel drivepe is an extension of the entry levelS family and will be o ered in the regionh the top end 3.6-litre V6 engine mated-speed automatic transmission. Theduct launch event also gave Weller theortunity to share Cadillac’s vision forre growth and re ect on the brand’s

formance for 2014. [Eds note: see rstve report in this issue of Automan]

Felix WelleRegional Sales andMarketing Director f

You left Audi, an established Germanpremium manufacturer with a very widerange of products [Audi is much largerthe GM’s luxury brand] and services tojoin Cadillac. What made you do so?Cadillac is one of the most iconicautomotive brands out there. There is aclear strategy to grow the brand globally,the current and future product line up isthe strongest the brand has ever had. It’san exciting time for the brand, a uniquechance to be part of this path in theregion, and a great personal challenge.

As Cadillac is in the pr ocess of reinventingitself, especially its identity, beginningwith the new logo, what will be itspositioning – Luxury or premium?Cadillac’s focus is the premium market.Our heritage combined with the boldnew design language, the integrationof technology and the dynamic dr ivingexperience are putting us up there withthe best. The new logo is the herald of anew and exciting chapter for Cadillac.

How will you take Cadillac forward in theMiddle East?We have a clear growth strategy for theregion. Together with our partners in thedealership, we are planning to double ourvolume by 2020.

Q: What are your key priorities and howwill you address them?We have identi ed four key focus areas:• The further expansion of our product

line up – we have exciting newproducts coming up, four launches areplanned for the next two years

• Working with our partners in thenetwork to ensure the best customerexperience in sales and service

• Our ownership experience – weare looking at constantly improvingour o er to our valued customers,for example through our CadillacPremium Care program with fouryears warranty, free service androadside assistance

• And of course, and most importantly,our customers. We know theirexpectations and we want to developthe right communication channelsand interaction points. We will ensurethat our products and services t theirlifestyles

What organizational changes have beene ected at your end?We have already implemented theseparation of the Cadillac brand in GeneralMotors Middle East. My newly formedteam and I are focusing speci cally onthe brand. This is in line with the re-organization that has happened in the USand globally.

In your opinion, what are the keydi erences you nd working in a German

vs American set-up?I can see that there is a stronger focuson developing talent with GeneralMotors, with a lot of back up from top

management. German manufacturershave a very good grip on processes –something that I have learned in my timewith them and that I could bring intothe game when we set up the Cadillacstrategy.

What product support are you gettingfrom Cadillac in the next few years?We have four exciting products coming in2015: the V series for ATS, ATS Coupe andCTS are making their way into the region.On top of that, our new top-of-the-rangeCT6 will be presented next year – we arevery excited to launching these vehicles.On top of that, we are working on somesurprises for the Dubai Motor Show nextyear.

Often, American car manufacturersare accused of building cars for NorthAmerican markets and then exportingthem to other markets. How will Cadillac

address overseas or speci c marketrequirements?With the re-organization, we have adirect communication channel to ou

management in Detroit and New YoThe Middle East is the third biggestmarket for Cadillac and we have alrstarted to cooperate closely with ourcounterparts in the US to ensure thatrequirements are re ected.

Can Cadillac become a true global Absolutely. The brand has an enormheritage, and with the direction thatJohan De Nysschen and his team arcurrently taking, I have no doubt thawill succeed. I am sure you will heaabout the global strategy for Cadillathe next weeks and months.

Where do you think Cadillac, as a bwill be positioned in the next ve ythe region?2015 is going to be a big year for ushave a lot planned for the brand andwill help us in paving the way for fugrowth. I believe rmly that in ve Cadillac will be considered as a rsfor premium car customers in the regThe launch of the all-new 2015 ATSmarks the rst of four new models tintroduced in the region in the next years. In addition to helping Cadillanew market segments, this impressiline-up will further cement the brandiconic reputation, dotted with bolddesigns, sophisticated engineering aadvanced technology.Cadillac, which already o ers all cua comprehensive after sales programowner ship bene ts, will continue toand expand on premium service, carfor its existing customers and introdnew ones to its line-up of vehicles.With pioneering product launches inpipeline and premium after-sales serCadillac is expecting signi cant grothe Middle East in the coming years

“In this part of the world, thedemand for top-tier premiumvehicles is growing fast. AtCadillac, we, together with ourdealer partners, understandwhat premium customerswant and need: our extensiveportfolio of products androster of after-sales servicesare tailored-made to be t theirlifestyles. This ethos is whatwill continue to guide thebrand’s overall direction forthe region”



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AE dealer introduces 2015xus IS 250 F SportFuttaim Motors, the exclusiveributor of Lexus in the UAE, is among

rst to introduce the 2015 Lexus50 with F Sport features. The car ised for motorists looking for highformance and outstanding design. The50 F Sport comes in bespoke exteriorinterior colours and features specialy wheel design, unique mesh grille,rty spoilers, paddle shifters, as well asport - pedals, steering wheel, seats and

lusive badging. In addition, the F Sportmes with an innovative and exclusive

us LFA inspired meter cluster. The-wheel drive car is powered by high

put version of the 2.5-litre V6 petroline which features technologies likect injection and Dual VVT-i (Variableve Timing-intelligent) to both intakeexhaust camshafts. It develops 207

at 6,400 rpm and 250 Nm of torque at00 rpm, accelerating from 0-100 km/h.1secs and giving a maximum speed ofkm/h when using a close-ratio 6-speed

omatic transmission with sequentialnual shifting mode. It incorporatesmerous technologies including faster

t speeds, earlier torque converterk-up and downshift throttle blipsupport the range of dr iving modesilable through the Drive Mode Selectem. UAE price of the car begins at AED,000.

Improved Hyundai Santa Feon sale in regionHyundai’s Santa Fe crossover SUV hasbeen on sale since August 2012 andfollowing feedback from media andconsumers, the carmaker has addressedmost of the issues related to performanceand practicality. The car’s handling andresponsiveness has been improvedwith features like ‘Flex Steer’ and theintroduction of a ‘Sport Mode.’ Engagingsports mode now provides a sti ersuspension and more stable feelingwhile driving. On the practical front, thepanoramic sunroof sees that the glass andscreen shut separately and are operationalfor 30secs after the driver has turned theignition o . Meanwhile, the power tailgateis programmed to open automatically ifthe driver has full hands and is within ametre distance of the rear of the vehicle.No revisions have been made to thepowertain and the revisited Santa Fe isnow available in the region.

Michelin introduces newSUV tyreFor the region’s lifestyle SUV users, tyre

maker Michelin has introduced its newLatitude Sport 3 tyre. According to themanufacturer, the new tyre o ers SUVdrivers with both safety and excitingdrivability. Designed entirely for on-road use, the tyre delivers superiorperformance in the areas of safety, totalmileage, comfort and noise. “At Michelin,we are dedicated to sustainably improvingmobility and developing innovative tyretechnology to meet the demand of adynamic automotive industry,” said HanyAbdulsamad, marketing manager forMichelin in the UAE and Oman.

GMC has announced Dr. Mohammad AlRedha, Director of the Health Data andInformation Analysis Department at theDubai Health Authority, as its new brandambassador for the Middle East.

Maserati has announces the arrival of anew entry-level engine for its agshipluxury sedan, the Quattroporte. The3.0-litre twin turbocharged V6 engineo ers 330hp. The new variant will beavailable as an addition to theexisting portfolio of the530hp V8 MaseratiQuattroporte

GTS and the 410hp V6 Quattroporte S.The Maserati Quattroporte is producedin Grugliasco, Italy and comes with athree-year service and maintenancepackage as a standard. Prices start from

OMR 37,900.

Maserati Quattroporte with V6 comes to Oman

Alfardan Motors, the o cial importersof Triumph Motorcycles in Oman hassome exciting news to share withmotorcycle a cionados in the Sultanatefor the coming year. The motorcycleline-up for 2015 will be an extensivemodel range that includes 27 individualmodels encompassing Cruisers, Tourers,Supersports, classics as well as adventuremotorcycles,

Commenting on the 2015 motorcycleline-up, Muhanad Abualia, Manager ofAlfardan Motors said, “For over 110 yearsTriumph Motorcycles has producediconic bikes which perfectly blendauthentic design, character, charismaand performance. With each passing yearthese motorcycles evolve, raising theindustry benchmark in almost every two-

wheeled category the world over. I acon dent that with such a strong linof models, Triumph will carry on thiin the Sultanate in 2015.”Forming the mainstay of the model lup, Triumph cruisers o er surprisingof agility and performance in a bikecan deliver an engaging ride every ddoing so with that pure classic cruise

2015 Triumph motorcycles now in Oman

style. In 2015 Triumph will be o eringnine cruiser ranging from the entry levelAmerica to the ultimate Triumph Cruiser –the Rocket III Touring.Meanwhile, the supersports motorcyclesare precision designed that feed every bitof rider information directly to the rider,responding to their every input and isavailable in two avours, the Daytona 675or Daytona 675R. The Sprint GT SE andTrophy SE Touring models have been builtto cross continents with a ride that’s asengaging as it is comfortable. Characterful

engine performance, sublime chassiscapabilities and supreme levels of riderand pillion comfort combine to providebikes, perfectly suited toall-day two-up touring.Triumph’s design approach to its roadstersemphasize power, handling, dynamic feeland exhaust note and hence have a lookthat’s muscular, hunched forward, meanand aggressive pro le: the Street Triple,Street Triple R, Speed Triple and SpeedTriple R. With the exception of the SpeedTriple R, each of the roadsters have also

each received refreshed styling as wnew colour options for 2015.Completing the classic range includBonneville, Bonneville T100, BonnT100 Black, Thruxton and Scrambladventure side of riding is representby ve available models: Tiger 800Tiger 800XC, Tiger Sport, Tiger Exand Tiger Explorer XC. According tthe dealership, the 2015 model rangnow available for sale from the mulbrand motorcycle showroom locatedWattayah.



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Impressive world debut forLand Rover Discovery Sport in France

d Rover staged the public debut of the5 Discovery Sport on an 80m long speciallypared barge in Paris. The barge traveled downSeine river and onlookers were treated to aamic debut as the Discovery Sport tackledp inclines and a water pit. British supermodelie Huntington-Whiteley also made a cameoearance as did seven pairs of “brightly coloured,nt-sized Wellington boots” which represent thedel’s seven-seat interior. As we have previouslyorted, the Discovery Sport models will poweredither a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinderol engine that develops 240bhp and 338Nm ofue or a 2.2-litre SD4 turbo diesel engine that

duces 190PS.

Jaguar Land Rover is getting seriouglobal expansion, and that means it only build its vehicles in the UK anyThe British automaker is cutting theribbon at its new plant in China tommarking the opening of its rst factooutside the UK. In 2016, it will openanother factory in Brazil. But the latinformation doing the rounds is thatlooking into a US production facilityThe report indicates that the companevaluating locations for a North Amfactory, with options centering arounSouthern right-to-work states like SoCarolina, where BMW operates its pin Spartanburg and a wide array of oautomotive operations are based as wThe JLR plant would reportedly ramto a capacity of 200,000 units per yeIn related news, while that new planJLR is inaugurating in Changshu, Cis initially slated to produce the RanRover Evoque, it is also expected tobuilding the new Discovery Sport as

First production Land RDiscovery Sport rolls ouBarely, a few weeks after making itshow debut at Paris last month, the Land Rover Discovery Sport has rolo the Halewood production line. IaHarnett, Jaguar Land Rover’s Purch

Director said: “A strong, competitivsupply chain, meeting our rigorous cand delivery metrics, is fundamentasustainable growth of our business. many more new products in the pipgearing up to supply Jaguar Land Ra solid business proposition.”The Kaikoura Stone HSE Luxuryspeci cation car was o cially handeto Stephen Attenborough, commercidirector at Virgin Galactic to supporRover’s long-term global partnershiRichard Branson’s pioneering commspaceline.

Breaking new



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It’s now clear that Hyundai wants tobuild more performance-focused cars.The South Korea-based automaker hasalready con rmed it is preparing tointroduce a hot-rodded variant of thenew i20 hatchback aimed squarely atthe Ford Fiesta ST. Now, reports areemerging from reliable sources that thebrand is considering adding a new sportscar to its global portfolio of models.The yet-unnamed car will slot beneath

the GenesisCoupe but

Hyundai is clear that it will not be seen as adirect successor to the Coupe/Tiburon thatwas sold until 2008. Allan Rushforth, theformer senior vice president of Hyundai’sEuropean arm said: “Cars like these, such asthe Audi TT, create a huge demand whenthey’re new but then that dies o quickly.It’s about demographics, too.”Rushforth also hinted that Hyundai’supcoming sports car could borrowa noticeable amount of design cuesfrom the PassoCorto concept that waspresented at the Geneva Motor Showlast March which was penned jointly byHyundai and the IED design school inTurin. In terms of architecture, it wasa small, low-slung two-seater coupepowered by a mid-mounted engine.It may be recalled that at the Busanmotorshow earlier in the year, Hyundaidid showcase a mid-ship Veloster concept[left].

Cadillac CEO Johan de Nysschen sayshe’s planning a “blitz” of new productsto expand the Cadillac portfolio by 2020.Besides moving Cadillac’s headquarters toNew York, and overhauling the company’snaming structure, Cadillac has aspirationsto become a global premium player.In an interview with media, de Nysschensays his company has “just signed o on”a new agship tipped to be called CT8or CT9. It will compete with the long-

wheelbase versions of the Mercedes-BenzS-Class and BMW 7 Series, and shouldcome to market by the end of this decade.And in addition to o ering several variantsof its forthcoming CT6 sedan, including aplug-in hybrid, Cadillac will also introduce abattery-electric vehicle and a successor tothe ELR. These models would contributeto expanding the Cadillac product count“from ve to 10 models over the next sixyears.”

Cadillac announces new models

Red letter day for FCA @Last month, it was a red letter day foFiat Chrysler Automobiles and CEOMarchionne, because the companyo cially started trading on the New Stock Exchange under the ticker FCevent also represents a milestone in resurrection of Chrysler and survivathat seemed unlikely ve years agoFiat and the US government bailed American automaker.Marchionne has grand plans for gro

Fiat Chrysler even though the compfaces several marketing obstacles likthe slowdown in European car salesa delay in the return of Alfa Romeo the US market until at least 2016. BMarchionne has an ambitious agendfor o setting, if not overcoming, thoproblems as well as other challengesBefore Marchionne retires in 2018, plans to spend about $60bn adding mthan 30 models across the companythe next four years. To critics who sathis is all a reach too far, Marchionnreporters: “If you dream of peanuts,get monkeys.”

Hyundai’s performance push could mean new sports models

Toyota Motor Europe Executive VicPresident of Sales and Marketingcon rmed recently that the carmake“pretty serious about keeping the GTpure and keeping a car like that in thlineup.” Karl Schlicht went on to saycompany wants to keep fun cars in tportfolio as dropping them would hucompany’s image in the long run. Wasked for more details, Schlicht conplans for a second-generation GT 8on and that the current model has tothrough its “usual lifecycle” rst.

Marchionne to retire in 2018?The end is in sight for Fiat Chrysler boss SergioMarchionne, who con rmed in an interview withjournalists that once FCA’s sweeping ve-year planis completed, he’d be stepping down from his post.That would mean that Marchionne should nish upafter 2018 if all goes according to plan. Marchionne hasbeen at Fiat since June of 2004 and is one of the chiefarchitects behind the Italian company’s acquisition ofChrysler told reporters: “It’s as important to walk awayfrom the table as it is to sit down”. As for who willreplace Marchionne, Fiat Chairman John Elkann pointedout that it won’t be him. Elkann said that potentialreplacements for Marchionne could include Jeep bossMike Manley, Fiat’s Brazilian and European executivesCledorvino Belini and Alfredo Altavilla.

At the sidelines during the Paris Motor Show last month PorscheCEO Matthias Müller candidly admitted that some mistakes weremade during the Gen I Panamera’s development. The secondgeneration Panamera is due in 2016 and Matthias Müller haspromised that the rst-gen’s glitches will be xed appropriately.Müller acknowledged “there have been some mistakes” withthe rst generation, pointing out the exterior and interior design“could be better.”The second generation Panamera will have a “faster” roo ineand based on spy shots appearing on the net, the incoming carwill get a sleeker appearance without shaving o rear headroomwhile the car’s overall dimensions will be virtually the same.Müller also hinted that designers had created a “very uniqueshape” for the new Panamera that hasn’t been done so far inthis segment but is sure “a lot of people won’t like the design ofthe next generation.” It seems that Müller prefers coming outwith a polarizing design rather than just playing it safe.The Gen II Panamera will ride on the MSB platform and shouldlose weight while power is expected to come from a new rangeof in-house developed V6 and V8 engines compatible with bothrear- and all-wheel drive systems.

Porsche admits mistakes with thePanamera

Peugeot’s two-wheel division is Europe’ssecond-largest scooter maker behindItaly’s Piaggio, but the company

isn’t a moneymaker. PSA Peugeot-Citroën already lost a lot of controlof its automotive business earlier thisyear when Dongfeng and the Frenchgovernment each bought 14 per centshares. Meanwhile, the scooter divisionwhich is also one of the oldest in the world[founded in 1898] is also facing a similarsituation. However, Indian motoring giantMahindra has o ered to buy out 51percent of its share worth $35.5mn. The rstrumblings of the possible purchase camejust a few weeks ago and should all gowheel, the deal could be completed inthree months.

India’s Mahindra to takestake in Peugeot Scooters

Toyota GT86 will get asuccessor

Luca di Montezemolo has hit back at suggestions he wasousted as Ferrari president because of the Italian team’sstruggles.”A lack of results?” the 67-year-old, who was recentlyreplaced by Fiat’s Sergio Marchionne. “Remember that since1999 we won 14 titles in 15 years. Fortunately or unfortunately,sport is not an exact science, and in formula one there arecycles. Ours was very long.”“In the last years we are the team that won the most. In 2008and in 2010 and 2012 we lost the championship in the last race.The most disappointing was the last one, but that’s sport.“Renault had its cycle for two years, we’re coming out of RedBull’s and into Mercedes’. Now Ferrari opens a new cycle witha lot of work and investment taking into account that today’s

cars are hybrids,” he said. Montezemolo said the most disappointing thing about his departurewas the manner in which it took place.“I’ve always had a very strong relationship with the Agnelli family,” he said, “and I think I didsomething important in 2004, when I agreed to be chairman of Fiat in extremely dramaticcircumstances. “Perhaps a ‘thank you’ in the least would have been expected.“I do not hide that I was not very pleased about how, but it is part of life and it is right that it isthe owner who can make decisions,” Montezemolo added. He explained that his removal aspresident was related to parent group Fiat-Chrysler’s debut on the New York stock exchange.“Everything happened a little fast in relation to the listing of Fiat-Chrysler on the American stock

exchange which happened last month.”

Montezemolo hits back at critics



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Kia to produce 5-door GKia Motors has ambitions to enter thfour-door coupe market in the near and the model they want to promotenone other than a production versioits GT Concept from the 2011 Frank

Motor Show. Kia executives at that PMotor Show strongly hinted that the

nally has been given the green lighproduction and given the speed at wthings are done at Kia, the car couldarrive as early as in 2016 in key maWhile, Kia would focus the GT’s maprimarily in the US market, but a Euversion with a diesel is also a possibThis means that Kia has set its sightthe Audi A7 and Porsche Panameraconcept form, the rear wheel drive Gsported a 389hp 3.3-litre turbochargengine mated to an eight-speed autotransmission.

Lately we have been hearing rumoabout Mercedes-Benz’s decision

to rename their crossover and SUVofferings. This is being done in orto better reflect their size more cleto customers. All high-riding modwill use the “GL” designation follby a third letter which will represethe position of the model. This hasalready happened with the “GLA”which is related to the A-Class andbe followed by the “GLK” that wilrenamed “GLC” in relation to the Using the same formula, the M-Clset to become “GLE” as a connectthe E-Class. There’s also going to “GLE Coupe” (previously known Coupe) and lastly, the bigger “GL”be renamed “GLS” as a reference tS-Class.

Mercedes-Benz’s SUVrenaming plan detailed

ton Martin’s current line-up may bebest it’s ever had, but that doesn’t

an the British sports car maker isking money.pite having the Vantage, DB9,quish and Rapide dream machinesglobal sales up from 3,800 to 4,200s in 2013, the company accounts

eal that it lost $41mn in 2013, butpretax figure is actually a third

er than in 2012 while revenue

up by 12.6 per cent. The Kuwaiti-ned British manufacturer blames

its losses on the still troubled globaleconomy, acknowledging that it’s seena small recovery in the ultra-high-endsegment of the market. To put it all inperspective, $41 million in losses on4,200 units works out to around $9,700lost per vehicle sold. Aston’s CFO, Hanno Kirner is hoping fora big bounce back by 2016. Meanwhile,Aston’s fortunes in the US remainuncertain due to new federal side-

impact legislation and as a low volumeproducer, Aston has filed for exemption.

Nismo Note launched for JDMFollowing an announcement made lateJuly, Nissan has introduced in Japan theNismo and Nismo S versions of the Notehatchback. These two cars come with amore aggressive body nished in grey,black silver or white with red accents.They ride on 16in wheels (17in for Nismo S)and both bene t from suspension tweaks,a shark n antenna, LED daytime runninglights. The S also has sti er braces alongwith aluminium pedals, sportier gaugecluster, suede upholstery and bespokeshift knob. The Note Nismo is powered bya standard 1.2-litre engine mated to a CVTwhereas the Note Nismo S comes witha 1.6-litre engine mated to a ve-speedmanual gearbox. This engine o ers 138bhpat 6,400 rpm [29bhp more than the stockengine]. Aside from the bee er motor, theNote Nismo S also comes with a sportierexhaust system, a high- ow intakemanifold and brake discs on all wheels.

Rank Brand Value % movement Status

8 Toyota $42.4bn up 20% -10 Mercedes-Benz $34.3bn up 8% -11 BMW $34.2bn up 7% -20 Honda $21.7bn up 17% -31 VW $13.7bn up 23% ‘Top Riser’39 Ford $10.9bn up 18% -40 Hyundai $10.4bn up 16% -45 Audi $9.8bn up 27% ‘Top Riser’56 Nissan $7.6bn up 23% ‘Top Riser’60 Porsche $7.2bn up 11% -

The Best Global Brands study isInterbrand’s annual report on theworld’s 100 most valuable brands.Interbrand’s method looks at theongoing investment and managementof the brand as a business asset, takinginto account nancial performance, therole of brand in the purchase decisionprocess, and the strength of the brand.Only 13 automotive brands cracked

the top 100. Toyota remained the mostvaluable automotive brand worldwidefor the 11th straight year in Interbrand’snew ranking of the 100 Best GlobalBrands. But Audi, Volkswagen and Nissancomprised a trio of “top risers” that arepushing the envelope and mixing thepicture for car brands worldwide.Here are the results rank-wise.

Interbrand 2014 Best Global Brandsstudy results announced

ton Martin still loses money on cars

Total’s CEO Christophe deMargerie dies in plane crashIn a freak accident, Christophe deMargerie, the chief executive of Frenchoil company Total, has died in an aircrash in Moscow. Apparently, deMargerie’s corporate jet was trying totake o at Vnukovo airport and collidedwith a snow plough on the runwayand then was engulfed in ames. Allfour people on board were killed. deMargerie, 63, had been chief executiveof Europe’s third largest oil companysince 2007. He was highly regardedwithin the oil industry.

celebrate Ferrari’s 60th year in Northerica, Maranello has returned to its0s and 60s tradition of producingctly limited edition, built-to-order. The result is the F60America,

which just 10 will be produced.new car combines our American

nts’ two great passions – the V12ine and open-top driving – and isng unveiledtomorrow evening at aniversary celebration gala dinner at

verly Hills City Hall. The decision to

produce such a strictly limited editionpays homage to another great tradition.Just 10 F60Americas will be built as wasthe case, for example, with the 1967 275GTS4 NART Spider, the open version ofthe 275 GTB4 that the importer, LuigiChinetti, speci cally requested fromEnzo Ferrari for his US clients. TheF60America is powered by Ferrari’saward-winning mid-front-mounted V12which enables the car to sprint from 0to 100 km/h in just 3.1secs.

rrari celebrates 60th year in North America withecial edition



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Over thirty three mainstream global automotive brands kept audiences on theirfeet with captivating presentations at this year’s Paris Mondial. In two press days,world’s automakers revealed more than 100 cars, from the outrageously powerful

to exotic hybrids and some quirky city-cars in-between Author and photography: Chandan B Mallik

As always, TheMondial del’Automobile hallpacked with lavisstands hosting thebest new productiand concept cars.The elaboratelyplanned press daywas designed to gall the manufactuand participantstheir moment in thlimelight. Here arkey highlights frothe show.



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AudiAudi has been hinting at extending the TT family withnew bodystyles and kept true to its promise. Thefour-ringed brand showcased their new TT SportbackConcept, which is essentially a four-door TT. Withthe TT Sportback Concept, Audi attempts to createa niche with a time tested formula. It took the smallsports car and made it a bit longer, a bit wider, andadded two doors. This car is powered by a 400 hpversion of the familiar turbocharged, direct-injectedfour-cylinder engine. It will not come as a surprisethat a production version closely resembling the TTSportback Concept will follow in the coming months.Audi also o cially unveiled the facelifted A6 line-up.

Aston MartinWhile the no-show of theLagonda was expected, AstonMartin did o cially unveil theV12 Vantage S Roadster. On saleto order, the model is describedas the company’s “most potent,quickest and fastest-acceleratingseries production convertibleyet”. The UK-based brand’sVanquish Coupe and Volantewere unveiled in new CarbonEdition guise ahead of the show.

CitroënHomegrown brand Citroen used Paris toits full advantage and revealed one of thecraziest ideas in motoring. The brand’smost exciting cars exhibited at the showwithout any doubt was the Divine DSconcept. Although it does not preview aproduction model, it “represents a visionof the DS brand.” This means that theDivine DS concept may never be builtor sold as a production car, but a lot ofits intriguing design details could maketheir way onto the road in future cars. Wewon’t be particularly surprised if elements

from this angular, edgy, near reptilianlook creep into production cars, especiallysince DS plans to double its line-up fromthree to six models in the coming years.Citroen also unveiled the C1 Urban Ridewhich is mechanically based on the newC1. The Urban Ride concept follows in thefootsteps of the Opel / Vauxhall AdamRocks and features a rugged exterior withplastic body cladding, silver skid plates anda retractable cloth roof. Citroen also triedto change people’s perceptions with theC4 Cactus AIRFLOW 2L concept, that fuele cient cars can also be exciting.

BugattiThe sixth and nal member of the “Les Légendes de Bugcollection -- the Veyron Grand Sport V itesse Ettore Bugatspecial edition which was originally shown at the PebbleBeach Concours d’Elegance had its European outing atParis. The Ettore Bugatti Edition is powered by a quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W16 engine that produces 1,200PS1,500Nm of torque. It is connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission which enables the car to accelerate fro0-100km/h in just 2.6secs and hit a top speed of up to 408km/h with its roof down.

BentleyBentley o cially unveiled the Mulsanne Speed variant atthe show and described it as the “pinnacle agship” of thebrand. The Mulsanne Speed features a familiar design but isdistinguished by a dark tinted matrix grille and 21in forged alloywheels. The car also has ri ed exhaust tailpipes and tintedhead- and tailllamps. Interior changes are more dramatic. Thecar’s the 6.75-litre V8 engine has been tuned to produce 530bhp and 1,100 Nm of torque. It is connected to a recalibratedeight-speed automatic transmission that has an “S” modegives that maintains the engine speed above 2,000 rpm sothe turbochargers are “always ready to deliver instantaneousperformance.” This setup enables the car to accelerate from0-60 mph in 4.8 secs before hitting a top speed of 305km/h.



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at Chrysler Automobilesmultibranded franchise was represented by several of its

o-centric brands – Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia in particular.enters the crossover action with the new 500X. TheSedici replacement is amore retro version of the Jeepegade and joins an ever-expanding Cinquecento lineup

ngside the 500, 500C and 500L models. From the US Jeeple, newsworthy items included the recently introducedegade and a special Wrangler which is product of a jointture between Jeep, Mopar, and Centro Stile. The high ridingangler Unlimited Rubicon ‘Stealth’ one-o wears a variety ofroading gadgets, such as strengthened Rubicon bumpers,k rails, a raised ride kit, 17in rims with 37in tyres and an LEDt bar. Jeep also announced a special ‘Red Vapour’ edition of

Grand Cherokee SRT.

BMWBMW has introduced the rst ever 2-SeriesCabriolet, its smallest open-top. Comparedto the defunct 1-Series Convertible, thenew model bene ts from extra insulationwhich has slashed interior noise by 5 dBin the front and 7 dB at the back, thanksto its multi-layer fabric roof. And after thenew X5 and it’s the turn of the new BMWX6 coupe crossover to take its share of thespotlight.

KIAAfter several rounds of teasers and pre-show release of basic details, Kia nallyrevealed the European version of itsrevised crossover at Paris. It seems thatfor the latest Sorento, Kia has borroweda few of the elements from the CrossGT concept and adapts them for theroad. The new model grows by about3.7in overall with roughly three inchesmore wheelbase and is o ered in both5- and 7-seating con gurations. The newproduction model has the brand’s familiarmesh grille up front and headlamps thatwrap around the body with large foglampsbelow. It features a modi ed version ofthe concept’s swept-back stance thatthankfully removes the awkwardness fromthe original design. Kia says that shapingthe latest crossover was truly a globale ort with input coming from Korea,Germany and the US. Kia also showcaseda revised version of the Rio compact andVenga small MPV. Kia is de nitely showinga big focus on styling and design in itscars. Kia also unveiled its Optima T-Hybridconcept, following an online reveal at theend of September.



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guarno secret that UK’s Jaguarbeen on a roll this past year,ing the terri c F-Type sportson the market and makinghiver with delight at the

urrected racing version of thenic E-Type. Now it’s makingd on its plans to expandmore segments with thean all-new midsize sedano compete with the BMW

eries, Audi A4 and MercedesClass. After the London debut

month to selected guestsVIPs, Paris was the car’s rstial public debut.

he line-up it’s the smallestaguar’s sedans, tting intorange below the XF and XJ.also the rst productiondel to use Jaguar’s scalableminium architecture that’snded to reduce weight,increase exibility for bothineers and designers. At72mm long, 1,850mm wide1,416mm tall, its dimensionsincredibly close that thathe latest C-Class. However,ough pitched into thenstream of the mid-size execment, the XE’s new platformps give cab-rearwardportions closer to that ofhe models like BMW’s 4es Gran Coupe.front, the lamps followtheme of the latest XF,h J-shaped DRLs, while theases that run from the lampshe upright grille appearreate a more cohesivetionship than on the largerAlthough not exactly a retrobile, the XE references theype with the power bulge inhood and LED signature intail-lamps.most aerodynamic Jag

r produced, the XE packspercharged 3.0-litre V6ine that will send it from60 mph in 4.9secs. In

event of a collision withdestrian, the uniquelygned aluminium bonnet

omatically pops up a fewimeters, creating a cushionir between the relativelymetal and the much harderine underneath. Also on

play were the F-Type Projectd performance versions ofsedans.

Land RoverThe brand is now more focused andwith the three family sub names [RaRover, Discover and Land Rover] threpresent clear cut, yet non-overlappproduct lines. The latest addition tothe Land Rover family is the Discov

Sport, which is a 7-seater crossover.Designed from ground up on the rlatest scalable platform, designershave blended very well modernity atraditional elements in this packageon display were the Range Rover SVhigh performance SUV and probabllast of the current Land Rover produDefenders.



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Lexusexus has big ambitions for Europe as

ar as numbers go. It wants to sell atast 50,000 units by 2015, going up to5,000 by 2016 and 100,000 in 2020.s a result, a product o ensive is also

xpected. Meanwhile, the ‘Mysteryoncept’ that Lexus has been teasingas revealed as the new mid-sizedX crossover. On debut, the new NXill available with two powertrains: a5-litre full hybrid drivetrain in the NX

00h and a newly developed 2.0-litreetrol turbo engine mated with a new-speed automatic transmission in theX 200t. The NX will be o ered withront – and All-Wheel Drive systems.lso on display were the new RC F andC 300h models.

MitsubishiMitsubishi Motors presented perhapsthe most impressive facelift of a car in itsOutlander plug-in hybrid as the ConceptS PHEV. The concept adopts a fresh frontfascia with an “X” layout and chromeaccents, new and aggressive crease lines,an Americanised front and rear end withhorizontal LED strip lamps sign o therefreshed design. The second concept SUVin red, the XR PHEV is said to give a hintof the styling direction for the next ASXcrossover which is due for replacementsoon.

MaseratiA Maserati Ghibli S Q4 by ErmenegildoZegna was presented as a bespokeconcept. This car stood out from therest of the current Ghibli range due toits special colour nishes, materials andtrims. Maserati says that this exercise wasintended to showcase the brand’s rstmilestone towards its renewed futureproduct line-up. The car is powered by thehigh-performance 410 hp/550Nm V6 twin-turbo engine, with “Q4” four wheel drive,ensuring 0-100 km/h acceleration in just4.8secs. Meanwhile, other regular modelsincluded the MC Stradale and once againthe Alferi concept.

Mercedes-BenzWith most of its top end line-up alreadyintroduced with the SLS AMG GTand S-Class Coupe in particular in nn-automotive events recently, the venuedidn’t stop Dieter Zetsche, chairmanof Daimler to introduce the Mercedes-AMG GT and the C 63 AMG. Meanwhile,Mercedes has gone up one step byintroducing a range of styling accessoriesfor the C-Class sedan. And after last

month’s online reveal, Mercedes-Benzalso introduced the facelifted for 2015B-Class. Mercedes-Benz is also showcasedthe C63 AMG sports sedan and wagonvariants [standard and S] along withthe other members of this family. Theintroduction of the GT was anotheropportunity for Mercedes to remindeveryone that the collaboration with itsAMG performance arm — on models likethe GT and its Formula One cars — whichnow represent a separate pro table subbrand.



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Mazda2014 is a momentous year for Hiroshima,Japan-based Mazda Motor Corporation. Just amonth after revealing the latest reincarnationof one of the most beloved sports cars ever,Mazda used the Paris Motor Show to tell usthe MX-will be powered by a sub 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine. First revealedlast month at Mazda’s new facility the “MazdaSpace” in Barcelona, the all-new MX-5 hasshed 100kg versus the outgoing model. Themodel on display in Paris features SKYACTIVTechnology, including a SKYACTIV-G 1.5 petrolengine and six-speed SKYACTIV-MT manualgearbox in the roadster’s classic front-mid-ship engine, rear-wheel drive layout with nearperfect 50:50 front-rear weight distribution.Its designers came up with a breathtakinglysporty KODO – Soul of Motion design forthe exterior, with a lower centre of gravityand longer bonnet along with characterlines expressing vitality and motion. Inside,the new model retains the close- tting yetcomfortable t inherent to all MX-5s over theyears. But Mazda has also added state-of-theart technology like i-ACTIVSENSE active safetytechnology and MZD Connect, the company’sin-car connectivity concept.The new MX-5 celebrates 25 years after theoriginal MX-5 was unveiled at the 1989 ChicagoAuto Show.

NissanWhile the Paris Mondial tends to fothe luxury and supercar segments, itto see a break. CEO of Nissan Carlonot only introduced the C-segment Phatchback on the oor but also unvethe sportier Pulsar Nismo Concept tWith the Pulsar, Nissan is back in E

highly competitive C-segment and tNismo version of the Pulsar in satinwith contrasting red lines is indicatiof the aspiration of the company whis looking to develop its Nismo line-with the ambition of delivering boldperformance models to a new generof drivers including the C-segment. Nismo transforms the ve-door Pulwith its aerodynamic ourishes, sittilower to the ground, and equipped wnew suspension to keep it going on tday. However, no powertrain detailsreleased for the Nismo Pulsar at the

MINITwo cars – one a production and the other a one-off conceptwere among the key highlights of this BMW Group-ownedBritish brand. The 2015 MINI five-door hatchback had itspremiere and is a car designed for regular MINI users whoneed the extra two rear doors. The bigger hatchback comeswith a hardtop and will be offered in regular and Coopervariants. The Superleggera concept was also presented as adesign study.



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LamborghiniItalian supercar brand Lamborghini has opena new chapter in the company’s history withthe launch of the company’s rst plug-in hybthe Asterion LPI 910-4. Asterion is the name

the mythical character, which is part man, pabull – a perfect hybrid. CEO Stephen Winkledescribed the car as a technology demonstraand it is built around a carbon bre monocoqchassis and features the V10 from the recentintroduced Huracan. This is assisted by threeelectric motors; two mounted in the front whand a third mounted alongside the conventiopetrol engine. The combined output is aroundbhp. When needed the ‘Hyper Cruiser’ has aelectric range of 50 km. This plug-in hybrid charging bull delivers a remarkable e ciencof 75mpg. No production plans have beenannounced.

nitiniti, Nissan’s luxury brand which nowa technical tie-up with Daimler did

ke an impression at the show withmbitiously named Q80 Inspirationcept. This concept’s design is a futuree on where the brand aspires to beth or without Sebastian Vettel]. Also onplay were the Q50 variants and QX70Vs.



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HyundaiAt the Paris presentation Hyundai madeit clear that its latest i20 is up to the taskbecause it’s designed in Europe speci callywith European buyers in mind. The newi20 takes a small step a bit more upmarketwith features like LED front and rearlighting and a rearview camera. However,the biggest change is the jump in interiorroom, as the wheelbase is now two incheslonger than before. This gives the hatchbest-in-class legroom and cargo capacitywith the rear seats up, according toHyundai. Rounding out the improvementsis an available panoramic sunroof that thecompany also believes is unique for thesegment. The wheelbase is two-incheslonger than before, and the growthgives the hatch best-in-class legroom andcargo capacity with the rear seats up,

according to Hyundai. Rounding out theimprovements is an available panoramicsunroof that the company also believes isunique for the segment. Also on displaywas the i20 WRC in racing livery.

ndaile Honda is quietly migrating itsans to CVT in the name of e ciency,as a welcome gesture at Paris whereJapanese brand revealed that the

w Civic Type R. Last year Hondarmed ambitions for the Civic Type R

ecome the fastest front wheel drivearound the infamous Nurburgringuit in Germany. This incoming Typeill be powered by a direct injectionocharged 2.0-litre engine and willver at least 280 PS. The Type R hasady been put through its paces by

nda’s WTCC driver Gabriele Tarquini.o on show were three concepts [thinlyed production models] including the-V, Jazz and HR-V. The regular HR-Voduced is the European version ofnda’s compact SUV, also known as theel in Japan. The HR-V is scheduled to

on sale in Europe next summer andmises to provide one of the roomiestadaptable interior cabins in this

ment. At the show, Honda somehowe the impression of consolidation of its-up and also introduced the faceliftedic hatchback and wagon variants forope.

SsanYongAmong the Asian surprises at Paris, South Korea’s SSanYattracted a lot of attention with its XIV-Air concept. Desigto preview a production model that will be launched in Sou

Korea early next year, the XIV-Air has a distinctive targaroof that allows drivers to “enjoy the bene ts of open topmotoring.” The crossover has also been equipped with HIDheadlights, plastic body cladding and aggressive bumpers.While, SsangYong isn’t exactly known for creating fun anexciting vehicles but the XIV-Air concept seems that the bris heading in a new youthful direction.

SuzukiSuzuki took the wraps o the new conservatively lookingVitara SUV, which essentially is the production version oiV-4 concept, revealed in Frankfurt last year. The incominVitara marks the return of Suzuki to its compact SUV rooafter a 25 year hiatus in Europe. The car comes with a tondown styling that features a massive chrome radiator grillintegrated LED daytime running lights in the front bumpe

SmartDaimler’s otherbrand Smart showedwhat amounts to acompletely new modelrange in Paris withits new city car andsupermini o erings.Also included werethe Electric SmartForTwo and ForFour,which will hit marketsin 2016. Smart saysthe electric versionof all-new city car willget brand new batterytechnology.

NOV 2014 | www.automan.mwww.automan.me | NOV 2014


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yotaota created quite a

of noise at Paris aftercutives con rmedpossibility of theduction version of theristic C-HR concept.s, we’re seriousut building it. Sure,concept car is a bitggerated, you canerstand that it’s a bittched... bigger wheels,most of this we’reous about putting intoduction,” siad Karllicht, the vice presidentoyota’s European arm.production version of

C-HR will approximately65inc long, making it

aller than a RAV4 butuple of inches longer

n a Nissan Juke. Thecept’s silhouettecarry over to the

duction model relativelyhanged but designersgraft on an extra set ofrs on the soft-roaderpractical reasons. Thessover will ride on and new platform thatunderpin a host of

oming Toyota andsibly Lexus products.st models will comeh turbocharged four-nder petrol engines,le the range-toppingdels will be o eredh the next generationoyota’s petrol-electricrid drivetrain.ota also believes thatrogen is key to there of motoring andce the FCV Concept.unimaginatively namedcell sedan made its

opean debut in Paris.the technical frontota says that the FCVdrive 300 miles onll tank of hydrogen,ll in just a few minutes,the exhaust pumpsnothing but waterour. Downside ofapplication of thishnology is that it is stillensive with hydrogenhard to nd and it is

cheaper than regular orural gas.

www.automan.me | NOV 2014


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pelt Opel, General Motors’ Europeanwas back in the business was evident

m two things at Paris. One was theence of Chevrolet which suggestedthere’s now a ‘hands-o ’ approach

the German brand, the introductionhe all-new Corsa and Adam modelsdes the appointment as brand

bassador, Germany’s super model -udia Schi er. Not surprising that thesentation of Opel at the Paris motorw was something of a marketing andnding coup for Opel Chief Executivel Thomas Neumann and Tina Mueller,chief marketing o cer. The newel Adam Rocks as a three-door urbanket-crossover opens up a new markethe. Opel designers have developed

w design elements, décors and seating

ms all unique to Adam Rocks which,ether with the Swing Top canvas roofd as standard, give it its very own

c charm. The latest member of Opel’san lifestyle family is also powered byll-new three cylinder 1.0 ECOTEC directction turbo engine.

PorscheJust a few weeks ago, Porsche gavemotoring journalists a taste of the alsecond generation Cayenne in BarceSpain. At the technical presentationthere, Porsche had promised some mnews for the incoming model. Well,beans were spilled in Paris. The newCayenne S E-Hybrid joins the PanaE-Hybrid and the 918 Spyder in Porgrowing hybrid line-up. Based on threcently updated Cayenne, it stands from the rest, thanks to the combinaof its supercharged 3.0-litre V6, eighspeed automatic transmission, 95hhpelectric motor and lithium-ion batterpack. That’s more power than theprevious Cayenne S Hybrid, and cabe topped o directly from the mainof now, Porsche tops the hybrid list ever increasing models.

VolkswagenVolkswagen o ered a rst glimpse ofwhat is to come with the rst publicunveil of the XL Sport show car whichcombines the lightweight XL1 chassis witha 200hp V-twin motorcycle engine fromDucati. Thanks to the great performancecharacteristics of thehigh-revvingdesmodromic engine and the slipperyexterior design, the four-wheel XL Sport iscapable of a top speed of 270 km/h. Unlikethe XL1 which has limited production,the XL Sport is a one-o for now with noo cial plans for series production. VW also

showcased hybrid models of the Passatbesides the Polo GTI with a new engine.The 1.4-litre TSI engine has been replacedby a new 1.8-liter TSI that produces 192PSand 320Nm of torque when connected tothe new six-speed manual transmission.Interestingly, models equipped with theseven-speed DSG will only produce 192PSand 250Nm of torque. Up for order now,the rst deliveries are slated for February2015. Meanwhile,the latest addition tothe Volkswagen Golf MkVII model line-up,the Golf Alltrack was also features. It’sbasically a jacked-up version of the GolfEstate with mild o -road styling tweaks.



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VolvoA revived Volvo under Geely ownershippresented the most important new Volvo-- the second-generation XC90. The newXC90 is a three-row crossover for 2015 andfor Europe it drops the rst-gen model’stop-end, turbocharged six-cylinder infavour of a more e cient single twin-charged, 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.And by pairing that with a plug-in-electricpowertrain, the king of the XC90 range,the T8 TwinEngine, will o er 400hp.Also appearing on 2015 XC90 will be anentirely new, Apple CarPlay-compatibleinfotainment system with a big, verticaltouchscreen display at its heart. Basedon the demos that we’ve seen, the newsystem looks responsive, feature-ladenand quite contemporary. And as part ofits future business direction, Volvo willcontinue to banks a lot of its reputation onsafety. The new XC90 shows the Swedishautomaker’s intentions to eliminatecrash-related deaths in its cars by 2020.The SUV is “semi-autonomous,” and hasan industry- rst auto brake function thatstops drivers from making risky left handturns.

nturinch specialty marque Venturioduced its America electric buggy.hough a small player, the Venturierica is set to enter limited productionnly 25 units each priced at whopping0,000. The two-seater is an evolutionconcept revealed back in 2012 and

mes with an increased ride heightnting a generous 280mm groundrance. Power is provided by antric motor producing 400hp andnstant torque of 354 lb-ft (480 Nm)

ch is enough for a 0-100 km/h run insecs. The car’s battery pack o ersugh juice to enable a maximum range50km while a full recharge will takee and a half hours.Venturi America is 4,125mm long,

60mm wide and 1,450mm tall, with670mm wheelbase and 1,525kgb weight. It sits on 20in wheelspped around in Michelin Latitudert tyres and bene ts from a carbon

vlar aluminium chassis covered withmposite carbon body panels.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, nally put an end to rumoursof what the much-anticipated ‘Model D’ might be. Thesuper-fast P85D model will be a dual-motor four-wheeldrive version of the Model S sedan.

Tesla

RenaultRenault’s stand was huge and the officially introduced the new geneEspace people-mover. The flagshiEurope-market model has undergoa comprehensive transformationcompared to its predecessor and nocombines “the sweeping lines of a crossover” with “an elegant yet rostance”. In France, the 2015 Espacbe offered in three different trim le– Life, Zen, Intense and Initiale PaCarlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO Renault Group said that “Renault reinvented the Espace.” Renault hajoined other automakers in the queto develop an ultra-frugal car and this year’s show they highlighted tEolab concept. Hiding underneath futuristic design is a hybrid power

featuring a small three-cylinder 1.engine which works with a clutchlthree-gear transmission that has a in electric motor.

Rolls-RoyceRolls-Royce Motor Cars is on an overdriwith its creativity. A couple of months agRolls-Royce launched the Phantom DropCoupe Waterspeed Collection and at Paribrand introduced the Metropolitan Collewhich again has been developed throughhigh-end bespoke customization programThis latest iteration of the Phantom will bbuilt in a limited series of 20 units and alpay homage to the great metropolises of world through marquetry which refers toinlaying small pieces of wood veneer to decorative motifs.

NOV 2014 | www.automan.mwww.automan.me | NOV 2014


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rrarirari released the rst details of theSpeciale A. The ‘A’ is short for

erta or Open and refers to the Spiderguration of this limited production,

h performance machine. Powered bysame, 605 hp V8 engine as the Specialepe introduced last year. The 458ciale A will have a limited productionof 499 examples. On the executive

nt at the Fiat press conference,

restingly, Sergio Marchionne, saidit was inappropriate to comment on

acrimonious exit of Luca Montezmeloe Ferrari had him as chairman untilober 13. On the issue of increasingrari production from 7,000 to 10,000s promptly did comment saying thatelt that Ferrari volumes were ne atmoment. It may be recalled that a fewks ago, Sergio Marchionne, the 67-yearchief executive of Fiat, took over thejob at Ferrari just prior to a crucial Wallet listing for the Fiat Chrysler Group onober 13.

FordFord’s stand re ected most of its Euromodel line-up along with the Euro-speMustang. The Mustang will go on saleacross the continent in 2015 in fastbacconvertible variants. In Europe, the cabe o ered with two engines – the 5.0-V8 with 420bhp and 528Nm of torquethe 2.3-litre EcoBoost turbo unit gene305bhp and 406Nm of torque. Ford alunveiled the Euro-spec Edge which cechoes the North American variant instyling but will be o ered in Europe w2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel enginetwo di erent outputs. Ford also introdtwo multipurpose vehicles – the faceliC-MAX and the production version oS-MAX [S- MAX concept was presenlast year’s Geneva Motor Show]. Thecomes with a lot of design cues from tnew Mondeo.

Peugeot Peugeot’s stand in Hall #1 was bright, busyand entertaining. And this was expectedfollowing an online reveal last month ofthe Quartz concept SUV which is describedas Peugeot’s thoughts on a “SUV for thefuture”. The Quartz is a hybrid that usesa 4-cylinder 1.6-litre THP turbochargedgasoline engine with 270hp and 330Nmalong with an 115hp electric motorwhich charges the 400V battery duringdeceleration. At the back of the vehiclethere’s another 85 kW electric motor forpropulsion and battery charging. Amongproduction models was the facelifted 508sedan which now looks much sharperand stylish. Also revealed was the 308 GTfamily which will be available as a sedanor wagon body styles. Meanwhile, amongthe stars at the stand was the updatedExalt concept sedan. The original conceptwas introduced at the Beijing Motor Showin China and for its Paris outing, Peugeotmade some modi cations for the Euro-spec version which features a bare steelexterior with a Shark Skin rear end as wellas di erent shades of grey on the rest ofthe body to create a special look.



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2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe

R E N E W E D

F O R M


I t m a y b e t h e s

m a l l e s t c o

u p e f r o m G

M ’ s l u x u r y

b r a n d C a d

i l l a c, b u t t h e

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0 1 5 A T S c o

u p e

c o m e s w i t

h a l o t o f a s p i r a t

i o n s a n d i

n t e n t.

A u t o m a n

w i t n e s s e d

t h e a r r i v a l o f t h e

c a r i n t h e

r e g i o n a n d

a l s o p a r t

i c i p a t e d i n

t h e r e g i o n a l

r i d e

a n d d r i v e e

v e n t

A u t h o r : C h a

n d a n B M a l

l i k | P h o t o g r

a p h y : T h o r s

t e n W e i g l a n

d a u t h o r


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Cadillac which is General Motors’luxury brand is once again amongthe most talked brands after ex-di/In niti executive Johan de Nysschenk control. Nysschen’s fast track agendaudes reorganizing and nurturing thend with an exciting product line-upping it as part of the masterful strategy

make this American brand the standardhe world. Among the rst steps takenhis direction has been shifting thend’s HQ from Detroit to New York, a

w nomenclature system and revisedporate logo.

rst new car to sport the newo on its grille is the 2015 ATS coupech was introduced in the region lastnth. Technically, the two-door carechanically based on the four-door

an, but it comes with its own styling,le, bells and whistles.

uilding the car, Cadillac’s philosophybeen to give it its standalonesonality and pro le. This means thes sharing, especially of what you seebeen kept to a minimum and not

prisingly, the only common exterior

components are the bonnet, headlamps,and sundry trim pieces on the frontvalance. The underlying architecture ofthe ATS uses a combination of severalmetals, including high-strength steel,aluminum, magnesium, and many othersthat together help achieve rigidity andlightness.ATS coupes are wider and sleeker thanthe sedans. They also come with widermudguards and elongated bodylines.Exterior styling on the ATS can bedescribed as bold and distinctive as itcontinues with the angular Cadillac’s Artand Science design language. New in thiscar is the redesigned front grille, with amulti-dimensional pattern that’s a moderntake on Cadillac’s signature egg cartongrille. The redesigned, laurel-less Cadillaccrest is quite prominent now and is settledin the centre of the grille. And as before,the headlamp cluster is vertically placedand comes with LED daytime runninglamps and HID head beams. Vertical LEDfoglamps underneath accentuate theupright look of the front face. The frontend is not only aesthetic, but functional:

Inside the front grille are shutters thatautomatically close at certain highwayspeeds, which reduce aerodynamic dragand help fuel economy.We also note that car’s mirror design isalso di erent. Meanwhile, there are somedimensional changes too. The coupe’sbody now stretches 0.8in in length and isalso 1.4in wider, while the roo ine is 1.1inlower. And as be tting a coupe, the rearwindscreen slopes at a atter and sleekerangle. Interestingly, the ratio of the sheetmetal to glass is also optimized and thecoupe’s window sills are actually quitelower. All these elements give the visualappearance of a slim car.The car at rst glance, especially, fromthe three-quarter view appears moreplanted than the sedan, thanks to its 0.8inwider tracks [front and rear]. On coupes,the boot lid spoiler is instead createdfrom sheet metal and the brake light isinlaid below. Like the sedan, dual chromeexhaust pipes sit below the rear bumper.Even as a proper coupe, despite best ofintentions from design and engineering,there are some generic aws like

notably rear seat access and limited rearheadroom. The oorpan is common toboth ATS bodystyles and hence rearlegroom is the same as the sedan and theC-pillar is also wider. This results in quite abit of di erence as regards to the availableheadroom at rear which is 1.8in lesser thanthat of the sedan. While Cadillac engineershave o ered a powered front seat basefor fore and aft movement, access to thesecond row is obstructed by the C-pillarbolted seatbelts. If one is unmindful, thenit can trip passengers up during the egressprocess.As expected, front occupants arepampered with very comfortable andsupportive seats that are also mounted abit lower to facilitate headroom and alsohelp rear occupants with better sight.In fact, the rear seats are much betterdesigned than that of BMW’s X4 [ alsotested in this issue of Automan]. Oncesettled in, the cabin is cosy and somewhatexudes an air of elegance with a mixof materials, cut-and-sew leather trimdashboard and door panels along withgenuine aluminium or carbon bre or gloss

piano black nishes. Semi-aniline leis also o ered that also brings fancysuede seatbacks. Constant improvemto Cadillac’s CUE infotainment sysmakes it better to operate, but it stilllong way to go. Meanwhile, techno-will appreciate the car’s head-up disfeature and the newly optional 4G Lwireless hotspot connectivity and wcharging for certain mobile devices.Fit and nish inside the Cadillac ATcomparable German premium brandThe chassis of the ATS is designed taccept a variety of engines – rangina direct-injection 2.0-litre four-cylinturbo to the naturally aspirated 3.6-ldirect injection V6. The Middle Easmarkets get the top-end V6 which bout 321hp at 6,800 rpm and a relativmodest 276 lb-ft of torque at 4,800rpTransmission used out here is six-spautomatic with Tiptronic function.Paddle shifters are located behind thwheel and are not of the xed type.Instrumentation is a mix of analoguedigital. The dashboard design is simuncluttered.

ATS coupes arewider and sleekerthan the sedans.They also come withwider mudguards andelongated bodylines.On coupes, the decklidspoiler is insteadcreated from sheetmetal and the brakelight is inlaid below.Like the sedan, dualchrome exhaust pipessit below the rearbumper.



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ver gets adjustable FE3 sportpension and the package includesgnetic Ride Control, a mechanicalted-slip di erential an 18in low-pro le

formance tyres. The chassis set-upons are placed at the base of thetral console. The car’s suspension set-has been designed for greater exibilityboth dynamic and regular road usage.dillac claims nearly perfect 50:50 weightance and low centre of gravity for this

and suspension hardware includes ve-independent rear suspension featuringtweight, high-strength steel andient straight link designs while multi-double-pivot MacPherson-strut front

pension with direct-acting stabilizer barmpletes the front.with the safety package, the coupee ts from the hardware and software

m the sedan and this means it getsusually array of technologies and

some more advanced features. Cadillac’s“control and alert” strategy, whichemploys up to two cameras, eightultrasonic sensors and six radar signals

to help prevent crashes is available forthis model. Cadillac’s advanced crash-avoidance systems, such as automaticbraking, lane departure warning, pre-charge and automatically applies brakingin response to potential hazards. Newsafety features for 2015 include anoptional lane keep assist, which willautomatically help guide drivers backinto their lanes if they drift. An automaticsafety belt tightening feature will take up

any slack during fast stops. Driving impressionsWe recalled prior to the drive of this carthat a couple of years back the sedansibling was able to carve a be ttingpresence in the segment which till thenwas dominated primarily by the Germanduo of BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-BenzC-Class. Key elements in the successwere its distinctive design, lightweight construction and agile handling. As the

2015 ATS Coupe rides on the same 109.3inwheelbase as the sedan and hence evenbefore settling in, we mentally listedour expectations based on our previousencounters with the ATS sedan.On the move, The V6 is wonderfullysmooth and delivers predictable responseto throttle inputs. Despite being slightlytorque de cient than BMW’s 435iand the Audi S5, it makes up for thatthrough its optimized power-to-weightratio. At roughly 1,04kg the ATS coupebene ts from a slight weight advantageover its key rivals. Acceleration is quite

entertaining and in-between upshifts aresmooth in drive mode. Switch into Sportplus and the powertrain shows its truecolours at about the 2,500rpm rev rangewhere gears shift quite fast.On the handling perspective, we dohave some mixed feelings about the ZF-sourced variable-e ort electric steering.The steering gear used in the ATS is beltdriven, which Cadillac claims makes for asmoother feel, but we found it a little toonumb on demanding turns. Most driversmight not notice this in daily driving asthe car’s turn-in is good and we think

it is better than the BMW because in theBeemer, the shift of weight from the rearto the front is quite noticeable and in somecases it also induces extra understeer [whichis not good for the rear rims!]Meanwhile, the chassis copes well withwhat is thrown at – our drive up anddown on UAE’s hot Jebel Jais mountainroad in Ras Al Khamaih is testimony to itsnear awless performance. The sportierrear suspension of the coupe [comparedwith sedan], allows for a rmer and morecon dent feel around twists and turns. Wewere also thrilled with the performanceof the Brembo brake set up. While the

pedal is rm, it conveys strong, linear,communicative braking without upsettingthe car’s balance and hence appearswell tuned for this kind of car. What weparticularly like about the handling of thiscar is that it’s not that aggressive like itsV cousins and not timid either. One thingwe did note during the drive -- the six-speed automatic comes across as ratherbusy when pushed and rather too eagerto upshift into higher gears, even in sportmode. And when using manual shifts viathe paddle shifters, the shifts still lack theovert crispness that we remember from

previous experiences with the ATS sThe balance of ride qualities is goodthe type of car it represents, howevewish list would have asked for a sligfaster steering set-up and perhaps thbene t of the wider ratios in the eigspeed ZF transmissions.As a lifestyle car, the NVH manageis very impressive. A virtual quiet catestimony to the way the car is builtmaterials used in isolation. Wind-nohighway speeds is negligible. Somenoise can be heard, depending on rosurface driven.

VerdictWhile the 2015 ATS Coupe is still n4-Series from a driving standpoint, wquite convinced that it is an approprpackage that represents a return toform for Cadillac as a brand. It’s a tilifestyle car with a genuine three-bo(engine-cabin-boot) con guration anslightly lower price point than the Gpremium brand equivalents. Combinwith decent performance and comfocreatures, this should help broaden iappeal amongst the aspirational seeksegment of the market.

Like other recentCadillac models, the

ATS was tuned atsome of the world’smost famous racingcircuits, includingthe Nordschleifesection of Germany’sNurburgring.



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2015 Porsche Cayenne

More is lessEver since Porsche introduced the CayenneSUV in 2002, it has been appreciated as thebest all-around SUV worldwide. Now in itssecond generation, how much does a mid-cycle refresh affect or in uence this topseller? Automan travelled all the way toBarcelona in Spain to nd outAuthor: Chandan B Mallik | Photography: author & supplied

For German sports car maker Porsche,the Cayenne SUV is a signi cantproduct in several ways. First, ithelped the brand to establish a footholdin the SUV markets and its commercialsuccess has also paved the way for asmaller SUV, introduced earlier this yearas the Macan. With the arrival of theMacan, many observers felt that it wouldcannibalise into the Cayenne territory.On the contrary, the Cayenne has held onto its ground and Porsche have kept theinterest in the bigger SUV by expandingthe line-up in the past few years. As aresult, at least ve variants are now sold inthe Middle East and include the Turbo, S,Diesel, S diesel and S E- Hybrid. The currentmodel is in its second generation and hasrecently received its mid-cycle refresh. With the refresh, Porsche has focused ontwo signi cant areas: performance ande ciency. These come in addition to somecosmetic tweaks and detailing in jewelry.For a change in our usual style of writingwhere we look at the exterior, interiorfollowing by engineering, we will reversethe order for this report representing thefocus areas rst. The biggest news for the Cayenne upgradeis that S variant drops the old V8 in favourof the new bi-turbo 3.6-litre V6 enginewhich was introduced in the smallerMacan. Despite small in displacementand having two cylinders less Porscheclaim that the V6 surpasses the V8 in all

departments – lightweight constructoutput and e ciency in particular. Aa result, power output has increasedby 20hp to 420hp and the torque hasincreased by 50Nm to 550Nm, whilfuel consumption has fallen by 0.9 liless than ten litres per 100km. Meanthe power output of the top-of-the-liTurbo has also increased by 20 hp tohp and the torque by 50Nm to 750NIt accelerates three tenths of a seconmore quickly than its predecessor anreaches a top speed of 279 km/h andconsumption has been reduced by 0l/100 km. And it’s not the S E-Hybralso the diesel powered models that standards in fuel consumption. The drivetrain has already proved itself Panamera and has now been adapteuse in the Cayenne S E-Hybrid. Methe Cayenne Diesel now has more pand torque coupled with a reductionin fuel consumption. Thanks to a larturbocharger, the maximum power oof the 3.0-litre V6 has increased by to a total of 262hp, whilst the maximtorque has increased by 30Nm to 58The diesel will sprint from 0 to 100 0.3secs faster and has a top speed ofkm/h with miserly fuel consumptionto 6.6 per 100km. Meanwhile, the ceight-speed transmission with TiptroS has also been optimised with coasfunction, which is a further developauto start/stop function Plus. For thesprint from 0 to 100km/h the optionSport Chrono package o ers Perfor



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Start for the rst time in the Cayenne.The suspension department also hasreceived some attention. It may soundtrivial, but new low friction bushingsystem has bought in a great deal ofre nement in the way the parts travel andreact helping engineers to increase thespread between comfort and sportinessin every variant irrespective of the typeof suspension package it uses – like theconventional steel suspension in thediesel or P orsche Active SuspensionManagement [PASM] set up in higherspeci cation modelsMeanwhile, thethree PASM suspension programmes areComfort, Sport and Sport Plus which alsowork in tandem with the Turbo. In thePASM enabled models the ride height cannow be increased and the level controlsystem included with the air suspensionhas been made more exible. It now o ersa total of six di erent vehicle heightsdepending on the driving situation. Theuser-friendly load sill height adjustmentis a new feature for the Cayenne whichis activated by pressing a button in theluggage compartment. In action it lowersthe loading level by 52mm when thetailgate is open. The height of the load sillis then approximately 690mm.The familiar pro le and silhouette of theCayenne to some may appear unchanged.

But it will take a Cayenne a cionado togure out the changes in a few moments

of observation. For the rst time activecooling air aps are tted behind thecentral air inlet which is controlled byengine management. They open and closedepending on the driving situation and thecooling-air requirement. This regulates the

air volume, in uences the aerodynamicsand is part of the thermal managementso that the engine and gearbox warm upquickly and reach an optimum working

temperature. The lower valance isdesigned to accommodate these featand in turn makes the front end lookmore aggressive.A close look up front reveals that thbonnet is wider now and has a softclamshell design. The central air inlnow somewhat smaller than before.changes at the rear of the car complthe front. For instance, the rear lampare atter and similar to the LED darunning lamps at the front the brakelamps have a four-part design. Amodesign sign-o s are the new design exhaust tailpipes for each derivativeare integrated in the lower rear valeWe think the “ oating” four-point Ldaytime running lights clearly identrefreshed car.Key change to the interior which caspotted immediately is the 918 inspimultifunctional steering wheel withpaddle shifters and the softer secondseats.What’s more, as with the frontseat ventilation is now available for rear occupants if required. Elsewhercabin is familiar with its Panamera icentral console and split rear seatinInterestingly, curb weight has margiincreased when compared to the outmodel due to more standard equipm

The Cayenne S Dieselcleverly combinesthe advantages of aturbocharged diesel

V8 engine with theemotional appeal ofa petrol engine. Itstorque delivery isoutstanding

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Driving impressionsThe Barcelona drive included an arrayof driving situations – highway sectionsincluding winding mountain roads, countryroads, city roads and an o -road coursewith hill climb, a dirt track and muddywater trough thrown in. Porsche’s eventmanagement specialists ensured that wewere exposed to every possible on oro -road scenario and they also o ered usall the Cayenne variants for the job. Webegan our drive with the new downsizedturbo charged 3.6-litre V6. The V6 turboCayenne S might be slower on paperbut feels almost as quick as its biggerand 100kg heavier brother. No greatsurprises out here as the car is agile andsmooth as before and there’s no signof it being underpowered or outclassedby its previous set-up. In more than oneway the S is more of a charmer and evenentertaining to drive since there’s lessweight over the front wheels which inturn helps in a lighter steering feel andmore feedback, while the engine canrev to its 6,700rpm redline point morefreely. Despite being 200Nm down on the

Turbo, the stock Cayenne’s peak torque isdeveloped lower in the rev range at just1,350rpm. We found that when drivengently, it propels the car down the roadrapidly even on light throttle applications.The o -road course which was set-up ina 600-hectare private property actuallyhelped us to get acquainted with theenhanced capabilities of the car. Now,we all know that the Cayennes have all-wheel drive s

Documents

159 Automan November Issue 2014